By Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 Reporter
North Richland Hills, TX – Ambient sound of practice at the rink
Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: More than a dozen young women from their teens into their thirties race around the rink at the Blue Line Ice Complex in North Richland Hills.
More ambient sound Zeeble: Some are Canadians, some North Texans. Many here stand a good chance of making the U.S. crew of 25 which will compete in Finland this November in the Ringette world competition. Their sport is one even Minnesota native Andrew Ervin, the current Team USA president, never heard of until his seven year old daughter fell in love with it half a dozen years ago.
Andrew Ervin, President, Ringette USA: The general public for the most part doesn't know what the game is in the U.S. In Canada, almost everybody, even if they do not know it, they heard of it, they know what it is.
Zeeble: Ervin says 60,000 Canadian girls and young women play the hockey-like game, adding that more females in Canada play Ringette than hockey. The sport uses a small, doughnut-like rubber ring instead of hockey's puck. Skaters pass it with a bladeless stick, unlike hockey. The ring can only advance across each blue line, or third of the rink, when players pass it ahead. In hockey, that's not allowed. And at least half the six-person team must be in the zone with the ring. The number of players equals that in hockey. Points are still scored when the ring gets past the goalie. Calgary native Jody Jenson, who tried out for the team in Dallas, hates comparing Ringette to hockey and says team strategy is more like that of basketball.
Jodi Jensen, Ringette USA team hopeful: There's no contact allowed in basketball, no contact allowed in soccer. It gets aggressive; it gets somewhat physical. It's not a comparison to women's hockey. We don't wear equipment per se that hockey players wear. We don't need the padding to protect us from the puck. We don't need the huge shoulder pads to protect us from the big hits. It doesn't happen. We play on strategy and play on finesse, not on trying to hit somebody.
Zeeble: Ringette was created in 1963 by North Bay, Ontario resident Sam Jacks. He wanted a sport his little girl could play competitively, that didn't rely on upper body strength boys develop, or the gloves-off fighting that's also part of hockey. Jacks died in 1973, but not before Ringette took hold in Canada. Ringette USA coach Lori Horn says she got hooked.
Lori Horn, coach of Ringette USA: I started playing hockey when I was in Grade 7 with the boys. The boys grew to be six feet that year and I stayed 5'2, 5'3, and I started getting the malarkey beat out of me, so I started playing, liked it, and it just became a way of life.
Vickey Krone, Dallas Ringette player: It's a lot quicker; you have to think a lot quicker.
Zeeble: Dallasite Vickey Krone took up hockey four years ago, inspired by the Stars. She was one of nine Dallas skaters who tried out for Ringette USA.
Krone: You can't just dump the puck and everybody dive for it in the corner. You have to look for teammates and line up where you're passing. It's more of a team game.
Zeeble: Coach Lori Horn says the role of Texas women in promoting this sport may be as important as making the team.
Horn: Attitude and potential is what we got here, and that's what we're looking for. Here we're dealing with brand new attitudes. And brand new sets of players. You got to take what you can get, and hopefully you get people that'll make the sport grow.
Zeeble: The Texans won't know whether they've made the Ringette USA team for at least a week. Those that do must then arrange for time off in November and come up with at least $1,600 for the trip to Finland. For KERA 90.1, I'm Bill Zeeble.