These are some of the more common questions we've received over the years regarding membership and leagues.
Don't see your question here? Infrequently asked questions may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We typically respond within 24-48 hours.
If my partner and I both join, do we both get the Family Discount (5%)?
I am a full time graduate student. Am I eligible for the Student Discount (30%)?
My first season began in a winter session. Do I have to pay full dues for the next fall season?
If I am a Triangle Curling member, how often can I spare in other leagues?
Can I join Triangle Curling as a full-time spare without joining a league?
If I only want to spare and don't want to join a league, should I sign up for the Social Membership?
Are fees different for Junior curling?
Are fees different for the Tuesday and Wednesday Daytime leagues?
How do I get a username/password for the Triangle Curling website?
Can I change or update my registration after I submit the form?
How does league registration work?
When do I find out which leagues I am in / how much I owe?
Is there any benefit to registering as soon as registration opens?
What about the Tuesday make-your-own-team league?
What if I want to curl on Tuesday and don't have a team?
Can I make my own teams in leagues other than Tuesday?
What if I want to join the same league as another person (e.g. family member or friend)?
Are the league lottery results made public after registration is complete?
Where do I put teammate preferences on the form?
Is there a way to confirm what I put on my form?
Can I register after the Priority Registration deadline?
How many of the leagues actually fill to capacity?
I'm a brand new member with no curling experience! Which league should I join?
I curled somewhere else years ago and just moved here. Do I have to do a Learn to Curl before joining a league?
I'm going to miss 2 or 3 weeks of the season. Should I still sign up?
What do I do if I want to change leagues, but not risk losing a spot in my original league?
If I am unable to curl this season (due to parental leave, injury, etc), when I return in the future, can I return to the league(s) that I was in previously without having to go back through the lottery?
Membership and fees
If my partner and I both join, do we both get the Family Discount (5%)?
Yes! Starting in 2022, the Family Discount has been reduced to 5% but now applies to all curlers registering from the same household, but cannot be combined with other discounts. In order for the family discount to apply, at least two household members must be able to claim it. In other words, in a situation with one parent and one student, the parent would not be able to claim the family discount.
I am a full-time graduate student. Am I eligible for the Student Discount (30%)?
Yes! All full-time students - grade school, college, graduate school - are eligible for the student discount. Part time students are not eligible for this discount. Also note that you cannot claim BOTH the Family and Student discounts; only one or the other. Triangle Curling reserves the right to request proof of enrollment.
My first season began in a winter session. Do I have to pay full dues for the next fall season?
Yes, the "curling calendar year" starts in September. Everyone's fees start over for Fall. We offer a $35.00 discount to members joining for the winter season only.
If I am a Triangle Curling member, how often can I spare in other leagues?
As often as you want! As long as you have ice privileges (registered for any league, or the "practice and sparing only" membership option), you can spare as much as you want during the session (fall or winter). Subject to people in leagues needing spares, of course.
Can I join Triangle Curling as a full-time spare without joining a league?
Yes, registering for a membership and basic ice privileges grants you unlimited sparing, practice, and day leagues - but, we discourage this, especially for newer curlers, as we cannot guarantee you a set number of games if you join as a Spare Only. You should join a league if you can! That's the best way to guarantee that you'll get some games. Spare opportunities are not always easy to get, especially if you're new and don't yet have many connections within the club. Members with zero league experience are not permitted to register for a spare-only membership.
If I only want to spare and don't want to join a league, should I sign up for the Social Membership?
No, the Social Membership comes with no curling privileges and is only for those who want to support the club but do not actually want to curl. Normally, the people who sign up for the Social Membership are those who volunteer for the club but do not actually curl. See our interactive tool to understand your options for membership benefits.
Are fees different for Junior curling?
Yes, at least for the Junior Recreational league. The Recreational league has a per-season fee of $100 (Fall or Winter; total cost for both seasons is $200). The Junior Advanced Commitment league is treated as a regular league for cost purposes. Assuming the Junior is a full time student (stay in school, kids!), they would be eligible for the 30% discount. Effectively, the Advanced Commitment program counts as a regular league. See our interactive tool to understand costs and benefits.
Are fees different for the Tuesday and Wednesday Daytime leagues?
Very much so! You may play in one or both daytime leagues as well as have access to unlimited sparing and practice with "basic ice privileges." See our interactive tool to understand these dues and benefits.
How do I get a username/password for the Triangle Curling website?
Login information for new members will be provided after registration ends. You do not need a login to register for leagues.
Can I change or update my registration after I submit the form?
If you want to make any changes to your registration, you may fill out the registration form again. If you register multiple times, your most recent registration will replace any prior registrations. You may also request changes by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
League registration
How does league registration work?
