If you have not already heard, today, January 20th, the Ontario government extended COVID restrictions currently in place, including the ban on OUA/OCAA student-athletes training, to January 31st (at the earliest).   

Shamefully, the government has tried to position this as good news.   It is not. 

Yes they will be easing restrictions on January 31st, but in addition to extending the ban on training until January 31st they have provided no indication that allowing OUA/OCAA student-athletes to return to training will be allowed as part of that easing of restrictions after January 31st.  In fact, if you look at the list of restrictions to be eased on January 31st, there is no mention of allowing a return to training.

Immediately after the governent made the announcement the Canadian Student-Athlete Association reached out to our contacts at Minister MacLeod's office (the Minister responsible for Sport), asking for clarity, but as of close of business today,we have received no response.

With this announcement student-athletes focus should now turn to the OUA/OCAA, as both had scheduled a return to competition on January 24th/21st respectively, and both have had to have prepared contingency plans for this possibility.   Those plans should be immediately shared with student-athletes given the tremendous amount of uncertainty that student-athletes have had to deal with suirrounding this issue. 

What is needed now from the OUA/OCAA is immediate clarity.

What does today's announcement mean to OUA/OCAA league competition, playoffs, provincial and national championships?  What is the plan?

The petition may be "done" but we will continue over the next few days to provide further updates.   

Moving forward it is clear that student-athletes need a voice in the decisions being made by the Ontario Government, the OUA, and the OCAA.  That voice is the Canadian Student-Athlete Association, but it can only be that voice if all student-athletes and all supporters of student-athletes join the Canadian Student-Athlete Association.  Go to www.canadianstudentathleteassociation.ca and join now!  It's free!

Also, go to the Canadian Student-Athlete Association's Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages and share this update (which appears as a post).