Have you tried ‘chess on ice’? Nittany Valley Curling Club teaches art of winter sport
When State College resident Mark Lachendro watched curling make its official debut at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, he was intrigued — and unlike skiing downhill at 80 miles per hour or landing a double loop on figure skates, he could picture himself participating.
More than two decades later, Lachendro, 54, is founder and president of the Nittany Valley Curling Club, providing Centre County residents with the chance to play the sport regardless of their age, gender or experience. The club meets every Sunday at Pegula Ice Arena from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Prior to founding the club, Lachendro struggled with finding an opportunity to learn the sport despite his best efforts. While living in western Pa., he was on the Pittsburgh Curling Club waiting list for nearly 10 years.
About five years ago, he and his son finally got the opportunity to travel to Ohio and participate in a Learn-To-Curl, an instructive session that teaches individuals the essential skills and technique of curling. As he glided the stones and swept the ice, he fell in love with the sport and began cultivating the idea of one day starting his own club.
“There’s strategy, there’s positioning, there’s competitiveness and thinking that goes on in addition to the physical game,” Lachendro said. “If you can really think through some of the strategy of the game, that makes a massive difference in your performance.”
After moving to State College in 2014, his son Jack Lachendro, a Penn State student at the time, joined the university’s curling club. The former president of the club came to them discussing the need for a club open to community members, not just college students.
In 2019, with support from Penn State’s club, the Nittany Valley Curling Club was founded.
From bankers to biologists, the club is made up of individuals from a diverse set of career backgrounds and life experiences. With college students playing alongside retirees, the club is proof that there is no age barrier in learning to curl.
While there are about 20 members right now, Mark Lachendro said he hopes this number will grow — and the interest he’s seeing due to the Olympics is likely to help that happen. He said the one thing he wants people to know is that they can curl regardless of their athleticism or lack of experience.
“There are adaptations that can be made so you don’t need to bend down or slide on the ice, like wheelchair curling and using a push stick,” he said. “It’s a sport truly for everybody and once you do it, you’re going to have fun.”
Although the current focus is having fun with “ever-improving curling,” he said the goal for 2022 is participating in more competitions. He hopes that everyone in the club will have the opportunity to compete in a curling tournament, which are known as “bonspiels.”
The club is set to compete later this month at a bonspiel in Pittsburgh. While Mark Lachendro said he has no expectations regarding bringing home a win, he’s excited to compete at a comparable level and get to know players from neighboring clubs.
For Jack Lachendro, who was coached athletically by his dad throughout his life, curling is an opportunity to continue bonding through sports.
“It’s really fun to be on the ice with him and talk over shots and strategy,” the 25-year-old said. “Even when we’re watching the Olympics at home, it’s something we can bond over and connect with.”
He said he loves curling due to the physical and mental aspects of it, referring to the sport as “chess on ice.” He also enjoys that it isn’t “overly dangerous,” adding that the injury rate is incredibly low in comparison to other sports.
“This is something that I will probably continue doing for the rest of my life,” Jack Lachendro said.
He has even set more ambitious goals for himself personally and in the long term, he said he wants to see how high the ceiling can go — not ruling out the possibility of one day competing at the Olympics.
He said he tunes in to the Olympic curling matches whenever he gets the opportunity and enjoys predicting the moves the U.S. team will make, emphasizing that playing the game changes the ways he watches.
“I look to see what strategy they’re doing and even though they are on a much higher level than what I’m on now, it’s good to see what they are doing and how I can bring that into my own game,” Jack Lachendro said.
Chris McMullen, vice president of the club, moved to State College about seven years ago from Canada and immediately began looking for curling opportunities.
Growing up, McMullen would watch bonspiels on TV and was exposed to the sport through his father, who was an avid curler. When he was in his 40s, a brand-new curling facility opened near his house, so he decided to give it a try. Since then, he’s continued to cultivate his skills as a curler — and wants people to know that the sport is more than what it looks like on the surface.
“I think it gets this reputation as sort of an old stodgy kind of game like shuffleboard on ice, which isn’t true — there is a lot of skill and a lot of strategy,” McMullen, 62, said.
His favorite part about being in the Nittany Valley Curling Club is the camaraderie — which he calls a “key part of the game.” It’s also been an opportunity for him to get to know people in the area who share a common interest in the sport.
McMullen said it’s an exciting time to learn the sport, emphasizing that curlers are better off now due to the improved equipment and technology. For example, when McMullen’s father played, he would grab an old pair of dress shoes and coat the bottom with silver paint so one shoe would be slippery and the other wouldn’t. Now, there are specialized coatings players use to achieve that.
He wants people to know that the biggest boundary to their success in the sport is their own willingness to try it.
“It’s always good to come out and try something new and there is no age barrier, I’ve curled with people that are well into their 80s,” McMullen said. “You don’t have to be the world’s most fit individual to play either, it’s really kind of the sport that almost any person can come out and play.”
The club is not meeting Sunday due to the Super Bowl. The next session is scheduled for Feb. 20 at Pegula Ice Arena during their regular time slot.
To learn more about the Nittany Valley Curling Club and get more information on how to get involved, visit the club’s Facebook page.
