Team Sask. skip Sherry Anderson ready to hit the ice in Calgary Curling Bubble

To throw rocks into the house at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Sherry Anderson and her team need to spend a lot of time in their hotel room first.

“I couldn’t really tell you what’s happening in the rest of the city. I know my four walls here and not too much happening right now. Otherwise we’re just hanging around and waiting for our first negative COVID test so that we can maybe leave our room,” said Anderson, the Team Saskatchewan Skip.

She and her team arrived in the Calgary Curling Bubble on Wednesday and got their first COVID-19 test.

The Scotties get underway on Friday.

Until they get that first test back, each team member needs to quarantine in their hotel room.

“We can’t go anywhere else. They’re discouraging us from even going down to the restaurant and sitting at a table together and eating. I think we can after a certain time but it’s discouraged right now,” Anderson said. “By eight o’clock I was running up the walls so we had a video chat then went to bed.”

Anderson’s was selected by CurlSask to represent the province after it was forced to cancel its provincial championships due to ongoing public health measures in the province.

While the Scotties aren’t new to Anderson – this will be her ninth – the 2021 tournament will be one like no other.

But despite there not being a heart stop lounge, welcome reception and the rest of the pageantry, Anderson said they just want to get out onto the ice.

“All of us on the team and most of the curlers here, it’s our passion. We love the competitiveness of it, we love the social part of it. Bottom line, I think when we get out to curl it’s going to seem more like a normal Scotties,” Anderson said.

It’s also the first time her teammate, Nancy Martin, will play at the Scotties despite curling for many years.

“It’s really thrilling for me because it was a long time ago when I did that when it was my first time and it was my teammates first time. You forget that high that you get. It’s been a lifelong dream of Nancy’s and she’s just climbing the walls. She’s so excited. It’s contagious. It makes me more excited to take part and get out there and start and play and hopefully do well,” Anderson said.

Anderson does admit there might be some teams that show some rust during the tournament, with certain provinces letting curlers play while others did not.

“For me, I think it’s not only going to be the physical part, that’s always an issue because curling is not the most balanced sport as in the delivery is quite different than anything else you could do in the gym, but for me it will be the mental part. Really staying focused,” Anderson said. “It might be really good but I think it will be noticeable. For some teams it’s going to take a few games, a few days to get into the flow.”

And as her team gets ready to take on Prince Edward Island and Nunavut, she has one message for her team ahead of it.

“All I’m saying is go out there, let’s get together as a team, play well right from the start so we’re not behind the eight-ball after two or three games and fighting for our life. If you go out and play well you’re going to do OK, and then you’re going to have fun and if you have fun, you’re going to do better.”

Anderson’s first game of the tournament against Prince Edward Island skip Suzanne Birt is at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.