To the untrained observer, the players practicing at the Barrhead Agrena on Tuesday, Jan. 3, used hockey sticks that were missing something vital to the game — the blade.
However, since the team was the Ringette Raiders the sticks were just right.
The Raiders (12-years-old and under) are part of the Pembina Ringette Association, which sports three ringette teams, of various ages.
Janice Tymkow, a former Raider coach and now helper, said one of the reasons why a lot of people may not realize ringette is played in the area is due to the lack of ice availability resulting in most of the association’s games being played out of town.
“Our association is based out of Westlock and most of our home games are played in Thorhild, or Spruce Grove and we practice in the Westlock, Barrhead, or Linaria arenas,” she said, adding games are usually held on a weekly basis.
The season starts in October and goes to February, with the playoffs starting in early March.
“The team got off to a bit of a rough start. We have a few new girls this year, but they are starting to come along. It’s a new year and we are ready to come out and play hard,” Tymkow said, adding in the second part of the season the team was reevaluated and moved to a different tier. “So from now on we will be playing teams closer to our ability.”
As for the sport, she said while it has some similarities to hockey, it is a different game.
Players skate and use a stick to control a ring and have the same six positions (centre, two forwards, two defencemen and a goaltender), but that is where the similarity ends.
“It really is quite different than hockey,” she said, adding it is the differences in the zoning rules that really sets it (ringette) apart. “There are different lines on the ice. We have a red line at both ends of the ice at the tip of the circles. That is our zone line and because of these lines only certain types of players (skaters) are allowed in any zone at one time. We also have blue lines and it (ring) has to be passed across instead of carrying it. Having to pass it across those lines really increases the speed of the game.”
For more information about the Pembina Ringette Association go to www.pembinaringette.ca or call Kyla George at (780) 305-8189.
