Since curling became my day job I’ve been part of teams that have changed line-up and coaches on several occasions.
It’s an inevitable aspect of any team sport, and we went through that process in the summer.
But I’ve never been part of a situation like the Vern Cotter and Gregor Townsend one with the Scottish rugby side.
I would find it weird to have a head coach who you know won’t be with you in a few months.
Yes, in theory you should be focusing on your next game and not get too far ahead of yourself. But long term planning is also critical to being successful.
With the best will in the world Scotland won’t have that until Townsend takes over in the summer.
I’m sure Cotter will be as professional at Murrayfield as Townsend will be with Glasgow but it’s a legitimate question to ask, are his head and heart still in it?
After all, his bosses have effectively chosen somebody else to take his job.
Athletes like security and knowing that goals and objectives will be re-set in a few months’ time will get into their heads.
Scottish rugby always seems to have a big challenge to succeed and this will be another obstacle to overcome.
It’s absolutely critical that they have a good set of Autumn Internationals because the Six Nations would be even harder than usual if there was a hint that things were beginning to drift.
* This week we’re in Alberta for the first Grand Slam recent of the season.
It’s a big event for all of us but especially Anna, who has missed nine competitions at the end of last year and the start of this because of her ACL injury.
With us making a change over the summer this is the first time we’ve played together as a quartet.
The top 15 ladies’ teams in the world are here and at the end of the weekend somebody will have a put a marker down as the ones to be shot at.
Obviously we hope it’s us but we’re also looking at the competition as great preparation for the Europeans next month.
Grand Slam events on great ice and in big arenas are as near to the feel of a Euros or Worlds that you can get and it’s an experience not all of our rivals at Braehead will get.
My brother Thomas (Kyle Smith’s team) got into this slam on the men’s side and for him this is experience you can’t buy.
It’ll be tough for them but what a fantastic opportunity to learn and play against and alongside the best teams in the world.
It’s exactly what they need after the disappointment of not getting to the Europeans.
* A few years ago I was proud to be a part of the Women of Curling calendar.
It sold really well and made a lot of money for charity.
Well, I’m in it again for 2017 and this year the charity I’ve chosen is Mindspace, a mental health and recovery centre in Perth.
They can be ordered at womenofcurling.com and hopefully we can shift even more copies than the men managed to the year before!
