LOSSA rule Changes

I heard that starting next year, LOSSA will enforced a rule that grade 9's must go to their home school to be eligible of playing sports, if you go to a school out of area, you won't be eligible!

1.) The good thing about this rule that about 5 years form now, Lossa will be very competitive, but It would be perfect if lossa breaks down into tiers just like in peel for that matter.

2.) The concern is that, if a student starting grade 9 wants to go to a school out of area for a valid reason such as advance placement, special arts program, etc. Will the student be eligible to play ?

In Peel, the rule makes an exception for players in regional programs (IB, AP, French immersion, arts, etc. but not SHSM which have been subject to abuse in the past) and also for the younger siblings of students already enrolled at the school. I would assume one or both of those exceptions would apply to the new LOSSA rule.

It would be a positive for basketball if this rule was applied by all the boards in the GTA.

GTA_Fan, In the last two or three years Durham has become very competitive even without this rule.

Just look at Senior this year there are many teams in the mix and the games are being split between the teams. Point differential is a major factor in determining playoff positioning.

But this rule may make it even more competitive if that is possible.

Your right Coach Clement, it would be way much better for Lossa if they're going to adopt a tier system

Competitive within LOSAA at the expense of being competitive anywhere outside of Durham region.

So its possible that a basketball player may be forced to go to a "football school" and a football player may be forced to go to a "volleyball school"?

Not sure what they're trying to accomplish, but good luck!

You still will have schools that are in hotbed areas getting their local players and being able to compete.

It has worked in Peel in my opinion!

Is it really working in Peel? You have the top 5 or so teams, and then there is everyone else.

And, out of that top 5 only one or two can compete at the highest level outside of Peel.

Im just confused as to why everyone is so worried about "basketball kids" wanting to go to a school with a "basketball environment".

When a kid chooses music, art, drama, french, business etc as the path they want to take in life, nobody is worried about where they live when they choose the school they want to attend.

Why (and this is what seperates Canada from USA) do we treat athletes different?

It seems to be working at the Junior level in Peel. d'Youville is ranked #2 and Goetz is as high as #3. Campion is also in the mix. Therefore it is working in my opinion.

Unless these kids all transfer to a school outside of Peel it will carry over to Senior.

But your point about freedom of choice and "basketball schools" is a good one! What if a very talented player lands at a school where the Science teacher is the only option to fill a coaching position?

Maybe the Science teacher is a good coaching option in some schools (Of course I'm not saying anything derogatory about Science teachers per se) but in others he may be filling a need to provide a coach so that the school can field a team.

actionjackson wrote:Is it really working in Peel? You have the top 5 or so teams, and then there is everyone else.

And, out of that top 5 only one or two can compete at the highest level outside of Peel.


Why (and this is what seperates Canada from USA) do we treat athletes different?

Not sure what you mean when you say "and this is what seperates Canada from USA) do we treat athletes different?"

If I understand what you are talking about, in the states the rules are even tougher in recruiting players out of district even if its out of grade 8 going into freshman year of high school.

There have been many cases where coaches have been fired or asked to resign because of potential legal battle in courts for illegally recruiting students of out region"

I have said this before that if Peel did not lose a lot of its ball players to Henry Carr in the last 6 years, Peel teams such as d'Youville, Fletchers and Campion would be more competitive on the highest level.

For instance if Toronto Catholic implemented this grade 9 rule, then Henry Carr would lose out big time from the many kids going there from Brampton and Mississauga. The same rule that affects Peel schools would in fact affect Toronto Catholic, thus affecting Henry Carr in a huge way. Their junior feeder program would be weakened without the Brampton and Missisauga players, and again affecting their Senior program, which both have done really well. Imagine a Carr without Peel players, it would be joke.

Clement is right, the rule has created more parity in Peel, especially in Peel North.

actionjackson wrote:Im just confused as to why everyone is so worried about "basketball kids" wanting to go to a school with a "basketball environment".

When a kid chooses music, art, drama, french, business etc as the path they want to take in life, nobody is worried about where they live when they choose the school they want to attend.

One difference is that the programs you mentioned above are subject to stricter control by the boards of education and the Ministry of Education. I think if elite athletic programs were turned into a SHSM and subject to greater administrative oversight and standards, more people would see elite athletic programs in a positive light.

Sorry X (out of the loop a little) - SHSM?

Wow! That makes a lot of sense for some kids!

Thanks Xavier!

Random thoughts:

Can someone please explain to me why some schools need to FORCE students to attend their schools?

If I am not mistaken most Peel schools' enrolments are very high.

Why is their a negative connotation attached to students attending schools based upon athletics? Is athletics different than music, drama, science, mathematics, french immersion, etc?

Alwaysthetruth you are a joke. They don't want to attend d'Youville, Campions and Fletchers, so just accept it!

Actionjackson hit the nail on the head. Huge egos and petty jealousy are what separates Canada from the US.

It seems to me that many people in Durham and Peel are letting their huge egos cloud their thinking.

