Welcome to East York Little Rocks!
PROGRAM UPDATE (as of October 11/23):
Our program is full for the 2023-2024 season. There is currently a waiting list. Contact the Main Office to be added to that list.
We are tentatively organizing a "Try Curling" event on Saturday, March 9, 2024. This event is for kids 6-10 years old who have never curled before. When confirmed, full details and registration will be available on the "Bonspiels & Special Events" Web page on this site.
THIS SEASON: October 2023 to March 2024
The East York Little Rocks (U12) Program is for children ages 7 to 11 years old who want to learn and play the sport of curling! We welcome newcomers to the sport as well as experienced curlers.
The Goals of the Little Rocks (U12) Program:
- FUN!!! We want everyone to enjoy the game.
- SAFETY We want everyone to be as safe as possible.
- LEARNING LIFE LESSONS We want to build character in our kids.
- SKILL DEVELOPMENT We learn the sport of curling by practicing basic skills each week and by playing games, where we also learn rules and etiquette.
Our season runs from October to March. We typically hold our first practice after Thanksgiving weekend and end our season in late March or early April. Practices are held on Sundays from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. We take the occasional Sunday off and there is a break during the December holidays. A practice schedule will be provided in the first few weeks of the program.
Curlers must provide their own helmet. Hockey or skating helmets are preferred. Bicycle and snowboard/skiing helmets will also be accepted. Curlers must also bring a pair of clean running shoes. The club provides brooms and sliders.
Registration for Little Rocks typically begins in the Summer that precedes the curling season. Traditionally, there is priority registration for current members, with remaining spaces filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Fees for the 2023-24 season are $194 per child. Note: The program is capped at 38 kids this season.
For more information, e-mail the Little Rocks Rep (Coach Glenn Gabriel) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"Curling 101" YouTube video playlist for Little Rocks/U12 Parents
A couple of parents have asked me about things their kids can do off the ice to help with their curling.
Some others have asked me for basic resources to learn the sport. I've created a YouTube playlist of basic curling videos for "curling parents." The link is below.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRZKW8VyhDz4vH4Vuy_UqMH_U6Gsdr1vQ
If you're looking for super-technical stuff, this isn't your playlist. However, I think it's a good sample of the kinds of things we teach the kids on the ice.
East York Little Rocks (U12) Game On! Bonspiel
Saturday, January 6, 2024
First Place - Full Sheet: Team "BLANK" from East York! Photo from L to R: Nash, Charlotte H, Coach Matt, Liam
On Saturday, January 6th, kids from East York, Richmond Hill & Tam Heather Curling Clubs participated in our 10th annual Game On! Little Rocks Bonspiel. Thirty-six kids competed in both our half-sheet and full-sheet divisions.
We have always strived to make our bonspiel a great first-time event for kids, with an emphasis on fun, sportsmanship and demonstrating the ELM principles of "Effort, Learning and Making Mistakes."
Congrats to Team "Blank" (Nash, Charlotte & Liam) for placing 1st in our full-sheet division!
Medal winners for both full- and half-sheet divisions are below:
| FULL SHEET DIVISION (2024) | HALF SHEET DIVISION (2024) | |
| GOLD | Team "Blank" (EY): Nash, Charlotte H, Liam | Team "The Curling Kids" (TAM): Cayleigh, Keegan, Nathan |
| SILVER | "Wasps" (RH/EY): Ethan, Yumo, Peter | "The Candy Cane Squad" (TAM): Charles, Joey, Noah |
| BRONZE | "The Burning Rocks" (EY): Tyler, Joshua, Devlin | "The Speed Devils" (EY): Gus, Isaac, Cameron |
- Rachael Owen-Worden of RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd.
- Sportsnet/Grand Slam of Curling
- S. Barclay
Our raffle raised more than $350 for the East York Little Rocks program. That money will be used for equipment, prizes and special events like our December Party and Closing Day awards ceremony.
Thanks to all our volunteers! We wish our bonspiel curlers the best of luck for the rest of the curling season! See you again in January 2025!
