By SooToday Staff
SooToday.com
Thursday, July 24, 2008

The following story was submitted to SooToday.com by Debbie Jo Linklater:

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It is 12 degrees out side and -12 degrees inside as we enter the McMeeken arena. I am going to introduce you to the fast paced game of Ringette. Inside the arena we sit on one side of the rink because that is where everyone else is. However, there are 2 teams on the ice. Where are the other team fans? This is Ringette. We all sit together and cheer both teams on. I can take you to any arena in the country and you would find the very same thing happening. That part of the game is what keeps athletes playing well in to their retirement years and parents coaching when they no longer have children playing. Let me introduce you to our Ringette family.

Ringette was officially introduced to the Sault in 1982 with the help of Bill and Bonney Claringbold and followed up by many dedicated parent volunteers throughout our 25 years. The Sault Recreation Hockey Association ran ringette along with their boys and girls hockey program. With the end of the Sault Recreation Hockey Association in 2004, the Sault Ringette Club incorporated in June 2005 and we started the adventure of operating on our own.

For 25 years we have been able to offer an alternative ice sport to hockey. Ringette is a fast-paced on-ice team sport for boys and girls without body checking.  It relies on skating and passing skills as well as team ethics.  The equipment is the same, save for the stick and the ring. The game it self is very different. The ring must be passed across the blue line and received by the player on the other side. There are two 15 minute periods, 5 skaters and a goalie on each team and the game is officiated by 2 referees. This sport is very much about teamwork and no one player may dominate the ice or game.

The Sault Ringette Club pledges its efforts to promote fun, fitness and friendship in a safe play environment and is dedicated to quality performance and fair play opportunity for all ages.

We offer:
Learn to Skate and Play for ages 4-6 (Skating instruction and skills once a week)
Bunnies – League play for ages 4-6 (Once a week)
Juniors – League play for ages 7-12 (Twice a week)
Seniors – League play for ages 13-17 (Twice a week)
Open – Tournament team play for ages 18 and over

Additionally, we offer travel teams for most age groups.

Many of our athletes have participated at the Regional and Provincial Championships and have come home winners.

This season we were one of 2 Clubs in Ontario chosen to try a new program called “Come Try Ringette” from Ringette Canada. From running this program we realized approximately 50 new registrations. An increase of over 50%. We were also very excited to run a “Come Try Ringette” in Desbarats this fall and had 18 participants. 12 young athletes are continuing to learn the game.

These things can only happen with the help of the countless parent volunteers and the hardworking executive.

The 2007/2008 season has been so much fun and so very successful that we are excited to share this with the readers. We proudly support The Algoma District School Board Ringette program and donated 100 face masks so these athletes could play our game safely, with no financial cost. We have for many years participated in the Rotary Day Parade and we encourage our athletes to become involved in the community. Parents, Coaches and Athletes went to the World Ringette Championships in Ottawa in November 2007 to let our athletes enjoy the game at its highest level.

At the 2007 Ontario AGM and the Northeaster Ontario AGM Sault Ringette reaped many rewards. At the Northern Ontario Regional meeting we were voted “Association of the Year”, Corporate sponsor of the year went to “Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre” and “Coach of the year” went to Bruce Graham. At the Provincial meeting we received recognition for 25 years as an association. In June 2008 The Sault Ringette Club was recognized by the Province as the Provincial Association of the year.

We are also very proud to announce that we were successful in our bid to host the 2008 “World Club Ringette Championships” here in Sault Ste. Marie in November, 2008. Through hard work by our executive we are also the recipient of a “Communities In Action Grant” to promote our sport.”

Though Sault Ringette is small in numbers we are big in heart and we love the game.

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