Parent Handbook - Ayr Ringette Association

AYR MINOR RINGETTE
ASSOCIATION
Player and Parent Handbook
2010-2011
Table of Contents
Welcome
Page 3
Vision, Mission and Values
Page 4
History of Ringette
Page 6
Association History
Page 7
Registration
Page 8
Fees/ Fundraising
Page 8
Fundraising at AMRA
Page 9
Volunteerism at AMRA
Page 11
Ringette Basics
Page 12
Mandatory Equipment
Page 15
Coaching at AMRA
Page 17
Tournaments
Page 18
Photo Consent
Page 19
Conflict Resolution
Page 20
Helpful Internet Links
Page 22
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Welcome to the Ayr Minor Ringette Association
This handbook has been prepared to help members; players and parents better
understand the many aspects of ringette. It is our hope that it will assist in
answering questions you might have and create a more enjoyable Ringette
season for all. Please take time to read this handbook in order to familiarize
yourself with the association, the sport and roles of volunteers, parents and the
Executive. As always, we want to also thank our dedicated private and corporate
sponsors for their support.
Many thanks from the AMRA Executive…
Sheri Phillips
President
Cindy Kopp-Diebold
Vice-President
Keith Carter
Past-President & Coaching Coordinator
Janice Kyle
Secretary
Phil Schroeder
Treasurer
Kim Sunseth
Registrar
Nina Kavalinas
SRRA Representative
Heather Graham
Fundraising Director
Steve Evans
Communications Director
Neil Mossman
Parent Representative
Ruth Muck
Director at Large
Pauline Kaszar
Director at Large
Vacancy
Games and Tournament Chair
Vacancy
Equipment Director
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Vision, Mission, and Values
Vision
Ayr Minor Ringette Association will promote sportsmanship, friendship, and a
strong sense of community within a safe and encouraging environment.
Mission
Our mission is to support the healthy development of players and coaches
through:
 Teaching fair play and sportsmanship
 Providing an opportunity for all players to participate regardless of ability,
race or economic circumstances
 Encouraging positive involvement from families
 Utilizing a mentoring framework for leadership development
 Supporting coaches through training, communication and development
 Maintaining responsive and transparent governance.
Values
T.R.A.I.L → Ayr Minor Ringette will carve a trail in the pursuit of excellence for
others to follow.
Teamwork - we believe that each member of the association contributes to the
success of our players, our coaches and the organization
Respect - we believe that all members should be treated with respect,
consideration and dignity
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Achievement - we believe that players are supported to achieve their potential in
an environment of excellence, creativity and innovation
Integrity - we believe in conducting the business of the association with
transparency, accountability and openness
Leadership - we believe that children learn by example and we will be the best
example
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History of Ringette
Ringette is a fast-paced ice-skating sport enjoyed by over 25,000 Canadian girls
and women of all ages. Canadian Sports Hall of Fame inductee Sam Jacks
created the foundation of Ringette
in 1963 in North Bay. The very
first Ringette game was held in
Espanola and was organized by
Red McCarthy. Since then the
game
has
spread
worldwide.
Ringette has evolved into a fast paced, exciting sport that combines speed and
strategy. Besides Canada, ringette is played on
an organized basis in the United States, Finland,
Sweden, France and Russia.
In 2009, Canada Post issued four stamps in a
series entitled Canadian inventions: featuring
four
sports
“made
in
Canada”:
ringette,
basketball, five-pin bowling and lacrosse. The
game of ringette was designed to emphasize
skill and teamwork; the game was and remains a great sport. The stamp featured
well-worn equipment used in the sport—with a background line drawing of the
playing surface. Ringette was recognized as a Canadian Heritage Sport in 2008.
Source: Ringette Canada Website 2010 and ORA Website 2010
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Association History
In the spring of 1972, Betty Springall brought Ringette to the girls of Ayr.
Eventually an executive was formed with Betty Springall as president, Carol
Lawson as treasurer, and Chris Snell as coach. Bernie Springall (Betty’s
husband) was instrumental in the early days,
teaching the rules of Ringette to Ayr’s first
players on Sunday evenings at the local arena.
That fall they joined the Ontario Ringette
Association.
These dedicated women attended coaching clinics to broaden their knowledge of
the game. In February 1978, Ayr and Paris co-hosted the first Petite Players
Camp in the Western Region. Volunteerism, player involvement, and fundraising
have always been an important part of Ayr Minor Ringette history. The main
fundraising projects during AMRA early years were bake sales, semi-annual
bottle drives, quilt and afghan raffles, and skate-a-thons. The projects were set
up to let players do much of the work themselves, therefore allowing them to
directly contribute to their sport, and its sustainability.
