Canadian Basketball Team Makes Tourney After Legal Threat

The Vancouver Courier, Megan Stewart

http://www.vancourier.com/sports/Vancouver+basketball+Saints+march+into+tourney+after+legal+threat/6199425/story.html

Although they lost their three-game playoff to Vancouver College last week, the No. 3 B.C. ranked St. George’s Saints threatened legal action and successfully argued they deserve direct entry to the AAA Lower Mainland senior boys basketball championship.

The decision, called a “compromise” Tuesday by B.C. High School Boys Basketball Association president James Johnston, will expand the tournament bracket from 12 to 13 teams and will see the two private West Side schools host the tournament instead of Kitsilano and Churchill secondary schools as planned.

The zone tournament began yesterday, and the championship final is March 3, 7:30 p.m. at St. George’s school.

Johnston issued a directive Feb. 20 to the Lower Mainland executive to include St. George’s in the draw after the provincial association’s board of governors—which has the ultimate authority in such matters—unanimously upheld the school’s appeal. The board of governors agreed the senior boys basketball team had earned its place at the tournament because its high-ranking, winning record indicated it is one of the best teams to come out of Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver this season.

The six-member Lower Mainland executive, which included Saints head coach Guy daSilva as its president, denied the school’s initial request. The school appealed and last week was also turned down by the B.C. executive.

Following the ruling of the board of governors, the law firm Farris on behalf of St. George’s contacted the Lower Mainland tournament committee to contend the school deserved direct entry into the tournament and that repeating last year’s four-game wildcard play-in would unfairly place the “team and players at a gross competitive disadvantage.”

“Be advised that should the [Lower Mainland High School Boys Basketball Association] proceed with this proposal, St. George’s intends to exercise such legal recourse as it deems necessary to protect its interests and as those of its student-athletes, stated the lawyer’s letter, which was obtained by the Courier. This could include commencement of litigation in B.C. Supreme Court seeking injunctive relief.”

Berthing is mathematically linked to the total number of players in a school district. Vancouver public schools qualify five teams for the AAA Lower Mainland zone tournament while St. George’s and Vancouver College compete for one berth within the independent school league.

The Lower Mainland association introduced a rule in 2005 that made it possible to overrule the berthing allocation for a district with only a single berth if a school could make the case they are one of the top three schools in the zone.

The Lower Mainland executive responded Feb. 22. “It is most unfortunate that those who use the threat of legal action are rewarded for this type of behaviour. Acting in the best interest of our member schools and their players and volunteer coaches, we were not prepared to bankrupt our association by having to hire lawyers.”

In his directive that followed the letter from St. George’s lawyers, Johnston wrote, “While I understand that this directive does not address the underlying concerns of the Lower Mainland public schools and puts a significant burden on St. George’s, it is a compromise. There has been a great deal of effort put into this issue and I would like to thank all sides for their contributions. I strongly suggest that […] each side consider resolutions for the [B.C. High School Boys Basketball Association] to deal with the ongoing public/independent dispute.

‘, ‘Vancouver Team Enters Tourney After Legal Threat

The Vancouver Courier, Megan Stewart

http://www.vancourier.com/sports/Vancouver+basketball+Saints+march+into+tourney+after+legal+threat/6199425/story.html

Although they lost their three-game playoff to Vancouver College last week, the No. 3 B.C. ranked St. George’s Saints threatened legal action and successfully argued they deserve direct entry to the AAA Lower Mainland senior boys basketball championship.

The decision, called a “compromise” Tuesday by B.C. High School Boys Basketball Association president James Johnston, will expand the tournament bracket from 12 to 13 teams and will see the two private West Side schools host the tournament instead of Kitsilano and Churchill secondary schools as planned.

The zone tournament began yesterday, and the championship final is March 3, 7:30 p.m. at St. George’s school.

Johnston issued a directive Feb. 20 to the Lower Mainland executive to include St. George’s in the draw after the provincial association’s board of governors—which has the ultimate authority in such matters—unanimously upheld the school’s appeal. The board of governors agreed the senior boys basketball team had earned its place at the tournament because its high-ranking, winning record indicated it is one of the best teams to come out of Burnaby, Richmond and Vancouver this season.

The six-member Lower Mainland executive, which included Saints head coach Guy daSilva as its president, denied the school’s initial request. The school appealed and last week was also turned down by the B.C. executive.

Following the ruling of the board of governors, the law firm Farris on behalf of St. George’s contacted the Lower Mainland tournament committee to contend the school deserved direct entry into the tournament and that repeating last year’s four-game wildcard play-in would unfairly place the “team and players at a gross competitive disadvantage.”

“Be advised that should the [Lower Mainland High School Boys Basketball Association] proceed with this proposal, St. George’s intends to exercise such legal recourse as it deems necessary to protect its interests and as those of its student-athletes, stated the lawyer’s letter, which was obtained by the Courier. This could include commencement of litigation in B.C. Supreme Court seeking injunctive relief.”

Berthing is mathematically linked to the total number of players in a school district. Vancouver public schools qualify five teams for the AAA Lower Mainland zone tournament while St. George’s and Vancouver College compete for one berth within the independent school league.

The Lower Mainland association introduced a rule in 2005 that made it possible to overrule the berthing allocation for a district with only a single berth if a school could make the case they are one of the top three schools in the zone.

The Lower Mainland executive responded Feb. 22. “It is most unfortunate that those who use the threat of legal action are rewarded for this type of behaviour. Acting in the best interest of our member schools and their players and volunteer coaches, we were not prepared to bankrupt our association by having to hire lawyers.”

In his directive that followed the letter from St. George’s lawyers, Johnston wrote, “While I understand that this directive does not address the underlying concerns of the Lower Mainland public schools and puts a significant burden on St. George’s, it is a compromise. There has been a great deal of effort put into this issue and I would like to thank all sides for their contributions. I strongly suggest that […] each side consider resolutions for the [B.C. High School Boys Basketball Association] to deal with the ongoing public/independent dispute.

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