Audrey Ivey is one of the few curlers at Brookfield Central, and to learn more about the sport, I connected with her about answering a few questions. Her talent and drive are evident, especially through the fact that her team is competing at nationals! To learn more about curling, Audrey Ivey herself, and what it takes to be an incredible athlete, read on.
This sport isn’t very well known, especially for high schoolers. What got you into curling and how long have you been doing it?
“I got into curling in first grade, when I was about six years old – that is to say, I have been in the sport for 11 years. At the time, I knew I didn’t like the other school sports all that much (volleyball, softball, track, and the like), so when my mom suggested I try an event called a “learn to curl”, I jumped at the opportunity for a new and different sport. I didn’t truly join the competitive curling world until the beginning of freshman year, when I had the opportunity to play on a team for the Youth Olympic Playdowns… and after that, I was hooked. I’ve been playing in U21 and U18 divisions as much as possible ever since”
What does it take to do curling?
“Yes, I know it’s been said before, but I’m going to say it again – curling is a lot harder than it looks! This goes for many things about the sport, so I’ll start with the physical aspect. Curling is more of an endurance sport than anything else. The first game of a competition, often called a “bonspeil”, is the easiest. But by your fifth, your sixth, your seventh game, you will often hear the murmurs of complaint (along with some KT tape and a massage gun) circling around the club – your shoulders will ache from sweeping so much, your hips from continually squatting and lunging forward, and your side will start to develop rugburn from the brooms shaft rubbing against it. Curlers often get an injury (or multiple) before college that will affect their play for long after – the most common are hip related, but knees are just as common. It’s all because of the amount you have to play in a short amount of time. Since bonspiels are often only three or four days long, teams are required to play up to four two-hour games a day for three days flat, and that’s before finals. It requires you get up early, go to bed late, and keep a stricter schedule and diet so you don’t play terribly. By the time you get to finals you are sore, tired, and fueled by determination and caffeine.
The hidden challenge isn’t in the game itself, though. The social aspect is the real double-edged sword. Yes, if you ask me about the community, I will rave about it for as long as you’ll hear me. I have found friends in the sport that know me better than anyone at school, and I certainly know them the same amount. We are a tight-knit bunch, and I love them all dearly – we would all go to bat for each other in a heartbeat, and I would gladly drive the long hours it takes to get to their clubs and colleges if they were in any sort of trouble. There are no words to describe how much I care for the curling community. That isn’t the problem, the issue is that curling is a very gentleman’s sport, adhering strongly to the idea of “The Spirit of Curling” – or the idea that you treat your opponents as friends, with respect, and you play a fair game – but that isn’t just on ice, it’s expected to be adhered to outside of the game. If you cheated in a game, you call yourself that. If you yell at someone, you make amends. If you don’t follow the invisible, respected guidelines, and cheat or lie your way into the community, you will find yourself teamless and shunned. Since teams are only four people (and the community is so small), you are expected to solve your problems in a kind way – which means if you manage to make someone mad or you escalate an issue, you burn bridges and you damage your reputation and your chances at being on other, future teams. This goes for other players too – you never want to jeer or make fun of your opponents, because you may end up playing with them next season (or not, because now they think you’re a bigoted, egotistical person with a blackened heart. Great job!). The Spirit of Curling is something etched into your very being by the end of the season. The people who thrive the most and find themselves on the best teams are often the kindest, most openhearted people I have ever met, and handle themselves with grace under pressure.
So what does it take to be a curler? Someone determined and driven to high amounts, for sure. But also someone kind to the core, who thrives in extroverted environments, and holds others above themselves. Someone willing to stand up and say they did something wrong, even though it benefited them. The Spirit of Curling isn’t just part of a charade you put on, it has to be ingrained in your very being, learned and relearned over the many years you will stay in the sport. Otherwise you cannot truly call yourself a curler.”
If someone was interested in curling, what would you tell them?
“Please, give it a try! The nearest clubs to us are the Tosa club and the Kettle Moraine club (mine!) – learn-to-curls are hosted all the time, and if you want me to teach you, please reach out! It will take a bit to learn it, and don’t expect to be pulled into competition immediately, but it is for sure worth it. For the community and camaraderie alone, but also for a sport you can play until you are very, very old.”
What was the road to nationals like? Have you qualified/participated before?
“…bumpy, to say the least. Forming the team alone took a while and a lot of networking, and then we had to coordinate practices and competitions up to the playoffs so we would be at our best.
