A Pane in the Glass
Bill Tschirhart's A Pane in the Glass
Bill Tschirhart has been involved in coaching the sport of curling for many years. I was first introduced to Bill in 1990 when he was coach of the University of Waterloo varsity curling teams, which was Bill’s first coaching position. Since then, Bill has held coaching positions provincially and nationally, coached at both national and international events, and at one time was Curling Canada’s national development coach at the Curling Canada’s National Training Centre (NTC) in Calgary.
Over the years Bill has published a number of articles about coaching the sport of curling, both in print media and on the web, and in addition launched an online blog a number of years ago. Bill recently retired to the community of Bayfield, ON on the shores of Lake Huron.
Most recently, Bill has taken “A Pane in the Glass” to the airwaves, and now runs a podcast of the same name available on most platforms (see below).
Several of Bill’s many individual articles can be still found on the internet. However, in 2010 Bill published a compendium [1] of selected articles, along with additional material from other contributors who include:
- Bob Comartin, now retired, of Curling Canada’s Performance Enhancement team;
- Wendy Morgan, former Canadian national Wheelchair curling team manager and coach;
- Toby Macdonald, national coach and 1976 Brier champion from Newfoundland;
- Lindsay Sparkes, former Canadian national coach and Olympic medallist (with skip Linda Moore in 1988 at the Calgary games);
- and several other contributors including Bill’s daughter Susan.
Collectively the volume is called A Pane in the Glass: A Coach’s Companion and the book has an enormous wealth of material for coaches of all levels. The book consists of 298 pages of packed material, along with an Appendix with diagrams, drills (from “Drills to Die For“), scoring sheets, and other useful coaching material.
The book is still available in print form from Curling Canada. All proceeds from the sale of this volume go to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.
We are pleased to provide, with Bill’s permission, a number of his many articles from A Pane in the Glass in downloadable PDF.
Articles from A Pane in the Glass
A Pane in the Glass Podcast
Recently Bill has moved to the airwaves to bring his coaching expertise to his listeners through another channel. His podcast, naturally entitled “A Pane in the Glass Podcast”, is available on iTunes, Amazon, and a variety of other platforms. His most recent pods appear below.
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The View From Inside World Curling
by Coach Bill on December 21, 2024 at 11:00 pm
My Guest for this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" is Graham Prouse, who for many years, until he recently termed out, was a Vice President of "World Curling". He explains how an international sport organization meets the needs of a group of member countries that now numbers in excess of seventy and its still growing. The Restless Ranter also pays a visit with his view on parents of young athletes. Enjoy!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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Your Team Needs To Answer These Questions
by Coach Bill on December 14, 2024 at 3:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" you will hear excellent questions originally posed by Coach Andrea Ronnebeck of Northern Ontario. Andrea is currently the Education Manager for the Ontario Curling Council. Her questions deal with team roles and responsibilities. That's followed by a sound bite by a sport psychologist (name unknown) who shares seven tips about why some athletes become truly elite and how you can perform better if you embrace at least some of them at your level of participation in your sport whatever that might be. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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The Performance Formula
by Coach Bill on December 8, 2024 at 6:00 am
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I revisit performance, specifically a performance formula and that's not to say that there IS a scientific way to ensure performance but rather some of the components required to promote a great performance. Before the episode concludes I touch on some other topics you many find interesting and hopefully helpful so check out the "Chapters" above the show notes to not only to discover those topics but a quick way to go to that point in the episode to hear them again. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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Pebble Water 13.0
by Coach Bill on November 29, 2024 at 3:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I rummage around in the compressor room for my pebble can to touch on a number of topics. They include ice reading, brushing (again), episode transcripts, a team dynamics activity for your team, statistics v. competitive data, systems and bullet proofing one's curling delivery. Hopefully there's something in this episode that will resonate with you and your team!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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Synonyms (Words That Might Mean The Same But Don't)
by Coach Bill on November 23, 2024 at 4:00 pm
This episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" is not a grammar lesson. It IS about two pairs of synonyms we use regularly in curling and many times we use them incorrectly and the differences in their meanings can have relevance to your team's performance.You will then hear the audio of a promotional video from The Chester Curling Club in Chester NS. Enjoy its creativity and the message it sends!Lastly I respond to some emails from listeners who took me to task regarding what I said a few episodes ago about release ("If You Have A Million Dollar Delivery And A Two Cent Release ..."). They had very good reason to ask for clarification. If you didn't get a chance to listen to that episode, I suggest you do so as it's been one of the most popular since I began the podcast. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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Beam Us Up Scottie
by Coach Bill on November 15, 2024 at 1:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" we are joined by Scott Arnold, Head of Development for World Curling. Scott and I have known one another for a long time, back to his playing days at Western University and my first coaching position at the University of Waterloo. Much pebble water has been applied to curling ice for us both since those days. We talk about the game over that time period, his role with World Curling and get a glimpse into the future as well!One of the topics about which we chat is World Curling's streaming TV service (aka "The Curling Channel"). For those of a certain age who have been accustomed to "linear television", it's a brave new world. At the conclusion of the episode you'll hear an excellent article on the subject. It just may change your mind about streaming curling games!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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Indicate - Acknowledge - Confirm
by Coach Bill on November 9, 2024 at 3:00 pm
The topic for this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" is execution tolerance. Don't leave home without it. In the second portion of the podcast you'll hear a "Ted Talk" by Janne Mortensen, Mental Performance Psychologist. This will be a companion to the very recent episode with Emily Riley ("Emily Has Something To Share With Parents") as the subject of this talk is also for parents of high achieving young athletes! It's at the 1430 mark in the episode.It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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If You Have A Million Dollar Delivery And A Two Cent Release ...
by Coach Bill on November 1, 2024 at 8:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I take a look at the way the curling stone is released and weight control, in my opinion the most important skill in a sea skills in the sport of curling. I conclude this episode with an email from someone who has listened to all the episodes published to date. Wow, talk about loyal! I have received many messages from Leslie but this one warranted airing on the podcast and she's not happy!Go to "Chapters" to find release, weight control & Leslie's email!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!