Alberta Winter Games 2024

Overview 

The 2024 Alberta Winter Games are a huge event in Canada’s sporting calendar to be celebrated in Grand Prairie. This event is more than just a competition; it is a celebration of youth sports, community spirit and sporting excellence. A long-time promoter of talent and sportsmanship, the Games have become a cornerstone of sporting development in Alberta, offering a unique platform for young athletes to prove themselves.

Volleyball Sport

Volleyball was created in 1895 in the United States in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was the invention of physical education teacher William Morgan, who wanted to create a game that would be less traumatic and more accessible than basketball. In the initial version of the game, it was called “mintonet” and it had some differences in rules compared to modern volleyball.

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players try to send the ball over the net so that the opponent cannot send it back to their side of the field. It is a dynamic game that requires players to be quick to react, coordinate, and work together as a team.

Curling Sport

Curling has its origins in Scotland and has a long history dating back to at least the 16th century. It was originally a game played on ice or frozen lakes where players tried to get stones closer to targets on the opposite side of the ice. Over time, this game became more organized and received modern rules.

Curling is a sporting game in which two teams of four players throw stones across an ice floe toward a target, trying to place them as close as possible to the center of the target, called a “house”. Players throw the stones by contributing to their direction and rotation to control their trajectory. The main strategy is to place the stones so that they are more favorable for your team and make it more difficult for your opponents.

Ringette Sport

Ringette originated in Canada in the 1960s. It was created as a female version of hockey that would be less contact and more focused on speed and technique. The game became popular among girls and women, especially in North America and Scandinavia.

Ringette is a team sport where players try to score a ball, called a “ring,” into an opponent’s goal using sticks. The game differs from ice hockey in that it has some unique rules that make it more strategic and less contact-based. Ringette is often considered a sport aimed at developing speed, skill and technique.

Figure Skating Sport

Figure skating has its roots in recreational practices that date back centuries. However, as a sporting discipline, it emerged in the 19th century in Europe, especially in the UK and France. The first figure skating competitions were held in the UK in the 1850s.

Figure skating is a sporting discipline in which skaters perform a variety of tricks and elements on ice skates on an ice floe. These elements may include spins, jumps, lifts, and complex combinations. Performances are usually judged on technical difficulty and artistic expression. Figure skating is divided into two main types: single skating and pair skating. In singles skating, one skater performs a program on skates, while in pairs skating, two skaters work as a team, performing tricks and elements together.

Alberta Games Zone Map

In preparation for the Winter and Summer Games, Alberta is divided into 8 special “zones”. Athletes will represent their zones according to their place of residence. Each zone has a unique color to make it easier to identify during the competition:

Zone 1 – Sunny South, Zone 2 – Big Country, Zone 3 – Calgary, Zone 4 – Park Zone, Zone 5 – Black Gold/Yellowhead, Zone 6 – Edmonton, Zone 7 – North East, Zone 8 – Country of peace.