As we head into Day 3 of the 2020 BC Winter Games, and final rounds of the ringette bracket, The energy is heating up at the Pomeroy Sports Centre in Fort St. John. Zone 4 - Fraser River played for the bronze medal. Their parents talk about the athletes' commitment to the sport, waking up and playing from 7 AM to 7 PM most days. However, today the girls were ready for the medal when they woke up at 4:45 AM to prepare for their match.
With intense competition, this is the first time some athletes have experienced injuries in a game. The participants have said sitting on the bench and cheering on teammates is a difficult thing to do, when they want to be on the ice with their friends. It's disappointing for some of the athletes to not be playing with their team in the medal games.
Participants mentioned how grateful they were to the city and community for the time committed to the games. Everyone they met in town has been a volunteer or involved in one way or another. Even the staff and waitresses in the hotels and restaurants in town have an additional role to make sure everything runs smoothly. Fort St. John truly came together for the games and that is apparent.
Down on the coast in Port Moody, there is a lot of ringette opportunities and a strong league for the girls. Most of the team have played together in some capacity before, many of them since they were 6 years old. The games have been a great experience for them to play and travel together. The athletes and parents laughed as they told us they were preparing for a frigid trip north with temperatures near -30. Some even brought heated vests to wear, but were happily surprised by the mild conditions and sunshine.
The level of sportsmanship was so high, in one instance the coach of a winning team had the players play with their non-dominant hand due to a large score gap. While the athletes all have the drive for competition, they want to make sure everyone leaves with good memories and a smile, sometimes meaning changing things up on the fly.