Another random thought:

Why no mention of the private schools like St Mikes (Duane Notice and Malcolm Duvivier), St Andrews (Chris Egi and Daniel Cummings), Upper Canada, Villanova (Devonte Campbell), etc?

Do you realize these schools are attracting elite athletes by paying their tuition and boarding?

I suppose there is no complaining until Peel students start taking bursaries and scholarships at the private schools.

I think the private schools are a whole other issue.

It is a very current problem and a growing one for sure! Its hard (impossible?) for regular high schools to compete with what they are offering to students.

Will the Independent Schools be dominating in the foreseeable future?

In my opinion, I think private schools will be dominating in the future, also the prep schools (club teams as considered) in the GTA will grow rapidly and dominating the high school scene, which is possibly that H.S ball is on the risk of being dead.

Mr Bean wrote:Random thoughts:

Can someone please explain to me why some schools need to FORCE students to attend their schools?

If I am not mistaken most Peel schools' enrolments are very high.

Why is their a negative connotation attached to students attending schools based upon athletics? Is athletics different than music, drama, science, mathematics, french immersion, etc?

Alwaysthetruth you are a joke. They don't want to attend d'Youville, Campions and Fletchers, so just accept it!

Actionjackson hit the nail on the head. Huge egos and petty jealousy are what separates Canada from the US.

It seems to me that many people in Durham and Peel are letting their huge egos cloud their thinking.

Mr. Bean, why the name calling. I am a joke because I pointed out the obvious. The obvious the rule has created parity, the obvious that Henry Carr basketball has dominated for the last couple of years with players from the Region of Peel.

Where did Actionjackson, talk about huge egos and petty jealousy. I think it is great that Henry Carr can provide a program like that where you can virtually come from anywhere and play in your grade 9 year. I am just saying that it is allowed in Peel.

Where is the jealousy or ego. We see the rule working in Peel, that is creating parity.

Am I a joke because, I understand whats going on in the GTA. No ego here, as I appreciate a program like Henry Carr, as its a viable option for players and they play by the rules that the Toronto Catholic allow.

If a kid wants to pursue a career playing the flute they have the option of trying out for a school of the arts ie. Mayfield or Cawthra Park. Only a selected few will make the cut while all others will enroll at their home school and take music and play in the band or whatever.
Not that the program or the other music students at their home school is bad, but it would make sense to go to a school that focuses on music and be around like-minded students that have the same goals and ambitions (and are serious about music and are not just doing it for fun). Do you see where I am going with this?

The real answer is easy.... Why not have 3 or 4 (maybe more) schools in each region that are designated as "basketball schools" or "athletic schools"? Kids can pick one and try-out, if they make it... great. If not, they go back to their home school and its business as usual. ROPSAA and LOSAA are moving backwards. Maybe an idea like this wouldn't work in those regions but they should come up with a way to help student athletes achieve their goals.

Schools like Carr, Crothers etc have the right idea. Not too sure why there is so much back lash against programs like those.

[quote="Mr Bean"]Random thoughts:

Alwaysthetruth you are a joke. They don't want to attend d'Youville, Campions and Fletchers, so just accept it!

[/quote]


Sounds like a Carr coach!!!!!


The kids don't want to go to these schools? LOL. It's not the kids that don't want to go, its other people telling them to go to certain schools!

what is the rule for the playoffs top 3 each division?

Is this for the 2012/13 season or the 2013/14 season

actionjackson wrote:ROPSAA and LOSAA are moving backwards.

Are they really? I'm sure a lot of us agree with the idea that the best talent should have the opportunity to develop their skills in a dedicated program, as happens with IB, the arts, French, etc.

However, competition is the issue that separates them from most other regional programs. If we are going to permit this kind of pooling of talent and resources, then it's simply not fair to turn around and let them play in a league where the majority of schools don't have this advantage. If we are going to go this route then surely a new level of competition, whether inside or outside of the OFSAA/regional framework needs to be developed?

Until that happens, I have no problem with rules that minimize recruiting and leave high level development to club programs, as happens in many (most?) other high school sports.

Xavier Rimrocker wrote:

actionjackson wrote:ROPSAA and LOSAA are moving backwards.

then it's simply not fair to turn around and let them play in a league where the majority of schools don't have this advantage. .

Keyword: majority
If the majority of schools are at the same disadvantage, is really a disadvantage?

I think they are many elite athletes in Peel. They all can't go to one school. So what if the top 5 all went to the same school? That still leaves many athletes for all the other schools. People are too worried about a team being "stacked". There is only one ball and if the #5 option or a bench/role feels it's better for him to be in a situation like that other than being in a program at their home school.... power to them. I just don't think there should be rules to dictate where kids go to school and what programs to be a part of.

I say they are moving backwards because they are focusing on the wrong issues. If a lot of us agree that the best talent should have the opportunity to develop their skills in a dedicated program, why don't they shift their focus on trying to figure out how they can make something like that happen?

With new rules, people will just find new loop holes to jump through.

actionjackson wrote:Keyword: majority
If the majority of schools are at the same disadvantage, is really a disadvantage?

Yes, it is. You read my post rather selectively.