An animation of a science beaker with a bubbling green liquid appears on screen with a title that reads "Sports Lab."

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking next to a white house with a red roof. Nykeem is in his thirties, has shaved black hair, is clean-shaven, and wears a yellow collared shirt.

Nykeem says HEY, EVERYONE,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB,
WHERE WE ALWAYS
BRING THE SPORTS,
THE SCIENCE,
AND THE FUN.

(Theme music plays)

The opening sequence begins.

Two light blue doors with a title that reads "Sports Lab" open where thousands of sports equipment encircles a classroom skeleton. The animated balls fly throughout the white room stopping at scenes of people playing different sports.

First Nykeem kicking a soccer ball, then a boy on a skateboard, then a tennis ball, then a hockey goalie, and lastly of a group of kids and Nykeem who break on a tennis court and say SPORTS LAB!

All the sports equipment turns into different colours and funnel into a science beaker with green liquid with a label that reads "Sports Lab."

(music plays)

Nykeem appears on screen inside next to an ice rink.

Nykeem says MY NAME'S NYKEEM,
AND TODAY,
A SPORT THAT FEATURES STONES,
SWEEPING, AND STRATEGY.
IT'S CENTURIES-OLD,
AND COOL AS ICE.
GET YOUR BROOM READY...
BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO
GET SWEPT UP IN CURLING.

Nykeem pulls out a white broom stick and jumps onto the ice and starts to play curling.

(music plays)
(Fanfare)

In the white room, the science beaker with green liquid bursts with colours and balls and a title emerges that reads "Curling."

Nykeem appears on screen with team members getting ready behind him and a caption that reads "Meaford Curling Club, Meaford, Ontario."

Nykeem says CURLING FEATURES
TWO TEAMS OF FOUR
TRYING THEIR BEST
TO SLIDE STONES,
NICKNAMED "ROCKS,"
ONTO A TARGET.
YOUR TEAMMATES CLEAR THE WAY
BY SWEEPING THE ICE WITH BROOMS
AND YOU CAN KNOCK OUT
THE OTHER TEAM'S STONES
WITH A PERFECTLY-AIMED SHOT.

Now Dr. Heather appears on screen with a caption that reads "Dr. Heather, Sports Scientist." She has straight, dark brown hair and wears a blue shirt. She stands at a white desk with books and science supplies around her.

Dr. Heather says RIGHT ON TARGET,
NYKEEM.
AND SCIENCE IS FROZEN
RIGHT INTO THE CURLING RINK.
ITS SURFACE IS
SPRINKLED WITH WATER
TO CREATE ICE PEBBLES.
THE PEBBLES HELP THE STONES
SLIDE EASIER,
BECAUSE RAISING
THE STONE FROM THE ICE
REDUCES FRICTION.
YOUR AIM NEEDS TO WORK
TOGETHER WITH THE ICE,
WHICH BEHAVES IN
MYSTERIOUS WAYS.

Back on the ice rink, Nykeem says SO KEEP IT RIGHT HERE.
SPORTS LAB IS ON ICE.

Emily appears on screen with a caption that reads "Emily." Emily has long, straight dark blond hair and wears a green floral shirt.

Emily says HI, I'M EMILY.
I'M 12 YEARS OLD, AND I'VE BEEN
CURLING FOR SEVEN YEARS.

Clips of Emily curling appear on screen.

Emily says I LOVE CURLING BECAUSE
THROWING ROCKS DOWN THE ICE
IS A REALLY FUN CHALLENGE.
PLUS HANGING OUT WITH MY FRIENDS
AT THE RINK IS SUPER FUN.
(KIDS CHEERING)

Nykeem walks up to Emily standing on the ice rink.

Nykeem says HEY, EMILY.
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB.

Emily says HI, NYKEEM.

Nykeem says SO EMILY, YOU TOLD ME
WHAT A SWEEPER DOES.
BUT WHO COMMUNICATES
WITH THEM?

Emily says THE PERSON THAT'S
THROWING THE ROCK.

Nykeem says AND WHAT DO THEY SAY?

Emily says THEY SAY "HARD,"
WHICH MEANS TO
SWEEP FASTER AND HARDER
SO THAT THE ROCK
WILL GO FAST.
THEY SAY "HURRY,"
WHICH MEANS TO GO FASTER
'CAUSE THE ROCK'S GETTING
TOO CLOSE TO THE BROOM.
AND "NO," WHICH MEANS
JUST DON'T SWEEP.

