Rules Are Worthless Without This

In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" we take a look at perhaps the most important part of the rule book for curling, the codes of ethics (and you'll notice I used the plural from of the noun ethics because there's more than one of them). World Curling has announced the names of individuals who have been inducted into its Hall of Fame. I talk about Team Ferbey and Glenn Howard. The curling rule book has been standardized across the curling world including a rule about "double touches". The sound bite this week is about a G.O.A.T. 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:18

Welcome to another episode of a Pain in the Glass Podcast. This is your host, Bill Shearhart, chartered professional coach with Coaches of Canada, once again coming to you from my home in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada, on the shore of Lake Huron and on the ancestral land of the Kettle and Stony Point First Nations. The World Curling Council has completed its Congress, and one of the main topics that was discussed and adopted was an amalgamation of curling rules so that all jurisdictions will use exactly the same set of rules. But that's not exactly what today's episode is all about. Curling is one of the few sports, it may be the only sport, whose rule book begins with a code of ethics. And that's going to be the topic for today.

Codes Of Ethics

SPEAKER_00 1:31

That portion of the rulebook that delineates the code of ethics is in four parts. The first is the curler's code of ethics. And there are six provisions, and they are as follows. I will play the game with a spirit of good sportsmanship. I will conduct myself in an honorable manner, both on and off the ice. I will never knowingly break a rule, but if I do, I will divulge the breach. I will take no action that could be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate or demean my opponents, teammates, or umpires. I will interpret the rules in an impartial manner, always keeping in mind that the purpose of the rules is to ensure that the game is played in an orderly and fair manner. Lastly, I will humbly accept any penalty that the governing body at any level of curling deems appropriate if I am found in violation of the code of ethics or the rules of the game. Coaching Code of Ethics. There are seven provisions. They are as follows. The coach shall act with integrity in performing all duties owed to the athletes, the sport, other members of the coaching profession, and the public. The coach shall strive to be well prepared and current in order that all duties in their discipline are fulfilled with competence. The coach shall act in the best interest of the athlete's development as a whole person. The coach shall accept both the letter and the spirit of the rules that define and govern the sport. The coach shall accept the role of umpires in providing judgment to ensure that competitions are conducted fairly and in accordance with the established rules. The coach's conduct toward other coaches shall be characterized by courtesy, good faith, and respect. The coach shall maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and support the principles of fair play. Fair play. There are five. Fair play begins with the strict observance of the written rule. However, in most cases, fair play involves something more than even fulfilling observance of the written rule. The observance of the spirit of the rules, whether written or unwritten, is important. Fair play results from measuring up to one's own moral standards while engaged in competition. Fair play is a consistent demonstration of respect for teammates and opponents, whether they are winning or losing. Fair play is a consistent demonstration of respect for umpires, an acceptance of their decisions, and a steadfast spirit of collaboration with them. And lastly, sportsmanlike behavior should be demonstrated both on and off the ice. This includes modesty in victory and composure in defeat. And lastly, fair play code for umpires. The umpire shall strive to ensure that every athlete has the opportunity to perform to the best of their ability. The Empire shall strive to maintain a positive atmosphere and safe environment for competition. The Empire shall not permit the intimidation of any athlete either by word or by action. The Empire shall not tolerate unacceptable conduct toward themselves, other umpires, athletes, or spectators. The umpire shall handle all conflicts firmly and with dignity. The umpire shall accept their role as a teacher and role model for fair play. The umpire shall be open to discussion and contact with the athletes as required. The Empire shall remain open to constructive criticism and show respect and consideration for different points of view. And lastly, the umpire shall continue to obtain proper training and upgrade their officiating skills.

Curling Rules Updated

SPEAKER_00 7:07

And now for the rules themselves. Of course, the hot news is the fact that Curling Canada has adopted the World Curling Rulebook, including a new double touch rule. Well, what's this all about? According to SportsNet, Curling Canada will be following an explicit rule on double touching a stone starting this season as it adopts the World Curling Rulebook. Canada's curling governing body announced Thursday that it will fully align itself with world curling standards after a reduction in key differences between the organizations over the last few years. That includes World Curling's new rule on double touching, which was at the heart of a high-profile controversy at this year's Milan Cortina Olympics. During a round robin match, Sweden's Oscar Ericsson accused Mark Kennedy of Canada of a double touch infraction, grazing the stone's granite after releasing the handle. Kennedy responded to the cheating allegation with a profane retort, that's putting it mildly, and Canada ended up winning the match 8-6 en route to claiming the gold medal. World Curling released its amended rule book Thursday. Well, that Thursday would be this week's Thursday, with a revised rule on double touching. The organization now explicitly says touching the granite at any time after the stone is put into play will result in its removal. Another key regulation requires teams to start games with four players or forfeit the match if this condition is not met.

