I know you’ve seen or at the very least know of hockey, but have you ever heard of ringette? Ringette is an action-packed ice extravaganza with unique rules and culture that brings the game to a whole new level. It’s a riveting sport that’s been a fundamental step in building communities and shaping the lives of so many women. Ringette has had such a drastic and positive social impact but is somehow still boiled down to “hockey with a ring instead of a puck”. It’s extremely enraging to see people dilute the significance of ringette. They’ll often discredit its validity as a distinct sport and ignore how it’s historically helped women take control of their own sports development. Ringette offers a distinct space for women to thrive instead of shoving them into a metaphorical box. Treating them as substitutes or as an alternative commodity to male-dominated sports. Ringette has been around for over 50 years and it’s time to give it some much needed respect!
Introducing the 2023/2024 Edmonton Black Gold Rush 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/9ZyAGQlmYi
— Edmonton Black Gold Rush (@NRLRush) October 18, 2023
Constriction in Women’s Sports
Women aren’t men, and they shouldn’t have to be. However, it often seems like mainstream sports haven’t gotten the memo. The average salary for a male hockey player in the NHL is around 3.5 million dollars. While the PWHL’s (Provincial Women’s Hockey League’s) average salary will be $55,000 in its inaugural season, which starts in January. It’s disappointing to see how gender can create such a disparity between players and their career potential in sports. Professional women’s sports are still frequently viewed as substitutes or as alternative commodities. Which is why ringette is so important and needs to gain more recognition!
Empowering Women
Ringette was always meant to be a sport for women. In the 1960’s female athletes didn’t have many opportunities to play sports. Especially sports that weren’t just an offshoot of male-dominated games. That’s why ringette was created. It was developed in Ontario and prioritized women’s sports. It gave women a platform to shine and young girls something to believe in.
Bruce and Rochelle McIntyre / Flickr
Conclusion
Ringette isn’t and will never be “hockey with a ring instead of a puck”. Ringette has always represented never giving up and fighting for what you believe in. It shows how women can innovate, taking charge and make new legacies for themselves. Not letting ludacris social standards shove them into a box. Ringette is inspirational and deserves recognition. So, if you’re looking for a new sport or a beer league to join, give ringette a try. Trust me it’ll be worth it!