York Mills learning the rocks

[attach]1341[/attach]Despite being new to curling, the York Mills boys curling team is holding its own in the Toronto District School Board North/East Region league.

The foursome was competitive against Sir Oliver Mowat, the top ranked team in the region, but lost a close 8-4 draw Feb. 24 at the East York Curling Club.

York Mills head coach Rick Chang has been pleased with how his team has played this season.

“This is a season where we are just going to teach the kids the game and give them experience,” he said. “Winning is nice, but for the most part this is all about getting the kids some experience and watch them get better as the season goes on.”

Despite only winning two games this year York Mills is one point out of second place. The rink’s skip Richard Seto was surprised how well the new players have picked up the sport.

“It was kind of a surprise for us just because they were beginners,” Seto said. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect this year, but it is nice to see that we have been able to win a few games and get some confidence from those wins.”

While Chang relies on Seto’s experience and shot making capabilities, it was the other players on the rink making a few key shots against Mowat.

“We definitely need him out there because he knows what kind of shots to call,” Chang said. “He knows how the game should proceed and most importantly we need him to keep us in games.

“His shots are always crucial at the end and having him there can either win us a lot of ends or keep us from losing a lot of points in an end.”

Trailing 3-1 in the third end, York Mills managed to steal a couple of points to tie the game.

“As long as they are picking up new aspects of the game each time out and getting the rock, maybe not in the best position, but getting it down the ice is all I am looking for,” Seto said.

In order to help his players understand the game more, Chang has encouraged his players to watch curling during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“If you watch it for a little bit you can start to understand the game better,” Chang said. “You can visualize the shots you need to make much more easily.

“There is a lot of great curling on television right now, so it is a perfect opportunity for the kids to really sit down and watch the games.”