"Maybe Tomorrow We'll Figure Out What My Job Is"

Kehler challenged by her role

Murray McCormick, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, February 22, 2008

Lorie Kehler had one of the best seats in the Brandt Centre at the Canadian women's curling championship.

She was the fifth with Saskatchewan's Michelle Englot, which provided Kehler with one of those elevated chairs behind the scoreboards at the home end. Kehler enjoyed the view and her role with Team Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

"It has been fun and it was kind of like being in a fishbowl," Kehler said after Thursday's 8-1 victory over Prince Edward Island's Suzanne Gaudet at the Brandt Centre. "There has been a lot going on and it's a great event to be involved with. I thought that my Scotties years were over, so it was nice to have another."

Kehler had been involved in five other Canadian women's championship with Englot. Kehler played lead, second and third with Englot at those events, which Kehler said was a little easier than being one of the support team.

"You haven't any control over anything," Kehler said. "At least when you're out there you can take it out with you sweeping or just being there. It's a very different role."

Englot, Darlene Kidd, Roberta Materi and Cindy Simmons already had well-defined roles before winning the provincial championship. Anita Ford worked as the team's coach before the Scotties. The squad, which is well-organized, was looking for support and encouragement from its alternate.

"Anita had worked with them before, so she had a bit of role already," Kehler said. "As far as running and managing things, they have that covered. They really didn't need anyone."

Englot appreciated having Kehler as part of the team, especially during a challenging week.

"Lorie and I are very close and we always have been," said Englot, who was 5-5 heading into Thursday's final draw against Alberta's Shannon Kleibrink. "We couldn't have picked a better person to be our fifth in this situation."

Kehler filled the role as a cheerleader and as a shoulder to lean on when the emotions grew to be too much for the members of the Englot team. Kehler also filed a daily dairy to saskcurl.com that provided insights into Saskatchewan's team away from the pressure of the Scotties.

"Anita and I tried to scout rocks and see what everybody else was throwing," Kehler said. "Michelle pretty well has her mind made up and there isn't a lot of input from me. I'm just a big supporter."

Kehler said reaching the 5-5 mark was huge. It improved their performance in Sudbury in 2001 by one win.

"You always want to come back with a winning record," Kehler said. "I remember that 4-7 was really tough coming home. You just feel that you let everybody down. You want to go out on a winning note."

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

It's always interesting to see what a fifth thinks about the job. Here's Lorie Kehler herself, writing on the same subject, just a few days ago:

Speaking of my job, that has been a topic of debate.

What is my job? Certainly not remembering what rocks/sheets we have been on, or are heading to. Without Anita’s magic book I would be lost.

Playing, not my job unless an emergency, this is the girls' show.

Slight emergency yesterday when I left my glasses at home, Roberta was quite concerned that it would cut into my crowd watching. Now that is my job, but as Joan Stricker can attest to, I could do that when even when I was curling.

I told Roberta not to worry as my glasses were being hand delivered by my hubby and in the meantime, I could borrow coaches’ binoculars, surely she could do without them for an end or two.

How important can determining how the other teams are matching rocks and throwing rock on certain sheets anyway, which by the way is not my job, Anita can pick out what rock anyone on any sheet is throwing and I am still focussing the darn binoculars. Maybe I just needed the pressure of needing them for crowd watching.

Then last night, I found a smelly, worn out, old pair of mitts that I thought Bert had had since the 2001 Scott in Sudbury, and I thought finally I can show my worth to Bert. But sadly, I was wrong. Sorry to whomever’s smelly, worn out, old pair of mitts I stole, check the yellow rock dressing room.

Maybe tomorrow we’ll figure out what my job is.

Derek, Brett, Joan, And The The Retro Look

Lorie Kehler, February 18:

Had the afternoon off, Michelle headed home to spend some time with her family. Brett arrived home last night from Texas and he and Derek arrived fully clad in Saskatchewan Green, from Michelle’s early years 1988 and 1989, after two wins today they are now not allowed to change for the rest of the week. I think they talked Joan Stricker into pulling out her sweater to join them in the retro look.

Here's a nice semi-retro photo of Joan. I'm still looking for a fully-retro shot of the 1988-89 team. If you have one, please send me email!

"Michelle Lost Her Father Last Night"

Lorie Kehler, blogging at SaskCurl.