Nykeem says AND WHAT DOES THAT
SOUND LIKE IN A GAME?

Emily says HARD! HURRY!
NO!

Nykeem says HARD! HURRY!
NO!

Emily says HARD! HURRY!
NO!

Nykeem says WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD TIME
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CURLING.
YOU IN?

Emily says SOUNDS GOOD, NYKEEM.

Nykeem says THEN LET'S SLIDE INTO
THE STORY OF CURLING.

Emily says HURRY!

Nykeem says HARD!
(Fanfare)

Back in the lab, a book opens and a title flies out that reads "History of Curling."

Nykeem says CURLING WAS INVENTED
IN MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND.
IT WAS PLAYED ON
FROZEN RIVERS
AS EARLY AS
THE YEAR 1511.
THE WORD "CURLING."
COMES FROM A POEM
BY POET HENRY ADAMSON.
THE SPORT WAS ALSO CALLED
"THE ROARING GAME."
DUE TO THE NOISE
THE ROCKS MADE
WHEN THEY SMASHED TOGETHER.
EARLY CURLING STONES
WERE VERY DIFFERENT
FROM THE ONES YOU SEE TODAY.
ORIGINALLY,
CURLERS USED RIVER STONES
OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES,
WHICH WERE VERY
DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.
BUT IF YOU LOST ONE,
ANOTHER WAS EASY TO FIND.
THE EARLIEST CURLING CLUB
ESTABLISHED OUTSIDE OF SCOTLAND
IS THE ROYAL MONTREAL
CURLING CLUB,
WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN 1807.
THAT BEGAN CANADA'S LOVE AFFAIR
WITH THE SPORT.

Back on the ice rink, Nykeem says OKAY, EMILY, NOW THAT WE
UNCOVERED THE STORY OF CURLING,
WHAT DO YOU SAY WE
ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES
AND SLIDE
SOME STONES?

Emily says SOUNDS FUN.

Nykeem says HURRY!

Emily says HARD!

Nykeem and Emily start to play curling with other team members on the rink. There are people that brush the ice and other people that guide the stone.

The coach wears a blue jacket and says RIGHT HERE IS THE BUTTON.
JUST A LITTLE HEAVY.

All the kids lift their curlers up and cheer.
(KIDS CHEERING)

After the game, Nykeem sits with Emily outside the rink.

Nykeem says EMILY, I HAD A GREAT TIME
LEARNING HOW TO THROW ROCKS
OFF OF WHAT I NOW KNOW
IS CALLED "THE HACK,"
THANKS TO YOU.

Emily says YOU'RE A
FAST LEARNER.

Nykeem says THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN CURLING
YOU WOULD LIKE TO IMPROVE?

Emily says CURLING THE STONE -
THAT'S WHEN THE STONE BENDS
FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER -
HENCE THE NAME
"CURLING."

Nykeem says THAT SOUNDS COOL.
LET'S PUT A CALL INTO
SPORTS LAB HEADQUARTERS
AND SEE WHAT THEY
HAVE TO SAY.

Emily says OKAY.

Nykeem looks at his watch and Dr. Heather appears on screen.

Nykeem says NYKEEM TO
THE LAB.

Dr. Heather says HEY, GUYS.
IT SEEMS THE ART OF THE CURL
IS ROOTED IN THE WAY
THE STONE INTERACTS
WITH THE ICE.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF
POPULAR THEORIES
THAT TRY TO EXPLAIN IT.
I'M SENDING SOMEONE
SPECIAL TO CURL SOME STONES
SO I CAN STRAIGHTEN OUT
THE ANSWER.

Back on the rink, Nykeem says LET'S CHECK IT OUT.
COME ON!
(Fanfare)

Back in the lab, the science beaker with green liquid appears on screen with a label that reads "Pop Quiz." The bottle swirls and flies over to the blackboard with a question.

Nykeem says POP QUIZ TIME.
WHY DO CURLERS SWEEP THE ICE
IN FRONT OF A STONE?
A -
TO KEEP THE ICE CLEAN...
B - TO KEEP THE GRASS
FROM GROWING...
OR C -
TO WARM THE ICE?

A skeleton with a red cap says THE ANSWER IS C!

