In television broadcasts, we see him sitting on the bench with the coaches, often with binoculars on his eyes. The fifth player, Radek Boháč, fifth player for the Team Klíma, which will go to the Olympics next year, describes how demanding the role of a player outside the main four is.

“In the evening, everyone goes to bed, and I go out with the coaches for night training.” There, he tests stones with the coaches and does so-called rock-matching, pairing stones for individual players for the next day. During matches, he helps with statistics, watches the surrounding lanes and future opponents, their tactics, players, and observes their stone pairing with binoculars.

“I am often the link between the coaches and the team. My main role is to get the guys comfortable.” He has to keep his emotions in check and not transfer his nerves and worries to the players. Between matches, he has meetings with the coaches, with the psychologist, and deals with who needs help and who needs support.

“I am like a small logistics center for the team.” At the championship, there is extremely little time, and it is necessary to have the preparation of game equipment resolved. The broom bag is a ‘mini survival kit’ with game equipment, a supply of food, a supply of flags and pins for opponents before each match, a custodian workshop for quick repairs, and many other essential little things. “A novelty from this year is a roughly twenty-minute check with the referees before each match to ensure our equipment complies with all regulations – detailed records of the types of broom heads, hardness of pads, inserts, and compression sleeves for each player and coach.”

“Sometimes I am also a delivery service.” Between matches at the world championship, there is often so little time that food is the main content of the break. However, players need to rest and prepare for the next three-hour curling marathon. The alternate’s task is to get food and deliver it to the players, who either wait for the next match directly in the hall or quickly move to the hotel for a while.

And what if he has to play? “I have to be constantly on alert because, of course, my primary role is to replace a player if necessary for any reason. I usually jump into an ongoing match, I have to adapt to the atmosphere on the ice, the ice conditions, and that without training, without the possibility of getting a feel for the ice.”

Every player has their duties to the team, every player has their key role. Even the one who is not so visible on TV. His work is also essential for the team’s success.