February 3, 2017
Dear USCA Member Clubs, States and Regions,
Here is the next edition of USCA Tapas for your information and sharing with your membership.
Have a nice weekend.
Rick
What happened in the previous two weeks:
Inside the curling world
- February is National Ice Maker Appreciation Month! Please recognize and celebrate your favorite ice makers.
- Diamond State Curling Club’s application for USCA membership is currently under review and being considered for provisional membership status leading into the next Members’ Assembly. The club is in Hockessin, Delaware.
Communications/PR
- Like the first show, episode #2 of Curling Night in America on NBC Sports Network again was the second-most view program of the day on the network, with a .07 rating and 95,000 households in the P2+ category. It was beaten out for the top ranking by the NHL All-Star Special. Episode #3 is on tonight, at 10 o’clock ET.
- The USOC held a special NGB Council call to provide information on foreign athlete entry into the USA given the recent Presidential orders restricting entry and access, particularly for certain nations. The White House is said to be supportive of assisting with entries for Olympic and Paralympic sport events, and also the LA2024 bid.
- The next edition of the U.S. Curling News is now at the printer and should be arriving in mailboxes in the next couple of weeks.
- Chairman Rich Lepping and I had a follow-up conversation with the Twin Cities Curling Association to continue discussions about promotion and development efforts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
- Free curling lessons were being given in New York’s Bryant Park.
- I had a conversation with NBC executives this week regarding Olympic Trials programming. More time has been added to the schedule for Mixed Doubles broadcasts.
Events/Sport Education
- Numerous USCA events took place last week/weekend, including:
- The schedule for the inaugural USA Curling U18 National Championship has been announced.
- The USA team of Alex Leichter, Nate Clark, Chris Bond, Calvin Weber and Andrew Stopera is competing in the 2017 Winter World University Games in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and was 2-4 after Thursday. Some games are being streamed live on the team’s Facebook page.
- USA continues to lead the men’s Scots Tour as the Tours lands in the East.
- Several USCA Officiating and Instructor clinics are coming up around the country this month and in March.
- The announcement of the ticket sales process beginning for the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb., sparked lots of interest locally. Forty club seats were sold in the first 12 hours of a pre-sale to club seat owners, and the host committee also received several inquiries regarding the loge boxes. The host committee will be promoting the Trials at the Nebraska state wrestling championships in Omaha next month.
- The high performance program discretionary picks determined the final two teams for the 2017 Everett Nationals.
Grants/Sponsorships/Revenue Development
- Warren Hansen and I had a good conversation with USOC marketing representatives regarding Olympic Trials sponsorship and solicitation, as well as packaging other USCA marketing benefits/events for presentation to Olympic family sponsors.
- Terry Davis and I had an exploratory call with a marketing agency representing a sponsor interested in engaging with curling in the Olympic year. A proposal is being prepared for agency review.
Competitive Programs
- The Junior HPP teams led by Annmarie Dubberstein and Andrew Stopera won the 2017 USA Curling Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D. Dubberstein’s team beat the fellow HPP team led by Madison Bear in the final, while Stopera’s team defeated the Washington rink led by Nick Connolly.
What’s up next week:
- USCA Board of Directors Meeting teleconference/webinar, Tuesday.
- Second call with USOC regarding 2018 Olympics accreditation.
- 2017 USA Curling Everett Nationals begin Feb. 10
What’s coming two weeks from now (Feb. 12-18, 2017):
- USA Curling web site will be down beginning Feb. 13 for 24 hours or more as the USOC updates the entire digital media platform. Follow USA Curling social media channels for updates during this time, including 2017 National Championship coverage.
- VOIP Defender World Junior Curling Championships, Feb. 16-26, PyeongChang, South Korea.
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