As the 2018 Olympics wrapped up in PyeongChang, Team USA went home with 23 medals – the fewest since the 1998 Olympics some 20 years ago. However, while the overall results were not what the country hoped for, one performance truly inspired me.
Watching John Shuster lead the men’s curling team from the brink of elimination to stand as the unlikely victors atop the medal podium was, in a word, inspiring. Let’s be honest, I don’t usually sit down on Saturday night and watch curling! However, this couple of hours of television had so many great plotlines: underdogs, redemption, everyday heroes, pride of country, victory, jubilation and humility. Watching the reactions of these four ‘everyday’ Midwestern men as they played the game they love through ten ends was riveting television – and a wonderful reminder of what team sports at the Olympics should look like.
A few weeks prior to the Olympics, NCTV17 did a story on the Windy City Curling Club as part of our weekly “Sports Story Sunday.” This local club is a 501(c)(3) organization run entirely by volunteers. Started just three years ago, it teaches curling to young and old alike so in addition to learning the technic of throwing your stone, you’ll learn the meaning of words, such as, “hammer,” “hog line” and “biter.” They also offer leagues every Sunday night at Seven Bridges Ice Arena.
As Americans watched Team USA make history on national television, I was proud to be part of a local television station whose sports department is always looking to point their cameras toward a wide variety of sporting activities taking place in our area. You can check out our curling story – as well as stories on other winter Olympic sports such as snow skiing and ice skating – at nctv17.com/c/630-naperville/sports-extra.
And, if you would like to sign up to receive our weekly “Sports Story Sunday” video emails, visit www.eepurl.com/bBHy4f, or, if you have a suggestion for a sports story you think we should cover, email it to sports@nctv17.com.
In the meantime, whether you think you might be destined for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing as part of the curling team, or are just looking for a way to stay active and meet new people, you can learn more about Windy City Curling Club, at www.windycitycurling.com.