Hall Of Fame Inductees

SPEAKER_00 9:08

The recent group of inductees into the World Curly Hall of Fame have been announced, and there was a team honored and an individual and a builder. The team was the Randy Furby team. Randy delivered Third's Rocks. The skip rocks were delivered by Dave Nedowin, Scott Pfeiffer, and Marcel Rock rounded out the team on the front end. And I can't think of that team without recounting an experience, a very positive experience that I had where one member of the team, it was Marcel Rock, and I've told this story before. So some of you are hearing it for a second time possibly, but uh it was impactful, and I give Marcel full credit for this. The setting was the Guelph Curling Club. I don't recall the actual year, and it was part of a program called La Relève. Uh now it would be in the Nix Gen um program, where for really the first time the Canadian Curling Association, of course the name back then, started to look at the uh young curlers who uh perhaps had graduated from the junior ranks and uh perhaps were starting families and careers and that sort of thing, but we didn't want to lose them as competitive curlers. So this program was uh developed, and there were two camps. One was in Vancouver. I was supposed to be at that camp as well, but uh I was uh battling the flu, as I recall at that time. But I was able to be at the the Guelph camp, and Marcel was present from, of course, team Furby. And he spoke uh to the young athletes and spoke extremely well, but it was one part of his uh talk to the athletes that I will never forget. And uh uh this is almost verbatim. I'm not paraphrasing too much. And he was being very modest when he said that uh, you know, the team really had only one really good curler, and he was referring to Dave Netowood. He then said one of the members of the team pretty much thought his career was in the rear view mirror. And of course, he was referring to Randy, and then he was being very modest when he said, Well, Scott and I uh we're we're good curlers, but nothing special. And then he paused, looked around the room, and said the following. But we learned how to play together. And I want to repeat that, but we learned how to play together. And that explains why for people forming a team, it doesn't matter what the skill and experience level might be, you have to learn how to play together. I mean, I could devote not just one episode of the podcast, but I think several episodes in all the different ways that that has to happen. And uh I I might just go ahead and and do that possibly, because if you are a recreational team that are, you know, serious about uh the wins and losses, you you you aspire to the best possible versions of yourselves. Learning how to play together is extremely important. And I thought that was very telling that they learned how to play together. And that doesn't happen overnight. I remember talking to Randy one time, and I said, Randy, when when your team practices, what what do you do at a practice? Just generally, you don't have to go into great detail, and looked me in the eye and said, You know, Bill, when we get together to practice, we practice the shots that you see us play on television. Full stop. You we play the shots, we practice the shots that we play on television. Individual skill development takes place, well, individually, with uh perhaps a teammate and someone who understands their delivery, but most of that individual skill development takes place exactly on that basis, individually. When the team comes together, they practice the shots that you see them or that we saw them play on television. Then the the individual who was uh honored with induction into the World Curling Hall of Fame is uh a good friend, uh gentleman by the name of Howard, uh, in this case Glenn Howard. Uh when I started uh uh with the University of Waterloo Varsity Curling Program, it was right at the end of Glenn's uh career at the University of Waterloo, and uh I noticed that there were no curlers in the University of Waterloo Hall of Fame, and so I uh uh helped to get that ball rolling that I thought Glenn certainly deserved to be in the University of Waterloo Hall of Fame. But the thing that I always appreciated about Glenn is, you know, the most important aspect of the delivery of a curling rock is the actual delivery as it leaves your hand. And I always said to Glenn, you know, you you have the best release, in my opinion, of anybody. It is so positive and smooth. And you know, you would look at me and say, Yeah, but I have a backswing delivery. Well, I'm not talking about the backswing aspect of it, but I mean the only part of your body that touches the only thing that matters in curling, and that's the the the curling rock. And Glenn had the smoothest and still does. And I guess that's the other aspect about Glenn. Uh, he's not exactly a junior any longer, but it just his the joy that he gets from not just playing our the game of curling, but competing. Um he he's he still is uh uh someone to be reckoned with in any competition. Uh his his desire to be the best version of himself from a skill development standpoint uh has never wavered and certainly was very deserving to be inducted into the World Curling Hall of Fame. So, Glenn, wherever you are, my personal congratulations to you. Uh an honor well deserved. Here's a follow-up trivia question for you that involves uh Glenn Howard. And of course, uh Glenn and his brother Russ uh had one of the great teams in our sport. And there was a time when uh they were the best men's team in the world, and we remember that team as being composed of, of course, Russ and Glenn, uh gentleman by the name of Wayne Madow, who is an inductee into the World Curly Hall of Fame, and Peter Corner. So Russ, Glenn, Wayne, and Peter. That's that's the Howard team that we remember. But here's the trivia question. When Russ and Glenn decided uh to put a team together to compete uh in Ontario, it wasn't with Wayne and Peter. So here's the trivia question, and I'll reveal the answer at the end of the episode. Who were the front end on Russ and Glenn's team? And they were club curlers, and Russ and Glenn turned those two club curlers into very accomplished competitive curlers. So who were they? Who was the original front end for Team Howard?

