Evidence of OPDP clubs playing their weaker teams in stronger divisions

The following screenshots show the U9 to U12 teams in the ERSL as of April 28, 2017, the day after the OPDP supposedly closed.

In the past, the ERSL typically had three divisions per gender and age. As of April 28, there was only T3 for Boys U11 and U12, each with four teams, but those teams were moved to T2 divisions before the season started, meaning that the ERSL only has T1 and T2 divisions in 2017.

OPDP clubs moved their teams up a division to account for the fact that their T1 teams were now in the OPDP. Examples of this have been highlighted below. Some non-OPDP clubs also moved their T2 teams up a division, but those that didn't have generally experienced weaker competition than expected.

Boys U9-U12 divisions

Boys U9T1:

• the Ottawa Gloucester team is described as T2
• the OSU team is described as Blue, which is the colour they give their third-best team

Boys U10T1:

• the Ottawa Gloucester team is described as T2
• the OSU team is described as Blue, which is the colour they give their third-best team

Boys U11T1:

• the Ottawa Gloucester team is described as T2
• the OSU team is described as Blue, which is the colour they give their third-best team

Boys U12T1:

• the OSU team is described as Power, which is the name they give their team below Blue
• note that Ottawa Gloucester has an OPDP team at Boys U12 but no T1 team at Boys U12 in the ERSL

Girls U9-U12 divisions

Girls U09T1:

• the OSU team is described as White, which is the colour they give their second-best team
• note that Ottawa Gloucester has an OPDP team at Girls U09 but no T1 team at Girls U09 in the ERSL

Girls U10T1:

• the Ottawa Gloucester team is described as T2
• the OSU team is described as Blue, which is the colour they give their third-best team

Girls U11T1:

• the Ottawa Gloucester team is described as T2
• the OSU team is described as Blue, which is the colour they give their third-best team
• note that West Ottawa, the second biggest club in the city, has an OPDP team at Girls U11 but no T1 team at Girls U11 in the ERSL

Girls U12T1:

• the OSU team is described as Power, which is the name they give their team below Blue
• note that West Ottawa, the second biggest club in the city, and Ottawa Gloucester both have OPDP teams at Girls U12 but no T1 teams at Girls U12 in the ERSL

OSU Girls U12 White schedule

The June 5, 2017 screenshots below show games between OSU Girls U12 White and every OPDP club except Capital United, which does not have girls teams.

• No games are scheduled for July 30 and August 6, which was the planned OPDP break.
• The schedule matches the OSU OPDP schedule that was posted May 25.

Will soccer authorities enforce the rules and stop the unjust exclusion of small clubs?

Originally posted May 25; over 1,100 views as of May 30; almost 1,500 views as of June 11

In mid-March, 2017, seven Ottawa clubs started an exclusive U9-U12 league (Ottawa Player Development Program - OPDP) for its best teams. Smaller clubs, including all rural clubs, were excluded even though some had teams that had been playing at the highest level, including teams with low-income players and from immigrant communities.

The league contravened Ontario Soccer rules and to avoid being disciplined, the clubs officially closed the league April 27, as announced by the local district soccer association (EODSA):

It was immediately clear, however, that the league would continue unofficially. In response to concerns, the EODSA released a May 3 letter reaffirming that the "OPDP situation has come to a conclusion" and "the OPDP would not operate" but that the participating clubs would look at "alternate competition options within the rules". The letter requested that evidence that the OPDP is operating be sent to the EODSA to "review and manage".

Ontario Soccer affirmed how the EODSA had dealt with the OPDP in a May 4 email:

However, evidence that the OPDP continues is overwhelming. There is a schedule for the entire summer (until October 1) for all 68 teams from eight clubs:

• Capital United OPDP schedule
• Cumberland Cobras OPDP schedule
• Gloucester Hornets OPDP schedule
• Nepean Hotspurs OPDP schedule
• Ottawa Internationals OPDP schedule
• Ottawa City OPDP schedule
• Ottawa South United (OSU) OPDP schedule
• West Ottawa Soccer (WOS) OPDP schedule

Clubs are advertising the league on their websites and in emails, for example:

• Gloucester Hornets OPDP description
• Ottawa Internationals OPDP description
• Ottawa City OPDP description
• Ottawa South United (OSU) OPDP description
• West Ottawa Soccer (WOS) OPDP description

Clubs cannot replace a league with a schedule of exhibition games as Ontario Soccer rules on Competitions do not allow exhibition games to follow a "set schedule of a game" (see Procedure 17 and 18).

