Strathmore hosts ringette camp

Times Reporter   

 

Bunny, novice, and petite ringette players – ages 7 to 12 – are taking part in the National Ringette School’s camp in Strathmore this week, focusing on dry-land training, on-ice learning, and strategy lessons in the classroom. Five instructors are leading 30 players and three goalies, from July 29 to August 2, on how to develop their ringette fundamentals.

“This is definitely skills based, and in the classroom, piecing strategies for the game itself,” said Pre-Bunny Division Coordinator, Cecilia Moore. “Near the end of the week, they do some game play, for sure, but through the week they really are focusing on development of those skills, because you want to teach those skills correctly.” 

The National Ringette School is based in Calgary, but has 22 camps across Canada with over 1,500 participants. The program has run in Strathmore three of the past four years.

“We picked Strathmore because there was a popular group here; quite a few younger girls that want to learn ringette, and try to improve their skills,” said local instructor Dakota Gillies, who was in the program herself. She is now a Strathmore Minor Ringette Association grad, and has been competitive in the sport for 14 years.

Site Manager for Strathmore, Steph Cook, also went through the camp for three years, and has been instructing for nine.

“The ice time focuses on the specific skills, the stuff we do off-ice is the teamwork, and the patience, and the focus,” she said. “On the ice we go through every skill: we do the forward skating, backward skating, pivots, tight turns. Anything you would encounter in a ringette game.”

All instructors are either involved with the NRL or are university players therefore they understand the game at such a deep level. That they’re able to teach it most effectively.

“You learn things here that you don’t necessarily get in other places,” Cook said.

Goalie Emma Moore is in her fourth year of National Ringette School camp, and eventually wants to become an instructor too.

“I learn how to be a better goalie and how to skate better,” she said. “It helps you stay balanced.”

On September 7, there is a free event to learn how to play ringette at the Family Centre. Visit cometryringette.ca for details.