Nykeem says TO WARM THE ICE.
THE WARMER THE ICE,
THE LESS FRICTION.
FRICTION IS A FORCE
THAT SLOWS A SLIDING OBJECT.
LESS FRICTION MEANS THE STONE
CAN MOVE EASIER AND QUICKER.
HURRY!

Back in the lab, out of the science beaker launches white foam that turns into a slate that reads "Meet the Pro."

Abby appears on screen with a caption that reads "Abby." Abby has long, straight dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and wears an orange jacket.

Abby says HI, I'M ABBY, AND I'VE BEEN
CURLING FOR 25 YEARS.
I LOVE CURLING
BECAUSE OF THE STRATEGY.
IT'S FUN TO KNOW THE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF SHOT TO PLAY,
AND WHEN TO PLAY THEM.

Nykeem and Emily walk up to Abby on the rink.

Nykeem says HI, ABBY.

Abby says HI, NYKEEM.

Nykeem says EMILY,
THIS IS ABBY.

Abby says HI, EMILY.

Emily says HI, ABBY.

Nykeem says EMILY, WHY DON'T YOU
TELL ABBY WHAT WE NEED.

Emily says WE'D LIKE TO SEE YOU
CURL SOME STONES.

Abby says THAT SOUNDS GREAT,
BUT WE NEED A SWEEPER.
LUCKILY I HAVE MY FRIEND,
FORMER WORLD CHAMPION
ANDY ORMSBY HERE.

Andy skates up next to Abby. He has short brown hair and wears an orange jacket.

Andy reaches for their hands and says HI!

Emily says HI, I'M EMILY.

Nykeem says HI, I'M NYKEEM.

Abby says ALRIGHT, YOU GUYS
JUST STEP BACK THERE.
ANDY WILL SWEEP FOR ME.

Abby shows them what to do and says OKAY, GUYS, YOU WANT TO START
WITH THE NOSE OF THE ROCK
POINTING TO 11 O'CLOCK.
AS I SLIDE OUT, I'M GONNA
TURN IT TO 12 O'CLOCK.
SO, HERE WE GO...
YOU'RE GOING TO PUT
YOUR BUTT IN THE AIR,
SLIDE YOUR LEFT FOOT BACK,
AND SLIDE FORWARD.

Abby pushes off and slide while Andy sweeps.

Nykeem says LET'S GO!
WOO!
GOOD JOB!
SPORTS LAB,
YOU READING THIS?

Back in the lab, Dr. Heather says I GOTTA SAY, GUYS, CURLING IS
ONE FASCINATING SPORT -
AND THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING
BENEATH THE STONE.
A CURLING STONE WILL CURL IN
THE DIRECTION THAT IT'S SPUN.
SO WHEN ABBY SPINS
THE ROCK CLOCKWISE,
IT MOVES TO THE RIGHT.
AND WHEN SHE SPINS IT
COUNTER-CLOCKWISE,
IT'LL MOVE TO THE LEFT.
TO UNDERSTAND WHY,
LET'S CURL UP TO A COUPLE
OF DIFFERENT THEORIES.
ONE THEORY CLAIMS
THE CURL COME FROM THE WAY
THE STONE HEATS UP THE ICE.
AS THE STONE MOVES,
THE FRICTION OF
THE SPINNING CIRCLE
HEATS UP THE FROZEN SURFACE,
WHICH CREATES A VERY THIN
LAYER OF LIQUID.
THERE IS MORE
LIQUID CREATED
AT THE FRONT
THAN AT THE BACK,
WHICH MEANS THE STONE CAN MOVE
EASIER IN THE DIRECTION
OF ITS SPIN.
A SWEDISH THEORY
BELIEVES THAT THE
CURVE OF THE CURL
IS ACTUALLY DUE
TO SCRATCHES
IN THE ICE
MADE BY THE STONE.
(RECORD SCRATCH)
ACCORDING TO THIS THEORY,
THE FRONT OF THE STONE
CREATES MANY SMALL SCRATCHES
ON THE SLIPPERY SURFACE.
AS THE BACK
OF THE STONE
COME INTO CONTACT
WITH THESE SCRATCHES,
IT'S FORCED TO
FOLLOW THAT PATH
AND MOVE IN
THE SAME DIRECTION.
THE PATH OF A CURLING STONE
IS A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE
OF THE DIFFERENT
SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES
THAT CAN BE TAKEN
TO A SINGLE PROBLEM.
REMEMBER, KNOWLEDGE IS ONLY
A STONE'S THROW AWAY.