February 15, 2008

I was all set to start our diary off on a light note. I was going to tell you that I certainly pack better when there are weight restrictions on luggage and to ensure my family that even though it looked like I had packed and was going to stay at the Delta for a month, that I am indeed only staying for 10 days. I was going to tell you (even though I hadn’t told my new roommate Anita) that I had invited my old roommate to 5 Scotts, Joan Stricker for a sleepover, because if Michelle couldn’t be here without me, I certainly couldn’t be here without Joan (miss you).

But as many of you will have heard by now, Michelle lost her father last night. What was building to be the week of a lifetime came crashing down with one phone call. Our thoughts and prayers to Norma, Mallory, Michelle, Nesa, Norman and their families on their loss.

Our thoughts to Darlene, Roberta and Cindy for their support for Michelle, they only want what is best for Michelle, at a time when they should be enjoying the limelight, enjoying being princesses, their concern is for Michelle. Hang in there girls, Michelle Englot is one tough lady, she is her father’s daughter. She knows that she has the love and support of her boys, Bret and Derek, the love and support of her Mom and siblings, the love and support of her friends, but most important the love and support of her Dad, who told Mom (Norma) yesterday, if I die, make sure Michelle curls.

Hugs and kisses to all of our families, my family Al, Kenilee and Adam because what last night showed us once again is that life is precious, life is fragile, life is fleeting and life is family.

God bless Joe, this one’s for you.

Englot Exemplifies Those In Sport Who Get It

Englot exemplifies those in sport who get it

Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, February 15, 2008

DISCLOSURE: This is not the most objective column in the history of sports journalism.

The intent is not to resort to cheerleading -- think of how hideous I would look in the outfit -- but instead to laud the admirable qualities of Saskatchewan's skip at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Michelle Englot left an imprint early in the career of a rumpled scribe. The year was 1989, when Englot -- who was known as Michelle Schneider at the time -- was representing Saskatchewan for the second time at the Canadian women's curling championship.

At that time, I was on the curling beat for the Leader-Post. Englot was media-friendly enough to qualify for a national event that was based in Kelowna, B.C., where the mild climate provided a nice respite from the bitterness of a Saskatchewan winter.

I followed Englot's team to Kelowna, as did Peter Loubardias of CKCK Radio. Early in the week, it appeared that we might also be following Englot, Joan Stricker, Lorie Kehler and Leanne Eberle (now Whitrow) to the world women's curling championship in Milwaukee.

Englot created plenty of media attention as a result of her torrid start in Kelowna. After each draw, she was encircled by reporters, including Mr. Loubardias and yours truly.

Without fail, Englot would provide answers that were insightful, candid and funny. She made our phony-baloney jobs very easy that week.

But the enduring memory pertains to what happened once the media pack dispersed. Every time, Englot would make a point of approaching the two-headed Regina media delegation and ask us: "Anything else you guys need?''

The routine was not altered later in the week, when Englot's fortunes turned. She was equally courteous and candid following victories and defeats.

You do not forget things like that.

A simple courtesy still resonates, 19 years after the excursion to Kelowna.

The details of the games elude me, after all these years, but I remain appreciative of Englot's good nature.

She recognized and appreciated that the Leader-Post and CKCK Radio had gone to considerable expense to ensure that the Saskatchewan team was covered. She also grasped the notion that the newspaper and Regina's information station were a conduit to the people back home.

It seems like a basic notion, but it is lost on so many people.

When the Saskatchewan Roughriders' players staged one of their periodic media boycotts in 2003, I attempted to explain to then head coach Danny Barrett that the team was penalizing its fans by withholding interviews. The breath was wasted.

Last year, I discussed life in a fishbowl with Barrett's successor, Kent Austin. He realized that dealing with the media could be time-consuming and occasionally irritating, but he made the point (without any provocation from me) that conducting interviews was a fundamental component of sharing information with the fans.

I resisted the temptation to applaud. Austin often commended players who "get it'' -- ones who grasp what the team is trying to achieve, and those who understand the environment.

When I think of people who "get it,'' Englot is near the top of the list. It is appropriate, of course, that she regularly deals with the media in the line of duty at SaskTel. She knows the routine better than most.

I doubt that anyone had to explain the procedure to Michelle Englot. She is intuitively courteous -- even when the questions are somewhat less than courteous.

Again, we flash back to 1989. Englot was expecting her first child when she curled in Kelowna. She faced some rather personal inquiries about whether the pregnancy would affect her performance.

