Why are there so few women coaching at curling's top level in Canada?
Curling Canada says it's looking for opportunities to involve more women in coaching at the highest levels of the game.
Just three of the 36 teams competing at this year's Scotties and Brier had female coaches — the rest were coached by men or didn't have a coach.
Colleen Jones, six-time Scotties champion, was the only woman coach at the women's national curling championships. She was coaching her home province of Nova Scotia. Jones said that it was a topic of conversation at the competition.
"When I became aware of it I was like, 'why am I the only one female coach here in a sea of unbelievably talented male coaches?' I just wondered where the rest of the women were," Jones told CBC Sports.
"I think it's an issue because there are so many talented female curlers who could take the next step into coaching."
Elaine Dagg-Jackson is a national coach and the manager of the women's program for Curling Canada. She said there are initiatives underway across the country to give women better opportunities to be involved in coaching.
Curling Canada held a women's coaching clinic during the Scotties in Calgary last month. Dagg-Jackson said it was a great success, with 38 coaches from 17 different Alberta curling clubs attending.
"There's more than what you see in front of us here. We see there is a certain slant toward male coaches at the Scotties and Brier, but that doesn't mean you don't have women coaches. They're just not visible at these competitions," Dagg-Jackson said.
"Of course I would love to see more women coaching at the Scotties, Brier and world championships. It's not that it's never happened, it's just not happening right now."
Dagg-Jackson said it was uncommon for teams to have coaches during the 1990s, but those that did, at least at the Scotties, had female coaches.
She said Curling Canada needs to find more ways to attract women to coaching roles in the country.
"Part of my role with Curling Canada is to look for ways to elevate the highest level of coaching in Canada and this is quite new in our system," she said.
"If we want more women in coaching then we have to provide the support and attraction for that. Coaches don't make a lot of money, and if a woman has to support a family or pay for a daycare, there has to be more for them."
LISTEN | Devin Heroux joined guest host Sam Maciag on Blue Sky to talk about the Brier and all things curling:
Kim Kelly, who was part of the Colleen Jones rink that won five Scotties titles, was one of two women coaching at this year's Brier in Regina. Kelly coached Nova Scotia.
"We need more women for sure. There's been a real trend to go toward the male coaches," she said.
"From my perspective it's a problem. Perspective is the key. The more you have the better. It's like having different personalities on a team. It enhances everyone's experience. So the male-female perspective is no different."
Kelly had a special moment at the Brier when she was able to coach against another woman when Nova Scotia played Nunavut.
Katie Brooks was behind the bench for Nunavut. It was her first year coaching the team.
Both Kelly and Brooks had their own dressing room inside the Brandt Centre. They would talk strategy before their games and discuss what their teams had been doing throughout the Brier.
Then Kelly and Brooks squared off against each other on Wednesday afternoon.
Kim Kelly, foreground, watches as the Nova Scotia team she is coaching at this year's Brier plays against Nunavut. (Devin Heroux/CBC)
Nunavut defeated Nova Scotia in the game. It marked only the second victory ever at the Brier for Nunavut.
"Very exciting game. It was a great game with Nova Scotia. I'm just delighted for our team," Brooks said.
"They're just a wonderful group to work with."
Brooks said she started curling at a very young age and realized that she wasn't going to be able to compete at the highest level of the game, but still wanted to be part of it.
She devoted a lot of time to taking coaching classes and lessons over the years.
"I did all of my coach education and have been doing continual professional development through my late-teens into my 20s and 30s."
Brooks said her role with the team involved a little bit of everything.
"They're pretty solid in terms of strategy. I just help where I can," she said.
"I would definitely like to see more women in coaching and I think we're starting to see a change. There are some initiatives making that happen."
Dagg-Jackson said Curling Canada will be surveying teams about their decisions around coaching to better inform how to shape coaching programs in the future — all with the intention of creating more pathways for women.
