Apollo Curling

Check out the March 26, 2025 edition of the "This is Calgary" podcast from CBC Radio One.

Sweeper I hardly even know her! Queer curling in Calgary

We’re excited to introduce a new twist to our competition format, designed to build camaraderie and make the season even more engaging! Currently, teams are grouped by skill level into pools, where they face off during regular play. This isn’t going to change, but, in addition to these pools, we’re introducing alliances—new groups that combine the win/loss records of teams across different pools to create a fresh layer of competition.

Here’s how it works: We have 42 teams split into 7 pools of 6 teams each. We’ve created 6 new alliances, with one team from each pool placed into each alliance. These placements are semi-random, ensuring a mix of teams from all levels. While the pools will change after each round, these alliances will remain the same throughout the entire regular season (not including playoffs), building a sense of unity and ongoing collaboration. If you’re familiar with a Calcutta raffle, think of it as a “group Calcutta,” where your alliance's overall success depends on the combined records of its teams.

This system adds a layer of teamwork beyond just your pool. A win from any team in your alliance, regardless of which pool they belong to, contributes equally to your alliance’s standing. More experienced teams will have the chance to mentor newer teams, creating a great opportunity for learning and growth. A win in the most competitive pool (Empress) will count just as much as a win from a different pool (Baroness). The key is that every victory counts.

At the end of the season, the alliance with the best combined win/loss record will be rewarded with a special prize, giving everyone something extra to strive for!

To tie it all together, we’re naming these alliances after the 6 original colors of the pride flag: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet. So get to know your fellow alliance members! Whether it’s some solid advice, friendly rivalry, or just some lighthearted banter, you’ll find that everyone in your color alliance has something to offer. Use this as an opportunity to introduce yourself to someone new and make some lasting connections!

You’ll find the list of alliances on the Standings page in League Buddy.

Let’s make this season more exciting, collaborative, and fun!

One of our headline sponsors, Cold Garden (the brewery/pub in Inglewood), is hosting our season opener party on Sunday, October 6 between 2 pm and 5 pm. They have a new brew called "Pool Party Ale" and are hoping to get some help from us in return. They'll be making promotional materials (photos and videos) and need some real people in pool attire to be included.

They'll provide the beer and the pool props, but we need to let them know who's in. If you're not comfortable being photographed, that's cool; you're still invited, but please make that known so you're out of the lens' range.

Other than showing up in, or changing into, some beachwear, you don't have to do anything else other than enjoy yourself.

On the RSVP form, we need to know if:
(a) you're coming to the season kickoff party, and if you're bringing a non-Apollo Curling friend;
(b) if you'll be in beachwear, ready for the lights, action, and camera.

Please RSVP here: Kickoff Party RSVP by Sep 15.

The annual curling clinic has been scheduled for Saturday, Oct 5, starting at 2:00 pm. More details can be found on our Learn To Curl page. The link to the sign up form is on that page as well.

We've created a checklist that we need you to complete. The checklist covers things like:

• Which pool do you think your team belongs in?
• Complete the NHCC waiver.
• Do you have teammates who haven't registered yet? If so, encourage them to sign up.
• Is the name in League Buddy what you want permanently etched on your metal name tag? Perhaps it's time to review your personal information.
• Have you uploaded a headshot?
• Are you interested in volunteering to help keep the league fun and prosperous? If so, let us know how you can be involved.

You can find the checklist here: https://docs.google.com/forms/

The league has filled up very quickly, once again. The person who claimed the 42nd team spot claimed their place in line less than 5 minutes after registration opened up.

As a result of this unprecedented demand, we're excited to announce that we are increasing the team size cap from 6 to 7 players. If you choose to form a 7-player team, keep in mind that you'll still pay a single team fee, and it's up to your team to decide how to split that fee among the players. Remember, only 4 players are allowed to play during a game. If you choose to add another player to your team, please first have a look at the players who have signed up under "Looking For A Team" in the Contact List to give them a chance to experience the league.

Team Fees:

We are still working out what the team fee will be. It's possible there will be a small surcharge for large teams, but that is yet to be determined. Once the fee is finalized, you will receive a notice from the league, plus there will be a message in League Buddy waiting for you.

Benefits of a 7-player team:

• Opportunity to bring new players on board and give them a chance to curl.
• Reduced risk of forfeiting games during the season.

Considerations:

• Each team member may not play as frequently if you ensure equal playing time for everyone. If done equally, every player on a 7-person team should be able to play roughly 12 games over the season.

Curling Schedule:
We're planning a 22-week schedule (that's 3 more games compared to last season!), including:

• 3 six-week round robins
• A 4-week playoff round

Stay tuned for the schedule, which will be posted in the coming weeks.

