Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Encyclopedia
The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is the governing body of all intercollegiate sports in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

. The OCAA is a part of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association
Canadian Colleges Athletic Association
The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association is the national governing body for organized sports at colleges in Canada. It was formed in 1974. The CCAA hosts nine annual national championships. The CCAA's name in French is l'Association canadienne du sport collégial .Its equivalent body for...

. The OCAA, with Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public...

, governs post-secondary school educational sports in Ontario.

Members

  • Algoma University Thunderbirds
  • Algonquin College
    Algonquin College
    Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college and member of Polytechnics Canada located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec...

     Thunder
  • Collège Boréal
    Collège Boréal
    Collège Boréal is a francophone College of Applied Arts and Technology based and with its principal campus in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The college also has satellite campuses in Hearst, Kapuskasing, Timmins, Temiskaming Shores, Toronto and West Nipissing, as well as a network of access centres...

     Vipers
  • Cambrian College
    Cambrian College
    Cambrian College is a college of applied arts and technology in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1967, and funded by the province of Ontario, Cambrian has campuses in Sudbury, Espanola and Little Current....

     Golden Shield
  • Canadore College
    Canadore College
    Canadore College is a college of applied arts and technology located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1967 as a campus of Sudbury's Cambrian College, and became an independent institution in 1972...

     Panthers
  • Centennial College Colts
  • La Cité collégiale
    La Cité collégiale
    La Cité collégiale is the largest French-language applied arts and technology college in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province. Created in 1989, it is situated in Ottawa and now offers more than 90 programs to some 4 700 full-time students from Ontario, other parts of Canada and many foreign...

     Coyotes
  • Conestoga College
    Conestoga College
    The Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college based in Kitchener, Ontario in Canada.-History:The College was founded in 1967 as the Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology, one of many such institutions established in that time by the Ontario...

     Condors
  • Confederation College
    Confederation College
    Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area...

     Thunder Hawks
  • Durham College
    Durham College
    Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology is located in the Durham Region with campuses in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada and Whitby and additional locations in Uxbridge, Port Hope, Port Perry and Beaverton...

     Lords
  • Fanshawe College
    Fanshawe College
    Fanshawe College is one of the largest colleges in Ontario, Canada. The main campus is in London, Ontario, with additional campuses in Simcoe, St. Thomas, Woodstock, and Tillsonburg. There are about 15,000 full-time students and 40,000 part-time students. Fanshawe College has more than 112,000 alumni...

     Falcons
  • George Brown College
    George Brown College
    George Brown College is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto, Ontario...

     Huskies
  • Georgian College
    Georgian College
    Georgian College is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. Its primary campus is in Barrie, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, Bracebridge, Port Colborne, Orangeville, and Owen Sound....

     Grizzlies
  • Humber College
    Humber College
    Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...

     Hawks
  • Lambton College
    Lambton College
    Lambton College is a Canadian College of Applied Arts and Technology in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada established during the formation of Ontario's college system in 1967. It is a smaller college, with 2,500 full-time and 6,000 part-time students.-Programs:...

     Lions
  • Loyalist College
    Loyalist College
    Loyalist College is an English-language community college in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.- History :...

     Lancers
  • Mohawk College
    Mohawk College
    Mohawk College is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology located in the Golden Horseshoe of Ontario, Canada. Mohawk has three main campuses: the Fennell Campus located in Hamilton, the Brantford Campus located in Brantford and the STARRT Institute located in Stoney Creek, as well as the...

     Mountaineers
  • Niagara College
    Niagara College
    Niagara College is a College of Applied Arts and Technology within the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The College has four campuses: the Welland Campus in Welland, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Maid of the Mist Campus in Niagara Falls, home of the Tourism Industry...

     Knights
  • Nipissing University
    Nipissing University
    Nipissing University is a public liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, on a site overlooking Lake Nipissing. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario, and a large and highly respected faculty of education...

     Lakers
  • Redeemer University College
    Redeemer University College
    Redeemer University College is an undergraduate Christian Liberal Arts and Science University located in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1982, Redeemer stands in the Reformed Tradition and offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and Bachelor of Science degrees.-History:The college...

     Royals
  • St. Clair College
    St. Clair College
    St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology is a college in the Southwestern Ontario counties of Essex and Chatham-Kent.-Campus:Its main administration and largest campus sites are in Windsor, Canada. In addition, other campuses are located in Chatham and Wallaceburg. In 2007, St...

     Saints
  • St. Lawrence College
    St. Lawrence College
    St. Lawrence College is the name of more than one educational institution:* St. Lawrence College, Ontario, in Kingston, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Cornwall and Brockville, Ontario, Canada...

    -Brockville Schooners
  • St. Lawrence College
    St. Lawrence College
    St. Lawrence College is the name of more than one educational institution:* St. Lawrence College, Ontario, in Kingston, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Cornwall and Brockville, Ontario, Canada...

