Private Buisiness ok in York Region Schools?

A new reality has set into the Ontario basketball scene. The York Region District school board has decided that a Private / Public partnership between its schools and the NPSAA (National Prep League) is appropriate. Two of its schools have now joined ranks and have entered this Private league.

Make no mistake about it and it isn’t even a secret but the NPSAA is a private business. The cost to enter a team into this league is $5000. The cost of running a prep program and traveling to the USA is far greater. Why would the York School board allow its schools to be used for such a purpose? If you look at the NPSAA website you will notice that both schools have a link to those York Schools on its website.

http://www.npsaa.ca/view/npsaa

Is this a conflict of interest that the York Region School board has ventured into. Or can anyone in a publicly funded school board venture into such a thing? Maybe a computer teacher who uses school board time to work and support a business venture?

1. Should publicly funded schools support private business ventures such as the NPSAA or AAU or REP programs?

2. Is the money which goes to support these programs deposited into the school accounts for transparency purposes?

These schools have come out and stated that the students are playing for free. So this brings about several things to consider.

If it is free where is the $5000 to join the NPSSA coming from? And what about the money used to travel? Where is that coming from?

I have heard the people at one of the schools say that the money comes from the Private donations by the AAU Alumni associated with this PREP program. So if this is the case is it appropriate for the school to accept large sums of donations from private organizations? Again where is the money deposited?

If in fact the kids are actually paying which by all accounts they are, where is this money going? There is an inextricable link between this one Prep school in particular and its AAU partner. How did all of those transfer students get into that prep school? Who made it happen? What happens to the kids who have actually attended these schools since Grade 9? Do they get to play on the elite team? Is the elite team practicing during regular school hours? (ie taxpayers money) Again to support the private businesses of the NPSAA and the AAU program?

As for The SPORTS SCHOOL the argument they have made to justify this entrance into the NPSAA is that OFSAA has ruled against them. This is the biggest nonsense they can use to defend their position. First of all everyone knows that there is a link between this sports school and Phase 1 Academy who runs the NPSAA. Now they are taking kids from all over the place to "support"in this private venture. The initial premise of the SPORTS SCHOOL was that the students who are attending that school already had a place to play i.e., Provincially, Nationally. They would use the facilities and to get academic support while they train or travel. This school is suppose to have a equitable and transparent application process which is completely false and if I were a parent whose kids didn’t get in because of several elite level basketball players I would be very upset?


If you are a decent basketball player in grade 8 would you go to this PREP school or this SPORTS school? Knowing that by the time you get to Grade 11 or 12 they will probably recruit over you. What is the sport associating in York region doing about this? These two schools are using the schools logos, gym space, to support the private ventures of the NPSAA and AAU programs. Is everyone ok with this?

Can other schools do this sort of thing? Who decides? Again Let's suppose the computer teacher starts to build his businesses by using the expertise of computer students to make money for his company. Is this appropriate? Same logic. Can a teacher run an after school program charge the kids money and deposit it into his company account?

Should the taxpayers who are funding these schools be made aware of what is happening?

Anyone have any answers?

Oh yes and not to mention the NPSAA pre season tournament will be happening at one of these two schools this WEEK DURING SCHOOL HOURS. If this isn't a conflict of interest using school board time to help this Private business I am not sure what is off limits anymore.....Hmmmmm

Coach Jamal

pretty crazy isn't it! REDA brampton runs out of Central Peel SS and Phase 1 runs out of Vaughan Road.... Don't know if they pay for the gym

Coach Jamal,

You raise some excellent questions in a very well articulated post.

The fact that there is even a PERCEIVED conflict of interest (which there is) on behalf of members of the basketball community should have prompted direct action on behalf of the YRDSB, and in light of recent complaints, everyone can expect a response shortly.

The most concerning aspect of this "partnership" between these two York Region schools and the NPSAA is indeed the fact that the NPSAA is a BUSINESS, run FOR PROFIT. With the state of the budgets of Ontario school boards, trustees and politicians are more closely examining expenses related to extra-curricular events, especially in light of recent SCAMS with the TDSB that prompted new legislation and mandates geared toward examining non-essential academic spending (this includes athletics). When these two schools are AUDITED this year, which they will be, any expenses for school sport (not just hard expenses, but the janitor time for the teams having practise after school, etc.) will be closely analyzed as well. TRANSPARECY is sorely lacking here. Hopefully the NPSAA has a good tax lawyer and accountant---but thats a separate issue.

