They're Baaaack!

I just heard from a very reliable source that OFSSA has reversed an earlier ruling making Pickering eligible for OFSSA AAAA if they qualify from their Regional playoffs.

This is a positive development for basketball in the Province in my opinion. The kids deserve the chance and now they're getting it!

I guess I'm a bit of a harda$$...I don't think this is a good thing.
What have they learned from all this...that you can break the rules and only one person, the coach? gets blamed.
Whats to stop Pickering from putting in a sacrificial lamb and name him head coach every year, only to keep breaking the rules with impunity.
If this interpretation of the rule stands, they can do this. This is not personal to Pickering but it applies to all the teams in Ontario.
This really opens up another can of worms.
I've always said, if you don't agree with the rule, work to change it. Until then, it applies. Sorry if it appears harsh but the many rule abiding schools out there are more my concern. They are constantly being shafted and denied the same opportunity simply because they abide by what ofsaa tells them.
So now the asterisk can be put next to Pickering on this ofsaa as being there even though technically they shouldn't be?? Not my rule but Ofsaa's rule that was bent to accomodate Pickering.

You make some good points.

Confirmed: http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/sports/article/120423

Pickering can play but Coach Gordensky is still suspended. The team cannot play in any OFSAA sanctioned tournaments next season (they are not banned from the OFSAA championship itself) and the entire athletics program at Pickering is on probation for the rest of this school year, along with the next three school years after this one.

Well if OFSAA bends the rule this year for Pickering, then next year some other team will break a rule and should have OFSAA bend it for them. Sorry I don't agree with this OFSAA change of heart. I feel for the Pickering team but rules are rules. If you don't stick to them, why have them.

The argument against it is that it's not the players fault so why should they get banned for something they absolutely had no control over. It's the coaches fault he's the one that is directing the subs and the team. He should get punished not the grade 12s which will be likely playing basketball for their last year and likely the best year in their career. Why should OFSAA stop them from playing.

That's what's wrong with this ruling. People like DaKid do not understand accountability and responsibility. A coach represents the team and the school. His decision affects them all. They win and lose together. You can't pick and chose when to be a solid unit.
This ruling will only further the separation of responsible and ethical policy from the teams. Pickering and any other school can take this as a sign of acceptance for ignoring ofsaa policy.
So...this year ofsaa championship is ok?? but why the ban on ofsaa tournaments next year? Those are different players for the most part. Where is the concern for them? They (and the replacing coach) likely did not have anything to do with this years debacle. At least, not in the same capacity as this year.
I don't understand that logic either.
man...lots of head scratching here......

What is there not to understand say you are in a car with your friend and he is driving. He crashes his own car on to another car which gets damaged and you are forced to pay half of the damage. Why should you pay when it clearly wasn't your fault that he crashed his own car. Maybe it's not such a good example but you should get my point. The players do not deserve to get banned from a tournament they deserve to get into based on their play on the court. OFSAA should just punish the coach and let the players play ball.

it's a little different when the driver is speeding to get the passengers to their destination. Similar to a coach ignoring rules to give his former players some exposure at an American tournament.

The reality is the system has once again been debunked by a school that has played it's cards loosely for years. These are the same people who let players out-of-region try to by-pass of eligility rules. This is the same school that recruited Myles and Smith from West Hill - and they didn't clear to play ball (and also didn't make eligibility for their NCAA schools either). The players know what they are getting into. So do the parents. They opened the car door and packed their lunches too.

I am glad they are back in. The coach should not be able to drag the kids down. I am glad saner heads prevailed. No asterisk wins for OFSAA.

[quote="rec"]but why the ban on ofsaa tournaments next year?[/quote]

As I indicated, they are not banned from OFSAA, only from OFSAA-sanctioned tournaments. That means they can't travel out of country (or to another province) for a tournament and they can't play in any tournaments that include teams from outside Ontario.

What Big Tournaments run in Ontario are OFSAA sanctioned?

Off the top of my head, the Silver Fox was OFSAA sanctioned this year.

there would not have been an asterisk to begin with if pickering wasn't going to play.

pickering only has 1 starter on this years team that was a starter on last years team so clearly they are a different team. end of story.

That point is so moot now that OFSAA agreed with more reasonable action. The debate about an asterisk is irrelevant. Pickering is back in and as they should be. If they lose they can no longer say teams did not have to go through them. They now have no OFSAA or self-righteous prognosticators to blame for their fate. The kids get to play. Great!!!