READER’S VIEW Spa City should build a curling facility

By DAN DE FEDERICIS

An Associated Press article in the March 8 issue of the Saratogian reported that American interest in the sport of curling has increased immensely from coast to coast since the U.S. Mens’ Olympic team brought the gold medal home from Korea after upsetting Finland last month.

This spinoff benefit from winning the gold medal – namely the increased interest in the ancient sport beyond its historical limited reach – is something I am happy about. I think the city of Saratoga Springs should capitalize on this development because it contains a great opportunity.

I curled for a season at the Guilderland Curling Club 15 years ago, and enjoyed it immensely. I believe my fellow Spa City residents – of all ages – would likewise enjoy curling and I encourage the city leaders to look into building a facility so those who have limited recreation options in the winter can partake in this challenging but fun sport.

When I refer to those Spa City residents “who have limited winter recreation options”, I mostly mean the city’s senior citizens. Sure they have some places and events to exercise, but they have limited options to participate in a competitive sport. I believe curling is great for all ages, but I especially focus on the sport’s potential attraction to our community’s seniors because I remember my experiences back in Guilderland. In the winter of 2003 I was a gym rat training for my first marathon, but despite my physical attributes I was just terrible at curling. It was the sixty and seventy somethings on my team – those that had the experience, patience, and the touch – who were stellar at the game. Perhaps curling is simply golf’s winter counterpart. My older teammates always had me throw the stone first because, as I laughingly recall, it would limit the damage my errant efforts could cause. It was my senior teammates who threw last and saved the day, and we won a number of matches because of them.

I wrote above that I was terrible at curling, but I still loved it and had lots of fun! I seem to recall the one or two beers we had afterwards sure tasted good, and the after-game socializing created a bond amongst people I met through the curling club. I would really love to see Saratoga Springs city leaders plan and build a curling facility; it would just add to the many attributes of living here. Perhaps the county and/or some of our neighboring municipalities could be part of the plan.

So if you think this is a good idea, join me in contacting our city’s leaders to encourage them to look into it and take action. Our seniors – as well as everyone else – will have another fun option to get out of the house and stay in shape. And perhaps, just perhaps, some of our city’s younger residents will excel at it and make us proud in a future winter Olympics by winning the gold. We’ll be able to say with immense pride that America’s gold medal win started in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Dan De Federicis lives in Saratoga Springs with his wife and two daughters, who don’t know yet that they are future curlers.