“What will you be doing next?”
It’s probably been the question I’ve been most asked since I announced my retirement as a professional curler.
Second most asked has been: “Will you become a coach?”
Well, I can now say that the time is right for me to dip my toe in the water.
I needed to get away from curling for a while in terms of the elite side of the game but I do feel that I’ve got a lot that I can give back to a sport that has given me so much.
And I’ve accepted the offer from British Curling to take up a part-time role with Team Henderson.
With other commitments, there was no way I could go into a full-time position but I’ll be working with Fay Henderson and the other players one day a week at the National Curling Academy and will be with them for domestic competitions in Aberdeen, Perth and the Scottish Championships.
Hailey Duff, who was part of our Olympic gold-medal winning team of course, is the most experienced curler but she’s still only in her mid-20s.
Fay is just coming out of the juniors, having skipped her team to World gold.
Fay Henderson 🏴 wakes up the Tartan Army with a run double takeout for three points! 🤩 #WJCC2023 #curling
Watch live on the Curling Channel at https://t.co/fy3vfdBx89 pic.twitter.com/3rU9iSqoj1— World Curling (@worldcurling) March 4, 2023
I’ve always thought she has got the potential to improve a lot and the same goes for the rest of the team.
I wanted to help out with a young group, who have real scope to get better.
The first couple of sessions have gone well – it’s been great to see how receptive they’ve all been.
I see my role as helping out tactically, technically and being a mentor-type figure.
I’m not long retired and that means there’s not a generation gap that needs bridging.
Playing with Team Jaeggi recently definitely gave me a taste for getting involved again – those girls were like sponges when they were asking questions, which was really rewarding.
Hopefully I can make a difference with Team Henderson.
My prediction of a tight Solheim Cup wasn’t looking too clever around Friday lunchtime!
It was a phenomenal job by Team Europe to comeback from losing all for matches on the first morning to retain the trophy.
That speaks to the calmness of the captain and the character of her players.
I’m not so sure the men’s European team would be able to do the same if they suffered a Friday morning whitewash.
I completely understand why Luke Donald has taken the gamble of flipping the order and going with foursomes first and then the four balls in the afternoon.
"A deep dive into the statistics of our team" 📊
Luke Donald explains why Team Europe will open with foursomes at the Ryder Cup ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zXkFWMEHu7
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 26, 2023
Europe should be stronger in that form of the game and a fast start is absolutely vital to give home fans something to get behind and show the Americans that they’re not going to have things their own way like two years ago.
Playing it safe isn’t likely to be enough for the European captain over the next few days.
Luke is right to take a calculated risk.
Congratulations to Connor Graham on his unbeaten contribution to Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup victory.
It’s not often you see a scoreline as emphatic as 20.5 to 9.5 when America are on the losing side.
A remarkable comeback from Sean Keeling and Connor Graham 🔥#JrRyderCup pic.twitter.com/Utg4QuVuDG
— Junior Ryder Cup (@JuniorRyderCup) September 26, 2023
Connor is building his career step by step after becoming the youngest golfer to play in the Walker Cup.
We all know the last jump to successful professional is the toughest of the lot for a promising amateur but let’s hope Perthshire has a golf star in the making.
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