Quest for Gold Cycle 2 Carding Criteria Released



Please Click on the link below to view the Quest for Gold Carding
Criteria for Wrestling, Judo, Athletics and Goalball to be used in the
selection of athletes for the Quest For Gold Athlete Assistance Program:


JUDO SELECTION CRITERIA

WRESTLING SELECTION CRITERIA

GOALBALL SELECTION CRITERIA

ATHLETICS SELECTION CRITERIA


Ontario Blind Sports Association - Powerlifting

2009-2010 Quest for Gold Athlete Assistance Program

Cycle 1 - Ontario Card Nominations Announced!

Ontario Blind Sports Association would like to thank and congratulate the talented athletes who have been nominated for Ontario Cards under the 2009-2010 Quest for Gold Ontario Athlete Assistance Program (OAAP). The athletes nominated were selected using the sport specific selection criteria developed by Ontario Blind Sports Association, approved by its Board of Directors and applied by Ontario Blind Sports Association's Athlete Selection Committees.

Ontario Blind Sports Association congratulates these athletes on their successful performances, and their nomination for Quest for Gold - OAAP funding.

Powerlifting: Stephen Jesso, Tim Ekert

In order to be approved for funding, the above listed athletes must complete an online registration form and Athlete Agreement BEFORE MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2009. For information about the online registration process and Athlete Agreements, please contact Matthew Kennedy, Executive Director (416)426-7244 or matt@blindsports.on.ca.

Quest for Gold – Ontario Athlete Assistance Program 2009-2010

ATHLETE SELECTION CRITERIA TEMPLATE

Quest for Gold – Ontario Athlete Assistance Program 2009-2010 (OAAP) is funded by the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Health Promotion (MHP), and operated through the Sport and Recreation Branch. The overarching goal of the Quest for Gold – OAAP is directly related to the Enhanced Excellence goals of both ACTIVE2010 and the Canadian Sport Policy – to improve the performance and number of Ontario athletes performing at the national and international level; thereby contributing to the improved performance of Canada at international competitions. Specific objectives of the program are:

1. To help athletes continue their pursuit of athletic excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition;

2. To encourage athletes to stay in Ontario to live and train;

3. To compensate athletes for earnings lost while training;

4. To enable athletes to successfully pursue excellence in sport while fulfilling their educational goals;

5. To increase athlete access to improved high performance coaching; and

6. To enhance training and competitive opportunities available to athletes.

The program will provide direct financial assistance to Ontario junior-aged athletes through an “Ontario Card” designation. “Junior-aged athlete” is defined as those athletes who fall within the eligible age range for the Canada Games - 11 to 22 years of age. (Consideration will be given to older junior-aged athletes if a PSO/MSO’s NSO-approved Long Term Athlete Development model (LTAD) identifies older athletes in the “Train to Train” and “Train to Compete” categories). The intent of the OAAP is to provide funding to individual athletes based on their demonstrated commitment to high performance sport, allowing them to pursue athletic excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition.

How does it work?

In accordance with the OAAP guidelines, the OBSA is responsible for developing sport specific selection criteria and forming a Selection Committee that will apply the criteria to select those athletes who will be awarded Ontario Card status in 2009-2010. The Selection Criteria is approved by the Board of Directors and reviewed by MHP staff. Nominated athletes will be required to sign and comply with an Athlete Agreement between the athlete and OBSA. Carding status will be for one year starting April 1, 2009 ending March 31, 2010.

In 2009-2010, the Ministry of Health Promotion allocated a certain amount of OAAP Ontario Cards to each eligible Provincial Sport / Multi-Sport Organization (PSO/MSO). OBSA has been allotted a total of 4 Ontario cards for Powerlifting (split evenly as 2 male and 2 Female Cards).

As a result, the 4 cards issued to OBSA will be allocated as follows:

	Male	Female
Full Cards – 4	2	2

In accordance with the OAAP guidelines OBSA is responsible for forming a Selection Committee and sport specific selection criteria to nominate the athletes for Ontario carding status in 2009-2010. This selection criteria has been approved by the OBSA Board of Directors.

The Selection Committee is comprised of the following members:

Shirley Shelby, Board President OBSA

Sheldon Duncan, Powerlifting Chair OBSA

Matthew Kennedy, Executive Director OBSA

How much funding is available?

The exact level of funding for the 2009-2010 carding year will be determined by the Ministry after the total number of athletes nominated for Ontario Card status has been determined. Funding will be released prior to March 31, 2010.

How will the OBSA Selection Committee decide who receives funding?

