Curl Girl Libby Brundage

When was the last time you had a life-changing experience thanks to your boob tube? Watching television altered the lives of the Brundage family of Killingworth, particularly Libby Brundage, a junior at Haddam-Killingworth High School, who has become an extraordinary curler – and not the hair type.

“I started curling not this past Winter Olympics but the one before. We just saw it on TV, researched it online, and found the Nutmeg Curling Club in Bridgeport. We went down for an open house and I fell in love with it and joined a league,” explains Libby. 

She has been curling since seventh grade, and in 2009 her team of junior curlers won the State High School curling championship.

Libby usually practices two or three times a week if she’s not traveling for the sport on weekends. One needs ice to practice (as well as time). Practices are held at Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport, so practicing any more would be particularly challenging. “It’s about a 40 minute ride one way so it’s not horrible,” she says. 

Libby is in a high school league of kids from only Connecticut. They play every Tuesday or Thursday. She is also involved in a Sunday league. 

“It’s an adult league, so I play with a bunch of adults there,” she said. 

She's also in a competitive league and plays with her coach’s team. 

On her junior competitive team she is in the position known as Skip.

"The Skip sets up the house to gain points, based on how the other team places their stones. Libby, or the Skip, also throws the last two stones," Libby's mother, Sarah Brundage explains. "It's Lead, Second, Vice Skip and then Skip. Vice skip holds the broom for when Libby throws," she adds. 

Long term Libby hopes to continue the sport in college.

“There are some colleges that will take students to and from a curling club nearby, so I’m looking for colleges around curling clubs so I can stick with the sport,” she said.   

“I guess you could say that [I have Olympic aspirations]," she said and added, "I want to go as far as I can in the sport but I’m taking my time.”

Libby was slated to appear on The Today Show last year at a ceremony with the U.S. Olympic Curling Team, but there was a scheduling problem in airing the segment. Still, she got to meet the team.

“That was really cool,” she said.

The curling season is long – lasting from October to the beginning of April. As a result, curling interferes with fall and spring sports so Libby isn’t involved in other athletic endeavors through school.

During the offseason, she and the team work on a training packet given to them by their coach. 

Occasionally her mother and father will curl with her, and her sister, Anna, curled in the high school league before heading off to Quinnipiac University.  

Needless to say, Libby doesn’t have much free time and, when she does, she usually dedicates it to schoolwork. Even traveling time is used productively.  

Sarah Brundage says, "A game of etiquette, strategy and teamwork, curling has brought out the best in Libby. We have seen her focus and dedication to the sport grow, as well as the opportunity to meet and become friends with junior and adult curlers from a number of other states."

She adds, "A lot of time is spent traveling and practicing, but school comes first and we are proud to say she manages both her ice time and classes well, and just came home with a straight A report card."

Libby's team, Team Connecticut, is one of just three girls' teams and five total U-18 (under 18) teams in the U.S. to qualify for the Optimist International Under-18 Curling Championships to be held in Toronto, Canada from March 30 through April 3. Five U.S. teams will attend - three junior women’s teams and two junior men’s teams.

While the team traveling to Canada is called Team Connecticut, at regional bonspiels it is called Team Brundage.

"By tradition, the team name is taken from whomever is 'in the house' or calling for the shots from the throwers," explains Sarah Brundage. 

Libby says, “We’re really looking forward to it. There’s a bunch of teams from Canada coming. I know in past years teams from Japan have come but we haven’t heard if they’re coming again.” 

She describes curlers as “just your average people. They all love the sport and are really dedicated to it."

“It’s a lot of fun to meet people from all over,” Libby added.

For additional information on the event in Canada, visit  http://www.gtau18curling.com/. For more information on the club, visit http://www.nutmegcurling.com/outside_home.asp.