The sport of ringette has been growing in Vita, and as the new season draws near, President Darcia Lomax is excited for where things are going. "We are so very excited," Lomax says with a big smile. "We've had lots of girls signing up. The U12 is very popular. This is our first year or our second year, but it's our first year with our new team name, so we're the Vita Vipers. We have brand new jerseys, our dressing room in Vita has been painted, and it's got the logo on it. So, we've got lots of exciting things happening this year." Growing ringette in Vita Through the last couple of seasons, Lomax says it's been very encouraging to see how many kids want to get involved with the sport of ringette. "It's been really exciting to see it happening. So, the first kind of year is we just had like a come-try Ringette kind of thing, where we had an intro for it. It was a four-week session, and the girls loved it. The next year, last year, we had the actual being a part of the league. So we're part of ERL, and we played games and we went to a tournament, and they won silver. It was amazing to see the girls just learning so much and having such a great team together. I'm so proud to be part of it." Putting the call out for players While the U12 is thriving, Lomax says they are in need of U10 players and is encouraging anyone interested to reach out. "U12 has been really popular. We've got lots of girls for that, but our younger group, the U10, we need some more girls for that team. So we do have four girls signed up, and they're so excited to play, and we want to make sure we have a team for them. So we need at least three more girls. That'd be girls eight to six seven eight and nine. We're actually a satellite team. So, girls from that area, girls from St. Malo, St. Pierre, I think Dominion City, we're skating in there now, we're renting our ice camp for a little while until our rink is ready. So, yeah, girls from anywhere. What's great about this is that is we're new, we're a new rink at clubs, so all of our girls are new. So, if your girl hasn't played much or even skated much, she'll be just fine. I had girls last year who had hardly skated before, and they learned so much, and they improved, and we won silver." Easy to reach out For those who want to learn more about registration, time, or just ask questions, Lomax says she's always available. "My number is 204-972-0687. They could message the Vita arena, and we might be able to get it through that way, too. But texting me would be the easiest, or calling and leaving a message if I don't answer." A key detail is that registration costs are made affordable, as Lomax explains. "Our fees are reasonable," she says proudly. "We have a payment plan that'll help make it so it's not so much like a lump amount that you have to pay. We can also help get gear. Roc Eastman has been helping me find hockey gear for years. We use some of that hockey gear for the ringette ones, and we've gotten some ringette stuff too that we can hand out. So, if people want to donate any ringette gear, we'd appreciate that, too." Building friendships through ringette A big takeaway of the ringette programs for Lomax is how close the girls become as friends. "It was so much fun to be with the girls on the ice. I also help coach, and I'm out on the ice, and I'm there for the games. So, to see the girls learning how to play ringette, they had never played before. They didn't know what the sport was, and then also working together as a team, 'cause ringette is very much a team sport. They have to work together to succeed. It was really great to see that." Loamx also points out how big of a role the parents play in growing the game in Vita. "Having a team like this helps bring community together and people who have the same passion. So, their children are passionate about skating and being out on the ice, and the parents are passionate about seeing their kids be there, enjoying themselves, having a good time. So, yeah, it's really great to have something in common with other people."