OFSAA cancelled for students with Simcoe County public school board
The Simcoe County District School Board has decided it will not participate in the OFSAA championships this fall.
"To ensure the continued well-being of our student-athletes, staff and coaches, the fall athletic season will conclude at the Georgian Bay School Athletics Association (GBSAA) championship level," the board stated on Friday.
The board said students would be confined to completing within the region to mitigate provincial travel.
"Our teams will have the opportunity to compete against schools from other areas of Simcoe County and Muskoka while remaining within the confines of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit," it continued.
STUDENT REACTION
"I was actually really looking forward to OFSAA this year," said cross-country runner Olivia Davis. "I was doing really good in the season, and that's kinda just disappointing."
Grade 10 student Jayden is missing out on the shot at the higher competition on the football field and basketball court.
"It really puts off your work effort, all the work you've put in through all this time, especially when you're playing at such a high level. You want to train and actually be rewarded for that. And the fact that you can't play at the provincial level, it does really suck," he said.
In the frustration and disappointment, there is some understanding that life is different in a pandemic.
"It's a bummer but, I can't really travel due to COVID," said basketball and football player Carter Smith.
SIMCOE MUSKOKA CATHOLIC BOARD DECISION
The Catholic school board announced earlier this week its students would also miss out on the Ontario championships due to COVID-19 concerns.
"We want to make sure we are slow and cautious, and we're only staying within our region," explained Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board superintendent Chris Woodcraft.
Some students with the Catholic board and their parents expressed disappointment over the news.
One mom even started an online petition to try and push the boards to "let them play" at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA). It has since garnered more than 1,700 signatures.
"This goes against OFSAA itself, who have said, it is time for kids to play," stated Sarah Martin.
OFSAA POSSIBLE IN COMING SPORTS SEASONS
Daryl Halliday, SCDSB superintendent of education, said there is a chance OFSAA could be back on the table for winter and spring sports.
"We will go through the same judicious, calculated process in looking at the opportunities going ahead for the next two seasons," he noted.
The board added that it is confident students who might rely on an OFSAA performance to unlock scholarships would have enough on their resume from local competitions.
With files from CTV's Siobhan Morris
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.