It’s not just about playing an affordable sport that emphasizes team play over individual stardom. Our sport has a strong sense of community amongst players and supporters. A community that creates relationships and social aspects well beyond the sport – and last much longer than the time spent playing the game.
You/your child, along with many other ringette athletes, will benefit with friendship, competition and life building skills because of the gift of our wonderful ringette volunteers and families that make this sport truly one of a kind.
What is Ringette?
Ringette is a winter sport that was created in North Bay by Sam Jacks in 1963.
Originally, Ringette was created to address and fix the problems concerning the lack of winter team sports for the female population. At the time the only two winter-based team sports available for girls was broomball and ice hockey, however both sports were aimed at the male population and so female participation was low.
Sam spent 2 years developing a sport entirely for the female population and today teams still compete for the sought after Sam Jacks Memorial Trophy (U19) as well as the Sam Jacks Trophy (U14AA). While North Bay is considered the birthplace of ringette, Espanola is considered the Home of Ringette and that’s due to the fact that it was Mirl Arthur “Red” McCarthy, who helped Sam develop the rules and test the game out in the town of Espanola.
To date, ringette is the only winter team sport that has been developed exclusively around the female physique as well as the only winter team sport that is driven by a female player demographic!