The OBSA Selection Committee will use both the Ministry of Health Promotion Eligibility Criteria and the Sport Specific Selection Criteria detailed below to determine which athletes will be nominated by the OBSA for Ontario Card status in 2009-2010:

Ministry of Health Promotion Eligibility Criteria:

All athletes must also meet the Ministry of Health Promotion’s minimum athlete eligibility criteria:

• Athlete must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant;

• Athlete must be a resident of Ontario for one year prior to his/her nomination for carding status, with the following exception;

The residency requirement will be waived if the athlete is a direct family member of:

• a regular force member, or

• a reservist as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 who is deployed under a circumstance described in clause 50.2 (1) (a) or (b) of that Act, or who is deployed or in any other way placed on active duty under a circumstance described in regulations made for the purposes of clause 50.2 (1) (c) of that Act.

• Athletes must be training and continuing to train in Ontario. Exceptions (“Residency Exceptions”) will be made on a case specific basis providing that the athlete can substantiate that:

• He/She cannot receive the required level of training in Ontario and is out of the province temporarily during the year (i.e. due to lack of facilities, coaching, competitions);

• The onus is on the athlete to demonstrate that he/she needs to be out of province. The athlete will submit written documentation to their PSO/MSO’s Selection Committee clearly indicating how they meet these exceptions. The Ministry may require that the athlete provide supporting documentation from the athlete’s PSO/ MSO, National Sport Organization (NSO) or other sources to verify reasons for athlete’s absence from the Province of Ontario.

• He/She must attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province because the course of study is not available to him/her in Ontario;

• It is more financially feasible to attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province, or other extenuating circumstances that require the athlete to be out of the province.

• Athlete must be a member in good standing with PSO/MSO and NSO where applicable.

• Athlete must have entered into a Sports Organization - Athlete Agreement with his or her PSO/MSO and must be in full compliance with the terms and conditions of that agreement.

• Athlete must demonstrate a commitment and dedication to a proper training and competitive program.

• Athlete must be instructed by a coach who has been trained and certified in the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Level 2 or equivalent.

• Athlete must not be under sanction as per the Canadian Anti-Doping Policy.

• Athlete must be attending an educational institution full-time (i.e. primary and secondary schools)

• Exceptions will be made providing that the athlete can substantiate that his/her training will not allow for full-time attendance or if an athlete requires special needs that preclude full or part-time attendance (e.g. Athlete with a disability (AWAD)

• Athletes who have completed their area of study at the secondary level (i.e. high school) and who continue to train towards participation in major national or international competitions will also be given consideration.

• If eligible, the athlete must compete, and continue to compete for Ontario and/or Canada for one year from the date of the Minister’s letter informing the athlete of acceptance into OAAP program, at Canada Games and other national competitions involving provincial team competitions. Athletes who have achieved Canada Card status are not eligible for Ontario Cards.

• Eligibility will be limited to Ontario junior-aged athletes ((“junior-aged” refers to chronological age, not a sport’s specific age category - only exception is for PSO/MSOs using 30% of Ontario Card allotment for Senior level athletes not funded by Sport Canada – see note below) who have been identified as a next generation national team athlete as demonstrated by:

• Identification within the NSO pool of identified next generation national team athletes for the last two competitive seasons; OR

• Results at regional championships, national championships (junior and/or senior) or other recognized national/international competitions over the last two competitive seasons; OR
• Representation on a Canadian National Team (developmental and/or junior). Athletes training for Canada Games or provincial teams may also be considered
  
  Important Notes:
• To be deemed a potential next generation national team athlete, the athlete must be age-eligible to compete on the national team in the year following receipt of Ontario Card funding.
• all athletes under the age of 18 must have their parent or legal guardian sign their OAAP application form. Cheques will be processed in the name of the eligible athlete.
• athletes who are attending any foreign post-secondary educational institution (including NCAA institutions) and are receiving an athletic scholarship in any sport are not eligible to receive OAAP support.
• An athlete that received Sport Canada Carding between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 and/or April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010 and is no longer in receipt of Sport Canada Athlete Assistance shall not be eligible to receive Quest for Gold funding during fiscal year 2009-2010 (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010.) The intent of this rule is to prevent athletes whose performance levels and rankings no longer qualify them for Sport Canada carding from taking an Ontario Card from a future national-level athlete. However, exceptions may apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions may include, but may not be limited to logistical or administrative changes, injuries, etc.
• An athlete can only be nominated to receive Quest for Gold funding in one sport.
• The onus is entirely on the athlete to determine the impact of accepting OAAP funding on current or future NCAA eligibility and to decide whether or not to accept OAAP funding. The athlete will be required to acknowledge this onus and responsibility when signing the OAAP Ontario Card application form and agreeing to the related terms and conditions of the program. Athletes are strongly encouraged to contact the NCAA Eligibility Center to determine the impact of Quest for Gold - OAAP funding on current or future eligibility for a NCAA scholarship or on eligibility to compete in a non-scholarship NCAA sport.
• In the event of a conflict or inconsistency, the selection criteria established by the Ministry and set out the Athlete Handbook provided to each nominated athlete shall prevail over the selection criteria established by the PSO/MSO.

