Relatively new club brings Olympic sport to Notre Dame.
Among the more than 25 clubs and organizations available to students attending Notre Dame are the Philosophy Club, FIRST Robotics Club, Math Club and the Model United Nations Club. While these organizations have enthusiastic and dedicated members who join from all four grades in the school’s upper division and who occasionally compete with peers in other schools in southeast Michigan, there is one kind of club that has been flying a bit under the radar at Notre Dame as well as at other high schools — or at least at high schools in the U.S. — curling.
Begun last year in the upper division, the Notre Dame Curling Club currently has seven members who practice and compete at the Detroit Curling Club facility in Ferndale.
Notre Dame senior Will Woryk is one of the founding members of the club. He said many people are surprised to learn that NDP has a curling team, but he’s always at the ready to help define and promote both the club and the sport.
“Curling is actually an Olympic sport that is growing in popularity throughout the United States, but has been a part of the Canadian school physical-education program for years,” he said. “In our curling competitions, two teams comprised of four players each slide granite stones on a sheet of pebbled ice toward a target consisting of four concentric circles, and try to score points or knock out an opponent’s stone, which is sometimes called a rock.”
Senior William Woryk begins to send the stone down the ice as classmate Zenon Lewyckyj looks on.
He says those curling brooms, which many in the Detroit area might remember seeing on Canadian TV curling shows, are used for sweeping the ice in front of the rock and are meant to help the stone travel further.
While overwhelmingly more popular in Canada, there are solid pockets of curling devotees in the U.S., including those in youth or high school leagues. In fact, last month, the 2016 USA Curling Junior National Championships were held in Willmar, Minn., where both junior women’s and men’s champions were crowned from the 20 teams that competed.
Woryk said that Notre Dame’s curling team, which is moderated by Notre Dame art teacher Ned Devine, competes against a few other teams from schools in the area. “Dexter and Mercy high schools also have teams, and our team recently has been invited to upcoming ‘bonspiels,’ or tournaments, in Midland and Traverse City,” Woryk said.
Woryk, who in November was asked to compete in the 130 end game to help celebrate the 130th year anniversary of the Detroit Curling Club, is encouraging more Notre Dame students to become curlers.
“Curling is a fun, low-commitment, and inexpensive way to spend some weekend mornings,” he said. “Anyone curious about this sport, please contact me at williamworyk@ndpma.org, or our club moderator, Mr. Ned Devine, at ndevine@ndpma.org. Opportunities to try out this great game are available and everyone is encouraged to take advantage!”
Woryk also noted that the club is sponsoring a "Bring a Friend Day” on Feb. 14. Contact him for more info.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.