For the Community Connections project, we were asked to interview someone that is involved in something that we are passionate about. I chose ringette, which led me to Nina.

Nina Tajbakhsh is a ringette player and has played the sport for 22 years. She plays in the NRL for Team Thunder where she is the captain, has played for Team BC, and is one of my favourite players to watch. She’s graceful skating up and down the ice, aggressive when checking the opposition, and has a very hard shot. She’s always willing to help and can be seen all over the ringette community. She’s very kind and definitely knows what she’s talking about if you ask her anything ringette-related. She has a ton of experience in the sport, on and off the ice. 

I’m so happy I got in contact with her because I really can’t imagine anybody else giving such in-depth questions. She gave so much interesting and important knowledge in our chat, and she proves the point, that ringette isn’t just a sport.

I asked Nina 6 questions, and here are her answers, straight out of our chat on Instagram.

1. Why are you passionate about ringette?

“So many reasons! First off, Ringette is such a unique and amazing sport. It’s exciting, fast and challenging, and my love for the game itself is one of the things that has kept me playing for 22 years. It’s also so much more than just a sport. The Ringette community is so special and I think that’s something that keeps people involved for so long. I also really love that Ringette is a female dominant sport and a lot of my passion comes from wanting to encourage young girls in the sport to continue pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers that exist for females, especially in sport.”

2. What is your favourite thing about the game?

“About the game itself, I would say the speed and intensity and how much it’s a team sport. You really can’t do it all on your own on the ice so it really is a sport that requires a team to work well together. I love that games are never boring and it can change so much from one game to the next.”

3. What obstacles have you faced to get where you are today?

“In terms of ringette, I would say living in BC can sometimes be an obstacle. In the NRL, we play in the Western conference and we are the only team in BC, so that means we have to travel throughout the West, or those teams come to us in order to play games. I definitely love travelling to play, but there isn’t a lot of teams to play here in order to get practice for those league games that we have. Although Ringette is growing, I think one obstacle for the sport in general is when people don’t always know what the sport is, which can make it challenging to earn the respect it deserves. I’ve lost track of the amount of times people haven’t known what Ringette is or think it’s easy. It isn’t until I show them a clip or explain the sport, that they realize how incredible it is. A final obstacle for me personally and I’m sure many athletes can relate, is trying out for a team and not being successful. That is probably one of the most difficult obstacles to tackle, but at the end of the day obstacles are what make you stronger so I use it to push myself to be better and more successful next time around.”

4. How do you get through a rough spot? For instance: if you’re having a rough couple of games or practices, how do you get yourself back into your game?

“I’m a really big quote person so when I’m in a rough spot a lot of the time I’ll look to one of my favourite quotes to try and change my mindset. I also have worked with a mental performance consultant on a couple of different occasions – with Team BC in 2019 when I managed the ringette team for Canada Winter Games and through the tryout process for the National Team and I learnt a lot from him. One thing I did with him was write down a couple of goals for each practice or game and then what I can do to make those goals happen. Other than that, I rely on teammates. For example, if we are in the dressing room at halftime, once we’ve finished our talk about what we need to do in the next half, I’ll play some music on the speaker and focus on the job we need to do.”

Her quote is: “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” – Jennifer Lee

5. What advice would you pass on to someone interested in ringette?

“I would tell anyone who is interested in Ringette to give it a chance because I can guarantee they will always be happy they did. For athletes who are currently in the sport, my advice is to work hard and continue challenging yourself to new limits and defying the odds. When opportunities arise, whether it’s playing a game with another team in your club or trying out for a team in your club, or trying out for a team you’ve dreamed of playing on – always take the chance, because there is so much growth and amazing experiences within this sport. Work just as hard in practice as you would in a game and always be coachable. Lastly, give back to the Ringette community and light a spark in the next generation of athletes to come.” 

6. Would you be open to further contact from Riverside students? How can we contact you?

“Of course, anytime!”

Her number is: (604) 833-5990 

Her Email is: nina_taj@hotmail.com

 

I chose to interview Nina because she is a big part of the ringette community and is a great leader. I learned that there is so many more things outside of the actual sport to get far, and it takes way more than just a good player to get there. Nina shared what it means to be a good player, and her information can be used not just in Ringette, but other sports and opportunities you might come across.

Talking with Nina was really easy, and I’m so happy we could connect.

Sources for pictures: Nina Tajbakhsh, (Darryl Gershman) and my screenshots.