An Inspirational Experience
Ambassador Program for the Canadian Ringette Championships
Nearly fifty young ringette players had a very special experience at the 2025 Canadian Ringette Championships (CRC) as part of the Ambassador Program. When the CRCs return to Ottawa for the 2026 edition, another group of young players will have a similar experience; being assigned to a team and following them through all of the activities that surround a national championships.
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The 2026 CRCs, scheduled for March 30 to April 4 at the Bell Sensplex and Tony Graham Arena, bring the country's best ringette teams together where champions are crowned, and lifelong memories are made. The Ambassadors Program in 2025 gave the young athletes an unprecedented opportunity to be embedded with a competitive team, experience the game up close and personal, become part of their rituals, and see first-hand the rigors and joys of high-level sport.
Avery
Avery Mulligan was assigned to the Calgary Riot U16AA, who went on to win the gold medal in their division. From the very first meeting, the Riot players welcomed Avery with open arms. She joined them in the locker room, on the ice for warmups, and even went on stage for their championship recognition at the closing ceremony.
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Along the way, she saw new drills, learned new skills and soaked up the team’s high-performance atmosphere. What Avery found especially ‘cool’ was getting to chat with the older players—and being able to ask for tips. She even joined in their pre-game hacky sack warmups to get the muscles all loosened up ready to play.
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The coaches made sure she was included, not just as a spectator, but as a true member of the team. And as a special welcome, the Riot gifted Avery a team swag bag and a jersey, which quickly became cherished reminders of her ambassador experience that she continues to treasure long after the championships ended.
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As an Elgin Street Public School student, Avery had to miss a few days of school for the tournament, but neither she nor mom Rebecca regretted a single moment. “We never could have imagined the sense of joy that we would get out of it,” Rebecca said later, reflecting on the week. And Rebecca saw the commitment and involvement of families, which she says helped her to mentally prepare to go from being the parent of a C athlete to an A team athlete as Avery, who is a goalie, moved into U12A competition.
Norah
Norah Evans is in her fifth year of playing ringette, this year with U12A Riley. She was assigned as an ambassador to the U16 PEI Wave. She too received a gift bag from the team which included a team jersey, and some very special PEI treats from Cows Creamery. She really appreciated how the team included her in things - and truly “made me feel like I was a part of the team”. They even picked her up from her school, Viscount Alexander, to make sure she could be part of their practices. She had a chance to chat with the coach, and get tips to improve her game, whether playing centre or defense.
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Her advice for anyone chosen to be an Ambassador for the 2026 Canadian Ringette Championships is to be ready to have fun and to fully be a part of the team and the event. It completely exceeded Norah’s expectations, and she has stayed in touch with the team, even seeing them this winter at a tournament and again on a trip to PEI. For her parents, Chris Evans and Clara Winer, it became a family affair, as they all took in as many games and activities as they could. Dad Chris said “It was a very heartening experience as a parent to see what she experienced with the team.” And they helped out with errands and trips to Value Village to find items the team needed.
From Avery and Norah to the 2026 Ambassadors
Avery and Norah are excited for the next group of Ambassadors to have the same once-in-a-lifetime week and send their best wishes for an incredible experience. For them, the Ambassadors Program opened up a world of friendship, inspiration and possibilities, as young players and their families experienced all that ringette has to offer.
The lessons learned about teamwork, spirit, and community, will shape their ringette journey for years to come.
Everyone involved appreciated that the Ringette community is one, big extended family. As Norah says “Ringette is THE BEST SPORT”.
