Laurie Morton Ruppe memorial ringette tournament scheduled to return
By John Watson Local Journalism initiative Reporter
Strathmore is once again hosting the annual Laurie Morton Ruppe memorial ringette tournament after being unable to do so last year due to COVID-19 concerns.
According to local athlete Emma Moore (17), the tournament will feature 525 athletes (herself included) from across Alberta, as well as neighboring provinces.
The tournament, which has been in the works since September, will include participation from teams in the U10 division, all the way to U19.
Emma said pandemic protocols and restrictions have been a top priority for tournament organizers, particularly in the sense of simply allowing the event to operate.
“(We’ve) been doing a lot, especially with all the COVID-19 protocols … that we have, based on what the government has said and what Ringette Alberta has said. It’s been a lot, (but) I think it’s just going to be a great tournament,” said Emma.
The Strathmore Minor Ringette Association (SMRA) hosts the Laurie Morton Ruppe Memorial tournament on an annual basis to honor her memory. The organization also occasionally hosts Ringette Alberta provincial tournaments, though those will not begin until spring.
The memorial tournament games will be played both in Strathmore and in Rockyford and will be operating under Alberta’s restriction exemption program. Further, if an athlete has tested positive for COVID-19, they would be required to isolate for 10 days prior to the event.
“There is a (local) team in every division, sometimes more than one depending on the division and the number of girls at different levels within the division,” added Emma, who herself plays on Strathmore’s sole U19 team. “We’ve been practicing super hard, we’ve done pretty good in our league and in our other tournaments, so I’m looking forward to it. And we’re playing some new teams, so that will be some good competition.”
Cecilia Moore, Emma’s mother, explained the tournament has been operating locally and has been sanctioned by Ringette Alberta for over 25 years.
“It’s been a long time going, usually it’s at the end of January, beginning of February. It’s an annual tournament, the only time we didn’t host the tournament was last year because everything was paused and there were no youth sports,” said Moore. “The association is excited to be able to host the tournament again, given everything that’s going on, and hopefully it will be able to move forward.”
Emma added she and her team are particularly excited to square off against teams from Northern Alberta, as they do not normally get to play each other during the regular league season.
“I think it’ll be some really good competition, seeing that they can bring to the table and what we can bring,” she said.
The Laurie Morton Ruppe memorial tournament is set to take place from Jan. 28 to 30.