Beyond these issues, the bigger issue is this: the whole NPSAA league is a SHAM, run by a businessman, with the sole goal of making a profit. Ya, "developing players" and offering "academic supports" and "nutrition advice" etc. is all advertised, but don't be mistaken: this is the nice red candy coating on a very rotten apple. The coming year will do all the telling: the "league" has expanded beyond the core group of rag-tag so-called "PREP" teams, who all have their own issues as well. The best indicator of future performance is past performance, and if history tells us anything, this league and its core members will be exposed for what they really are: CON ARTISTS and BROKERS, masquerading as "coaches."

The fact that the YRDSB is standing idle and letting its EMPLOYEES arrange for partnerships with this organization will come back to bite them. Maybe an NPSAA coach will punch a Thornlea or Bill Crothers player during the course of a game. Are ALL NPSAA coaches police checked, as is mandatory for all school board employees and even referees who officiate school board games? Let's wait to see what the ONE STRAW that breaks the camel's back will be. The sad part: in the end, a STUDENT will suffer. They already are, by being BRAINWASHED into this mess. Let's see where the non-superstar players end up---the ones who were promised the world.

Rise and fall.

Are you really worried about York region's tax dollars or is there something else going on here?

If $5,000 of tax payers money is being used to fund such programs, I think that's a bargain. Where else would you rather see the money be spent?

Should we wait for Ontario Basketball to come in and develop these athletes? How much does it cost parents to put their kids in one of the Ontario basketball development programs or elite teams?

I would be all for allowing any of these prep programs to use school gyms for FREE if it can reduce the costs for parents. For the most part the majority of gyms are are sitting empty or cost an arm and a leg to rent.

Yes the NPSAA is a private business but what is the alternative? God bless the teacher volunteers but their resources are very limited.

Everyone is so against kids going to the USA to play high school basketball, the NPSAA is an option that keeps the kids in Canada but yet, people are oppposed to that too? WHY?

Jamal J wrote:

Can other schools do this sort of thing? Who decides? Again Let's suppose the computer teacher starts to build his businesses by using the expertise of computer students to make money for his company. Is this appropriate? Same logic. Can a teacher run an after school program charge the kids money and deposit it into his company account?

Who owns Scholastic books? Who owns the company that provides the music instruments? Who own the the company that takes the school photos? Who owns the company that supplies school uniforms? Is the problem here because it's basketball?

Voltaire wrote:Coach Jamal,

The fact that the YRDSB is standing idle and letting its EMPLOYEES arrange for partnerships with this organization will come back to bite them. Maybe an NPSAA coach will punch a Thornlea or Bill Crothers player during the course of a game. Are ALL NPSAA coaches police checked, as is mandatory for all school board employees and even referees who officiate school board games? Let's wait to see what the ONE STRAW that breaks the camel's back will be. The sad part: in the end, a STUDENT will suffer. They already are, by being BRAINWASHED into this mess. Let's see where the non-superstar players end up---the ones who were promised the world.

I will plead ignorance here if I missed something... did something happen? Was there an incident(s)?

Is there any evidence of criminals involved with NPSAA?

Wait for the ONE STRAW? is that fair?

What's the real agenda here? What am I missing?

Voltaire wrote:Coach Jamal,

Maybe an NPSAA coach will punch a Thornlea or Bill Crothers player during the course of a game.

Are you serious? That's a very far fetched "maybe" to put out there?

Maybe Thornlea or Bill Crothers player punches a NPSAA coach during the course of a game! Isn't that just as silly?

coach Jamal where do you coach?
Thank you for bringing all of this issues to the forefront.

Using school gym time during the day to run a tournament for a league that makes money is ridiculous. Taking away gym space from students who have nothing to do with the basketball team. Wayne Dawkins is the best businessman in the world. Pretty much a bunch of teachers at Bill crothers and thornlea who can't develop their own program from scratch, recruited kids to their school and entered the NPSSAA. They then pay that league money and provide them with gym space. What do the principals at these schools have to say?

Jamal, you should forward your post to David Grossman and have him investigate further.

Jamal?