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. 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 Grand Bend, 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.
Regrettably, the book is no longer available in print form. Readers who are interested in acquiring a complete copy of the book in PDF format can email Bill and, in consideration, make a donation to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.
We are pleased to provide here, with Bill’s permission, a selection 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.Â
-
Pebble Water 21.0
by Coach Bill on February 28, 2026 at 6:00 amIn this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I deal with four topics. In order they are practical strategy, measuring rocks, the case of the reversing ice and the most difficult shot in curling. You can go to the four topics directly by clicking on Chapters (above these show notes). By clicking onTranscript you will see a copy of the text of the episode. If you know someone who is unable to hear the episode and might like to see the transcript, please forward this episode to them! Enjoy!Correction - In the section on "Measuring" I inadvertently said "push the rock" when I should have said "push the measure"! There, now I feel better! It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
-
The Greatest Hockey Game Ever Played
by Coach Bill on February 21, 2026 at 6:00 am
In this week's episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" you will hear the voice of the late Stuart McLean, arguably Canada's greatest story teller. Stuart had a weekly programme, initially on the radio and then on podcast called "The Vinyl Cafe". I'll explain the title and the fictional characters he wove into the kind of stories that held you engrossed in the exploits of the main character Dave, the owner of the aforementioned, Vinyl Cafe. This is one of Stuart's best episodes he called, "The Greatest Hockey Game Ever Played". I think you just might agree! Enjoy!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
-
It Was To Be A Safe Place Until It Wasn't
by Coach Bill on February 14, 2026 at 8:00 am
In this first episode of season five for "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I'm sharing news and thoughts of a tragic loss of lives in a small town in the Rocky Mountains of the province of British Columbia, Canada called Tumbler Ridge. When most of those lives are young lives, it puts into sharp perspective everything else we might feel is important. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
-
Let The Games Begin
by Coach Bill on February 6, 2026 at 10:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" we take a thumb nail walk through the Olympic Charter. You will learn some aspects of this quadrennial sport festival that might surprise you. I also discuss how the IOC protects its brand. The 2026 Scotties Tournament Of Hearts is in the rearview mirror. I share some thoughts on what I heard and saw. The sound bite this week is for parents of young athletes and it's about whether a young person should play many sports or concentrate on just one. It’s a must listen for all parents (and grandparents)! I break from tradition in the sign off portion of the episode. I hope your ears will like it!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
-
We're Talking Baseball & Curling
by Coach Bill on January 31, 2026 at 9:00 am
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" a long time friend from the other side of the world joins me for a back-and-forth about baseball and curling, especially the Olympic variety. That long friend is Hans Frauenlob. He's been my guest on other occasions regarding Winter Olympic Games and an episode that has helped many who have decided to step back from the sport or activity they love and the challenges that decision poses. The episode was entitled, "Not Sad Because It's Over But Happy Because It Happened" (S2E12). If you click on "Transcript" above, you will see a text version of today's episode. Please forward the episode to someone who might like to read the text of the chat I had with Hans. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
-
This One Really Hurt
by Coach Bill on January 24, 2026 at 6:00 am
In today's episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" we hear about a loss that will take some time to stop stinging. The speaker will be Danielle Inglis and the loss will be a provincial final. There will be two sound bites to conclude the episode, one by a coach with his thoughts on working with today's young athletes and the other by one of Canada's most noted journalists, Peter Mansbridge who answers a question I posed on his podcast, "The Bridge", about the value of Olympic medals but from a perspective most might not consider. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
-
Bill Digs Into The Podcast Mail Bag
by Coach Bill on January 17, 2026 at 5:00 am
It's time to dig into the "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" mailbag. I have extracted nine questions to answer as best I'm able. If you want see the questions, click on "Chapters" (above) to go those that are of special interest to you! For those who are hearing impaired, click on "Transcript" for a text version of the episode, remembering that AI doesn't differentiate words that sound the same so my name is "Bill Shearhart" on the transcript (perhaps after a life time spelling it for people, perhaps I should consider this phonetic spelling of "Tschirhart")!It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!
-
A New Rule About Brushing
by Coach Bill on January 10, 2026 at 11:00 pm
In this episode of "A Pane In The Glass Podcast" I highlight a new rule, hot off the press regarding, you guessed it, brushing! I'll cite the exact wording of World Curling's rule adjustment and this time it's NOT about the equipment but rather brushing technique. I have a sound bite from the skip of a team bound for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games and his team's preparation for curling's biggest stage! I end the episode with a surprise for a new listener who doesn't know his grandson has something to say. It’s your turn! Send me your thoughts by texting here!