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If you're looking for a fun, affordable, and inclusive activity for youth this fall and winter, the West Ferris Ringette Association is inviting kids of all ages and genders to try out the “fastest game on ice” during its annual Come Try Ringette For Free event this Saturday at Pete Palangio Arena.
Experienced players and coaches will be on hand to provide information and instruction both on and off the ice. All a player needs are a helmet, skates, and gloves. The WFRA provides the sticks, rings and all the fun.
This free event gives potential players the opportunity to try ringette, a sport practiced by over 30,000 registered players on over 2,000 teams in Canada. New players to the WFRA pay only $99 for the season and can access equipment free of charge for the first season of league play.
For many, such as 14-year-old Addison Grasser, Come Try Ringette For Free was their initiation to skating.
“I decided to try ringette for free to determine if I wanted to play hockey or ringette. Within an hour of being on the ice, I had already made a friend. All of the coaches and volunteers were very helpful and kind. After the hour, I knew what my choice would be. Ever since that day I have been playing ringette and looking forward to starting my U16 season.”
Come Try Ringette For Free is set for Saturday, September 11, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Pete Palangio Arena, located at 603 Wallace Rd. in North Bay. Players attending the event will be entered into a draw to cover their 2021-2022 registration fees.
Although it is preferable to pre-register to speed up the registration process, drop-ins are welcome if space allows. For more information and to register, visit the West Ferris Ringette Association here.
The WFRA provides opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels, including:
- a Learn to Skate and Play program (U8);
- a dynamic House League (no travel required) for U10 through to adult;
- a competitive Rep League (regional and provincial tournaments) for U10- to 18+;
- special events such as East/West; and,
- extra skills sessions, such as power-skating, officiating, coaching, shooting, or goalie clinics.
Although often thought of as a female-dominated sport, players of all genders participate in ringette across the country. Recently, Ringette Canada updated its Transgender Inclusion Policy to allow trans athletes to play on a team that corresponds with either their gender identity or their sex assigned at birth.
The game of ringette, invented in North Bay in the early 1960s, is an ice sport, like hockey, but with no intentional body contact. Rather than playing with a hockey stick and a puck, the players use a straight stick and a hollow rubber ring. The challenge lies in skating while catching or “stabbing” the ring. Ringette’s blue-line rules force more passing, so players learn teamwork, rather than depending on one or two dominant players. The tempo of the game has earned ringette the bragging rights of being "the fastest game on ice."
