Trying ringette for the first time

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

Little girls dressed in snow pants and sweaters, either to keep them warm in the arena or to provide cushion from the ice, laced up their skates for the first time during the Come Try Ringette event on Sept. 8 at the Strathmore Family Centre.
The Strathmore Minor Ringette Association (SMRA) organized the annual fall camp.
“This was a fun, low-key way for kids to try out ringette and for parents to assess the sport to see if it is a good fit for their children,” said Cecilia Moore, director of managers for SMRA.
This was a planned program put on by qualified instructors who play in different levels of SMRA. Jan Wathen, the director of marketing for SMRA, was also on the ice running the kids through drills.
Moore was impressed by the turnout and credits educating parents during this past week’s registration as a way to attract more kids.
“Our motto is, ‘fun, friendship and fun,’ we want them to come out and love the sport,” said Moore, who has a daughter on the U12 team.
While promoting the sport was the main objective, seeing if there was any chance for last minute recruitment was also a reason for the camp.
Evaluations for ringette divisions are underway.
This was the final camp for the fall as the season kicks off at the beginning of October. If there is enough interest, there will be another camp in the spring.