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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Two Athletes From Different Countries With The Same Goal
by Coach Bill on April 13, 2025 at 1:00 pm
As the title suggests, this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" has global implications. Joining me are Helen Williams of Australia and Adriana Camarena of Mexico (currently residing in California). They both skip their respective national women's teams and have now climbed to the top rung of the World Curling ladder to compete in the "A Division". We talk about what it took to get there and what it will mean to secure a spot on the podium. I end the episode with my view on being a "professional" athlete.It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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The Restless Ranter With A Major Rant
by Coach Bill on April 5, 2025 at 2:00 pm
The title of this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" says it all. The RR's rant is one I hope many of you will want to weigh in on with your view. To do that with total anonymity, just click on the hyperlink at the end of these show notes! But, I'll begin the episode with a discussion on a topic to which most curlers pay little attention, your sliding device. The decision to make it a part of this episode once again came from a photo and discussion on Facebook. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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The Power & Risk Of Belief
by Coach Bill on March 29, 2025 at 2:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" you will a very unique way for an elite athlete to reflect upon a major competition that didn't end the way she and her teammates hoped it might. That athlete is Emily Riley and the event was the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Her reflection on the week is entitled, "The Power & Risk Of Belief". Then you will hear from Hall of Fame college basketball coach, Tom Rizzo and how he feels about his relationship with his players as they play in "March Madness". The episode today concludes with a sound bite called "Rainbow Glasses". It will lift your spirits!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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The Crab Grass In The Lawn Of Sport
by Coach Bill on March 24, 2025 at 4:00 am
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" my returning guest is Jenn Ferris of Curling Canada. We talk about keeping sport safe for athletes and coaches but this time it's not about physical safety by rather psychological safety. I also talk about a way to test your brushing system that only requires a sheet of ice and a rock. The episode ends with a sound bite by Rory Mcilroy, the recent winner of "The Players' Championship". He reveals how he deals with negative thoughts. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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Pebble Water 14.0
by Coach Bill on March 16, 2025 at 4:00 am
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I reach into my Pebble Water file for items that have been building up. Now is the time to give them oxygen. There are seven this time; "The Learning Curve", "Three Questions To Ask Before Starting Every End", "What Is The Real Meaning Of Sport In Your Coaching Life & Your Athletes' Lives?" (by Wendy Morgan) , "Pre-Game Practice", another email from Leslie Gerard, "The Most Misplayed Shot In Curling" and lastly my view on "The Back Line Rule". If you wish to return to specific topics dealt with in this episode, click on Chapters above these show notes and you'll be taken to that spot in the episode!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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A Great Coach's Press Conference
by Coach Bill on March 9, 2025 at 2:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" we hear the wise words of Coach Jon Cooper who, prior to the final game of last month's "Four Nations Face Off" hockey tournament, fielded excellent questions from journalists and provided impactful and forward reaching answers. In the previous episode of the podcast, I asked those of you who were going to watch "The Montana's Brier" to observe the position of the sliding foot and the rock as the curlers slid from the hack. I reveal the reason I asked you to do that. I end the episode on a bit of a rant of my own regarding two commonly heard terms at events like the Scotties, Brier etc. to which I take issue. I wonder what they are and why I get on my soap box over them!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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This Young Team's Road To The Brier
by Coach Bill on February 28, 2025 at 4:00 am
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I welcome back, "The Dean of Coaching" (aka Dean Kleiter) who chronicles the 15 year journey from a U18 team to the representative of the Province of Saskatchewan at the 2025 Montana's Brier. As you might guess, there were many stops along the way, some more challenging than others but all successfully negotiated under Dean's coaching leadership. How did they do it and could your young team do the same thing? "Yes", is Dean's answer and he'll share how he and his team did it!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
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Don't Even Try To Hit It Straight
by Coach Bill on February 23, 2025 at 6:00 am
The title of this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" isn't about golf but I'm going to use the connection between golf & curling to answer a question from a listener from the Bobcaygeon Curling Club. Murray Thompson was having difficulty controlling the weight of his down weight shots (draws, guards etc.). That's when I suggested he not even try to hit his tee shot straight down the middle of the fairway. What? I'm a curler, not a golfer! Listen to this episode to learn how you can better control your down weight shots using my golf analogy. A telephone call from another listener about a team dynamics issue inspired me to add my thoughts about this team's dilemma (one many teams face) to the episode. I end this episode with my passionate thoughts regarding All Star Awards. Buckle your chin straps when you hear how I feel about this topic!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!