The 2007-2008 Ringette Season is here -- YAY! The MDRA executive has been meeting and emailing all summer and we're looking forward to another great season. Our registration is up somewhat from last year and we're pleased to say that we've been allotted some new ice this year -- turns out that is harder than we thought!

For the families who are new to the MDRA and ringette -- WELCOME! FYI, our Web site (www.mdra.ca) is the primary place to go for information. Now that the season is about to begin, please check the web site at least weekly for updates, which will be posted in the middle column of the site. The other key page is the September schedule. Note there is one schedule web page for all levels. Once the games and practices get underway in October, each team has its own schedule.

September Schedule

Labour Day Scrimmages
This Saturday, September 1, we've have ice for two scrimmages, one for novice and petite players, and one for tween and junior players. If you are planning on attending please let us know by sending an email (mdra@storm.ca) indicating which session your player will be attending (try clicking the links below).
- Novice/petite session 4:30pm Osgoode RSVP Here
- Tween/junior session 5:30pm Osgoode RSVP Here

We only have space for 30 players per session, so if we have more than 30 players, we will randomly draw 30 names and let those who were not drawn know.

Powerskating
This year we have three sections of powerskating. Emails were sent out on August 22 to all who signed up indicating the group and schedule. If you received this, please reply to joannev@magma.ca so we don't phone you as well.

Seeding Sessions
The seeding sessions schedule is also posted on the Web site. Emails have gone out to novice families about which group their player is in. For other levels, please attend the first scheduled seeding session for that level.

Ringette World Championships coming to Ottawa!
If you haven't heard, the Ringette Worlds are coming to Ottawa! If ringette was in the Olympics, these are the teams that would be competing, so it will be a fantastic tournament to watch. The tournament is organized by Ringette Canada, the Ontario Ringette Association and the City of Ottawa Ringette Association. It will be held October 31 to November 3, 2007 and all games are at the Ottawa Civic Centre. For more information on the tournament, go to www.worldringette.com.

You can get your tickets to the tournament from MDRA. We will be circulating order forms at some point in September. We'll have event passes for $55 and tickets to the gold medal game only for about $33. So look for the order form and we certainly hope our MDRA players and families will make a strong showing at the worlds!

New this Year -- Code of Conduct
Ringette is a fabulous game and MDRA wants to do everything it can to keep it that way. In keeping with what is going on in other sports, and to repsond to issues the association has faced recently, this year all players and parents will be asked to sign a Code of Conduct. This document essentially draws the line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour for players and parents. The document will need to be signed by players and parents prior to the player playing in any games. For your information, for years the bench staff of MDRA teams has signed the Ontario Ringette Association's "Bench Staff Code of Conduct Agreement."

MDRA Clothing
Already people have asked if MDRA clothing will be available this year, and the answer is YES. More info will follow in the next few weeks.

Junior and Belle Players -- Make Money, Have Fun...be a Ref!
Referees are always needed and this is a great way for junior and belle age players to take the game to the next level.

The Level 1 Officiating Clinic hasn't been announced yet, but is usually on a Saturday at the end of September. After successfully completing this clinic, participants are able to officiate Novice B and C, and Petite C games (with a more senior ref.). Level 1 refs are paid $14.00 per game plus an additional $2.00 from MDRA. The fee for the clinic is about $100, but this is billed to, and fully covered by, MDRA. In return MDRA expects these new refs to officiate in the MDRA area. There is more information here, though this still needs to be updated for 2007. If interested, or if you have questions, please contact MDRA's Referee-in-Chief Lori Pasanen at 613-612-1097 (leave a message) or pasanen@eisa.com .

Mouthguards are optional in Ringette, but they are still a good idea. A review of the dental literature shows, “It is clear that the literature views mouthguards as offering considerable protection against sports-related dental injuries.”* Some people also believe mouthguards help prevent concussions. And they can certainly reduce the impact on the pocketbook too! The concern in Ringette isn’t so much getting hit in the mouth by the ring or a stick, but rather an upward blow to the lower jaw that smashes the lower teeth into the upper teeth.

What many people don’t know is that a mouthguard doesn’t have to be ill-fitting, making it hard to talk, hold in place or even breathe. Custom mouthguards made by a dentist have been shown to fit better and protect better than the store-bought, “boil and bite” types. Because they fit better, they stay in place and the player is less tempted to have it dangle out and chew on it, making it last longer – it’s worth the extra cost.

To help the families of the MDRA, the Metcalfe and Osgoode Family Dental Centres have offered MDRA players special prices on custom mouthguards for a limited time. Until September 30^th, a clear mouthguard will cost $40 (regularly $50), and a coloured mouthguard will cost $50 (regularly $65). Given that the “boil and bite” type is $30 at Canadian Tire, this is a great deal!

A custom mouthguard takes two appointments: at the first impressions are made, it takes 30 minutes, and payment in full is required at this appointment; at the second, the mouthguard is fitted and any adjustments are made if necessary, this takes 15 minutes.

For more information and to book your appointment to have your custom-made sports guard produced call either office at the numbers below and mention that you are with Metcalfe Ringette. Drs. Fung and Harris look forward to helping you keep a winning smile on your player’s face!

- Metcalfe Family Dental Centre – 613-821-1257

- Osgoode Family Dental Centre – 613-826-1638

* Newsome P.R.H.; Tran D.C.; Cooke M.S., The role of the mouthguard in the prevention of sports-related dental injuries: a review. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, Volume 11, Number 6, November 2001 , pp. 396-404.