Airdrie is well represented by young athletes at this weekend's 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

More than 30 local athletes are competing this weekend, including ringette players Taylor Klappe, 15, and Kennedy Rice, 16.

Klappe attends Grade 10 at St. Martin de Porres and is currently enjoying her eighth year of ringette. The first six years were spent with the Airdrie Association and this is her second year in the Zone 2 Big Country AA program.

She credits her AA experience with helping her get to the Airdrie 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

"This was my second time trying out for the Winter Games," Klappe says. "The first time I did was two years ago when it was in Wood Buffalo. I didn’t make it that year, but this year I tried out again. There was lots of girls there so it was kind of intimidating but especially after playing in the AA program, I felt a lot more prepared and I was really excited to see that I made the team after that."

Klappe says she loves the intensity, strategy, and speed of ringette as well as the team aspect of the game. She says she's thrilled that the Games are being held in her home city.

"It’s really cool it being in Airdrie because most of the time we are doing these big competitions, my team’s travelling all over the province or even the country. So my friends and family don’t usually get to come watch, so it’s really cool that they can come support me right in my home town," Klappe says.

Rice, Grade 11 student at W.H. Croxford and Klappe's teammate, has also been playing ringette for many years. She started when she was 8 years old and says she loves the ringette community.

"I think everyone, especially in the AA, everyone is working towards a similar goal and it’s just a feeling of having all these people around you that are all working together to achieve the same thing. It’s a good support system," says Rice.

The girls have a packed weekend ahead as they strive to make the finals on Monday. Rice says they had a lot of practice leading up to the Games and even played an exhibition game against the Calgary team to see what the competition was like.

"I think if we all work together and we all put in our best effort we can get up there I’m pretty sure," says Rice. "I guess we’ll see!"

Both Klappe and Rice are excited to compete, though admit having fun is the main goal.

For more on this weekend's Airdrie 2020 Alberta Winter Games, click HERE.

 

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