WFRA Competitive Stream Mentor Jeff Francom
Posted November 22, 2023
Good Day Members,
Please join me in welcoming a familiar face to a new role. Jeff Francom will be volunteering with the association in a new role, the WFRA Competitive Stream Mentor. In this role Jeff will be engaging with our Rep team programming from Fun 3 and up. He will be attending practices and, where possible, some games.
The goal will be to provide support and suggestions to bench staff, families and players to help maximize their Rep experience. He will be available to answer questions from all participants and will meet and encourage our rep players and help them in their development as athletes.
Jeff has a long history with WFRA and has coached at all age levels across the competitive stream, from Fun 3 to University. He is very engaging, has a great understanding of Long-Term Athlete Development, and uses a positive-strengths based coaching philosophy. Please welcome Jeff as you see him around the arenas!
Darren Pace
WFRA President
Please join me in welcoming a familiar face to a new role. Jeff Francom will be volunteering with the association in a new role, the WFRA Competitive Stream Mentor. In this role Jeff will be engaging with our Rep team programming from Fun 3 and up. He will be attending practices and, where possible, some games.
The goal will be to provide support and suggestions to bench staff, families and players to help maximize their Rep experience. He will be available to answer questions from all participants and will meet and encourage our rep players and help them in their development as athletes.
Jeff has a long history with WFRA and has coached at all age levels across the competitive stream, from Fun 3 to University. He is very engaging, has a great understanding of Long-Term Athlete Development, and uses a positive-strengths based coaching philosophy. Please welcome Jeff as you see him around the arenas!
Darren Pace
WFRA President
Supporting Our Officials
Posted October 17, 2023
Dear Members,
I want to reach out to you today as our season gets underway and thank all of our officials, our referee’s and minor officials that make it possible for us to play the game we love. As I extend our thanks to our officials I want to remind everyone that Ringette Ontario (RO) and the West Ferris Ringette Association of North Bay (WFRA) have and fully endorse a series of Code’s of Conduct including one for Spectators.
RO and WFRA fully support key principles in ringette including fair play, graciousness, sportsmanship,
safety, inclusion, mutual respect, integrity, and the promotion of an enjoyable environment. Spectators
are expected to live up to the Code of Conduct and these values and that includes how they interact
with referee’s and minor officials. RO and WFRA have a zero tolerance policy as it relates to offensive or abusive behaviour, including towards officials. Many of our officials, both referee’s and minor officials, are teenagers. It has become increasingly difficult to recruit people to take on these roles due to patterns of verbal abuse from spectators. We need to change this pattern. No referee’s means no games. We want to be supportive to our officials, thank them for their efforts and give them a safe and supportive environment to work in. We do not want verbal abuse or harassment such as yelling ‘You suck, stripes!’ as they leave the ice, or acts of physical intimidation such as intentionally blocking their way on and off the ice or making threats. Any such behaviours will result in the spectator being asked to leave the arena area immediately and may result in additional disciplinary action. I would prefer this not be necessary, and feel strongly our ringette community can show our referee’s and minor officials respect and support.
I look forward to a fun and safe ringette season.
Darren Pace
President WFRA
I want to reach out to you today as our season gets underway and thank all of our officials, our referee’s and minor officials that make it possible for us to play the game we love. As I extend our thanks to our officials I want to remind everyone that Ringette Ontario (RO) and the West Ferris Ringette Association of North Bay (WFRA) have and fully endorse a series of Code’s of Conduct including one for Spectators.
RO and WFRA fully support key principles in ringette including fair play, graciousness, sportsmanship,
safety, inclusion, mutual respect, integrity, and the promotion of an enjoyable environment. Spectators
are expected to live up to the Code of Conduct and these values and that includes how they interact
with referee’s and minor officials. RO and WFRA have a zero tolerance policy as it relates to offensive or abusive behaviour, including towards officials. Many of our officials, both referee’s and minor officials, are teenagers. It has become increasingly difficult to recruit people to take on these roles due to patterns of verbal abuse from spectators. We need to change this pattern. No referee’s means no games. We want to be supportive to our officials, thank them for their efforts and give them a safe and supportive environment to work in. We do not want verbal abuse or harassment such as yelling ‘You suck, stripes!’ as they leave the ice, or acts of physical intimidation such as intentionally blocking their way on and off the ice or making threats. Any such behaviours will result in the spectator being asked to leave the arena area immediately and may result in additional disciplinary action. I would prefer this not be necessary, and feel strongly our ringette community can show our referee’s and minor officials respect and support.
I look forward to a fun and safe ringette season.
Darren Pace
President WFRA
Free Goalie Clinic UPDATE
Updated September 27, 2023
UPDATE: Thanks to all who attended our free goalie clinic! It was a wonderful success!
See you on the ice!
See you on the ice!
