Ringette tourney promises teams a ‘barrel’ of fun
An empty wine barrel, like those used to go over the falls, will be used as a prop for team photos at the Niagara Falls Ringette Association’s annual Daredevils tournament this weekend.
“So they can all say they survived the Niagara Falls Daredevils Ringette Tournament,” association president Tony Royston said of the souvenir team photos.
However, the host organization hardly found itself over a barrel when it came to attracting teams to compete in the three-day event. Eighty teams from as far east as Gatineau and as far north as Muskoka are scheduled to play in 156 games on five ice surfaces, but the field could have been larger.
“We had 107 teams register this year, which tells me that we are back up to speed,” Royston said. “We choose to accept 80 teams to help keep the tournament manageable.”
Students from local high schools have been recruited to assist organizers in running the tournament and “to help encourage volunteers.”
“We have been working closely with the local high schools to help encourage volunteering. This has proven to be very successful,” said Royston, who also serves as tournament chair.
The tournament gets underway Friday morning and games will be played on all four rinks at Gale Centre
as well as at Chippawa Arena. Players range in age from four to 18 in the youth divisions and 19 and older in the adult division.
“We have 712 players 19 years and younger, and we have 27 adult teams 18 and older playing in the tournament,” Royston said.
Though the competition is co-ed, 98 per cent of participants are female.
Royston is encouraging the community to “check it out.”
“We welcome the public to come down to the arenas this weekend and experience one the fastest games played on ice.”
Medal hopes from the region include Niagara Falls Daredevils and St. Catharines Comets teams in the 18-plus B Mixed Division, under-10 mixed division, under-14 B mixed, under-16 B mixed, under-19 B mixed as well as two teams each in under-8 fun division.