Betty eventually retired from the presidency after her husband remarked at the
annual banquet, that she was away so much with ringette, that one night when
she came home, their dog bit her. Betty Springall passed away in July 2010.
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Registration
Traditionally registration begins in May. The association began offering electronic
registration for the 2010-11 season following development of the new AMRA
Website. With the development of our website, more tools and information are
available to parents and players. Currently, you can access registration forms on
our website or from the registrar of AMRA. (See contact list for names and
numbers)
Fees/Fundraising
Ayr Minor Ringette Association works hard to maintain a cost effective fee
structure for players and parents. Whenever possible, fees remain unchanged
from year to year. This year (2010) the introduction of the new HST will affect
operating costs for AMRA. Our fees remain lower than many other associations
in Ontario. As an association of volunteers, we fundraise annually to offset cost
increases as much as possible.
Current registration and mandatory fundraising
fees are available on the Website.
By actively fundraising and hosting a home tournament we are able to keep fees
substantially lower than those associations that do not offer earning
opportunities. Our annual ‘Ayr Tournament of Hearts’ helps to subsidize
registration costs through profits generated at the event. This is why it is so vitally
important for AMRA families to contribute time and resources to our home
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tournament.
Families are expected to contribute volunteer hours at the
tournament and make gift donations in lieu of a tournament registration fee.
Fundraising at AMRA
Why it is Necessary…
Fundraising within our association goes a long way in keeping registration costs
down. Registration fees are used to cover the cost of ice-time, refereeing,
timekeepers, insurance, equipment, etc. This year is the first year we have
implemented the up-front payment of fundraising fees. The rationale for this was
to simplify bookkeeping and lessen delinquent fees.
Mandatory vs. Voluntary fundraising…
There are two different fundraising streams at AMRA - voluntary and mandatory.
As the names imply, one is a “must do”, and the other is “optional”, allowing
individuals and teams to further offset some of the extra costs throughout their
season. An example of extra cost is participation in tournaments. In this setting a
team may choose to access some of the optional fundraising opportunities set up
by the Fundraising committee to help buy down such entry fees. Before teams
engage in individual fundraising events, they should review plans with the
Fundraising Director.
Fees collected as Mandatory fundraising dollars help to run the Association and
pay the costs discussed in question #1 above. However, there are opportunities
to earn your mandatory fundraising fees back. Registrants, or their parents, can
choose to participate and recoup some or all of their fundraising money. Or
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simply pay the fee. Participation is always encouraged, but it is up to the
individual. Another example of Mandatory fundraising involves contributions
made in lieu of the Ayr Tournament of Hearts registration fee. A number of years
ago, AMRA parents and players determined it was a favourable option to allow
families to contribute goods and service in place of paying fees to enter our home
tournament. The sharing of volunteer hours amongst the entire association made
sure the tournament was a success and that the burden of work did not fall on a
handful of participants/parents only. It is an opportunity for the players to see
their parents, older siblings, and peers giving back...
How can parents help?
You can help by becoming involved in the Tournament of Hearts event; volunteer
as your teams’ tournament representative. Parents can help by soliciting
donations from friends, family, or employers to donate to the tournaments silent
auction event. These gifts can be given to the Tournament chair or any member
of the Associations Executive. Every registrant /parent is expected to contribute a
prize (or prizes) that are equal to (or greater than) a value of $25.00 for each
player you have registered in the tournament. These items are used as raffle
items and monies are generated from the sale of raffle tickets at the tournament.
What is Sponsorship?
Sponsorship is a cash and/or in-kind fee paid to an organization in return for the
right to be recognized by the Association. If you wish to personally become a
AMRA sponsor, or know of a business, corporation or individual that would like to
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contribute to AMRA in this capacity, please feel free to contact the Fundraising
Director. Contact names and numbers are available on the website.
Volunteerism at AMRA
Volunteering is a fundamental act of citizenship and philanthropy in our society. It
is offering time, energy and skills of one's own free will. It is an extension of being
a good neighbour and transforming a collection of people into a community.
Every day, thousands of people voluntarily give their time and talent to thousands
of organizations across Canada. They give their time freely and with no
expectation of monetary reward. Their hours of service ensure that many
activities are accomplished and many people are helped. They are youth group
leaders, program coordinators, coaches and fundraisers. They represent every
walk of life - professional, homemaker, student, and retiree - as well as every age
and cultural group.
