Great Quality Ringette Equipment can be found at Herm's Sports and Source for Sports London. Canadian Tire and big chains tend not to carry ringette cages, girdles and pants.
Typical Player Gear
The following is a list of the equipment a ringette player needs to wear while on the ice:
CSA approved hockey helmet
Ringette face mask - the kind with the triangular openings - Leave all of the stickers on!
BNQ approved neck protector
Elbow pads
Protective (i.e. hockey) gloves
Girdle (hip/tailbone/genital protector)
Jill strap (if girdle is other than a ringette girdle)
Shin guards
Hockey/ringette skates (no picks)
Ringette pants
Ringette stick
Practice jersey
Sticks
Ringette sticks are made specifically for the sport. The tip should be tapered over 250 mm. Maximum and 17 to 25 mm. X 27 to 35 mm. The maximum length of a stick should be to the height of the player's rib cage standing in skates. Some players may prefer a shorter stick.
Equipment should be dried after each use. A small cloth should be part of each player’s bag for wiping skates and sticks should be carried so the playing end does not bang on the ground.
Skates
Skates are the most important as they provide support, mobility and protection. The counter (heel area) and ankle area should be stiff. You can test the heel area by grasping the skate from behind and pinching the two sides together. Twist them - are they soft, limp or pliable? The quality of blade determines how often it has to be sharpened, hence, how long it lasts.
When fitting skates, start with one pair of light-weight synthetic socks (cotton socks tend to stick to the skin when wet and cause blisters) and your shoe size. Youth sizes 6 - 13 1/2 , Junior sizes 1 - 6 and Adult sizes 7+. If the skates are too large and you try to take up slack by tightening the laces, the blood circulation will be restricted resulting in cold feet. An ideal fit will place the toe 1/4 inch from the front of the skate. Pretty hard to judge! You can measure this by pushing their foot to the front of the skate. When you can place one finger behind the heel the skate is the right size. The boot should hold the heel ridged like a medical cast. A narrow foot may require leather inserts to take up space in the heel side area. All children have strong ankles but not strong enough for the transition period from shoe to blade. It comes after varying lengths of time. For several years, all children need unyielding ankle support.
To tie the skate, divide it into thirds. The bottom third should be moderate tension (take up slack). The middle third should be slightly looser. The top third needs to be pulled tightly (taking up all loose leather holding the foot firmly). These are relative terms. Good skates will not require bull strength to tie. Do not wrap laces that are too long around the ankle area as it restricts ankle movement.
Sizes are not standard. Try them on. Spring is a good time for used equipment. Good skates can be purchased new, used or on sale. Remember proper fitting quality skates will improve their skating up to 30%, last for a half dozen children and make skating more fun.
