UNO Curling Club Sweeps Toward Success As Second-Year Club Thanks to Wear Black, Give Back
Growing up, Camden Carmichael was always interested in sports you have probably never heard of.
Carmichael, a junior criminology and criminal justice major at the University of Nebraska Omaha, said his father encouraged him to explore things that fell outside the norm. Instead of playing football and basketball in high school, Carmichael tried sports like pole vaulting and fencing.
“I’ve always been kind of interested in the kinds of sports that are really fun and interesting, but they’re not something you get together every Sunday to watch,” he said. “When I moved to college, I realized that I missed those experiences.”
During his sophomore year at UNO, Carmichael stumbled upon the UNO Curling Club during MavFEST, an event geared toward connecting students with organizations and departments throughout campus.
The club was in its first year, and Carmichael was immediately interested in the sport, even though it was the first time he had heard of it.
“There was something in me that said, ‘I just have to see where this goes,’” he said.
Carmichael knew he was hooked on curling from the first time he was able to push the rock down the ice without falling over.
“I truthfully wasn’t expecting to like it nearly as much as I do,” he said. “You might not realize it until you’re doing it, but it’s really an exhilarating sport.”
Carmichael, now the president of the UNO Curling Club, has seen the organization thrive in its second year on campus. The club has nearly doubled in size and competes with other curling clubs throughout Nebraska and the surrounding area.
Last year’s Wear Black, Give Back was a driving force for the club’s success and continued growth. The money raised from last year’s giving day provided the club with the funds to cover registration fees for bonspiels, otherwise known as curling tournaments, and helped cover the cost of travel.
Carmichael said the funds raised during Wear Black, Give Back were critical in helping the curling club succeed in its first year on campus. More importantly, Carmichael said these gifts have opened the door for more students to discover the UNO Curling Club’s growing community.
“I’m really thankful for all of the donations and contributions, because they have helped us share our love for the sport of curling and really open the door for other people to join our community,” he said. “There are so many people in this club that are great and it’s been amazing to grow that using the gifts made during Wear Black, Give Back.”