Englot responded in good humour, joking that nobody posed such questions of male curlers whose stomachs were conspicuous.

A generation later, Englot is a six-time provincial champion. She is preparing to curl at another Scotties -- this time at home.

Naturally, the Brandt Centre crowd will be behind Michelle Englot. All the cheers will be well-deserved.

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

Second: Roberta Materi

Materi has her own home team

Murray McCormick, Leader-Post
Published: Thursday, February 14, 2008

The Scotties Tournament of Hearts starts Saturday at the Brandt Centre with 11 of the country's provincial champions and Team Canada in Regina pursuing a Canadian women's curling championship.

Regina's Michelle Englot is the Saskatchewan representative. Englot, Darlene Kidd, Roberta Materi and Cindy Simmons have earned the right to be the hometown team in the championship.

Wednesday, The Leader-Post's Murray McCormick began four-part series on each member of Englot's team with a profile of Simmons. Today, it's Materi's turn.

Roberta Materi is second on one curling team and could be the skip of another.

Materi throws second stones with Regina's Michelle Englot, who with third Darlene Kidd and lead Cindy Simmons, are Saskatchewan's representatives at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Englot earned a berth as the hometown team in the Canadian women's championship, which starts Saturday at the Brandt Centre.

Away from the rink Materi, 32, rules a house of a different kind. Materi and her husband, Scott, are the parents of three year-old triplets -- Alexa, Peighton and Kaden.

"It was very chaotic, with a lack of sleep and they were very demanding,'' said Materi, who took a two-year hiatus from competitive curling with Englot to devote time to her young team. "At the same time it was lots of fun. I wouldn't have wanted to be away all of those weekends while they were babies.''

Now that the triplets are older, Materi was able to take on a more demanding schedule. Englot played in five weekend bonspiels during the pre-Christmas cash season and all three levels of the playdowns en route to winning the provincial championship.

"I wouldn't want to play a more demanding schedule than that,'' said Materi, who is a human resources manager at SaskTel. "Scott is very supportive and he's very competent at home with the kids by himself. Not all dads can do that but he can.''

There are tradeoffs. Roberta said her husband is an avid outdoorsman and is particularly interested in hunting. Scott has his time off to hunt and Roberta gets to curl.

"It's challenging at times but Scott and I are very organized,'' said Materi, who has been married for eight years. "We just make it happen. Right now, the kids are young enough that they aren't in a lot of activities other than day care five days a week and swimming. I know in a few years that will change and it will be more hectic.''

Materi remembers when curling wasn't as hectic. She shared in the 2001 Saskatchewan women's championship with Englot, Lorie Kehler and Joan Stricker. There weren't any children and basically all that Materi had to do was head to Sudbury, Ont., for her first Scotties. Englot didn't make the playoffs after finishing 4-7.

"It has definitely made me want it more,'' said Materi. "It's so special that you just want to keep working hard and get another crack at a national title.''

Materi spent another three seasons curling with Englot before missing 2005 and 2006 playdowns. Materi curled some while the children were young but mostly it was motherhood and getting herself back in shape. Materi could be seen some mornings jogging behind a stroller full of her kids.

"I did miss curling and I spared a bit which kept me on the ice,'' Materi said. "I missed being part of the competitive game.''

Materi has been with Englot for eight of the last 10 years. Materi played on the team, along with Kidd, that finished second at the 1998 Saskatchewan women's championship. Regina's Cathy Trowell won the provincial championship that year and was rewarded with an opportunity to be the hometown team in the Canadian women's championship. Ten years later, the three team members finally have the opportunity to be Saskatchewan in Regina.

"We did get to play in the Olympics trials in 2001, so we got to have a little taste of it,'' Materi said. "There were three other Saskatchewan teams, though, and it will be different being the one and only.''

Kidd said that Materi is the ultimate front-end player, which simply enhances the team's chances for success.

"Roberta only speaks when spoken to, which you want in a front-end player,'' Kidd said with a laugh. "Michelle is the leader of the team in some ways but Roberta is the boss. We all have our own game faces and we all know how to deal with each other.''

Materi has honed that ability while guiding her young team around her home. Starting Saturday, Materi will be able to have the run of another house while pursing a national title. She's looking forward to being the hometown team.

"It was hard for our families to get to the provincials with them having to look after all of the little kids,'' said Materi. "We should have more support at home and that's exciting.''

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008