United States Curling Association

The United States Curling Association (USCA or USA Curling) is the national governing body of the sport of curling in the United States. The goal of the USCA is to grow the sport of curling in the United States and win medals in competitions both domestic and abroad. Curling's recent popularity has swelled the USCA to 185 curling clubs and approximately 23,500 curlers in the United States.[2] The United States Olympic men's curling teams have seen success in recent years, most notably winning the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, led by skip John Shuster.[3]

USA Curling
SportCurling
JurisdictionUnited States of America
Founded1958
AffiliationWorld Curling Federation
Headquarters5525 Clem's Way, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54482
ChairmanCourtney Schmidt
CEOJeff Plush [1]
Official website
www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling

In August 2019 the USCA announced that long-time CEO Rick Patzke was stepping away and former Chairman of the Board of Directors Rich Lepping would act as the interim CEO while the search for a new permanent CEO proceeded.[4] Jeff Plush was announced as the new CEO on February 6, 2020. Plush was formerly the commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League.[5]

International competition

As a member of the World Curling Federation (WCF), the USCA sends teams to represent the United States at a number of international competitions.

World Championships

The United States has been represented at numerous world curling championships, including men's, women's, mixed, junior's, senior's, mixed doubles, and wheelchair.[6]

While some world championships are open entry, such that any WCF member association that wants can a send a team, most limit the number of teams and set qualification requirements.[7] For the men's and women's championships there are a number of ways the United States can qualify to send a team:

The United States has had a team at the Men's World Championship every year since its expansion to a world event in 1961. In those 59 appearances the US team has earned 22 medals.[8] Similarly the United States has also had a team at the Women's World Championship every year since its inception in 1979, earning 6 medals in the 41 appearances.[8]

Olympics

The United States has been represented in both men's and women's curling at every Winter Olympics since it was reinstated as a full event in 1998.[6] The country was also represented in the inaugural mixed doubles competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The United States has placed twice in the Olympic curling events, both for the men's event. In the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics the men's team earned bronze under the guidance of skip Pete Fenson.[9] Most recently, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, skip John Shuster's team won the gold medal.[3] John Shuster and Joe Polo were on the medal winning team both years.

Curling was a demonstration event at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics. The United States participated in the men's and women's events both years and the men's team earned the bronze medal in 1992.

High Performance Program

In 2010 USA Curling created the High Performance Program (HPP) to provide coaching, funding, and other resources to a selection of competitive curlers in the United States with the goal of improving the country's competitive success on the international stage. Each season 3 men's teams, 3 women's teams, 2 junior men's teams, 2 junior women's teams, and a selection of mixed doubles athletes are admitted into the program.[10] The HPP has a large coaching staff involved, overseen by director Derek Brown.[11][12] In the fall of 2018 USA Curling announced the addition of a HPP Junior Developmental Pool, an offshoot of the Junior High Performance Program to improve the curling skills of 21 curlers 16 to 18 years old.[13] In 2019 it was announced that the Chaska Curling Center in Chaska, Minnesota was selected as the USA Curling National Training Center, providing the HPP participants a place to practice and hold events throughout the season.[14]

List of clubs
Main article: List of curling clubs in the United States

Regional associations

USA Curling member clubs are organized into eleven regional curling associations.[15]

Championship events

The United States Curling Association typically holds ten national championship events each season.[16]

Hall of Fame
Main article: United States Curling Association Hall of Fame

In 1984 the USCA started a Hall of Fame recognize and honor individuals and teams that have achieved extraordinary distinction in curling or have made major contribution to the development of curling in the United States. As of 2018 there have been 45 individuals and 4 teams inducted into the Hall of Fame.[17] The Hall of Fame is housed at the USCA headquarters in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.[18]

The first inductee was Bud Somerville, 2-time world champion and 2-time Olympian.[19] Somerville is also included as skip of two of the four teams to have been inducted to the Hall of Fame, the 1965 World Men's Championship team and the 1975 World Men's Championship team. The other two teams that have been inducted are the 1976 World Men's Championship team and the 1978 World Men's Championship team.

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References
  1. "Jeff Plush Named New CEO Of USA Curling". United States Curling Association. February 5, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  2. "Inside USA Curling". USA Curling. 8 June 2014.
  3. "U.S. Curling Team Wins First Gold Medal With Victory Over Sweden". The New York Times. February 24, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  4. Davis, Terry (2019-08-26). "Longtime CEO to step away from USA Curling". USA Curling. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  5. "USA Curling Hires Former NWSL Commissioner as New CEO". The New York Times. 2020-02-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  6. "USCA - Association Summary". results.worldcurling.org. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  7. Federation, World Curling. "World Curling Federation - Championships Overview". World Curling Federation. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  8. "Results & Statistics Teams World Curling Championships". results.worldcurling.org. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  9. "First Olympic Curling Medal for USA". Olympics. 2006. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  10. "High Performance Program". Team USA. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  11. "HPP Staff". Team USA. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  12. "USA Curling add six coaches to high performance programme". www.insidethegames.biz. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  13. "Athletes in Junior D Pool announced". Team USA. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  14. "Chaska Curling Center to serve as USA Curling National Training Center". KARE. 2019-01-03. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  15. "Regional Curling Associations". Team USA. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
  16. "USCA Championships". USA Curling. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  17. "Hall of Fame Members". Team USA. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  18. "Bob Fenson inducted into USA Curling Hall of Fame". www.bemidjipioneer.com. 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
  19. Kirsch, George B. (2000). Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 121. ISBN 0313299110.

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