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Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “.
The Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League submitted an amendment to change player eligibility in Ontario to Under 22.
The formal vote will take place at the OLA Annual General Meeting on Saturday.
The motion has been presented to all 24 teams in the OLA Jr B League, including the Owen Sound Junior NorthStars, the level of support from those entries was just under 80 %
It’s notable that the Ontario Junior ‘A’ Board of Governors has already voted to extend eligibility and thus the age bracket has been bumped at that level for the season ahead.
Naturally, the assumption is that the alteration was created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not really, according to the OLA who conducted 5 months of discussion between the teams and players exploring a strategy where the needs and wants of the players are the primary consideration in the decision-making process.
The OLA believes retaining this age group in junior lacrosse will be an asset for Junior teams when it comes to mentoring young players and developing lacrosse in their communities.
Plus, the belief is the policy will also lead to a smooth transition for those players graduating Junior into Senior or Major Lacrosse in Ontario.
The Junior B vote is this Saturday; the belief is U22 will be the age bracket going forward and obviously the ultimate hope is that the new age limit will be in place for Ontario Lacrosse for action in 2021 and not delayed any further.
I’m Fred Wallace