by Elizabeth Merritt

How ringette has changed over the years

Ringette, a sport invented for girls when they weren't allowed to play hockey has changed a lot since being invented in North Bay, Ont. in 1963. Samuel Perry Jacks invented the game of ringette to give girls a chance to play a game on ice and the game has changed to become faster over the years. "The best thing to ever happen to the game of ringette was the shot clock," says Iveah Hutchison who has been around ringette for over 20 years. “The introduction of the shot clock has escalated the game into the…

by Elizabeth Merritt

Mothers and Daughters

Ringette, a sport that can be played by anyone at any age isn’t just a sport for one family member, but is a sport that mothers are signing their daughters up for. “We love the actual game itself. Ringette is a fast game and one that involves a lot of skill and athleticism,” explains Kathy Leonard who has been playing ringette for 39 years and has two daughters that play. “My dad saw a ringette game and since my brothers played hockey he decided it would be good for me to also be on the…

by Elizabeth Merritt

What it’s like to play

Ringette a one-of-a-kind sport By: Elizabeth Merritt (@emerritt95) Ringette is a one of a kind sport that is often overlooked. “I had tried out hockey and I hated it,” says Kennedy Younger of U19A Calgary North Rage and has played ringette for 13 years. “It’s like nothing else matters except doing your job every shift and doing it for your teammates,” shares Younger. Younger just competed in the 18th Annual Western Canadian Ringette Championships in Calgary and won gold in the U19A division. She started ringette when she was five years old after watching a…

by Elizabeth Merritt

A look into the U14AA division

A look into the first level that offers AA By: Elizabeth Merritt (@emerritt95) AA was established to provide the highest achievable level of access to ringette.  U14AA formerly known as Tween AA is the first age group to have AA teams.  The AA level is accessible to all players who have demonstrated that they have the skill and commitment to compete at the level.  Skill evaluations are determined through a competitive evaluation and tryout process. This AA level is the only one that participates in the Western Canadian Ringette Championships while the U16AA, U19AA, and…

by Elizabeth Merritt

Western Canadian Ringette Championships to take over Calgary

The biggest Western Canadian Ringette Championship yet is taking place in Calgary By: Elizabeth Merritt (@emerritt95) The Western Canadian Ringette Championships are taking place in Calgary, Alta from Wednesday, March 25, 2015 to Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Markin MacPhail WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park. Teams from British Columbia to Manitoba are participating in the U14AA, U16A, U19A, and Open A division; these are the top teams that won their provincial championships. The host teams from Calgary are: U16A South Calgary Sharks, U19A Calgary North Rage, and Open A Blitz. “It is an absolute honour being…

by Elizabeth Merritt

World’s largest Ringette tournament

Esso Golden Ring returns to Calgary By: Elizabeth Merritt (@emerritt95) The Esso Golden Ring tournament returns to Calgary hosting the largest ringette tournament in the world. This year there are 365 games played in just three days. There are 105 officials to cover the 365 games that require over 700 assignments to fill. To run the tournament, there are 600 volunteers hosting 190 teams with 2,607 players. Teams come from British Columbia through Prince Edward Island to participate in the tournament. Ringette is a sport invented in 1963 by Sam Jacks in North Bay, Ontario…

by Elizabeth Merritt

Ed Horvath Interprovincial tournament

The Ed Horvath tournament takes over Medicine Hat By: Elizabeth Merritt The Ed Horvath Interprovincial tournament took over all the Medicine Hat arenas and hotels December 5-7, 2014. Teams from across Alberta and Saskatchewan made the trip to Medicine where 88 games were played in three days. There was no home town tournament so they started this tournament so the teams could play in their home town, said Ed Horvath, who the tournament is named after. The tournament is split into two different weekends because of how many teams and division there are now when…