Melissa Adams, from Fredericton, returns to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts this year but this time as coach for Team New Brunswick.
Skip Mélodie Forsythe, third Rebecca Watson, second Carly Smith, and lead Jenna Campbell won the Women’s Provincial title without a coach, defeating Team Kelly to represent New Brunswick in Mississauga.
“Every little girl’s dream is to go to the Scotties, and collectively that was our big goal of the season. We knew that if we played well, we would have a chance,” said Forsythe.
After the victory, the group asked Adams to be their coach. Watson, Smith, and Campbell are clubmates with the veteran curler, which made the choice simple.
“As curlers growing up, watching Melissa was like, ‘we want to be like her!’ She was the inspiration, her going to represent New Brunswick. We watched her on TV so many times, and then we started playing against her,” the skip said.
Adams’ prior coaching experience comes from her time as mission staff at the Canada Games and as a team leader in volleyball for Jeux de L’Acadie.
“I was actually playing this year, but I showed interest in coaching. It is always something I have been interested in,” said Adams, who has made 6 appearances at the Scotties, the latest just last year.
Adams’ highest placement as a player in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts was just shy of the playoffs. Her goal as a coach is to get them there.
Although the group has grown up watching some of the teams they will be playing against, nothing has changed about their mindset.
“We are super solid in our routines and our systems that we have for pre-games, so we will be bringing the same plan that we had for provincials,” said Campbell.
“These girls, they are young, but they have a lot of gathered experience. It is about getting in that zone,” added Coach Adams.
The four have experience playing together before the Women’s Provincial title. Watson and Campbell have played together for 15 years and currently play for the Women’s University of New Brunswick Curling team alongside Smith. Watson and Forsythe have also played together for 5 years.
“It’s really great to play with my best friends,” said Watson.
Although the team is used to bi-annual trips to Alberta to use curling facilities available through the NextGen program, Smith said she and the team are taking the unique experience in. The team went to a Maple Leafs game the night they landed in Toronto.
The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts is underway until Feb. 1 at Mississauga’s Paramount Fine Foods Centre.
Team NB lost in their first draw on Sunday, 13 to 3 to Manitoba. Their second draw is against Alberta Sunday night.
To follow games for Team New Brunswick, please visit the Team Forsythe Curling Facebook page.
