About Us

Our Mission

AA Ringette Calgary is an outstanding high-level youth-sports program. Through competition and sportsmanship, our athletes embrace an active lifestyle and good nutrition, learn great life lessons, and become part of a tight-knit team environment and AA ringette community.

Corporate Number and Mailing Address
 

Play, Compete, Achieve — Bringing together strong ringette athletes from across Calgary

Where do our amazing AA Ringette Calgary athletes come from? They join our program from our city’s three exceptional Ringette Calgary community associations: Bow View Ringette, South Calgary Ringette and North West Ringette. Starting in U14, Zone 3 athletes (with a primary residence within the City of Calgary municipal boundaries) are eligible to tryout for our program. Upon being selected to a AA Ringette Calgary team, they bring their proud community traditions with them as they get to know and learn to compete with athletes from across Calgary.

This is the strength of our program: within our team culture, our athletes form new relationships and build bonds with other like-skilled players, while playing other AA teams from across the province and country. AA Ringette Calgary provides the opportunity, program tenets, and infrastructure for increased game exposure and skill development -- leading them towards future levels of excellence playing in the NRL such as the Calgary RATH, Ringette Canada's National Team pathway programs (U17 La Releve, U18 National Development Team, U21 Junior National Team, and Senior National Team), and at the Canada Winter Games which is held every 4 years.

Whether our athletes remain in our program or return to their communities to play, we work with the local ringette associations to support the sport in our community. We are proud to represent Ringette Calgary as the largest AA Ringette association in Canada!
 

Our Program — Experience high-level team building, for success on and off the ice

AA Ringette Calgary is a higher level of ringette for athletes. Open to players residing within the City of Calgary municipal boundaries from the U14, U16 and U19 age divisions, our Tryouts are held late August/early September, following which teams are drafted for the upcoming season. For more Pre-Season information, including our Intro to AA Spring Skate, and Registration and Fall Tryout process, please visit the pages listed under our Pre-Season section above.

Players are expected to:

• Be physically fit, and have a very competitive drive
• Commit to a high level of ringette play 
• Participate in professional fitness and mental training with their team
• Learn and engage in proper nutrition
• Demonstrate sportsmanship in all AA-related interactions, on and off the ice
• Represent our association and sport with respect and uphold the Code of Conduct

Season Overview:

• The AA Ringette Calgary season officially starts with our Fall Tryouts and extends to RAB AA Provincials in late February. 
• Regular season play consists of league games in the Chinook Ringette League for U14AA and U16AA divisions, and in the Black Gold League for the U19AA division. AA teams do not participate in the regular league playoffs. If needed, division playdowns are held to determine entry for AA Provincial Championships.
• Tournament participation (five to ten a season depending on each team's season plan) is an important part of our regular season program to help increase skill development and competitive exposure for teams. Tournaments are typically held Friday - Sunday, with Thursday being a travel day.
• Teams that qualify through RAB AA Provincials advance to compete in the Western Canadian Ringette Championships (U14AA) in late March or the Canadian Ringette Championships (U16AA, U19AA) in early / mid-April. These post-season championships often overlap with Spring Break so athletes must ensure they are available to attend. Travel for WCRCs is typically 5-6 days with competition/events from Wed-Sun and CRCs is typically 9-10 days with competition/events from Sun-Sat.
• At each age level, different skills are emphasized for development. For U14’s, the focus is on individual and team skills, while striving to compete for Provincial and Western Championship titles. At the U16 and U19 levels, more emphasis is placed on team and game strategies, to compete for Provincial and National Championship titles. 

Player Commitment:

• Family, school, sports (in that order).
  • Playing other sports is allowed, however AA ringette is expected to be your first sport priority.
  • Strong player commitment is expected — hard work and team bonding can yield great rewards.
• Usually 4-5 dedicated sessions per week:
  • 2-3 practices, 1-2 league or exhibition games, and 1-2 dryland sessions
  • Schedules are not fixed and can fluctuate depending on tournament schedules, ice availability, etc.
• Team social events, fundraising initiatives and community volunteering can also add to player schedules
• Tournament play is an important focus of our program:
  • Approximately 5-10 tournaments per season depending on each team's season plan
  • Each held for 3-4 days over various weekends
• Post-Season Championships (WCRCs or CRCs) in late March / early April 
  • These post-season championships often overlap with Spring Break so athletes must ensure they are available to attend.

Apparel and Equipment Purchases — For the love of AA team wear

Athletes will need specific AA Ringette Calgary teamwear and equipment items, such as:

• Mandatory items include helmet, pants, hoodie and jacket; all AA players must purchase these items.
• Items such as dryland shirts, practice jerseys, player bags, etc are listed in the Optional Apparel section
  • Your head coach may request players get specific Optional Apparel items, in which case your team may choose to cover those costs through team funds
• We strongly encourage teams to stick to the AA apparel during the regular season rather than exploring additional team-specific swag in order to keep costs in check for families and to ensure our AA brand is promoted.
  