    -Cornwall Sharks
  • St. Lawrence College
    St. Lawrence College
    St. Lawrence College is the name of more than one educational institution:* St. Lawrence College, Ontario, in Kingston, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Cornwall and Brockville, Ontario, Canada...

    -Kingston Vikings
  • Sault College
    Sault College
    Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology is one of 24 publicly funded colleges in Ontario. Sault College is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and began in 1965 as the Ontario Vocational Centre...

     Cougars
  • Seneca College
    Seneca College
    Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a Canadian public college in the greater Toronto area. Seneca College is currently Canada's largest college with approximately 108,000 students.-History:...

     Sting
  • Sheridan College
    Sheridan College
    Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a diploma and degree granting Canadian polytechnic institute with approximately 15,000 full time students and 35,000 continuing education students...

     Bruins
  • Fleming College
    Fleming College
    Fleming College, also known as Sir Sandford Fleming College, is a College of Applied Arts and Technology in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The College has more than 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students and 58,000 alumni.-Campus:...

    -Lindsay Auks
  • Fleming College
    Fleming College
    Fleming College, also known as Sir Sandford Fleming College, is a College of Applied Arts and Technology in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The College has more than 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students and 58,000 alumni.-Campus:...

     Knights
  • Trent University
    Trent University
    Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...

     Excalibur
  • University of Toronto Scarborough
    University of Toronto Scarborough
    The University of Toronto Scarborough is a satellite campus of the University of Toronto. Based in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the campus is set upon suburban parkland in the residential neighbourhood of Highland Creek...

     Maroons

Sports

  • Badminton
    Badminton
    Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

     Men's and Women's
  • Basketball
    Basketball
    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

     Men's and Women's
  • Cross Country Running
    Cross country running
    Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

     Men's and Women's
  • Curling
    Curling
    Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...

     Men's, Women's and Mixed
  • Fastball
    Fastball
    The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...

     Women's
  • Golf
    Golf
    Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

     Men's and Women's
  • Soccer Men's and Women's
  • Rugby
    Rugby football
    Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

     Men's (division 1 and 2) and Women's
  • Volleyball
    Volleyball
    Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

     Men's and Women's
  • Indoor Soccer
    Indoor soccer
    Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...

     Men's and Women's

History of the OCAA

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association began as an organization with a vision to be recognized as a leader in intercollegiate athletics, while remaining dedicated to student athletes and sport development.

Founded on June 9, 1967 as a result of an increasing need expressed by several institutions in the province to develop sport, fitness and recreational opportunities at the college level, the Association was founded by members of seven institutions across the province: Algonquin College, Centennial College, Fanshawe College, George Brown College, Mohawk College, Northern College and St. Clair College. Forty-eight teams competed in the eight OCAA sanctioned sports. Ten more colleges joined the fold in 1968 and by 1971 the OCAA was an athletic conference with 30 members. The largest percentage of growth in participation occurred in 1982-83 when the Association initiated a tiered system in some of its league sports. This system enabled colleges to participate and develop in the league structure.

1971 also brought about the beginning of inter-provincial competitions, with Ontario and Quebec playing off in seven sports. The following year, East met West and the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) was founded.

As the OCAA continued to grow and develop, the administration for the Association also experienced change. In the early years, an Executive Committee directed the affairs with the first members of the OCAA’s Executive Committee including Hal Wilson, President (Algonquin); Gord Smith, Vice-President (Lambton); and Joe Marko, Secretary-Treasurer (Mohawk). The day-to-day affairs of the Association were managed by the Executive and 26 Senior and Junior Convenors.

Since then, the OCAA Executive has expanded to seven positions: President, Past President, 1st Vice President and four Vice-Presidents. Perhaps the most important development of the OCAA, from an administrative and program development perspective, was the hiring of an Executive Director in August 1976. This and the establishment of a Central Office, enabled the OCAA to professionalize its operations and give its members a focal point for continued growth.

As excellence became a more integral part of the OCAA mandate, initiatives such as the Media Guide & Directory, and the weekly Newsletter “The Record” gave member institutions a higher profile in the sport community and with the media.

In 1983, the OCAA hosted the National Championships in Toronto and North Bay where more than 700 athletes competed in six national championships events. Most observers agree that no other CCAA conference has come close to matching the hosting job Ontario did that year. The OCAA is still a member of the CCAA and remains active in hosting various national championships.

In May 1984, in response to the need of enhance women’s programs offered in the OCAA, the Association, with Seneca’s Bonnie Bacvar as Chairperson, established the Women’s Sport Development Committee. During its tenure, this committee undertook a number of innovative projects promoting OCAA women’s sports to high school students and establishing an ongoing professional development seminar for administrators and coaches for women’s athletic programs. In 1993-94 the Committee was honoured with a national award from the CCAA in recognition of its leadership and innovation.

