Looking back at the year.
Czech curling has had another tough year. A few positive moments did not outweigh the obvious problems faced by several hundred members of the Czech Curling Federation. Some of the difficulties are current and have seen the light of day recently, others are long term and have been plaguing us for several years. The business card of the activity, although not the only one, is the results achieved. The important categories that bring marketing, reputational and financial benefits can only boast partial successes. Mixed Doubles by participating in the 2022 Olympics, Wheelchair and Men by qualifying for the 2023 World Championships, Women by qualifying for Group A of the 2023 European Championships. In this respect, congratulations and expressions of appreciation. But these are the fruits of work that began much earlier, perhaps twelve or fifteen years ago.
rnIt is different with the category that is quite crucial for the Czech position in the future, i.e. juniors and junior girls. After a great period from 2006 to 2014, accompanied by many participations in the elite world top ten and crowned with a silver medal for juniors at the 2012 World Championships, there came a stage of long-term decline. In the last seven years, our youngest athletes have not been in the top 15 in any of the categories and have even finished in the top ten several times. One whole generation, unlike the previous one, did not get in touch with the world's best and will lack valuable experience. And all because the leadership stubbornly clings to practices that are proven to lead nowhere. Anyone who expects different, or rather better, results using previously unsuccessful methods is a fool and deserves to be punished. However, the reasons for the low success rate are also due to a general disregard for some other circumstances. The poor technical condition of our union hall (repeated problems with the technology), the lack of care for our curling stones, the deep grooves, dirt and unevenness of the ice surface, the uncluttered and only occasionally functioning restaurant with bleachers, the dilapidated interior of the building, the unused parking lot at the top of the property, and so on are all evident. These circumstances can contribute significantly to the overall lower efficiency of the training processes and, together with an inappropriately set game calendar, bring failure. A symbol of the errors is the forced ten-day break in the operation of the hall during the end of the calendar year. A simple enquiry from the women's national team as to whether it would be possible to organise a small preparatory camp in the last week of the year was met with the curt reply that it would not be possible because the hall would be closed. At a time when winter sports are in full season, curling players with their own indoor arena are resting, not training or competing.