Volunteerism is a great way to give back to Ayr Minor Ringette, your children,
and the community. There are many ways to become an active volunteer with
AMRA. Opportunities include joining the Board of Directors, bench staff (coach,
assistant coach, or trainer), and parent roles on your child's team. Some of these
roles may include “jersey manager”, parent rep., tournament rep., or snack
coordinator (need determined by coaching staff)
To become a volunteer, contact any member of the Executive for more
information. Volunteers are required to complete a Volunteer Application form
(found on our website) and Police Check, and submit both to the Secretary of the
AMRA Executive.
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Ringette Basics
Even though Ringette is played on the same ice-surface as hockey, comparable
in equipment and numbers, the similarities end there. Ringette differs in rules and
approach to the game. In hockey, puck handling is a key skill. In ringette, the
challenge is in catching or "stabbing" the ring. To catch a ring, a player must stab
through the hole in the ring with the stick, usually while the player is on the move.
Once stabbed, the ring is easier to control than a puck is, but the Ringette blueline rule forces more passing. This makes ringette a game centred around
skating and passing. As a result, players learn teamwork; a team cannot depend
on one or two dominant players. The lack of puck handling in Ringette allows
players to focus on improving their skating, which increases the tempo of the
game. Increased control over the ring often results in higher scores, despite a
ring being larger than a puck.
More similar to basketball, soccer or lacrosse, ringette is a team sport with a
different strategy.
The rules promote team play so that a single player cannot
carry the ring from end to end and score a goal. Teams are usually made up of
10 to 16 players; six skaters on the ice at the same time (a goalie, two defence, a
center and two forwards). The object is to score goals on the net of your
opponent. How you do that, however, is where Ringette becomes unique. A
straight stick, similar to the shaft of a hockey stick with no blade and a tip on the
end, is used to pass an 8" hollow rubber ring between team-mates.
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The Game begins much like soccer with the visiting team being awarded a Free
Pass in the Centre Ice Free Pass Circle (known in Hockey or Lacrosse as the
Face Off Circles). Free Passes are the Ringette way of restarting games after
penalties, violations, goals or any other stoppage in the game. Depending on
where the play stopped after a violation or penalty, the free pass is awarded to
the appropriate team in the circle closest to where the action ceased. One player
takes possession on the whistle and has five seconds to either shoot or pass the
ring to a teammate. The ring must be passed completely out of the circle, and the
player cannot skate out of the circle with the ring. No other players are allowed in
the Free Pass Circle during the five-second count.
Blue Lines - A player cannot carry the ring over a blue line in either direction.
The ring must be passed over the blue line to another teammate. That teammate
is permitted to skate ahead of the ring carrier and already be across the blue line
before the ring crosses it. Ringette is such a fast paced game because at more
competitive levels, a 30 second shot clock is utilized to maintain the flow of the
game. The ring must hit the goalie or be shot on net within 30 seconds or it
becomes the other team's possession. There is no intentional contact allowed in
Ringette, with all the rules geared towards safety. When contact does occur,
however, penalties are assessed. The most common are slashing, tripping, and
interference and are usually unintentional as players focus on checking the ring
from an opponent's stick or skating to get a loose ring first. Most penalties are 2
minutes, but a 4-minute Major is assessed for actions that are deemed intentional
or particularly rough.
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Goal Crease - If the ring lands in or on the crease, the only player who can
touch it is the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper usually picks up the ring and throws it
to a teammate. The goalie has five seconds to pass it out of her crease.
Source: Ringette Canada Website 2010 and ORA Website 2010
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Mandatory Equipment
•
Ringette stick (or goal stick for goaltenders)
•
Skates (no picks) or goalie skates for goaltenders
•
Knee/shin pads (or goalie pads)
•
Hip/Tailbone/Genital Protection
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•
Protective gloves
•
Elbow pads
•
CSA approved helmet with ringette facemask (must meet specific
regulations)
•
BNQ Approved neck guard
•
Shoulder pads
•
Ringette pants or socks
•
Mouth Guard
The ringette facemask is much like a hockey mask except the bars are situated
so that the end of a ringette stick cannot enter the mask. (triangles, not squares)
Ringette sticks have tapered ends, with plastic or metal tips specially designed
with grooves to increase the lift and velocity of the wrist shot. A ringette stick is
also reinforced to withstand the bodyweight of a player - a ring carrier leans
heavily on her stick to prevent opposing players from removing the ring.
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Coaching at AMRA
"Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you."
-- William Arthur
At AMRA, we believe coaching is an opportunity to mentor and lead. We aim to
provide guidance, support, and our heartfelt appreciation to those individuals who
step forward to become mentors and leaders through coaching. The Coaching
Coordinator role at AMRA is designed to foster growth and development of the
beginner coach as well as provide on-going support to all bench staff. There are
workshops and coaching clinics available to those interested in joining our coachtrainer teams at AMRA. Beginning in the 2010-11 season, the Ontario Ringette
Association requires that every team have a female coach or assistant coach on
the bench.
