THUNDER BAY – The Ontario Winter Games are officially under way.
Athletes taking part in futsal, an indoor soccer hybrid, and ringette kicked off the competitive schedule on Friday morning, with the remainder of the opening weekend sports scheduled to begin on Saturday at venues around Thunder Bay.
Ava Robinson, who will suit up for Team Black in the ringette tournament, said the event -- spread over two weekends and featuring more than 1,300 athletes -- will help create memories that will last a lifetime.
“This is my first year taking part in the AAA program and I’m super excited to be here to play with players of a high calibre. To have the competition level be this awesome is just a really great experience and opportunity for me,” said Robinson, who plays for the London Lynx U19 team.
Beyond the actual competition, the teenager is at the Games to learn skills from new coaches and new teammates that she can take back to her regular team.
“This is a different environment, that’s not my home association. I’m hoping for a win this weekend too,” she said.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.”
Thunder Bay’s own Sara Jacobson was part of the starting five on the Thunder Bay Chill’s entry in the futsal competition, being staged at the Lakehead University Thunderdome.
She said it’s a privilege to help welcome so many out-of-towners to the Ontario Winter Games in her hometown, which also comes with plenty of advantages for local athletes and coaches.
“It’s a great opportunity for us and it should be fun. It’s nice to play at home so all of our friends and family can come. It’s really special,” Jacobson said.
“It means a lot. It’s a great privilege that we can host it here and it should be really fun to play in front of everyone.”
Like Robinson, she’s looking to create memories with her team.
“It’s a great experience for all of us to play here and we just want to have fun over all and enjoy it.”
She also wouldn’t be opposed to winning a medal when all is said and done on Monday.
“It would be really nice. Of course, everyone wants to win,” the St. Ignatius High School student said.
This year’s edition of the Ontario Winter Games features 13 sports, six this weekend and seven more taking place the following weekend.
Other sports include rugby, hockey, five-pin bowling, cross-country skiing, diving and wrestling.
Celine Leduc, the head coach of Robinson’s Team Black, said it’s like a mini-Olympics.
It’s her third year coaching AAA athletes and she said it's great exposure for the sport of ringette.
“It’s a smaller sport. To have an opportunity to have the best ringette athletes, girls between the ages of 15 and 19, competing at the highest level in Ontario, it’s great for the sport, great for the athletes and we’re really excited to be here,” said Leduc, standing on the near side of Delaney Arena, where ringette is being played this weekend.
Barry Streib, chair of the organizing committee, said it’s fantastic to finally have the competition under way and he was more than willing to turn the spotlight over to the athletes themselves.
After all, they’re the stars of the Games, he said.
“Our volunteers are ready to go, and of course the athletes are too. It feels good that this has started and I’m looking forward to all of the sports, trying to get to all the venues to make sure I see what the heck these individuals are doing,” Streib said.
The opening ceremonies, like all Games competitions, are open to the public and admission is free.
The ceremonies, which officially launch the Games, are scheduled to start tonight (Feb. 16) at 6:30 p.m. at Fort William Historical Park.
