MUSKOKA — Looking for a winter sport that has all the fun of hockey and none of the aggression? Ringette just may be your answer.
Ringette Canada was in Muskoka last week giving children an opportunity to try this often overlooked sport. Through clinics at area public schools and a try-it night at the Port Carling arena, the organization’s goal was to show both boys and girls how much fun ringette can be.
“We go out to the schools to demonstrate the gym ringette program,” explained Monty Aldous, Ringette Canada’s club development coordinator. “At the end, we leave behind the equipment, a teacher resource guide and a DVD.”
By equipping the schools with the resources to continue gym ringette, Ringette Canada hopes to increase awareness and participation in the sport.
Timed to coincide with the Ontario Winter Games weekend, the demos by Ringette Canada happened Thursday and Friday at Huntsville, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Monck public schools. Ringette is a winter games sport and interested players had the added opportunity to view high-level competition all weekend at the Bala arena.
“The gym ringette stands on its own,” said Aldous, “but we encourage kids, if they had fun in the gym, to come to the on-ice event to try it for free.”
The on-ice Come Try Ringette session was held at Port Carling arena Friday evening. The session drew interested children from across Muskoka.
The trial sessions and school equipment donations are made possible through a grant from the federal government.
Developed in North Bay in 1963, ringette has been declared a heritage sport, along with five-pin bowling, lacrosse, wheelchair rugby and three-down football. As such, money is available through the Canadian Heritage Sport Fund to promote the sports.
Ringette Canada has been making its way across Canada running try-it programs in: Summerside and Souris, P.E.I.; Coquitlam, B.C.; Thompson, Manitoba; and now Muskoka. Saskatoon will be their next and final stop for the season. The goal is to promote ringette in areas where programs don’t exist or where fledgling associations could use help to increase membership.
The West Muskoka Ringette Club was established eight years ago and has 50 players registered this year. Although their season is drawing to a close, co-founder Anne Young said there are still opportunities for new players to get on the ice.
Practices run until the end of March and exhibition games can be arranged, she said. Through a Trillium Grant, the club also has loaner equipment available for families who would like to first try the sport before committing to the expense of outfitting a new player.
Ringette is played by young and old and both boys and girls, Aldous stressed.
“One thing we work very hard at is changing the perception that ringette is somehow a girls’ sport,” he said. “With gym ringette, boys and girls participate equally.”
Across Canada, there are on-ice recreational and competitive opportunities for both boys and girls, as well as men’s, women’s and co-ed leagues.
“Similar to golf and curling, ringette is a sport for life,” added Aldous, who has coached ringette for 28 years. “You can play at whatever level of intensity you want. It is very safe and entertaining.”
The rules of ringette create a level playing field, he explained. The ring must be passed over each blue-line in order to move up the ice, so there are no ring hogs. Each team can only have possession for 30 seconds before taking a shot, which results in a very fast game.
“The ring is only moments on the stick before making a play, so size is of no advantage,” said Aldous.
“It is a fair game,” agreed Young. “One person can’t dominate. The ring has to be passed at least twice to get down the end. It means fair play for everyone.”
For hockey players, Aldous wanted to pass along this message.
“Very often in hockey, the smaller, less aggressive children don’t get picked for the elite teams or they don’t like the body contact and drop out,” said Aldous. “We’ve got a sport with all the stuff you like — speed, teamwork, strategy — and none of the stuff you don’t like — aggression, hitting and a focus on size. We’d like to reach out to hockey. When kids drop out of your programs, talk to us. There is still a place for them to play.”
Anyone interested in ringette in Muskoka can call Greig or Anne Young at 765-3945 or for more information on ringette in Canada go to the website ringette.ca.