Inducted on April 12th, 2014 Nominated by: Murray Pearson
In 1998, the HCC needed someone to take the lead in developing a curling development program for youth. Jill had started curling in 1988 and had taken the NCCP Level 1 Coaching Course to learn more about the technical aspect of curling to help her improve her game and that of her own kids. Her enthusiasm was noted, and she was asked to assume a leadership role for youth curling development.
The first year, she and another parent worked with 8 children, growing to 12 and 20 kids in subsequent years, requiring her to attract more volunteers/instructors. As part of her commitment to excellence, she insisted that volunteers take the necessary training to become certified coaches who could deliver a quality program. She convinced HCC Board members to fund this training, and worked with her team to oversee the coach training and youth program to ensure every child received the same instruction.
As they say, the rest is history! Under her leadership, she developed a strong team of certified coaches and a Little Rock, U-18 (Bantam), and U-21 (Junior) curling program that has delivered beyond expectations. Her 'graduates' have excelled at Zones, Regions and many have made it to Provincial and Canadian championships. Attached is a listing of her girls 'graduates' and their accomplishments. There have been many boys' graduates' as well, many making their way to OFSAA, Provincial, and National Championships. Since 1999, she has personally coached many Little Rock, School, Bantam Girls, Bantam Mixed and Junior Girls Teams, coaching at least one team per year, and lots of times, two teams. Last year she had over 100 youth members between the Sunday Program and Evening Student Leagues.
As is her style, Jill is quick to point out that the success of the program turned on having a very dedicated group of parents and enthusiastic, talented youth who succeeded, mainly because of HCC's consistent, high-quality teaching program. She relied heavily on parents such as Dave & Lidia Cormier, Ross & Laurie Cotten, and Steve Au, and when their kids graduated, she has been able to attract more dedicated instructors such as Bill Vance, Kurt Hahn, Donnie Campbell, and the Lyon-Hatcher family. She and her team often put in 400+ hours a year with Sunday instruction time and coaching competitive teams. As her program grew, it attracted competitive kids to our club from across the Region.
Jill was also instrumental in getting a Trillium Grant to buy Lite Rocks for the Little Rock program. The grant covered only part of the cost, so she and her team ran fundraising bonspiels and raffles, succeeding in raising enough money to cover the entire $12,000 cost. Her team also took over running a Junior Spiel, never missing a year since 1995.
Jill's overall philosophy has been to be respectful, accountable, and sportsmanlike, to give kids a good work ethic, a sound technical base and a love for the game, all delivered in a positive manner - never talking about winning or losing, but about shots, relaxing, and enjoying the moment - having some fun!
Jill has spent many hours learning and developing her own skills set. She has completed NCCP level 1&2 training and should complete her final level 3 NCCP training soon, which will make her one of the finest coaches in Ottawa. The Youth Program we now enjoy at HCC is a direct result of her dedication and leadership. Thank you and congratulations on a job well done Jill!
Approved By:
Past President: Lorne Rice
Past President: Cathy Shane
President: Kerry Johnson