The G.O.A.T.

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Well, of course, as most of you know who are regular listeners, it wouldn't be a pain in the glass podcast episode without a sound bite. And the one I've chosen for you today is all about the GOAT. And GOAT, of course, the acronym for greatest of all time. Well, it's the start of the NFL season, and when you talk about quarterbacks and you talk about greatest of all times, I don't think I'm going to get much pushback if your guess would be Tom Brady of the uh the Patriots, the Newman Patriots. And you know, when someone is the greatest of all time, there's always a tendency to think that, well, that person was the greatest of all time throughout his or her entire career. Well, you might change your mind when you hear about Tom's career at the University of Michigan, it didn't go quite the way he thought it might. So that's what the soundbite is all about. So let's hear from Tom.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

It was hard. There was no like, hey, you're gonna come to Michigan and be the starter. You're gonna come here and don't worry. You're gonna be at a great position to start. We're gonna promise you a chance to play. I had to battle for three years against other great competition to even see what I was all about. I was a long way from home. My parents were in California. This was not the era of cell phones. I couldn't call home and go, mom, dad, what do I do? I was like on an island trying to figure it out. And I had to work through a lot of different emotions about doubt in myself, lack of confidence. Is this the right place for me? What do I do when I feel like I stagnate at certain levels and I had to get better physically? I had to work with the sports psychologist, I had to work physically on my skill set every year to improve. Finally get a chance to compete my fourth year. The fans didn't even want me to play. I lost my first two starts as a fourth year player. We finished that season, I think, 10 wins and three losses, and we were like 12th in the country. I went back for my senior year, and then five days before the first game, the head coach is like, you're gonna basically platoon for the first half of the game with another quarterback. And that's it. Yeah. But I'm like my fifth year named team captain, by all my peers started every game the year before, and I got told, well, okay, we're gonna start you, but you're just gonna play in the second quarter, and then whoever has the hot hands gonna play the rest of the games. The rest of the game. And it was like a kind of like, holy, that's not what I want. But oh well, at least I'm playing. I get shot. Let me go. Alright, and I learned to compete. I learned to figure it out. By midway through the year, Coach Carr finally said, Okay, now we're done with that. You're playing the rest of the year. We've won every game after that. So now I go to the orange pole, my final game. I have one of my best games in my career, now think it might be stepping a third round pick. I developed a lot of confidence in myself through a lot of failure, through a lot of competition. It wasn't easy for me in college.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

Pretty simple message from Tom. It's something that you really want. Don't give up, don't ever give up. But pay the price. It's not gonna be given to you. Don't be that entitled athlete where you expect everything to be handed to you. It was a difficult road for Tom, even though he really was the greatest of all time. Not so much during those formative years. Well, that's it for this week. Thank you very much for joining me. Don't forget, the most important part of the curling rulebook are those codes of ethics. And I'm gonna leave it today with something that I saw that I felt was very much worthwhile sharing with you. And here it is. It's about discussions versus arguments. Discussions are always better than arguments. Why? Because an argument is to find out who is right. And a discussion is to find out what is right. Until next time.