Cathy Over inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame

Ottawa, Ontario – June 25, 2015 – Ringette Canada today announced that Cathy Over (Calgary) has been inducted into its Hall of Fame. The Ringette Canada Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding contributions to the development of the sport of ringette and the outstanding achievements of ringette athletes, coaches, officials and administrators across Canada.

“For a sport to grow and continue to be successful, it requires the hard work and dedication of many people,” said Daniel Dussault, Ringette Canada president. “We are very pleased to induct Cathy Over into the official’s category of Ringette Canada’s Hall of Fame and celebrate her valuable contributions to the sport of ringette.”

Cathy Over can’t remember life without the sport of ringette. She started playing at the age of seven in her jeans, with only a helmet, skates and a stick, and at the time, a two-page rulebook. She contributed in the development of the sport across the country and internationally, and supported its progress into a high speed, high skill game for athletes. As part of the Player Development Committee with the Ontario Ringette Association in the 1970s-80s, she would travel the province to tell all who would listen about this incredible sport. She has played, officiated and coached right through to the Canadian Ringette Championship level. “I am lucky to be involved at so many levels and truly proud to have been involved in so many capacities. Many of my lifelong friendships have come from my ringette experience, including a special relationship with Agnes Jacks.”

Cathy loved to play the sport and was fortunate to enjoy 18 years mainly in the AA program in Gloucester, Ontario as a goaltender, but eventually officiating got her full attention. Cathy is a strong proponent of the Officiating Evaluation Program and giving as much time as possible back as a mentor and evaluator to all developing officials. She traveled extensively across Canada to tournaments, games and clinics throughout 20 years of service. Cathy, along with ringette’s late friend Steve Iacovelli (1970 – 2001), created and delivered a number of officiating camps in Eastern Canada in the 1990s to encourage recruitment and development of ringette officials.

Cathy is honoured to have worked with such a strong and committed community of ringette leaders across the country during her ringette career, many of whom are now in the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame and some who we have now lost but not forgotten. “I admire and respect these builders of our sport and my colleagues in officiating and coaching who dedicate so much of their personal time and passion. My daughter, with so many other ringette athletes, will benefit with friendship, competition and life building skills because of the gift of our wonderful ringette volunteers and families that make this sport truly one of a kind. Thank you to Ringette Canada and my friends and family with the honour of a place in Ringette Canada’s Hall of Fame.”

2015 has been proclaimed the ‘Year of Sport’ in Canada, which aims to celebrate the role that sport plays in our Canadian identity. Ringette Canada fully supports this proclamation and encourages all Canadians to celebrate sport in their communities.

About Ringette
Ringette is a Canadian sport that was invented in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario by the late Sam Jacks. There are currently over 30,000 players on nearly 2,000 teams across Canada, with over 1,500 officials and nearly 8000 coaches. Internationally, it is played in more than a half a dozen other countries around the world. Ringette has been designated a Heritage Sport by Sport Canada and as part of the Sport for Life movement, ringette is well advanced at adapting Sport Canada’s Long Term Athlete Development model. For more information, please refer to the Ringette Canada Web site at www.ringette.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Alayne Martell
Media and Public Relations | Relations de presse et publiques
Ringette Canada | Ringuette Canada
National Ringette League | Ligue Nationale de Ringuette
Phone | Téléphone : (613) 748-5655, ext. 226
Cell : (902) 308-1067
alayne@ringette.ca
@: www.ringette.ca
@: www.nationalringetteleague.ca
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