ONTARIO SCHOLASTIC BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION TO EXPAND IN 2016-17

Ontario Basketball (OBA) announced Friday the expansion of Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) in its second season to include female programs. This announcement follows the success of the seven male programs that have competed in the inaugural season of the league. 

“The league provides sport schools and academies with proper periodized training, development and competition models for high performance athletes, said Lindsay Walsh, Director of Basketball Development, Ontario Basketball. “We are excited to include female programs next season and build on the success that has already been established in the first season of OSBA.”

Over the coming months, comprehensive proposals from interested programs will be accepted and participating teams will be announced in advance of the 2016-17 season. The submission deadline is Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Interested applicants must contact OSBA Commissioner, Carmelo Mallia, to receive an application.

The seven male teams competing in the inaugural season of the league are Athlete Institute Prep (Orangeville), Bill Crothers Secondary School (Markham), BTB Prep Academy (Toronto), Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School (Etobicoke), The Hill Academy (Brantford), St. John’s Kilmarnock School (Breslau) and Orangeville Prep (Orangeville). 

The vision of OSBA is to identify, develop, and support targeted Ontario basketball teams and in turn athletes, to achieve the goals of developing Ontario athletes for post-secondary, national and international competition. In addition, this elite league will help increase the number and quality of Ontario athletes competing in the province at the Train to Compete stage of the Long-Term Athlete Development Model. Ultimately, the goal of the league is to provide elite level competition and exposure to premier high school basketball athletes and in turn it should raise the entire basketball environment in Ontario and Canada.

For more information and to view the 2015-16 schedule please visit http://www.ontariosba.ca.