Nova Scotia lead using communications tech to become first deaf player on Scotties ice

Lead Emma Logan and the rest of Team Nova Scotia made history just by stepping on the ice at this year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts, as Logan is the first deaf player to take part in the championship. 

Logan lost her hearing after contracting meningitis as a baby, but the disability has not slowed her down on the path to her dreams. 

At just 22 years old, Logan is now playing her first Scotties championship alongside aunt and skip, Mary-Anne Arsenault, second Jennifer Baxter, and third Christina Black. 

“This is my first Scotties and that alone is a dream come true for any curler, and then to do it with my aunt makes it even more special,” said Logan. 

Logan played the previous season as the fifth member of Arsenault’s team, before moving up into the lead position for this season. This prompted the team to come up with a way to circumvent Logan’s hearing disability.

“Before this season I never realized how much my disability would be a challenge for me, with team communication,” said Logan.  “(It) has been been a big focus for us, an ongoing conversation. In the end, we've found ways to make it work.”

With communication being such a crucial part of the game, the ability to convey sweeping and line calls to Logan as she travelled the rink was a priority for the team as they worked their way through the season. 

It took some trial and error, but Logan and her team have finally found a technology-reliant system that’s working well for them. 

Baxter wears a Bluetooth microphone that transmits directly into Logan’s cochlear implants, allowing her to hear exactly what Baxter is saying while the pair are sweeping.  

Arsenault has pink and green tape on her mitten, which she flashes as a visual cue for when to sweep and when to hold off.  

To begin the season, Arsenault was the one wearing the microphone, but that still left Logan missing some calls from Baxter. Changing the microphone over to Baxter really changed the game for them as a team. 

“That was a huge difference for us. We've stuck with technique ever since,” said Logan. 

With just two draws under her belt so far, Logan is feeling comfortable on the ice, playing at this level. She feels their strength as a team is communication, and not just because of her special tech. 

“At the start of the season, communication was a big struggle for us, but it brought our focus to team communication, not just for myself,” said Logan. “I'm so thankful that (my teammates) have worked together with me to find alternate solutions because in the end, I think our team communication is really strong now, and it's almost our advantage.”

For Arsenault, having Logan on her team this year means a lot. She said she yells at Logan to sweep just as she does every other curler who’s joined her on the ice, but it's good to see her niece in a Scotties jacket.

“I think probably when she started off as our fifth last year, it was kind of like bringing her along for the ride,” said Arsenault. “This year because she moved into the lead position, she's become more of a team member as opposed to a drag-along.” 

Logan is excited to be a part of this year’s Scotties, and curling with a team of Scotties veterans is only helping her to grow her game.

The knowledge that she is the tournament’s first deaf player is something Logan hopes will inspire other future curlers to pursue their ambitions. 

“I certainly hope I'm not the last, I hope that when others see me, that if they ever think there's any barrier between them and the sport, that they don't let that stop them,” said Logan. “I hope that we've proven there's ways to accommodate for some of these challenges, but it's just an extra barrier to overcome, and I hope that they strive to come here too.”