  

Sportsmanship — Learning leadership in a team environment, and being stewards of our game

• Sportsmanship is an important tenet of AA Ringette Calgary. Athletes, coaches and parents are asked to sign Code of Conduct pledges at the beginning of each season. They are encouraged and expected to support one another (within their own teams, and for sister teams) and to always demonstrate respect for game officials and opposing teams.
• As well, AA Ringette Calgary endorses the Friends First initiative, to promote a positive, supportive team culture that helps our athletes elevate their game, and explore their full potential within our community.
   

Community Strong — Giving back, showing support, growing values

• AA Ringette Calgary appreciates and acknowledges our wider community—in ringette and in our neighbourhood. Our ringette family is interconnected and strong, supporting our own throughout the year, demonstrating that friendships outlast any competition.
• Teams often engage in supporting community initiatives, donating time to volunteer or raising funds to show we care.
• Junior coaches (aged 14-17 from within our program) are a valued part of our coaching teams, and help teach leadership and skill development through mentoring. We encourage our AA athletes to give back to the ringette community through volunteering as Junior Coaches in our program or with younger divisions in their home associations.
   

On the Bench — Great teamwork starts at the top

• Coaches in AA Ringette Calgary undergo an application and independent interview selection process, and have to complete all coaching and RIS certifications, as well as police checks. 
• In accordance with Ringette Alberta policy, our female-on-the-bench must be a certified coach (not a manager or trainer).
• Junior Coaches from our U16 and U19 divisions help support coaching staff and players, where possible.
   

Dryland Training—Learning fitness off the ice

• For AA Ringette Calgary, dryland training is an important off-ice component—to help contribute elements of physical fitness as part of on-ice development. The intent is to help young athletes learn proper training techniques and injury prevention, while gaining strength and conditioning in a fun, focused, supervised team environment.
• Usually scheduled 1-2 sessions per week, players are expected to take ownership of their own additional off-ice training, to ensure readiness for this level of competition. Exercises learned at dryland are just some of what they can add to their personal routine.
• Our program establishes contracts with specific dryland training organizations to optimize consistency among teams in the U14 age division. Each team is allocated a set number of sessions with a specific vendor, starting soon after teams are formed. U16 and U19 teams are able to source dryland options that best suit their specific season plans. 
• Care is taken in scheduling sessions around games or tournaments to allow sufficient athletic recovery time.
  
  

Parent Volunteer Commitment — It takes a community

• We are 100% volunteer run. In order to run a successful program, every family needs to help out. Through exceptional effort, support and friendship within our AA community, our athletes are able to participate in a well-organized setting that builds confidence and achievement, year after year.
• Team and Committee roles are varied and plentiful, allowing a wide-range of support opportunities, including:
  • AA Committee and Executive Board positions, including areas such as equipment, ice allocation, bus and hotel for tournaments, casinos or Golden Ring help, team photos, website and social media, year-end banquet, etc.
  • Team management and organizational roles: specific roles are set out during the first team meeting, please see our Volunteer role descriptions for more information
    
    

Our AA Board and Committee — A dedicated (and fun) group of parents

• Operation of the AA Ringette Calgary program is undertaken by the AA Board and AA Committee, which follows outlined policies and procedures and is accountable to Ringette Calgary.
• The Committee and Executive Board is made up of parent volunteers and is elected every year at the AGM, held shortly after team selection in the fall; terms for committee roles are typically from October to September.
• The Committee convenes every 1-2 months; the Board meets monthly and together with specific positions continue through the off-season to facilitate operation and upcoming season items.
• Three members from every team are required to attend the regular Committee meetings and volunteer for specific committee or executive board roles. Managers are also encouraged to attend (though not mandatory).
• Please see our AA Committee page for more information on committee roles and responsibilities.
   

Financial Commitment and Fundraising — Your help makes it happen

• Financial commitment and fundraising is a realistic part of any elite sport program such as the AA Ringette Calgary program.
  
  
• "AA association-level" costs are largely covered through registration fees and casino proceeds, and can include items such as:
  • AA ice allocation
  • Player / Coach fees for RAB, RCan, etc
  • Coach Certifications
  • Tournament entry fees for first half of the season (ie. RIO / Rusty Ring, Saskatoon / Regina, Wood)
• However, these sources do not fully cover the entire costs involved to ice a team for a season.
  
  
• "Team-level" costs are typically covered through cash calls and other fundraising, the mix of which depends on parent preferences.
• Initial team cash calls are determined after teams are formed and further cash calls / fundraising initiatives are undertaken by families throughout the season to help meet team budget needs. These preferences should be decided by teams during their first team meeting and subsequent team budget reviews. See our Fundraising initiatives page for ideas. 
• Team-level expenses can include:
  • Extra ice purchases
  • Tournament entry fees for tournaments not pre-paid by AA in the first half of the season
  • Tournament expenses (including bus/car rentals, hotel/flight costs for non-parent coaches)
  • Dryland sessions
  • Team-building events
  • Additional team apparel
    
    
• Family personal costs can include:
  • AA player equipment and apparel 
  • Travel expenses, including personal vehicle, flight/hotel costs, etc
  • Player equipment and maintenance

 
Thank you for your interest in AA Ringette Calgary!