Ringette fans took over Strathmore last weekend for the annual Laurie Morton Ruppe Memorial Tournament. Nearly 500 players and their families attended the tournament from communities across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Tournament organizer Brandy Atkinson explained, “We had teams from everywhere. It was great and all the teams played their hearts out.”
She noted that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many tournaments have been cancelled, so local tournament organizers really wished they could have done more, or brought more teams.
“Unfortunately we don't have the ice to do so, but the 40 teams that we brought in they all had an amazing time.”
Each of the local teams played well during the tournament, with players ranging from U10 all the way up to U19.
The U19 team from Strathmore won each of their round robin games and came away with a gold medal.
“They put on a fantastic game. The stands were packed. It was great to see a really good final on Sunday,” said Atkinson.
U19 Ice’s head coach Kim Stanlake-Cammer says, “They had an incredible weekend. They played really, really well all weekend and they continued that in the gold medal game."
“They had really great energy and they really came together like they have all year to support each other and play with energy and it really fed off the atmosphere,” said their coach.
She noted that there was a great home crowd, “They were really loud with lots of great energy. The girls fed off of that. I think the biggest thing that stuck out for me is that they just had such great attitudes and they played with confidence,” said Stanlake-Cammer.
The Laurie Morton Ruppe Memorial Tournament is the third for the team this season and their third medal.
“They actually have a perfect 12 and 0 record for their tournament games, so it's pretty special. It was extra special to see them at the home tournament with lots of family and friends in the crowd and the girls from the younger teams who are watching as well, cheering them on,” she said.
As far as hosting the tournament, Atkinson said, “It's a neat event to see just to watch them play from such a little level and to see how much they develop over the years and then to watch those big U19 teams at the end.”
Visiting teams included some from Calgary, Airdrie, Edmonton, Regina, Lacombe, Leduc, Sherwood Park, and Lethbridge.
One of the biggest differences was that this year’s 50-50 raffle has held online rather than in person. The winner of the 50-50 draw will be announced on Tuesday.
We asked Atkinson about the importance of hosting the annual tournament, to not only remember the impact Laurie Morton Ruppe had on ringette in Strathmore, but to also help local youth develop positively during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think that's important for many reasons. I find for me as a parent who has a player and is involved in the association, it gives the kids a different way to have that social interaction, the bonds that children make playing sports are usually those bonds that stay,” she said.
“Those relationships they make in sports, they last with them, and they not only make friends within their community but outside their community. I know for my daughter, one of her best friends she met playing ringette that she doesn't even play with. They just met at a tournament and still talk to each other 10 years later,” she noted.
“The physical aspect, the social aspect. It just gives those kids something that is theirs, that they can be proud of and that they can be a part of,” she said.
She explained that there is a positive mental aspect to the sport as well.
“You grow and you learn differently. It's a big part of the structure and things that they take into their lives later on,” she said.
Atkinson noted that the SMRA (Strathmore Minor Ringette Association) helps to develop older players into leadership roles. There were also a number of the more senior SMRA players working as referees during the tournament as well.
Fri, May 3, 10:00 AM
