Sask. skip not one to feel her age
MURRAY MCCORMICK
PENTICTON, B.C. The latest edition of Team Saskatchewan is one for the ages.
Skip Sherry Anderson, 54, is the oldest member of the Saskatoonbased team that won the 2018 Saskatchewan women’s curling title and opens play Saturday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s curling championship in Penticton, B.C.
Third Kourtney Fesser and her twin sister, second Krista Fesser, are 23. Lead Karlee Korchinski is 22.
There have been off-ice moments when Anderson has picked up on the age difference. It happens when classic rock plays on the radio and the younger girls note that their parents listen to that kind of music.
“I really don’t think about my age when I’m on the ice,” Anderson says.
“When we’re driving in the car and the girls are talking about certain things, I think, ‘They really are 30 years younger than me.’ On the ice, (age) isn’t really an issue and I don’t really think about it that way.”
Anderson won her first Saskatchewan women’s championship in 1994 — before any of her current teammates were born.
She’s gone on to win five women’s titles as a skip and two as a third with Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton, in addition to taking part in two Scotties as an alternate.
Anderson has also won two Saskatchewan senior championships and another provincial crown in mixed doubles. The reigning national senior women’s champion, she’ll represent Canada at the world senior championships from April 21-28 in Oestersund, Sweden.
“I’ve been asked a lot which one is more special, or is this one different than the other ones that I’ve won, or is it more gratifying,” Anderson says. “They have all been different in their own way.”
Anderson recalls being the most excited at the 2015 Scotties in Moose Jaw.
“We got to play in our home province and we were kind of the hometown team,” she says. “That was special because it’s something you don’t get to do every day.
“This one is still special because the girls were so pumped. I was just happy that I made my last shot in the last three games, because it was extra ends and down to the last rock. I was happy with how I curled and how we curled as a team.”
One of the reasons why Anderson connected with a younger team is because she’s unwilling to stop curling on the fall cash circuit. She loves curling with the 50-andover senior set, but also enjoys competing against the younger women.
“I don’t want to give up the cash spiel circuit in the fall, because I get to play,” Anderson says. “I’ve always said that you can play as much as you want, and if I wanted to play in a bonspiel every weekend, then I could. Whether my team did or not, I could always find someone to play with because I have the time and the money.”
Anderson’s senior team, made up of third Patty Hersikorn, second Brenda Goertzen and lead Anita Silvernagle, wasn’t able or willing to commit to curling on the bonspiel circuit.
As a result, Anderson joined a women’s team that was willing to play as often as she did.
“When I formed the young team, I wanted to play a lot,” said Anderson, whose team at the Scotties also includes alternate Kim Schneider and coach Rick Folk.
“I didn’t want a team with only enough time or money for two or three bonspiels, because that wasn’t enough, and I would find someone else who could play more.
“We’ve played six or seven or eight bonspiels in the last three years. The biggest thing is making sure that we have enough money, because university students aren’t flush with cash.
“We didn’t win too much this year, but fortunately we had a couple of really generous sponsors who have stepped up with some money, which is really nice because we’ll be able to cover our expenses.”
The Fessers and Korchinski are making their debuts at the national women’s championship.
Korchinski is a four-time provincial junior women’s champion. The Fessers won two Saskatchewan junior titles.