Team Pools:
We'll have 7 pools, each with 6 teams:

• (1) Empress, (2) King, (3) Queen, (4) Prince, (5) Princess, (6) Marquis, and (7) Baroness
• Empress: For the most experienced and competitive teams.
• Baroness: Geared toward new teams with less experience.
• The other pools serve as a graduation between Baroness and Empress. After each set of round robin games, top teams move up, and bottom teams move down.

When registration opens on Sunday, August 25, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. MDT everyone will be placed in a queue. Your place in the queue determines the time when you can submit your registration. See the following instructions on how to use the system to secure your spot in the league.

When you try to register, you'll see that you don't have a valid registration ticket.

You'll need to browse to the Get In Line site, and get a ticket code from there.

Once you have your code, pay close attention to the Valid From and Until times. That is the window when you can register using that code.

Registration is currently capped at 40 teams. If we fill up with 40 teams, and have 2 teams on the waiting list, we will then expand to 42, but that is our maximum capacity. If you find registration full, make sure you put your team's name on the waiting list.

A new section for your league profile has been added this year. There, you can indicate how interested you are in participating in social events. This is especially important if you're not interested in an event. If we know there is very little interest, we won't proceed with organizing something where we will receive minimal participation. Please ensure your profile is up to date. Check your profile by visiting this page: Profile Info

While it might seem a tad early to be thinking about curling, we’re excited to announce that registration for the 2024/25 season will be opening up on Sunday, August 25, 2024. Here are some important details to keep in mind before signing up:

1. League Buddy Enhancements:
• We’ve made a few enhancements to our league management software, League Buddy:
• Resilient Registration Process: Last year, due to high demand at the opening of registration, the website was unresponsive at times. This resulted in some teams ending up on the waiting list when in fact they were attempting to register before the league had filled up. To address this, we’re introducing a queue system. When you register, you’ll first request a ticket containing a unique code and a very specific redemption timeframe. If multiple people try to register simultaneously, codes will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis with staggered redemption windows. This ensures fairness, and no one can jump the queue. If you are given a longer wait, remember it is up to you to return to the registration system during your assigned time to secure your spot, or risk losing your place in line.
• Monthly Calendar View: You can now view your schedule for an entire month at a time. This includes your upcoming matchups, social events, 50/50 sales shifts, and pride bonspiels across the country. All this information is now conveniently available in a single view.
2. Team Registration:
• While only one person needs to register to save your team’s spot, we encourage all team members to register promptly. Knowing if you have a viable team helps us manage waiting lists effectively. We reserve the right to replace half-filled registered teams with full teams from the waiting list. To avoid this uncertainty, make sure your team has at least 4 players registered as soon as possible after registration opens up.
• Maximum of 6 players per team, minimum 4.
3. Name Tags:
• If you were issued a name tag previously, but have lost it, you can have it replaced for $15.
• For players new to the league, or who didn’t receive one previously, Apollo will supply a name tag, provided those players are registered by September 15^th.
4. League Fees:
• Team registration fee amount is yet to be determined, but ice costs have increased, so expect an increase over last year. For budgeting purposes, it will be roughly $1,400 per team. There is also an additional $13 $17 per person for membership in Curling Alberta and Curling Canada.
5. Social Events:
• We’re bringing back popular social events like Bingo, Trivia, and Family Feud. Additionally, we’re introducing Name that Tune into the rotation.
• Social events will take place during the second draw. If you’re playing in the first draw, you can join the social event after your game. For third-draw players, arrive at the rink early. For those teams scheduled for the second draw, we’ll try to schedule your team for the first or third draw during subsequent social events.
• If your team isn’t keen on participating in social events, let us know, and we’ll aim to schedule you for the second draw on those days.
6. Expanded League Capacity:
• We’re considering expanding the league to accommodate 42 teams (up from the current 40). This could result in either 7 pools of 6 teams or 6 pools of 7 teams. Compared to last season, the shorter rounds will provide more opportunities to play different teams.
7. Learn To Curl Clinic:
• Before the league begins, we are once again offering a Learn to Curl clinic. If you have friends interested in the game but hesitant to play due to lack of experience, this is the perfect chance for them to give it a try. We will post to social media, the apollocurling.com website, and email members once the clinic date is finalized.
8. Spare Players:
• If you’re planning to be a spare player, League Buddy now allows you to opt out of specific scheduled games. Mark your unavailability in advance, and you won’t receive requests for those games. This is great if you know you can’t play due to other commitments, or because you’re out of town.
9. Season Kick Off Party:
• The season kick off party will be held in September. We're busy working on a venue and date - when we have that information, we'll let you know and get you to RSVP.

We’re looking forward to an exciting season ahead!  If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out.