The Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association will hosting its second year this season as they launched a boy’s league in 2015. Earlier this year it was announced that the OSBA has created a girl’s league for this upcoming season starring eight teams from across Ontario.

Jodi Gram, head coach of the Bill Crothers S.S girls basketball team, has decided to join in on this elite league, “The goal-oriented model OSBA has setup gives athletes an accessible environment to train and compete in a way that supports player development.” During their first season Gram is looking forward to watching the growth of her athletes, as well as the development of the other teams in the new model.

As female basketball is on the rise in Canada, Gram believes that the OSBA is one factor that continues the momentum for female student athletes, “It means a tremendous amount to be part of OSBA, but it is also inevitable given the rise of female basketball in Ontario and Canada.” It is a new concept to have a league of such quality focus on training and development both on and off the courts, especially within a girls season.

Women’s basketball is certainly on the rise, “Our current Senior Women’s team has set the tone for everything we stand for in terms of team culture and work ethic which eventually translates into our younger age groups,” says Gram. In Ontario, Gram feels that our province is well represented. Ontario has a high number of quality players being represented on Canada’s National teams, the NCAA, WNBA and overseas.

Excited for their first season to begin, Gram is already looking forward to another year with the OSBA. With highly motivated and capable athletes who want to train and compete at a higher level the Bill Crothers S.S. girls are definitely a team to look out for this season.