Friday, September 26, 2008

General ROPSSAA Updates

Now that I am back in Peel after year out of country, near my contacts, and have more time to be on-line, I am going to return to updating this blog as often as time permits. Please feel free to post comments or to send any inside info to ropssaa@gmail.com

Here a few general updates about ROPSSAA-related issues to get the blog up and running again.

OFSAA Events Hosted by ROPSSAA

The updated OFSAA 3 year calendar was released earlier this month and ROPSSAA will be hosting the following events over that time period. Bear in mind that not all events have hosts and ROPSSAA might still step in late and host some of these, much as they did with AAAA Volleyball last year.

2008-09 school year
  • Wrestling @ the PowerAde Centre in Brampton
  • Swimming @ Etobicoke Olympium
  • Girls AAAA Volleyball @ venues TBA in Mississauga
  • Girls AAA/AAAA Rugby in Brampton (one assumes it will be the Brampton RFC)
  • Track and Field South Regional @ location TBA (the assumption is Centennial Park in Etobicoke)
2009-10 school year

  • Swimming @ Etobicoke Olympium
2010-11 school year

  • Boys AAAA, AAA, AA, and A Volleyball @ locations TBA. (One assumes that such a massive undertaking will involve close to a dozen schools in Peel.)
ROPSSAA Scores Website

Last spring, ROPSSAA introduced a new website for posting and tracking scores and standings. The goal was to automatically update standings as scores were posted by coaches and to allow everyone to see scores scores around the league without waiting a day or two for an overworked convener to transcribe them into pdf format. While many coaches (and some entire schools) still cling to the old school option of calling scopres in, one hopes that eventually, the site will be the only way of posting scores. 

With this web site, ROPSSAA continues to set the standard for making information about the region available on-line. While a few other regions also do a decent job of making info available (Ottawa's Fat Dog immediately comes to mind), most are still woefully inadequate. Come on folks, we're not asking for something award-winning but certainly it would serve everyone better if the various regions made some kind of effort!

2015 Pan-Am Games bids and the potential legacy for ROPSSAA

The media has been full of stories in recent weeks about the Golden Horseshoe's bid for the 2015 Pan-Am Games. Now that all levels of government are on board, the question is whether or not organizers can pull the bid together in time for next summer's bidding. From all reports, a well-organized bid is Canada's to lose. 

If everyone is serious about decentralizing the bid acorss the GTA, Hamilton, and Niagara then it begs the question as to what might happen in Peel. The Hershey Centre and the PowerAde centre are already being talked about as possible venues for Volleyball, Archery, Field Hockey, Handball, according to this post on the Urban Toronto message board. Also mentioned is the possibility of an aquatic facility for swimming. 

There is the potential for more much-needed, quality athletic facilities in the Peel Region, should the Games bid succeed. While some of these needs have been addressed in recent years (Hershey Centre, PowerAde centre, Hershey Sports Zone, St. Marcellinus track and field), more facilities will only help develop more quality athletes and more athletic programs accross the region. ROPSSAA has benefitted greatly from many of these facilities and could certainly use more of them. Cross your fingers for a successful bid.

That's all for this post. If anyone is interested in providing infromation for future posts, please e-mail ropssaa@gmail.com. All sources are confidential. If you enjoy this site, please make sure you pass the link on to others who might be interested.

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