If there was one word to describe curling, “unique” would be the first word that comes to mind. It is not an organized sport with an official coach and the team meets only twice a week. But this year, more students are joining curling and enjoying it.

According to senior Ben Gerber, there has been a big increase in the number of kids that are showing up. There are about 24 students in total this year, up from about 10 to 15 last year.

The sport is played on an ice rink with two teams of four. One person stands out near the target which is like an archery target but on the surface of the ice. The target is made up of many circles with the center circle as the bull’s-eye, or main target. One person starting on the opposite side slides forward and pushes a 40-pound circular stone towards the target. The other two team members must move to stay in front of the marble and sweep the ice in front of it with brooms to try to control the direction and speed of the stone in order to make it stop as close to the bull’s-eye as possible.

One essential component of the high school’s ability to have a curling team is the High School Curling Program at the Country Club. This is a program in which different high schools come to the Country Club in Putterham and curl against each other in games and tournaments. Scott Price, the program’s coordinator, said that one of the reasons more students are choosing curling is that it is more about strategy than about skill.

“Curling is a game of chess on ice,” Price said. “There is a lot of strategy on where you place the stones, how you place the stones, and how you make your shots. But while you are doing that, the only people that can mess up those shots are your own team.”

Gerber said another reason why more students are choosing to participate in curling is because it is less about competition, commitment and hard work, and more about just having a good time.

Senior Theo Yannekis said that the only schools they compete against are private schools.

“Having a curling team is unique for Brookline as a public school, because the only other people here are from private schools,” senior Theo Yannekis said. “I can’t imagine any other public school would have a curling team.”

Gerber said curling is an experience that is uncommon in Massachusetts as well as the rest of the country.

“It is a really fun experience,” Gerber said. “When I go to college next year, I can say I have done something that a lot of other kids have not.”

Matt Deangelo can be contacted at [email protected].