Anyone interested in coaching for the AMRA is required to complete a coaching
application (found on our website) and a police check before joining a team. Our
coaches are required to be familiar with the ORA Coaches Handbook. This
applies to those who have coached previously as well as those new to coaching,
Coaching Certification is available and the Association pays for police checks
and course costs. If you are interested, please visit the web site and click on the
link to download an application. The preferred application deadline for coaches is
June 30th, but submissions are still being accepted until the start of the season
where vacancies exist. If you have any questions or would like to speak directly
about coaching opportunities, please contact AMRA coaching coordinator.
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Tournaments
Any tournaments your children/players participate in require additional monies.
These fees are paid to the Association hosting the tournament, not AMRA. At the
beginning of the Ringette season, coaches will discuss with AMRA families
suggestions for tournament participation. Usually, all Ayr teams enter our home
‘Ayr Tournament of Hearts’ in February and ‘Regionals’ set in April. Entry fees for
tournaments are not included in AMRA registration fees. Some teams choose to
participate in voluntary fundraising opportunities to offset these tournament costs.
Information is available from the AMRA Fundraising Director.
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Photo Consent
From time to time, photos are taken of teams and players in play action or as part
of group shots receiving awards. As always, we wish to be respectful of the
privacy and safety needs of our players and volunteers. If for any reason you do
not wish yours, or your child’s image to be photographed or published on the
AMRA website or bulletin board at the arena, please indicate this on the Photo
consent form. This form can be found on our website and should be submitted to
your child’s coach or trainer.
AMRA Code of Conduct
A goal at AMRA is to have a fun, respectful and safe season for everyone
involved in Ringette in Ayr. All parents, players, and volunteers are expected to
read, sign and abide by the AMRA Code of Conduct. It can be found on our
website and printed for completion. Please give the completed form to your
child’s coach or team trainer. Adherence to such a code helps to set clear
expectations of behaviour, and achieve those goals. Please help us ensure a
great season for everyone by reviewing this document with your child.
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Conflict Resolution
As in all things from time to time, conflict will occur. Ringette teams and arenas
are no exception. Conflict is not the problem, but poor resolution is. Along with
the conflict comes opportunity for improvement. We can help by modelling
healthy conflict resolution behaviour for our players. At AMRA, there is an
expectation that players, parents, and volunteers alike follow proactive and
respectful conflict resolution processes.
One significant element of conflict resolution in AMRA as well as other sports
organizations is allowing all of the participants an opportunity to cool down.
Adherence to the “24 hour rule” (as outlined in the code of conduct signed by all
volunteers, players and parents) is one important way to move the process in a
productive manner. People potentially involved in conflicts include parents, fans,
players, coaches, officials, team reps, and the AMR executive. Taking a day to
think about how to best proceed, benefits everyone and helps to support
respectful choices in dealing with hot-button issues.
Whether concerns come up between players and coaches, coaches and officials,
or parents and someone on the executive, once the conflict has occurred or a
grievance is noted, all participants are expected to take at least a twenty-four
hour “break” before proceeding with the next step in resolution. All concerns are
expected to be addressed in a respectful manner and there have been
procedures set in place to try to facilitate any issues that arise.
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Each team must have an assigned Parent Representative to take concerns from
players or parents to coaches or the executive as is necessary. A Parent
Representative also sits on the AMR Executive to help facilitate whatever
communication is necessary. It is understood that many involved are passionate
about the issues and it is expected that differences of opinions will arise. The
most important factor to consider is that every effort will be made to resolve any
conflict with the best interest of all participants taken into consideration. What is
best for one is not always best for all and these issues must always be weighed.
It is our hope that the general focus is always on what is best for all players and
considering the organization’s overall commitment to supporting fair play and
inclusiveness at all levels. All coaches, team staff, and executive members are
volunteers who contribute significant amounts of time to try to provide all
members with the best possible sporting experience. Respecting different opinion
and suitable boundaries should be paramount in resolving any conflicts in the
fairest way possible.
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Helpful Links and Websites
Ayr Minor Ringette Association
www.ayrringette.com
On our website you will find electronic registration links as well as forms required
for completion by players, parents or guardian's. Please print, complete and
return them to your coach or team trainer.
Southern Region Ringette Association
www.eteamz.active.com/SRRA/
Ontario Ringette Association
www.ontario-ringette.com
Ringette Canada
www.ringette.ca
National Ringette League of Canada
www.nationalringetteleague.ca
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