THANK YOU!

We want to take the time to let you know how much we appreciate all of the support our entire club has given us for the past five years.

For the people that do not know, five years ago we were initiated into the competitive world of curling through the Broomstones JET program. This program was started by a group of curlers who wanted to share all of their knowledge about the sport of curling with the youth at the club. They spent hours working with us on our deliveries and communication on the ice. They also touched on the mental aspect which was a big part of our team’s success. Another thing that they taught us was how to look for help within the Broomstones community. This led us to finding our coach, Karyn Cousins, who has given infinite amounts of time and energy to our team.

After deciding we wanted to be a competitive team, we joined the President’s League. We are so thankful for all of the people who treated us as adults, even though we were all still in high school. This experience really helped us to grow into mature curlers. Because of our experience in the adult leagues at Broomstones, we were able to acquire curling etiquette that could not just simply be taught. We have learned how to carry ourselves in an adult environment and it was mainly due to all of you. There were many games when we came off the ice and as we were sitting at the tables behind the glass, our opponents would go over certain scenarios with us telling us what they would have called. This helped us to see a game through an experienced curler’s eye and we are very grateful for that.

The support didn’t stop there. You have helped to finance our very expensive season. As many of you know, it is hard being from the East, always having to book those expensive Northwest flights out to the Midwest. These flights were necessary for us to get to the level that we did, and it is because of you that those trips were possible for us. Starting with the dinners we sold during derby and ending with the fund established by Sam Williams (and many other events in between) you have all been so generous and have made it easier for us to be able to go out on the ice and just worry about curling.
For the past four years at nationals, our fan mail inbox has been filled with numerous emails from members of this great club. At our first nationals it was difficult to see huge Wisconsin cheering sections versus our small (but amazing) group of parents. Those emails meant a lot because it made us feel that although we may not have had as many people out on the ice, there were many people there in spirit. It has really helped to make our experiences even greater.

We also wanted to thank everyone else from around the country who has been there for us. It's nice to know that whenever we travel, we are able see some friendly faces, no matter how far from home we are. You have made the past few years unforgettable and our experiences would not have been as wonderful without you.

We are all so proud to be from such an amazing club. In all of our travels, we have been to many clubs around the United States but we have yet to visit a club that is as warm and compassionate as Broomstones. We are convinced that no such club exists. Although Team Walker will be taking a break, we will still bring everything that we have learned from you with us everywhere we go. We hope that you continue to support the youth at the club so that others can experience the same opportunities we had. Broomstones is filled with so many caring people who give so much and never look for recognition. We really want everyone to know that you do mean so much to us and that we know that we would not be where we are now if it wasn’t for you. You all have so much knowledge about the game, and life, that you have shared with us. Because of you, not only have we become better curlers, we have also become better people.

Thank you!

Monica Walker, Laura Hallisey, Nikki Rossetti, and Jillian Walker