Edmonton’s Marcel Rocque repeats role as coach for Team China
The last time the Ford World Curling Championship was in Edmonton back in 2007, JackieRae Greening, head of the local organizing committee, in an attempt to generate some publicity, had Team Ferbey dress up in international costumes.
Randy MacFerbey came through the curtain wearing complete Highlands getup with, he hinted, nothing under the kilt.
Yodel Nedohin emerged dressed in full Alpine lederhosen.
Heidi Pfeifer then skipped out with blond hair and a dress.
But the real show stopper was Marcel Rocque-san. He came on the ice in full Japanese regalia.
He’s back for the 2017 World Curling Championship with an Asian focus.
This time, it’s China. And it’s for real.
He’s in his second go-round as coach of China, having headed up the Chinese teams at the Sochi Olympics.
It was weird, the way it happened.
Rocque, as a member of the Ferbey Four that won the Ford Words in Victoria in 2005, was invited back when the event returned to Vancouver Island in 2011.
“I was there as a guest involved in the opening ceremonies, and I was asked to do an interview with the local radio station that was set up in the concourse at the end of the opening draw.
“As I was do the interview, five Chinese gentlemen approached the radio booth. When there was a commercial break, they introduced themselves and asked what I was doing next year.
“I kindly stated that I was retired and teaching full-time and working as a consultant with Curling Canada.
“They asked if we could meet and I suggested that I was flying out the next day but we could meet at the draw the next morning.
“When we met, they told me they were seeking a coach that could help them out and they were happy they ran into me. I kindly declined, explaining I was back teaching school and thanked them for their interest in me.
“They asked if they could meet again in Edmonton. I said sure. I was thinking they would be asking if I knew anyone who could help them.
“After declining offers on several occasions, my daughters said it would be cool to see their dad in the Olympics, even as a coach. Since they were too young to see me when I played, I started to look into the possibilities.
“My wife, Raylene, and our girls, Gabby and Bella, and I with the support of the Edmonton School Board, made the decision to take on my first head coaching job.
“I was hired by China to work a 10-month contract as head coach of the men’s and women’s national teams along with the task of assisting in the development of national coaches.
“My initial work with the Chinese Curling Association began in 2013-14, in preparation for their men’s and ladies national teams to get ready for Sochi.
“After a great season and just missing out on medals with a loss to Canada in the semifinal and two hog-line violations in an extra end loss to Sweden, my contract was up and I returned to my teaching profession and resumed my involvement as a national coaching consultant with Curling Canada.”
Rocque ended up as coach of Rachel Homan’s team the last two years.
“When I was approached by the Chinese Curling Association again, I had a very difficult decision to make. Rachel’s team is an amazing curling team, and it was very difficult to walk away from a really good chance of getting to the Olympic Winter Games with a Maple Leaf on my back.”
Rocque is returning to Edmonton this week with Lui Rui’s men’s team after a lengthy stay in Beijing, where the WCF Women’s World Championships were completed this past weekend.
After Zang Jialiang skipped China to a 4-7 record and a tie for eight place with the Czech Republic two years ago at the Halifax Ford Worlds, China failed to qualify for the Worlds last year.
Rocque has China here this year but needs a big success to get the team qualified for another Olympics.
It would be the appropriate place to do it. The team of skip Liu Rui, third Xu Xiaoming, second Ba Dexin, now lead Zang Jialiang and alternate Zou Qiang all curl out of Harbin, the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang province in the northeast region. Harbin is Edmonton’s sister city.