There are two stages to league registration. All registrations received prior to the priority registration deadline are considered first, regardless of the order they come in. In other words, it is not first come, first served, as long as you register before the priority deadline. The priority deadline is communicated via email each time registration opens.
Members are placed into leagues in the following order:
1) All returning members who wish to return to the same leagues as last season are placed in those leagues first. At this stage, members are only placed in up to 2 leagues per person (according to the league preference rankings they put on their form).
2) Next, members who had to take the most recent season off (due to injury, travel, maternity/paternity, etc) and wish to return to the same leagues that they were in the previous season, are placed, up to 2 max per member.
3) All other curlers wishing to enter a league that they were not in last season are added next, up to 2 max per member. If there are not enough available spots in the league for everyone, then a weighted lottery is conducted. Each member has one spot in the lottery for each year of Triangle Curling membership (no limit), and half a spot in the lottery for each year of membership at other curling clubs (max 10 years / 5 spots). For example, if someone has been a Triangle Curling member for 3 years and curled at St. Paul Curling Club for 8 seasons prior to that, they would have 7 spots in the lottery (3 + 8/2).
4) For anyone wishing to curl in more than 2 leagues, their 3rd/4th/etc. leagues are added last, subject to availability in each league.
Basically, this means the following:
- If you curled in 2 leagues last season and want to stay in those same 2 leagues, that is guaranteed.
- Nobody gets more than 2 leagues before everyone who wants 1 or 2 leagues gets at least that many leagues first.
- For new entries in our more popular leagues, more experienced members have better odds, but everyone has a shot. And once you get in a particular league the first time, you can then stay in that league forever if you come back every season.
When do I find out which leagues I am in / how much I owe?
Soon after you register, we will invoice you for payment based on the number of leagues you requested.
Then, within a few days after priority registration has ended and the league placement process has been completed, the league coordinator for each league you are registered for will contact you through email, welcoming you to the league. Communication from league coordinators serves as confirmation of which league(s) you are registered for. If we are unable to give you the number of leagues that you requested, we will refund you the difference. Make sure emails from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. go to your Inbox and not your Spam folder.
Is there any benefit to registering as soon as priority registration opens?
Unless you are interested in curling on Tuesday and do not have a team (see below), there is no benefit to early registration whatsoever, other than to get it out of the way. Registrations received on the first day of registration are treated the same as registrations received just before the priority registration deadline. It is helpful for us if you don't wait until the last minute, however.
What about the Tuesday make-your-own-team league?
Tuesday registration is a bit different because registration is by team instead of by individual, and is also more of a competitive league. Most spots in the Tuesday league are given to teams and/or curlers from the previous season, with those teams chosen based on based on finishing positions from the most recent seasons. The final spots in the Tuesday league - typically two team spots - are awarded based on the results of a pre-season playdown among all teams not already qualified for the league.
All Tuesday curlers must rank Tuesday as their #1 or #2 choice to be given priority.
What if I want to curl on Tuesday and don't have a team?
Please indicate this on your form, and we will be in touch with you about team forming. We cannot guarantee that we'll find a Tuesday team for you, but we'll try. The earlier you register, the better chance we'll have of finding you a Tuesday team, whether that means filling an opening on an existing team or forming a brand new team with other free agents. If you wait until the last week of registration, that's usually too late, because by then most free agents have already been claimed and teams have already formed. We should also note that our odds of finding you a Tuesday team are significantly higher for the Fall season than for the Winter season, as there is typically much more team movement over the summer than there is over the short winter break.
Can I make my own teams in leagues other than Tuesday?
The answer to this is generally yes, but it is subject to the discretion of the league coordinators for those other leagues. If you are interested in forming a team in any other league, we request that you reach out to the league coordinators for those leagues as a courtesy before you register. Most team forming requests will be granted, especially if we're talking about a team that attempted to enter the Tuesday league and was unable to. But, league coordinators reserve the right to consider what is appropriate for their leagues. For instance, we would discourage four brand new curlers from forming their own team in their very first season. Instead, we would likely split them into two couples, and pair them with more experienced curlers.
What if I want to join the same league as another person (e.g. family member or friend)?
Indicate this on your registration form. Then, if a lottery is needed for the league(s) that you want, the two of you will be considered together as a single entity (with # of spots in the lottery determined by your average experience). If that entity is selected and there is still room in the league for both of you, both of you enter the league. Otherwise, neither of you enter the league.
Are the league lottery results made public after registration is complete?
If you'd like to see the lottery results, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. after registration has concluded.
Where do I put teammate preferences on the form?
Other than for the Tuesday and Doubles leagues, do not put teammate preferences on the form. After registration has concluded, your league coordinator(s) will contact you about team forming.
Is there a way to confirm what I put on my form?
