OTTAWA -- The city’s largest school boards will reopen some schools for after-hours use, allowing access to community groups and sport leagues who rely on the space. Yet, for area basketball teams, the partial resumption of the service may only solve a portion of the problem.

These days, finding a space to shoot-hoops - takes jumping through them first. 

“Our club would typically use between 20 and 25 public schools during weekdays and between six and 10 on the weekends,” says Derek Firth, President of the Ottawa Shooting Stars basketball club.

“We have not been able to access school gyms since March 2020 and basketball has essentially been at a standstill since then. We haven’t been able to provide the programming that we usually do.”

Firth says there is a limited amount of private and city-run facilities in Ottawa, which has forced many teams around the region to not only cut programming, but increase the fees as well.

“Financial barriers is something that our club and clubs across the city have been trying to remove for years,” says Firth, noting that the cost to rent private gyms is nearly ten times more than a school.

“It’s been extremely tough on the kids. There is the physical health benefits the mental health benefits … everyone knows how hard this last while has been on kids and teens.”

On Monday Ottawa’s largest school boards said community use will return next week, but it will be limited.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, which has the most schools, will focus on gyms in high schools and only for those who are fully vaccinated. The priority will be for youths over the age of twelve years old and not-for-profit-groups, like basketball clubs. 

Firth, who petitioned on behalf of the Eastern Ontario Basketball Association to have the schools reopened, applauds the move, but says it only solves half the problem with respect to the age.

He adds that it’s not clear how many high-schools will open. His concern is that boards will choose newer schools, in sub-urban neighbourhoods, which could pose a problem for inner-city youth and their parents, who may not have the means to attend. 

“All the data shows that once a kid or teen drops out of a sport at a certain age they’re very unlikely to return to the sport,” says Firth. “We have seen a huge drop off especially in girls in basketball.”

Aaron Harvey is a coach and executive with the Ottawa South Basketball Association and says even with schools opening, many of their programs, as well as other teams in the area, have been cancelled.

“In the U16 [under 16 years-old] division which is normally 25 or 30 teams, we are down to eight or nine teams, hopefully a couple more will add in,” says Harvey. 

“The kids that are there are appreciative of the opportunities and the parents are appreciative because some kids just cannot get access to basketball at all.”

Early in the season, Harvey signed up the team for games and tournaments outside of the Ottawa area, like in Toronto, where play has mostly resumed.

This was to ensure the team would have an opportunity to compete, as the Ottawa season was still up in the air.  But this solution, came at an addition cost, on top of private gym rentals - which have already been paid for.

“And not only the fees have gone up but the cost of travel, because out of desperation, more teams are travelling to get games and when you travel there’s hotels and travels and meals and all those other fees that really jack up the cost of playing basketball.”

Firth hopes that the boards will allow the return of elementary schools for basketball, as major provincial tournaments are slated for the city.

“To be able to host we need access to all the school gyms in the area so essentially they are filled up on those weekends and we need to confirm with them that we have access to schools by the end of December, or we’re going to forfeit our right to host this event,” says Firth.

“The economic impact of these events is huge typically it’s about 150 to 175 teams, so close to 2000 families coming to our area on those weekends to stay in our hotels, support our restaurants, see our wonderful city.”

The OCDSB says in a message on its website, that elementary schools will likely return to community use in early 2022.

“Our elementary schools are not being reopened to Community Use of Schools at this time; the reason for this is twofold.  First, elementary schools are being targeted as possible clinics for COVID-19 vaccinations for children, once this can be fully organized.  We are prioritizing space, at least for now, for this important purpose.  Second, elementary schools are staffed differently and we have more staff at secondary schools to support a return to community use.”