The Newmarket and District Ringette Association is hosting a open house for potential new players to come see what the sport is all about.
Come Try Ringette is happening on Sept. 11 at 2:15 p.m. the Magna Centre in Newmarket. The free event will include ice time for kids ages four and up to learn all about ringette and give it a try, as well as some games and activities off the ice and giveaways, said association president Alyssia Byers.
Ringette is similar to hockey as there are five players plus a goalie from each team on the ice at the same time and the aim is to get an object into the opposing team's net using a stick, but according to Byers that's where the similarities stop.
She said ringette is much faster and requires more team effort as a single player cannot carry the ring across the blue line and must pass it. The stick is straight with no curve and there's a ring instead of a puck. The ring and stick combo also requires less stick handling than in hockey, meaning there is more focus on skating skills. This has attracted a lot of active hockey players to the sport, Byers said, as an opportunity for them to improve their skating.
Outside of the physical aspects of ringette, there are a lot of mental and social benefits, too, as Byers said the motto is "fun and friendships happen on ice."
She said players who start young also often stick with the sport as they grow up, adding that her own two daughters have been playing for 11 and nine years respectively.
Ringette has typically been a female-dominated sport with but it is open to males, with around 700 males taking part in ringette across the country.
The Newmarket and District Ringette Association serves Newmarket, Aurora, East Gwillimbury and Bradford. It has an U10 fun team, which just plays locally, as well as regional competitive U12, U14, U16 and U19 teams. Byers said there are still spots available at all age levels.
Anyone aged four and older is invited to the come try ringette event and registration is open online. Participants need to bring skates, a helmet, and mittens or gloves but sticks will be provided. You are asked to arrive by 1:45 p.m. for registration so you are ready to hit the ice by 2:15 p.m.
Byers said anyone with questions about the event or the sport in general can contact her at [email protected].