It has been a major boost to the OCAA that the Central Office is located in the Sport Alliance of Ontario (SAO) building (formerly the Ontario Sport & Recreation Centre) in Toronto since 1991 allowing the organization to be surrounded by numerous Provincial Sport Organizations (PSO’s) which facilitates cooperative programming.

The OCAA’s growth and development has not been limited solely to membership and varsity success. In an effort to increase activity and healthy living within the student population, the OCAA and the Ontario College Committee on Campus Recreation (OCCCR) developed the Active Living Challenge. This program was created to enable a greater portion of the student body to receive the health benefits which recreational and competitive activity can provide.

In 2009-2010 the OCAA’s 30 members compete in 14 league (7) and tournament sports (7). In nine of these sports, the OCAA Champion go on to compete nationally within the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA).

A high standard of competition has already been achieved by Ontario college teams both at the Provincial and National levels. In 2008-09 OCAA institutions produced outstanding National Championship performances which included the Algonquin College Men’s Soccer reaching their fifth consecutive national championship final and medal, including capturing the 2006-2007 National Championship title for the second time in six seasons and most recently a silver medal in 2008-09. Algonquin’s program continued their national medal haul in both men’s basketball and volleyball both capturing bronze.

The women were also successful on the national scene as OCAA Cross-Country runner Dawn Martin of St. Lawrence College - Brockville captured bronze in. In team competition, the Sheridan women’s basketball team made history as the first OCAA team capturing the silver medal.

Other notable accomplishments in OCAA history include the Humber Hawks Men’s Basketball team earning three consecutive National Championships (1990–93); the Seneca Scouts Women’s Volleyball team capturing seven consecutive Provincial Championships (1989–96); the Sheridan Bruins Men’s Volleyball team for their unprecedented six consecutive gold medals at the Ontario Championships (1988–94); and in 1996-97, Durham and Humber advancing to the first all-Ontario final at the National Men’s Basketball Championship, a feat not repeated again until 2000-2001 when Humber and Sheridan met at Humber.

In 2003 the OCAA enhanced its lifetime of tradition with the formation of a Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of the Athletes, Coaches and Builders who have passed through the Association. On April 30, 2003, 265 people attended the inaugural induction ceremony in Toronto to pay tribute to the first 103 inductees and celebrate the OCAA’s rich history. In 2005, members again gathered in Hamilton to honour 30 new members and in 2007 the OCAA added another 37 were inducted in a ceremony in Oshawa.
In 2009, the OCAA added to the ever growing Hall of Fame when it inducted 87 new members including members of the All-Millennium team’s for Fastball, Soccer and Badminton in Windsor.

OCAA Hall of Fame

The OCAA Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of extraordinary contributions and accomplishments within collegiate sports in Ontario. Honoured members include athletes, coaches and builders of the association.

The OCAA Hall of Fame was established in the year 2003 to honour the achievements of its former athletes, coaches and builders. On April 30, 2003, 265 people attended the inaugural induction ceremony in Toronto to pay tribute to the first 103 inductees, and celebrate the OCAA’s rich history. In 2005, members of the OCAA gathered in Hamilton, Ontario to honour 30 new members inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame and in 2007 another 37 new members were inducted at the ceremony in Oshawa. In 2009 100 members were recognized in the fourth OCAA Hall of Fame Ceremony in Windsor, Ontario.

For more information on the origins and history of the OCAA Hall of Fame and to view honoured members biographies and photos, visit www.ocaa.com/fame.

Ice hockey

Ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 was once a big sport in the OCAA. From 1967 until the 2000s, the sport was played as an intercollegiate sport, but in 2004 down to just three schools (St. Clair, Humber, Fleming), the league chose not to operate any longer. The Windsor St. Clair Saints
Windsor St. Clair Saints
The Windsor St. Clair Saints were a Senior "AAA" ice hockey team based in St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. They joined the Ontario Hockey Association's Major League Hockey in 2006, only to leave in 2008.-History:The St...

 operated for four more seasons, two touring to play American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Colleges and two in the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...

's Senior "AAA" Loop, Major League Hockey
Major League Hockey
Allan Cup Hockey is the top tier Canadian Senior ice hockey league in the province of Ontario. As a member of the Ontario Hockey Association and Hockey Canada, the league contends for the famed Allan Cup. The league came to its latest incarnation when it lost several teams leaving it with two...

, in contention for the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...

. The Saints folded in 2008. In 2009, the Nipissing Lakers joined the Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics
Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public...

 Hockey League.

Most of these schools still operate intermural leagues and even varsity teams, but there is no formal league to play in. The former championship trophy resides at St. Clair College
St. Clair College
St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology is a college in the Southwestern Ontario counties of Essex and Chatham-Kent.-Campus:Its main administration and largest campus sites are in Windsor, Canada. In addition, other campuses are located in Chatham and Wallaceburg. In 2007, St...

 in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...

.
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