You should receive an automated confirmation email from Google immediately after completing the form. If you do not receive this email, this probably means you did not complete the form. Please make sure you click through all the way to the end.
Can I register after the priority registration deadline?
Yes! After priority registration has ended (for Winter 2020, this occurs on December 22, 2019), league registration is first come, first served, for leagues which still have room.
How many of the leagues actually fill to capacity?
The most popular leagues are the Tuesday league and the 6:15pm weeknight leagues (Monday Early, Wednesday Early, and Thursday Early), followed by the 8:30pm weeknight leagues (Monday Late, Wednesday Late, and Thursday Late). Those leagues, especially the 6:15pm leagues, are often "overbooked" and subject to a lottery.
If you are looking to curl in one of the weeknight leagues, we strongly recommend you list some backup leagues on your form. If you have 2 years or less of curling experience, your odds of getting into the 6:15pm leagues in particular will be low, based on past demand for those leagues. Curlers with more experience will have better odds, but even then we cannot guarantee entry into our most popular leagues, so please consider backup choices. We suggest listing the Friday Evening and Sunday Morning leagues as backup choices if you have availability during those times.
I'm a brand new member with no curling experience! Which league should I join?
The short answer is, pretty much any league (subject to availability)! We recommend the Saturday Instructional league for new curlers first and foremost. The instructional league is the best way to get up to speed on the ice. But you do not have to attend the instructional league before joining one of our other leagues. As long as you've attended a Learn to Curl, Pizza and Pickup, Day Curling, or some other on-ice activity (more than just an open house), and you've taken one Intruduction to League Play, you can jump right into a regular league. We do not recommend new curlers join the Tuesday or Sunday Doubles leagues in their first season. But, every other league is a great option for first season curlers. So, just pick the league(s) that fit your schedule best. Also, please consider the answer to the above "How many leagues actually fill to capacity" question when filling out your league preferences.
I curled somewhere else years ago and just moved here. Do I have to do a Learn to Curl before joining a league?
If you have curling experience somewhere else, you can jump right into one of our leagues without attending a Learn to Curl. If you haven't curled in a long time, you are certainly welcome to take a Learn to Curl class to help you get back into it, but we do not require this for experienced curlers.
I'm going to miss 2 or 3 weeks of the season. Should I still sign up?
Yes! It is quite common for people to miss a week, or two, or three. We have a spares list which you can contact to find a spare for a given week. Information on sparing will be provided to you by your league coordinator. Even in the Saturday Instructional league, we recommend people still sign up even if they can't make it every week.
What do I do if I want to change leagues, but not risk losing a spot in my original league?
Here's an example which will help illustrate what you should do. Let's say you were in Monday and Wednesday Early last season. This season you'd like to do Monday and Thursday Early, but if you can't get into Thursday Early, you'd still like to reclaim your Wednesday Early spot.
You should fill out your preferences like so: 1) Thursday Early, 2) Monday, 3) Wednesday Early. What will then happen is this: You will be entered into Monday as a returning member, provisionally entered into Wednesday Early as a returning member, and entered into the lottery for Thursday Early. If you are not picked in the lottery, then you'll simply return to Monday and Wednesday Early. If you are picked in the lottery, then you will be added to Thursday Early, and your spot in Wednesday Early will be vacated and given to someone else.
If I am unable to curl this season (due to parental leave, injury, etc), when I return in the future, can I return to the league(s) that I was in previously without having to go back through the lottery?
Yes; we call this our "sabbatical policy", and automatically applies to anyone taking one or more seasons off for any reason. However, curlers who were in the league most recently get first priority. After those curlers are served, if at least one opening is available - in other words, if at least one person who was most recently in the league does not return the next season - those who qualify under the sabbatical policy get next priority. Those who would be new to the league (lottery entrants) come after that. This applies to all leagues except the Tuesday "competitive" league, which has its own team entry system as described above.
New for Fall 2023: This policy also now applies if you temporarily switch from one league to another or reduce your number of leagues. If you temporarily dropped a particular league (for any reason) and wish to return to that league, as long as you were last in that particular league less than two years ago, then you get priority ahead of general lottery participants, but not ahead of anyone returning to the same league from the previous season or anyone qualifying for sabbatical based on the above policy. If there are more people qualifying under this rule than there are available spots, the spots go to the curlers who were in this particular league most recently. If necessary beyond that, a separate lottery between those individuals is conducted.
For example: Someone who had been curling on Tuesday and Thursday Early in Winter 2022 temporarily reduced to a single league, Tuesday, for Fall 2022 and Winter 2023. For Fall 2023, they wish to re-enter Thursday Early. Since they were in Thursday Early within the last two years, they will get priority to re-enter the league ahead of general registrants. However, their priority would of course fall behind those who curled in the Thursday league the previous season, and would need at least one of those curlers to vacate their spot.
