We’re trying something new in our quest for a medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics: sponsored curlers.

The U.S. doesn’t yet have the financial backing to commit to full-time curlers like some other countries do – Great Britain, China, Russia, for example.  Our curlers still work and/or go to school, usually full time.

But we’ve (we=U.S. Curling Association) identified folks heading into the 2014-15 season that we’re going to back, to help train and fund, in hopes a formidable team will gel and be able to compete with – and consistently beat – the best teams in the world.

We have top curlers, we just haven’t had top curlers who perform at the best level shot after shot, game after game, week after week, season after season.

I think most U.S. curlers would chalk this up to the need to get our best teams playing highly competitive games week after week, with quality practice between games.  We have to leave the country to get that kind of action. And, boy, is that expensive and can it ever take a toll on one’s career and family.

A friend who is a competitive curler who played on the national team estimated each team member spent at least $35,000 in a season – for international games alone. And that was with some sponsorship.

Wow.

So, we’ve gradually moved toward sponsorships of teams, with the national curling association financially supporting curlers to curl and receive professional coaching and training. We picked up the pace just before the Vancouver Olympics, but everyone was new to the approach and I think, all in all, the schedule of training and practices and games was a bit jumbled and wasn’t too effective. The process was honed, and leading into the Sochi Games, it seemed the teams were practicing and playing well. But they still came up short in the medal count. (Whether that should be the goal is a whole other matter.)

Now, we’re identifying junior curlers and adult curlers, getting them together and on the ice early with coaches, and trying to ID teams and players “worth” backing financially for the long term. For 2018. For the podium.

On Tuesday, the USCA announced 29 athletes chosen for the 2014-15 High Performance Program. There aren’t any new names on the list, I don’t think, but quite a few highly competitive curlers are not on the list. It’s going to be interesting to see how this experiment plays out.

Here’s who the USCA is going to be working with this season:

Women: Becca Hamilton (McFarland, Wis.) Vicky Persinger (Fairbanks, Alaska) Tabitha Peterson (Eagan, Minn.) Tara Peterson (Eagan, Minn.) Jamie Sinclair (Manotick, Ontario) Aileen Sormunen (Duluth, Minn.) Nina Spatola (McFarland, Wis.) Monica Walker (Brighton, Mass.)

Junior women: Sarah Anderson (Broomall, Pa.) Taylor Anderson (Broomall, Pa.) Cory Christensen (Duluth, Minn.) Grace Gabower (DePere, Wis.) Jenna Haag (Milwaukee, Wis.) Mackenzie Lank (Lewiston, N.Y.)

Men: Sean Beighton (Seattle, Wash.) Craig Brown (Madison, Wis.) Ryan Brunt (Portage, Wis.) Colin Hufman (Seattle, Wash.) Alex Leichter (Boston, Mass.) Heath McCormick (Sarnia, Ontario) Kroy Nernberger (Madison, Wis.) Chris Plys (Duluth, Minn.) Joe Polo (Duluth, Minn.) Jared Zezel (Hibbing, Minn.)

Junior men: Korey Dropkin (Southborough, Mass.) Mark Fenner (Bemidji, Minn.) Tom Howell (Brick, N.J.) Andrew Stopera (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) Luc Violette (Granite Falls, Wash.)

According to the USCA: Forty-eight athletes participated in the organizations first combine in July and were assessed on technical, tactical, physical and mental skills both on and off the ice. The combine was a part of the selection criteria for the HPP.

The selection of the athletes invited at this stage was conducted by Derek Brown, USA Curling’s director of High Performance, and his team of HPP coaches – John Benton, Phill Drobnick, Pete Fenson and Ann Swisshelm. Rick Patzke, USA Curling’s interim chief executive officer, also was involved in overseeing the process.

“The USCA’s first combine was a great success where we saw an excellent standard of athlete going through a number of different assessments,” Brown said. “The coaching team feels that we have selected the best available athletes in each group to bring future international success to the USA.”

Those invited into the HPP will have a clear understanding of expectations, commitments, competition and training schedules as well as funding. Performance goals, targets and measurements will be set and these will be reviewed throughout the year.

USA Curling’s 2014-15 HPP calls for up to six teams of five persons each to be formed from the individuals invited in: a women’s “A” and “B” team and junior team (age 21 and under), and a men’s “A” and “B” team as well as a junior squad. All athletes accepted into the program for the coming season will attend a mandatory training camp Aug. 23-29 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

I’m excited to see what happens next, and I’m eager to see what’s in store at training camp at the OTC.

Message me or comment below to continue the conversation about athlete funding and the pursuit of Olympic gold:  dena.rosenberry@gazettedev.gazette.com.

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