Ridley College is a rare gem, starting from Kindergarten to grade 12 the staff is dedicated to literacy and play. Athletic Director of Ridley’s basketball team, Jay Tredway, tells Ontario Basketball that getting the kids active and involved with sports and literacy at an early age is important, “It creates better athletes.”

This year will be the first year for RC, in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association, and their looking to go big. Tredway made the decision this year to join the OSBA because RC has had a good run so far during their regular high school season in the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools division.

Pushing to develop his players, Tredway suggests that the OSBA will be beneficial to team. “It’s a great fit for our culture here at Ridley, the OSBA will force us to become better at what we do,” says Tredway, “There are so many great opportunities that the OSBA has to offer that will allow us to become better professionals and athletes.”

Looking for a long-term commitment with the OSBA, Tredway believes in a larger philosophy. The OSBA is a major step for Canadian basketball, as prep schools and academies slowly make their way north of the border. The OSBA like Tredeway focus on three main goals: creating a quality and reputable league to develop student athletes as both athletes and students while creating future opportunities.

“The increase of athletes wanting to play basketball in Ontario is due to the accessibility and diversity of the game here in Canada,” suggests Tredway. These prep schools and academies create larger talent pools that in perspective create a wider variety of athletes for our National teams.

Looking ahead, Tredway and his team are looking to be more competitive this year, “Winning championships is fun, but our long-term goal is to create opportunities for as many kids as possible.”