Purpose
Ontario Basketball (OBA) is committed to providing a clear and transparent process for the selection of athletes for its provincial teams. The process outlined in this policy will ensure that the selection of provincial team athletes is based on nationally-adopted ranking criteria that will drive the performance of provincial teams at national competitions and achieve the ultimate goal of developing provincial team athletes into national team athletes.
Eligibility
Athletes must meet the following conditions:
- Be in good standing with OBA and not subject to or under investigation for any disciplinary action.
- Have no outstanding financial obligations to either OBA or the national sport governing body.
- Reside in Ontario.
- Be eligible to represent Canada at the international level as outlined by the national sport governing body.
- Meet the age criteria for their respective team.
- Be medically fit to compete in both training and competitions.
Selection Process
Athletes will be selected based on assessment of their performance at the following stages of the selection process:
- Open regional tryouts
- Closed centralized tryouts
- Provincial team training camps
- Provincial team competitions prior to national championships
Selection Criteria
OBA has adopted the selection criteria set by Canada Basketball to rank and select athletes according to their potential to impact key performance indicators at the international level. As these criteria are applied to national team athletes, provincial team athletes will be able to train towards the goal of a national team position in subsequent years. The accurate tracking of athletes and their performance is important in establishing performance baselines and setting up the appropriate coaching plans to strength the overall performance of the athlete, assess growth and recalibrate goals and plans as needed.
Athletes will be tested, ranked, and compared to a normalized national score in the following areas:
Physical Characteristics and Capacity
- Size/height, wing span, power, aerobic capacity, strength and speed
Social/Emotional/Mental Fortitude
- Motivation and willingness to train (training and physical testing)
Basketball-Specific Skills
- Scoring the ball, controlling the ball, fouls drawn, defense and decision making
Team Play
- Demonstrate ability and willingness to work effectively and cooperate within the team environment
- Demonstrate ability to contribute to overall team cohesiveness and to communicate effectively with coaching staff and other players on and off the court
- Demonstrate ability and willingness to implement the game plan of the coaching staff
Athlete Selection Committee
The athlete selection committee for each age group will comprise of:
- Canada Basketball technical staff
- Ontario Basketball technical staff
- Respective provincial team coaching staff
Appeal Process
Any athlete has the right to appeal their non-selection from an OBA provincial team. Appeals can only be made on the grounds that the published selection criteria were not followed directly.
An athlete will have 72 hours from the time they were notified of team selections (verbally or by email) to submit in writing (i.e. email) an appeal to the Director, Basketball Development. The appeal must clearly indicate how the selection criteria were not applied correctly. At this time, the Director, Basketball Development may want to discuss the appeal with the appellant to ensure accuracy and clarity of the concerns. Should the appellant wish to proceed with the appeal, the Director, Basketball Development will strike a panel to review the appeal. A $100.00 fee from the appellant will be required prior to the panel meeting. The full fee will be refunded if the appeal is successful.
Appeals will not be reviewed after the 72-hour window.
Appeal Panel
A three (3) person appeal panel will be struck with one (1) member being an OBA Board member (when possible) acting as the Chair of the panel. The panel will review the information provided by the appellant either in-person or by conference call. The Director, Basketball Development may be present during this meeting only in a capacity to address any panel questions. The panel will attempt to meet within 48 hours of the appeal being received.
Appeal Decisions
The panel will render one of the following decisions:
- The selection process was not applied properly and requires corrective action be taken
- Denial of the appeal
The Chair will be responsible for providing the decision of the panel with rationale by email to both the appellant and the Director, Basketball Development within 24 hours of the panel’s meeting. Decisions of the panel are final.
Reviewed October 20, 2021 by Ontario Basketball Board of Directors
Approved March 5, 2018 by Ontario Basketball Board of Directors