Prince George ringette tournament a tribute to devoted volunteer

The fastest game on ice is being showcased during the 30^th Joy Hoffman Memorial Ringette Championship from Nov. 11 to 13 at the Kin Centres.

There are 60 games to be played by 406 players on 28 teams who are coming from all over the province. It’s grown this year, with 160 players on nine teams playing at the rep team level and 246 players on 19 club teams.

The tournament director has been organizing this event for quite a few years and because her strength lies in event coordinating Jennifer Erickson said she just kind of fell into it and there’s a good reason she keeps doing it.

“I think it’s important for the ringette players in the North to get a tournament in their area,” Erickson explained. “Being from the North and having to travel a crazy amount, we go to Vancouver, we go to Kelowna, we go to Vernon, we got to Terrace and the kids are always so tired from travelling I would like them to have the chance to sleep in their own beds and get up fresh and come to the rink to play.”

Erickson is also personally connected to Joy Hoffman’s daughter, Maxine Hoffman-Baarts, who ran a day care years ago and Erickson had her two older daughters in that daycare and then as Erickson’s other daughter played ringette, the connection came full circle, she said.

The whole event is to celebrate a key volunteer that had been an integral part of ringette in Prince George.

“Family was very important to mom, the community and bringing everyone together was important,” Hoffman-Baarts said. “And I think one of the biggest things for my mom when it comes to ringette was finding something for pre-teens and teens to do – focusing on females – and that kind of got her going because I am one of four kids and the only one to play ringette was Marina, the youngest, and mom got a lot of enjoyment out of it. The practices were very early in the morning and my mom would take Marina and a bunch of other little girls who couldn’t get rides to the rink and off they would go to practice and come home before anyone else was even out of bed and she loved it.”

Joy Hoffman had a motto and that was ‘I wouldn’t do anything unless I could do my very best,’ Hoffman-Baarts added.

“And that says a lot right there. Mom was always just willing to help out over and above. We always had a house full of kids from the neighbourhood – everyone came over to our house because mom would bake for everyone and she loved that – the more the merrier.”

There’s a lot of pride that comes with the knowledge this tournament is in her mother’s honour, Hoffman-Baarts added.

There are 288 volunteers who have signed up to help out during the giant tournament and Hoffman-Baarts wants to acknowledge all their efforts.

“Mom always worked so hard and let’s remember that there have been a lot of other people who also need to be appreciated because they themselves have kept it going,” Hoffman-Baarts said. “There’s so much that goes into this tournament and that just shows you – again – the community of Prince George – how strong we are and how many ongoing volunteers we have. I love Prince George so much – born and raised there – I know it’s a great community. I know this is how mom felt and I feel the same way – I get teary eyed just thinking about all the hard work that goes into this tournament and I am grateful to all the volunteers. I know we’re recognizing mom, but after mom there were so many other people and they, too, need to be recognized, so thank you! You are amazing!"