ONTARIO BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION AND AAU The basketball landscape in this province, and the country, has changed significantly over the past few years. While Ontario Basketball (OBA) attempts to provide services and programming to all elements of the game, it is through collaboration and the strength of its member clubs that the mission is delivered. These clubs also provide OBA with the necessary knowledge and trends in the game to help shape its direction. The origin of clubs in Ontario stemmed mostly to provide concentrated basketball programming that complemented the high school season. Clubs would run teams after OFSAA finished and everyone would take the summer off. A chosen few would make Team Ontario while the many enjoyed “summer sports,” while others enjoyed an "off season" of rest and recovery. Things have changed significantly over the past few years. Today, many clubs run for an entire 12-month period - the good ones, who understand periodization - also understand the significant importance of rest and recovery periods to create optimal performance. While the less informed clubs simply run summer teams that, at times, can fragment the existing club system and overuse the athletes. In this day and age, it seems the best recruiters win the best athletes instead of clubs that understand the long-term development of an athlete. We need to help OBA member clubs do both; provide a pathway for athletes to develop their skills through international competition and opportunities for exposure. As the governing body for the sport of basketball in Ontario, it is vital for OBA to strengthen and protect its clubs and at the same time, educate parents and coaches about all the stakeholders in the game. In a study taken during the 2012 OBA season, more than half of the responding clubs indicated at least one of its teams play summer ball. As a result, OBA developed a three-year partnership with the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (AAU). Some OBA clubs with AAU experience understand the wide range of good and bad events that exist in the USA, no different than tournaments within Canada. This partnership will help teams who wish to travel with the education of recommended events. Through partnerships with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and AVIS-Budget car rental, the OBA is attempting to make summer travel easier for its members as well. The foundation of Ontario Basketball (OBA) remains its more than 200 member clubs that represent the game from Windsor to Ottawa; from Niagara to Thunder Bay; and everywhere in between. How, when, where and why they play the game is different than even just five years ago. The partnership with the AAU isn’t going to solve recruiting challenges or eliminate “rogue” clubs, but it will hopefully send the message that OBA recognizes it needs to address the challenges that face its member clubs and create a better environment for its members to flourish – whatever their basketball pathway might be. Above: Scarborough Basketball’s U16 Major Midget girls pose following their 2012 provincial championship in Kitchener-Waterloo.
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