The Cash Bonspiel 

Go to apaneintheglasspodcast.buzzsprout.com (S2E26) for an explanation of this excellent on ice event which makes an ideal end of session activity!

This activity was taught to me by Pat B Reid. I am forever in her debt for this as I have used it pretty much everywhere I go. You can hear an excellent episode of my podcast ("A Pane In The Glass Podcast") with Pat by going to S1E11. The title of the episode is "Dealing With Two Imposters"!

Each team is assigned to a sheet of ice. If the number of teams exceeds the number of sheets of ice, doubling up on the required number of sheets many be necessary.

Each team will chose someone to be the team's "banker", a very important responsibility.

Each team's banker is provided a container with "cash" (to pay the entry fee for each shot attempted). The cash is usually small pieces of confection (if it's anywhere near Halloween, the large boxes of small candy bars make excellent "dollars" but the foil covered coins are ideal as well). Twenty dollars is a good starting amount!

To warm up, the teams deliver all the stones on its sheet to the away end as all shots are attempted toward the home end of the ice.

One individual will as as the "Event Banker". That person will distribute "prize money" to all teams that successfully execute the shot described by another person known as the event "Commissioner"!

When all the stones are at the away end, the Commissioner will describe the first shot to be attempted and clearly show what is required to "make" the shot. Since all the stones are at the away end, the first shot of "The Cash Bonspiel" will be a draw, as a result the Commissioner may say, "the stone must come to rest touching the 8' circle of better". If it was a "learn to curl" group the criterion for success might be "touching the 12' circle or better". On the other hand, if the group is highly skilled, it may be "touching the button". 

Then the commissioner states the "entry fee" for the shot (commensurate with the shot's difficulty). For the shot described above, the entry might be "one dollar". Each team's banker will pay the entry fee to the Event Banker (choose some who will not eat the money). 

As subsequent shots are described, the entry fee may increase (at the discretion of the Commissioner). 

When the shot has been described and the entry fees paid, the teams will prepare to attempt the shot. The skip will take his/her position, the person delivering the stone will stand behind the hack with the stone ready and the brushers will assume their pre-shot positions. 

When everyone is in position, the Commissioner (standing on the hog line at the playing end) will issue the following commands; READY (curlers delivering the shot assume the hack position), FOCUS (related to the pre-shot routine discussed in the clinic) and finally DELIVER (at which point all stones make their way down the ice). If there are more teams than sheets of ice, those teams will then follow the same delivery protocol. 

When all teams have attempted the shot, those teams who "made" the shot receive cash from the Event Banker based upon all money in the bank at that time.

If no team makes the shot, there may be a "carry over". The shot is attempted again but a different teammate is selected to delivery the "do over". In fact, for each shot attempted, a different teammate must deliver the shot!

If the shot is not made on a second attempt, the entry fees are paid increasing the money in the event banker's possession. The Commissioner may attempt the shot a third time. Each time the shot is attempted, the entry fee for the shot is paid to the Event Banker (although that fee might adjusted, for example, there might be no entry fee required for a carry over shot). 

When all teams have attempted the shot, the Commissioner describes the next shot at the home end with all participants gathered around. 

If a team's bank account is depleted, the team remains in the event. At such time that team wins money, it resumes paying entry fees. 

To end "The Cash Bonspiel", the shot is a draw-to-the-button with the team drawing closest to the button winning all the money in the bank!

Coach Bill's Note: This event, besides being flat out fun, has a very important ingrained teaching component. The Commissioner can lead a brief discussion of the difference between "strategy & tactics". The strategy of a shot has been provided by the Commissioner (i.e. it's the called shot) but tactics refers to how the shot is attempted to provide the maximum chance for success. For example, if the shot is a takeout, how might the shot be played? If the Commissioner indicated that the delivered stone must remain in the house, then a discussion might  ensue regarding the weight delivered.