Tiana Halbgewachs

“I’m 21 years old, I started playing ringette at the age of four, and have been in love with the sport ever since. Not only do I love the sport, I have a passion for it and hope to share that passion! I have played for 16 years, officiated for three and coached for six. Between working as a 4th year electrical apprentice, going to school, playing and officiating, I decided to take on the role of head coach in the 2016-2017 season. We finished the season with a gold medal in the Sherwood Park tournament and I was honoured to receive a ‘Coach of the Year’ award from Sherwood Park Ringette Association. My parents tell me this story about how I was so scared for my very first ringette practice because I was so small and all the other girls were so much bigger. They tell me about how close I was to never playing ringette and I could not imagine a world without ringette. The hours spent planning practices, being at the arena before the sun comes up, and spending so much time at the arena that you forget what your home looks like, is so worth the memories, life-long friendships and the pride after a successful season. I’ve always said that I’ll be playing ringette until I’m gone, and that’s a dream I still hope to fulfill.” – Tiana Halbgewachs (Sherwood Park, Alberta)