Sport Specific Athlete Selection Criteria:

The following sport specific athlete selection criteria will be utilized in the identification, ranking and selection of athletes for Ontario Cards:

Sport Specific Athlete Selection Criteria:

• An athlete who previously received Quest for Gold funding and entered into a Sports Organization – Athlete Agreement must have complied with the terms of that agreement to the satisfaction of the PSO/MSO in order to be considered for funding in fiscal 2009-2010.

The sport specific athlete selection criteria will be utilized in the identification, ranking and selection of athletes for Ontario Cards.

Evaluation

Evaluation is based on all competitions throughout the 2008-2009 year including the most recent IBSA World Championships and ParaSport Games. Cards will be distributed equally to male and female athletes (OBSA has 2 male and 2 female cards allocated - maintaining gender equality).

Selection Criteria 

a)         Must have obtained Minimum Qualification Standard as set by OBSA Powerlifting Committee at an ISBA World Championship or OPA Provincial Championship event within the past 12 months.

            OBSA will then rank the athlete a, b, c, d, etc to select for carding.

            (September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2009)

Class III for men’s and women’s open (age 23-39) Class IV for masters, juniors and sub-juniors (age14-23 and 39+)

MEN'S COMPETITION STANDARDS

    Wt.Class      52      56      60      67.5    75      82.5    90      100     110     125     125+

    CLASS  III    305.0   332.5   357.5   402.5   437.5   470.0   497.5   525.0   542.5   557.5   580.0

    CLASS  IV     267.5   290.0   312.5   350.0   380.0   410.0   432.5   455.0   475.0   487.5   507.5

WOMEN'S  COMPETITION STANDARDS

    Wt.Class      44      48      52      56      60      67.5    75      82.5    90      90+

    CLASS  III    182.5   197.5   212.5   225.0   237.5   262.5   282.5   305.0   325.0   342.5

    CLASS  IV     157.5   170.0   182.5   192.5   205.0   225.0   242.5   260.0   280.0   295.0

b)         Top finish (must finish in top 5 in weight class) at most recent IBSA World Championship

c)         Must compete at CBSA or CPU National Championships

d)         Must compete at Provincial championships which is held in conjunction with ParaSport Championships

(The) Ontario Blind Sports Association will publish or make known the athletes nominated for Ontario Card status by no later than October 21, 2009

Residency Exceptions:

Any athlete living/training outside of Ontario is required to submit written documentation to the OBSA Selection Committee clearly identifying how they meet the following residency exceptions, identified in the Ministry of Health Promotion’s General Eligibility Criteria:

• Athletes must be living and continuing to train in Ontario. Exceptions will be made on a case specific basis providing that the athlete can substantiate that:

• He/She cannot receive the required level of training in Ontario and is out of the province temporarily during the year (i.e. due to lack of facilities, coaching, competitions);

• He/She must attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province because the course of study is not available to him/her in Ontario;

• It is more financially feasible to attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province, or other extenuating circumstances that require the athlete to be out of the province.

This information must be received by the Selection Committee by no later than October 1, 2009 in order to be considered.

Residency Exemption for Military Families: The one-year Ontario residency requirement is waived for any Ontario Card or Canada Card applicant who is a spouse or dependant of a: Regular Force member of the Canadian Forces; or Reservist currently deployed by the Canadian Forces into active service. This means that eligible military family members now qualify for OAAP funding immediately upon becoming residents of Ontario. Please see the 2009-2010 Quest for Gold Athlete Handbook for details of this exemption, including a list of documents needed to verify eligibility for this waiver of the one-year Ontario residency requirement.

Failure to Meet Selection Criteria for Health-related Reasons

Athletes that, for strictly health-related reasons, have not achieved the standards required for nomination of carded status may be considered for nomination under the following conditions:

• The athlete has fulfilled all reasonable training and rehabilitation requirements aimed at a speedy return to full high-performance training and competition during the period of his or her injury, illness or pregnancy and, despite making every reasonable effort to attain the applicable carding standards during the year in which the injury, illness or pregnancy occurred, has failed to do so, in the view of the PSO/MSO, for reasons strictly related to the injury, illness or pregnancy.