Back on the ice rink, Nykeem says OKAY, GUYS,
SO THE CURL OF A STONE
IS ALL ABOUT ITS INTERACTION
WITH THE ICE.
WHAT DO YOU
GUYS THINK?

Andy says I THINK IT'S
EMILY'S TURN.
WHAT DO YOU SAY
I SWEEP FOR YOU, EMILY?

Emily says SOUNDS GOOD.

Nykeem says ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, EMILY.
ABBY, COME JOIN ME OVER HERE.

Emily sets up the stone and says ELEVEN O'CLOCK,
BUTT IN THE AIR,
FOOT BACK...

Emily pushes the stone.

Nykeem says OOH, GREAT TAKE-OFF!

Emily says HURRY! HURRY!
HARD!

Nykeem says HARD!

Abby says LOOKIN' GOOD.

Emily says HARD! HARD!
(Fanfare)

Back in the lab, the green liquid in the science beaker spills and then dries up to reveal a title that reads "Fun Fact."

Nykeem stands alone on the rink with stones in the background.

Nykeem says THIS IS CALLED
A CURLING STONE...
(GRUNT)
SOMETIMES CALLED A ROCK.
THE WORD "STONE" AND "ROCK."
ARE A PERFECT DESCRIPTION
FOR THIS GUY,
BECAUSE IT IS HEAVY.
IN FACT, ONE CURLING STONE
CAN WEIGHT 20 KILOGRAMS.
THAT'S HEAVIER THAN
35 BASKETBALLS.
EVERY CURLING STONE
COMES FROM THE SAME PLACE -
A QUARRY ON THE SCOTTISH
ISLAND OF AILSA CRAIG.
THE STONES ALWAYS COME
FROM THE SAME PLACE
TO STAY CONSISTENT.
SO THE NEXT TIME YOU PICK UP
A CURLING STONE...
(GASP)
REMEMBER -
YOU'RE USING THE SAME MATERIAL
AS THE PROS.

Back on the rink with Emily, Nykeem says OKAY, EMILY, WE LEARNED
ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THEORIES
OF A STONE'S CURL.
I THINK WE SHOULD
PLAY ONE MORE GAME -
BUT THIS TIME,
I'M YOUR SWEEPER.

Emily hands him the sweeper and says OKAY.
HERE YOU GO.

Nykeem says I'M READY WHEN YOU ARE.

Emily tosses the stone and Nykeem sweeps.

Emily says HARD! HARD!
(NYKEEM GASPING)

Nykeem says WHOO!
(PANTING)
I CAN SEE WHY THEY
CALL IT "HARD."
(GASP)

Back in the lab, colours and balls fly out of the science beaker and a slate reads "Pro Tip."

Abby appears on screen and says WHEN IT COMES TO CURLING,
SWEEPING IS A VERY IMPORTANT
PART OF THE GAME.
WHEN YOU'RE SWEEPING,
YOU REALLY WANT TO CREATE
FRICTION ON THE ICE.
SO YOU REALLY WANT
TO SWEEP SO HARD
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO MELT
THE WHOLE ICE SURFACE.
YOU WANT TO SWEEP SO HARD
THAT IF SOMEONE WERE TO
COME UP AND KICK YOUR BROOM,
YOU'D FALL OVER.
MY NAME'S ABBY
AND THAT'S MY PRO TIP.

Emily appears on screen and says THE SCIENCE OF CURLING
IS REALLY INTERESTING
AND I HAD A FUN TIME
LEARNING ABOUT IT.
HURRY!
HARD!
SO GRAB A BROOM,
AND I'LL SEE YOU
AT THE RINK.

Nykeem walks on the ice rink and says TODAY WE ROCKED OUT
AND LEARNED ABOUT
THE STONE-COLD
SPORT OF CURLING.
WE WERE SWEPT AWAY BY
THE SCIENCE OF THE CURL
AND LEARNED THAT HOLDING A BROOM
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A CHORE.
NOW, I'M MOVING ON,
BUT REMEMBER -
IN THE SPORTS LAB,
WITH EVERY SPORTS SESSION,
THERE'S A COOL SCIENCE LESSON.
SPORTS LAB!

The credits roll scenes of kids playing sports appear on screen.

Written and directed by, Johnny Mitchell.
Host, Nykeem Provo.
Editor, David Mitchell.

Produced in association with TVO Kids for riverbank pictures, copyright 1919216 Ontario Inc.