Introduction to inter-school athletics

If your son is new to the athletic program, please watch this slideshow first.

The purpose of this letter is to introduce the inter-school athletic program at the Prep School. Inter-school athletic opportunities begin in Year 4 and continue throughout the Prep and Upper School. There are a wide variety of sports offered throughout the three terms. In many sports, two or more teams are offered at each age level where “A” indicates the first team and “B” the second and so on. A full list of all Prep teams can be found in the Prep School Family Handbook. Each age level this year will be based upon each boy’s grade:

• Year 4 is U10
• Year 5 is U11
• Year 6 is U12
• Year 7 is U13 (When no U13 league exists, Year 7 boys play at the U14 level.)

Below is the mission statement and philosophy of athletics at the Prep School. These statements guide us in all inter-school athletics.

Prep athletic mission statement: The Prep School seeks to provide a high-quality athletic experience for all, with the goal of developing outstanding character, and the skills and attitudes to enjoy a lifetime of healthy living.

Prep athletic philosophy: The Prep School believes in encouraging a love of sport through the development of athletic character and skills. The athletic program values and develops sportsmanship through respect, compassion, integrity, discipline, teamwork and team commitment. Students will develop a strong work ethic through perseverance and commitment to team ideals and goals. The school facilitates the growth of its students by encouraging student, coach and family involvement in athletic education, leading to an increased sense of athletic purpose and self-confidence.

To achieve our mission, we believe that a strong partnership between home and school is required. In order to forge this partnership, we strive to communicate in a clear and timely manner with our students and families. During the team selection period, all boys who try out for an inter-school team will be asked to read and respond electronically to a team commitment letter found on the team pages on the UCC website. It details the selection process and program expectations.

To help families understand commitment expectations, we’ve listed “must play” dates for each team in each term below. These dates can’t be fully confirmed at this time, as schedules can change, but traditionally they’ve been very reliable. Any student committing to an inter-school team must play on the dates listed below. It should be noted that tournament games are typically scheduled throughout each tournament day and sometimes into the evenings. While it may be possible (but not advisable) to make outside commitments between tournament games, our expectation is that students are on time and attend all UCC tournament games. Apart from these “must play” dates, boys can miss no more than two additional UCC matches for reasons other than illness or injury. As there are consequences for Prep teams and for boys who can’t fulfill this commitment, families of boys who have important outside commitments are strongly advised to consult the Prep School Family Handbook and the athletic director prior to signing back the team commitment letter.

There’s an additional cost associated with being a part of a UCC team. Families are billed for bus trips, a team photo and a modest uniform rental fee. Teams that travel for major tournaments are billed for this travel separately from the team costs. A typical two-day trip to Montreal is billed at approximately $300 per student, while a five-day trip to British Columbia is billed at approximately $1,300 per student. It should be noted that these costs might vary due to transportation and accommodation costs.

Please note that below are the known “must play” dates and other important dates. The full commitment required will be outlined in a pre-season letter to each student and his parents at the beginning of each season.

Fall “must play” dates

Thursday, Oct. 12 to Saturday, Oct. 14 * (depart on Oct. 10)	U13A soccer (may also include U13B team): CAIS national tournament at Glenlyon Norfolk School, Victoria B.C.(* Note different age category criteria)
Wednesday, Oct. 25	Cross-country: CISAA championships at Centennial Park
Saturday, Oct. 28	U14 tier 2 and U12 volleyball; U13A, U13B, U12A, U12B, U11A, U11B, U10A, U10B and U10C soccer: CISAA championships

Important, but not a “must play” date: Association Day on Saturday, Sept. 23

Winter “must play” dates

Friday, Dec. 1  and Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017	U14 hockey: UCC home tournament (billeting out of town guests will be a requirement)
Friday, Jan. 12 and Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018	U12 Year 6 and Year 5 hockey, U12A and U12B basketball: UCC home tournaments (billeting out of town guests will be a requirement)
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018	U10A basketball: Sterling Hall School tournament
Saturday, Jan. 13 or 27, 2018 (TBC)	U10B and U10C basketball: Crescent School tournamentU11 Basketball: Toronto French School tournament
Thursday, Jan. 25 to Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018	U12 Year 6 hockey, U12A basketball: LCC tournament in Montreal
Thursday, Feb. 1 to Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018	U13A basketball: CAIS national tournament hosted by Sterling Hall and Kingsway College in Toronto (* Note different age category criteria.)
Thursday, Feb. 8 to Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018	U14 and U12 hockey: Lower Canada College and Selwyn House tournaments in Montreal respectively
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018 (TBC)	Swimming: CISAA championships at Etobicoke Olympium
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018	U12A, U12B, U11, U10A, U10B and U10C basketball: CISAA championships
Friday, March 2, 2018	U14 and U12 hockey: CISAA championships
Saturday, March 3, 2018	U13A and U13B (only if in the top four): CISAA championships

Important, but not a “must play” date: UCC Winterfest on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018

Spring “must play” dates

Saturday, April 28, 2018	U12 Year 6 A and B and U12 Year 5 softball mini-tournament
Wednesday, May 23, 2018	U14 softball, U14 tennis: CISAA championship
Tuesday, May 22, 2018	Years 4, 5 and 6 track and field: CISAA championship at York University
Wednesday, May 23, 2018	Year 7 track and field: CISAA championship at Country Day School
Saturday, May 26, 2018	U12A and B and U11 softball: CISAA championshipU13 seven-a-side rugby: CISAA championship

* Billeting has been a long-standing tradition in the independent school athletic world and is a wonderful experience both when hosting and visiting. It’s a requirement of a number of teams.

Athletic sign-up assemblies and try-out dates

Athletic sign-up assemblies are scheduled at the beginning of the try-out process and are designed to inform all of the boys about their athletic choices for each term.

Fall athletic assembly date and try-outs: Thursday, Sept. 7 in the morning. Try-outs will begin for all Year 7 teams in the afternoon. Try-outs for Years 4 through 6 will begin on Friday or Monday depending on the timetable.
Winter athletic assembly date and try-outs: The assembly will be held on Friday, Nov. 3 (date TBC). Try-outs begin for all years on Monday, Nov. 6 or Tuesday, Nov. 7 depending on the timetable.
Spring athletic assembly date and try-outs: Monday, March 26. Try-outs begin for all years on Tuesday, March 27 or Wednesday, March 28 depending on the timetable.

It’s hoped that the information contained in this letter will aid families in planning for the upcoming school year. If parents have any questions or concerns, please call or email.

Here are links to two other important pieces of information: Yr. 4 athletics, accessing full athletic schedules for teams

Sincerely,
Nigel White
Director of Athletics
Upper Canada College Preparatory School
(416) 488-1125, ext. 4072
nwhite@ucc.on.ca