April 2019 Updates

Hi Folks

Spring sports are ready to kick into full gear and it may seem odd to be talking about ringette when the season has just wrapped up but here we go.  There is lots going on so although the note seems long, I tried to make the points as concise as possible.

Upcoming events:

April Association Meeting and AGM: April 18th, 2019, Baymont Inn and Suites, 7:00 start time.

• AGM meeting will take place first.  Vote and acceptance of new Board members.  Year to date financial statements.
• Regular meeting to follow.  New Board to lead meeting.

Ringette Alberta Conference: Saturday, April 27^th and Sunday April 28^th, Radisson Inn

• Any association member may attend.  Registration information will be coming in the next week or two.
• Children's Ringette Implementation (U10 S1 and Active Start Division Changes)
• 12 Playdown/Provincials Tournament change to League Playoffs.
• Further Agenda Items will be posted once released.

RAB Challenge: Friday/Saturday/Sunday, April 26-28th, Spruce Grove

• For players born in 2005/2006/2007
• It is just about full so if your child is interested, register right away
• It's a great way to make new friends and have fun in an intense ringette focused weekend.
• Coaches can also take advantage of mentoring and learning opportunities at the RAB Challenge

RAB Cup Tournament: Saturday/Sunday, May 4/5^th

• Tournament is now full, please email Carolyn at RAB to be put on the waiting list.
• For players born from 2000 - 2004

May Association Monthly Meeting: TBD at the Baymont Inn and Suites, 

• Agenda will be posted once finalized

City of Red Deer Xplore Sports Day: Sunday May 26th, 11:00 - 2:00, Downtown at the Rotary Rec Area

• Come see and try a multitude of sports at the annual Xplore Sport Day.
• RDR will have a table and area around the Servus Arena parking lot, come by and say hi.

Red Deer Children’s Festival: Friday/Saturday, May 31^st/June 1^st, Downtown around the Servus Arena

• We will be there; stop by and say hi. We are also looking for a few extra volunteers to spread out the work load.  Please contact president@reddeerringette.com if you can stop by and spell someone off for an hour or two.

Registration: will open mid to late May

• A note will be sent out when it goes live.

Rustbusters: Monday to Thursday, August 19^th-22^nd

• An overview of the program will be sent out prior to registration.
• Registration will be online when doing your season registration
• Assistants and helpers are always needed, a contact email will be provided when registration goes live.

Evaluations: September

• This season we are going to trial doing evaluations after the September Long Weekend.
• If this proves to difficult to get all our tasks done in a timely manner before league play starts, they will return to the long weekend in the 2020/2021 season

Some additional long term items on the books:

2019 Pub Night: Friday, Nov 15th, 2019; Bo's Bar and Grill

• The venue is booked so mark your calendars now.

2020 Red Deer Friends on Ice Tournament: Friday/Saturday/Sunday, January 3-5

2020 Provincials/U12 Playoff Hosting Bid: Likely March 13-15, 2020

• The association Board plans roughly a year out for major activities
• RDR is looking at entering a bid to host a Provincials Tournament and U12 Playoff tournament in March 2020.
• We have not hosted provincials for a number of years due to ice constraints so with all the ice sheets back up and available, it is time we look at hosting again.
• Red Deer is perfectly situated for Provincials hosting.
• Anyone who is interested in leading this event is encouraged to contact president@reddeerringette.com

2020 Casino Fundraiser: Spring 2020

• It looks like RDR will hopefully receive a chance to take part in a Casino fundraiser in 2020. 
• If this is confirmed by the time team builds are complete, each team will be required to have a Casino rep volunteer(s) to support this important fundraiser.

Reminders and Opportunities:

• Please send any season feedback to myself at president@reddeerringette.com so we can continue to improve the association.
• Please complete a coaching survey if you have not done so already. We value both positive and constructive feedback as it helps the coaches improve and the information is used in coach selection the following season.  A link is posted to the website.
• Volunteering is key to keeping the association running smoothly. We are happy to accept any help that people would like to offer.  In particular, additional volunteers are required for the Children’s Festival, Evaluations and Rustbusters.  Please let me know if you can help with any of these events at president@reddeerringette.com .
• We are also looking for a group of U10 parents who are passionate about ringette to consider leading the charge on the Active Start and U10 Step 1 changes in the upcoming season. This is the opportunity to help shape and steer U10 ringette in Central Alberta to make it better for all our athletes.  The larger our U10 group is the more ability to keep play local and keep the sport economical for our families.