Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at Potomac Curling Club

At Potomac Curling Club, we are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, from one-time guests to lifelong members. We strive to apply our core values of respect, integrity, inclusion, participation, and volunteerism to everything we do. We have a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) working group to help us continuously improve in these areas. We hope to draw from the full diversity of our local community and surrounding region as we continue to share and grow the sport of curling, making it more inclusive of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities.

An August 2025 Statement on USCA decisions from the Board of Potomac Curling:

In light of the proposed changes to the gender eligibility requirements for USCA competitions, Potomac Curling Club affirms that it stands in solidarity with our transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming athletes and asserts that all athletes will always be welcome and have a home at our club.

Potomac Curling Club does not and will not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity, or gender expression. Curling has and will continue to be a sport that welcomes all curlers, regardless of age, gender, race and ability. Discriminating against a committed group of people within our curling community goes directly against the spirit of curling and our club’s core values of respect, participation, and inclusion.

We seek to reiterate the following policies:

Transgender and non-binary members are eligible to participate in our leagues, bonspiels, programs, clinics, and positions occupied within a team that aligns with their gender identity.
No challenges to the eligibility of a curler based on sex or gender identity will be entertained or upheld for any club leagues, bonspiels, programs, clinics, and positions occupied within a team.
Members will treat others’ gender identity and expression with respect. Bullying, harassment, or physical challenges will not be tolerated, and any incidents which may occur will be investigated and handled in accordance with Club By-Laws and Codes of Conduct.
The USCA should continue its work in preventing discrimination against any of its members, regardless of gender or sex, and maintain robust protections of transgender and gender non-conforming athletes within its policies and by laws. We call on all curling organizations and clubs across the country and the world to stand for inclusion and against division.

Contact Us:

For information, inquiries, or to join our group, contact deia@curldc.org.

A photo of members of the DEIA Committee

Club Resources:

A photo of two teams on curling ice, some dressed up and some in matching outfits.

DEIA @ PCC:

BIPOC Inclusion:

We are reaching out to our surrounding community in order to build relationships and encourage more BIPOC community members to try curling. If you would like to learn more about curling and/or our BIPOC inclusion initiatives, please contact deia@curldc.org.

LGBTQIA+ Inclusion:

We have held five successful Glitter Bombspiels and counting! Glitter Bombspiel is the first tournament in the US for LGBTQIA+ curlers and allies. In addition, PCC is a member of Team DC. If you would like to learn more about our LGBTQIA+ curling tournament, please contact glitter@curldc.org.

Women’s League:

Women’s league is held on Mondays. Every other week, Women’s league will host clinics and structured practice. This will be open to all women in the club, and will be handled on a weekly sign up system. If you would like to learn more about Women’s league, please contact womensleague@curldc.org.

Youth Curling:

We hold a number of programs for youth curlers including a program for elementary school and middle schoolers, a program for high schoolers through age 21, a new program for college development, and a junior elite curling program for youth curlers who would like to take their game to the next level. Among other interests, we have been particularly interested in partnering with local colleges to help them start college curling programs. If you would like to learn more about youth curling, please contact training@curldc.org. If you would like to learn more about starting a college development program, please contact deia@curldc.org and training@curldc.org.

Rideshare Initiative:

Carpooling offers many benefits, including splitting fuel costs, reducing air pollution in our communities, and increasing access for members without vehicles. Potomac Curling Club has a Discord server where players can request rides from other players. Use the league channels to request or share a ride to the club!

Affordability:

We’re committed to building a club without barriers to curling—we don’t want financial constraints to stop anyone from curling. If the cost of membership is currently prohibitive for you for any reason, please contact memberservices@curldc.org. As of December 2023, we have implemented a financial support form which can be accessed here.

DEIA Survey:

We recognize that it is important to continue to look inward to understand thoughts, opinions, and experiences relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at Potomac Curling Club. To that end, we completed our first DEIA survey of PCC membership in the 2022-2023 season. We plan to continue this survey yearly to keep apprised.

Additional Initiatives and Resources:

(301) 362-1116 - 13810 Old Gunpowder Rd. Laurel, MD 20707 - Potomac Curling Club of the National Capital Area Inc. - a 501(c)3 charitable organization