However, before I expand on that, you should be aware that there are multiple types of nationals in curling, much like any other sport. In U18s, the bracket I was a part of, you have to qualify at regional playoffs in one of the ten different regions across the country by competing and winning against other teams in your region. Unfortunately for it, there is nothing beyond nationals (although there was talk of making it larger…). For U21s, a bracket that I am currently working to qualify in (yes, you can be a part of multiple brackets), you have to win one for many bonspiels hosted throughout the year in various parts of the country. They are often hosted by bigger, nicer clubs, but unfortunately since the community is so small, you will often see and compete against the same teams no matter the club or state- but hey, you know everyone and their weaknesses well! After U21 nationals there are world competitions. Then there are mixed nationals, where teams compete at state-level, and the winner goes on to represent their state at nationals, and hopefully win and go to worlds. I will be competing in this.
To sum up, I was just in the U18 nationals (after qualifying), I am working to qualify for both U21s and mixed in upcoming events. U18 nationals itself required a lot of bonspiels, practice, and team bonding. My team went to many spiels (and won quite a few) before playoffs, and we worked to prepare ourselves for the Colorado altitude so when we made nationals, we would be able to play in Colorado at peak performance. We made strict schedules for the event, and practiced good dieting throughout the season to prepare.”
What are your teams/your goals for nationals and beyond?
My team is aiming to qualify for U21 nationals and hopefully world’s currently.
However… My goals right now, including the hope that we get to U21 nationals, are a bit different, as I am planning on joining a new team next year. I believe that the team I am on no longer matches my competitiveness or drive to go far in this sport, so I plan on celebrating my wonderful seasons with them before looking to new, hopefully brighter horizons.
My goals, as such, are smaller but already being pursued. I plan on connecting with various coaches and teams and working with them to find a good fit for the next team, as well as planning out a more frequent and competitive practice, workout, and dieting routines. I have already reached out to various teams and have found very positive responses, so the future is looking good! Brookfield Central will certainly be one of the first to know how I do at all of this, but there is a lot of hope for my future in curling.
Beyond these smaller goals, I have much bigger ones – I want to compete at a world level for U21s, and beyond that, Womens (which is past U21s). It would be very exciting to compete with and for countries as well!
The large, overarching goal is something I’m sure everyone is aware of. I am driven by my want to go to the Olympics, and everything I do is a stepping stone to get there. I aim to keep going, keep competing, keep trying until I taste gold.”
Is there curling in college? What does that look like? Are you interested in it?
“Yes, there is! Many colleges have teams for competing in the University games, and if they don’t, nearby curling clubs gladly host college students in league play.
While I am interested in it to a degree, I plan on stepping back, at least for a couple of years, to focus on my education and college career. I won’t stop entirely, don’t get me wrong, I plan on joining a club or a league team to keep my skills up, but I am taking a small step back from the competitive world. Often, I hear stories of curlers who burn out or overwork themselves to be everything for their teams and their schools, so in order to keep my love of curling strong, I recognize that I will need to take a break while I am pursuing a degree (or two).”
What’s something you’ve learned from curling that you use in your daily life?
“There are many, many things I’ve learned, I cannot possibly list them all, but I will attempt to tell you a few important ones.
Treat everyone, and I mean everyone, with respect. Your teammates, your opponents, your coaches, teachers, parents, substitutes, waitresses, mailpeople, neighbors, that guy you saw drawing on the subway, the girl sitting on the curb, the mother at daycare with three children… Everyone is trying their best to keep on living. You never know when you’ll see them again.
On that note, be willing to admit your own mistakes. It will serve you well, and others will view you better because of this.
Give yourself grace. Everyone has hard days, and the amount of things out of control is overwhelming to say the least. So try your best, but let yourself rest, too.
A good sleep schedule is worth its weight in gold. I cannot stress this enough, get a good sleep schedule, and you will be so much happier with yourself. I have missed so, so much school and work and I’ve had to stay up late and work through fatigue to get things done. And what did I learn from that? Essays written past 11 are never good, and sleeping will do you better than studying late on that test you have tomorrow.
Communicate! Keep communication open! People will trust you more and view you as a mature human if you tell them what they need to be aware of, and work with them to get what you need done.
Travel and experience as much as you can. You are at a point in your life where you still have a safe spot to land, with your guardians and house that is not yours, so experience as much as you can while you have somewhere and someone safe to go back to. Eat odd foods! Stay in small towns, big cities! Go to local events! Meet people!”
