YORKTON - Curler Steven Laycock is drawing smoothly into a spot in the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Laycock certainly has the credentials having been curling at a high level for years, including being a 2003 World Junior Curling Champion, and winner of a number of provincial and national titles.
The selection was one Laycock, who remains active on both the men’s side of the sport and mixed doubles, wasn’t expecting because he was still in the game.
“It is interesting in that respect,” he told Yorkton This Week, but then added curling is a sport where players can stay active even on the national scene moving up to senior’s at some point. In that regard he said a player like himself could be active for another 20 years.
The thought of another 20 years is interesting when Laycock was first introduced to curling “it wasn’t instant love.”
Laycock was in Grade 4 when he was ‘recruited’ to the family team to play once a week in Saltcoats as older siblings moved away and the team needed a replacement. He said at the time he’d throw his rocks then go to the waiting room to play with his toys until he needed to throw again.
“But by the time of Grade 6, I was doing pretty good and was hooked on it (the sport),” he said.
And, it’s not like he hasn’t been recognized before, the team Laycock skipped, together with third Chris Haichert, second Mike Jantzen, lead Kyler Broad and alternate Ben Hebert and under the coaching guidance of Barry Fiendell, brought home gold in 2003, has been inducted into both the Saskatoon and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.
But the induction in Yorkton will be a little different for Laycock for several reasons, starting with going in as an individual.
“Obviously there’s a lot of pride in that,” he said, adding the announcement he would be inducted had him reflecting on all the teammates and coaches through the years who helped him.
The timing of the induction is good too family wise.
“It’s certainly nice to be able to have family around to participate,” said Laycock, adding his son now at age 11 will be more aware of the event.
Looking at the list of co-inductees Laycock said it’s great to be going in with Gerry Adam who was “a former teammate” and was fifth man and coach at the Brier.
Laycock has also known Kathy Ziglo for years, curling mixed doubles with her partner Patty Hersikorn.
“That part makes it extra special,” he said.
Yorkton is also sort of Laycock’s co-hometown, born in the hospital here he grew up on a farm sort of halfway between the city and Saltcoats, attending elementary school there and high school in Yorkton.
So “it the does have some local, special feel to it,” he said.
The Hall of Fame induction is set for Sept. 9.