• The OBSA, based on its technical judgement and that of a PSO/MSO team physician or equivalent, indicates in writing the expectation that the athlete will achieve at least the minimum standards required for carding during the upcoming carding period.

• The athlete has demonstrated and continues to demonstrate his or her long-term commitment to high-performance training and competition goals, as well as his or her intention to pursue full high-performance training and competition throughout the carding period for which he or she wishes to be renewed despite not having met the carding criteria.

Selection Criteria for Athletes Unable to Meet Selection Standards due to the Health Issues:

a) Results from same events from previous competitive season. Top finish (must have finished in top 5 in weight class) at most recent IBSA World Championship or have top 5 finish at CBSA or CPU National Championships. Failing that, a top 5 finish at Provincial championships in their weight class.

b) 2008 Team Canada Non-Carded Athletes

c) 2008 Team Canada Development Squad Non-Carded Athletes

Alternates:

OBSA will also nominate alternates to those athletes nominated for Ontario Card status. Alternates will be those athletes who are ranked directly behind those athletes nominated for the allotment of Ontario Cards in a particular category/discipline. The names of alternates will be published along with the names of nominated athletes. If an athlete drops out or is removed from the OAAP an alternate will be substituted into that athlete’s position, provided that:

• Alternate is substituted within 2009-2010 fiscal year;

• An alternate is available from the same category/discipline/card level (Full/Half);

• Funding for athlete being substituted is still available within fiscal year (e.g. full funding for card has not already been paid out to athlete no longer in program

To Apply:

All required information must be submitted to:

Name: Matthew Kennedy

Email: matt@blindsports.on.ca

Address: 3 Concorde Gate, Toronto, Ontario, M3C 3N7

Phone number: 416-426-7244

Fax number: 416-426-7361

no later than October 1, 2009. The athlete agreement will only come into effect if an athlete is selected and accepts carding status through the OAAP program.

Breaking a Tie:

If there is a tie in the final score between 2 athletes, the Selection Committee will determine the winner based on past performance. I.E.

1. Most top five finishes at the IBSA Powerlifting World Championship event

2. Most top five finishes at the Canadian Powerlifting National Championships

3. Most IBSA Powerlifting World Championship medal points; gold (12), silver (9) and bronze (8)
   

OBSA will publish or make known the athletes nominated for Ontario Card status by no later than October 21, 2009.

Appeals

Appeals will be allowed in writing from athletes who have not been nominated by a PSO/MSO for Ontario Card status. Appeals will be dealt with by an Appeals Committee comprised of representatives from the sport community and chosen by the Ministry.

Grounds for appeals will be limited strictly to issues related to:

A) Whether or not the PSO/MSO has completed the selection process in accordance with their own published selection criteria and related procedures;

B) Whether or not the selection criteria developed and applied by the PSO/MSO were fair, objective, transparent and free from discrimination or conflict of interest.

After hearing an appeal the Appeals Committee will have the authority to:

1. Direct the PSO/MSO to redo the selection process using the correct criteria/process and submit a new list of nominated athletes;

2. Deny the appeal; or

3. Allow the appeal and nominate the appellant for carding status.

The appeals will only be accepted on the MHP-provided template, in writing through regular post, registered mail, courier or delivered in person. Appeals that are delivered personally or by courier shall be deemed to be received on the date of delivery. Appeals that are delivered by regular post or registered mail shall be deemed to be received three days after the date of mailing. Appeals submitted by e-mail or fax will not be accepted. The Appeals Committee will discuss all appeals at once, after PSO/MSOs publish their list of nominated athletes. Appeals received in advance of the PSO/MSO announcing nominees will not be reviewed until after the Appeals deadline.

The deadline for athletes to submit appeals to the Appeals Committee is October 26, 2009.

Appeals must be completed on the template below and will be directed to:

Quest for Gold Ontario Athlete Assistance Program Appeals Committee

c/o Sport and Recreation Branch

Ministry of Health Promotion,

18th floor, 393 University Avenue

Toronto, Ontario M7A 2S1

Athletes Announced for Quest for Gold Cycle 2

OBSA is pleased to announce the following athletes have been nominated for carding for Cycle 2 of the Ministry of Health Promotion's Athlete Assistance Program. Anyone wishing to appeal the decisions may do so by completing the following form APPEALS FORM (Please see sport specific selection criteria for all information regarding the appeals process)

Judo: Alex Radoman
Goalball: Sarah Hargraves, Cassie Orgeles