Despite the May 3 letter from the EODSA, it is not clear that the EODSA is in a position to fairly respond to this unsanctioned competition as the majority (six) of the ten-member EODSA board are from the eight clubs participating in the OPDP:

• President Brian Mason is also the President of West Ottawa Soccer (WOS)
• Vice-President Peter Menyasz is also the Boys' Staff Coach of Ottawa Internationals
• Director of Administration Bill Michalopulos is also the President of Ottawa South United (OSU)
• Director of Development Craig Stead is also the Ottawa South United (OSU) Programs Manager
• Director at Large Bob Monaghan is the President of Ottawa Internationals
• Director at Large Piero Pavone is the Vice-President of Ottawa City

Significantly, three of the six were recently added to the Board by the existing Board to fill vacancies: Brian Mason (April 19), Bill Michalopulos (May 18), and Piero Pavone (April 19). One of the vacancies was the result of the former President being forced out after an April 19 board meeting. Did the clubs want their representatives on the Board to shield them from possible penalties? The staff of the EODSA are in an impossible situation, tasked with following Ontario Soccer rules that could negatively affect clubs with a majority on a board that determines their employment. Even the EODSA-sanctioned referee website lists the OPDP as a league.

It is imperative that Ontario Soccer intervene as there is too much conflict of interest within the EODSA to address such a serious issue. The participating clubs clearly believe that they are above the rules, first openly starting an unsanctioned competition, including a website, and then lying about ceasing the competition, and doing all this so close to the start of the summer season. Parents (of about 1,000 players) are being deceived into thinking that their children are playing in a legitimate competition. Significant penalties must be applied to all the participating clubs for such a brazen flaunting of the rules.

The Ottawa soccer community and leaders of the Ottawa community must speak out against the attempt to restrict equitable access to competitive sports. If the OPDP is successful, it will likely be followed by further attempts at exclusion in Ottawa soccer.

Please share this post and contact soccer officials and political and city leaders to share your concerns. Soccer authorities who are in a position to address this issue are listed below.

Possible email to Ontario Soccer officials (Cc'ing officials of the EODSA and Canada Soccer):

• Dear Ontario Soccer,
  
  There is overwhelming evidence at fairnessinottawasoccer.org of an unsanctioned league operating in Ottawa. What is Ontario Soccer doing to enforce it rules? Is it seeking to apply its published penalties of a minimum six-month suspension for an official involved and a fine to the club of as much as $1,000 per game?
  
  The smaller clubs in Ottawa are depending on Ontario Soccer to ensure that there is fair access to competitive soccer. I look forward to your response.

EODSA officials:

• Brian Mason, President, president@eodsa.ca
• Dinis Oliveira, Director of Discipline, directordiscipline@eodsa.ca
• Joe Scheier, Acting Executive Director, admin@eodsa.ca

Ontario Soccer officials:

• Ron Smale, President, rsmale@ontariosoccer.net
• Johnny Misley, Executive Director, jmisley@ontariosoccer.net
• Billy Wilson, Manager - Player Development, bwilson@ontariosoccer.net
• Dave Kelly, Regional Manager - Player Development, dkelly@ontariosoccer.net
• Charonne Thomasos, Manager - Administration, cthomasos@ontariosoccer.net

Canada Soccer officials:

• Jason deVos, Director of Development, jdevos@canadasoccer.com
• Ray Clark, Director of Coaching and Player Development, rclark@canadasoccer.com

OPDP website March 30, 2017

Home page

Overview: "Players are registered participants of the EODSA and Ontario Soccer" gives the impression that the EODSA and Ontario Soccer condoned the program.

Founding Clubs (Nepean Hotspurs joined later)

Teams (58 initially, without Nepean Hotspurs)

Participation Criteria:

• not open-entry as required by Ontario Soccer rules
• historical team development criteria not supported by Ontario Soccer that hinder players from being able to move to a different club
• rural teams effectively excluded because they lack "proximity to Ottawa"

Development Training Model

 Program Guidelines

Resources

Ontario Soccer penalties for operating an unsanctioned league

The minimum suspension if a team official or administrator "directly or indirectly encouraged or assisted in the establishment or operation of an unsanctioned soccer organization or competition" is 6-12 months.

The fine per game in a season for a club participating in an unsanctioned competition is $500 for the first occurrence, $750 for the second occurrence, and $1,000 for each additional occurrence. For a 12-game season, this would amount to $11,250 per team. 

Other penalties described below may also be applicable.

Ref Centre OPDP listing

From the Ref Centre website May 18, 2017

The EODSA-sanctioned Ref Centre, used to assign referees for league play, includes the Ottawa Player Development Program as an option.

Gloucester Hornets OPDP description

From the Gloucester Hornets website May 16, 2017

Game Nights: "Game nights for Tier 1 teams at the U9-12 age levels are Sunday evenings at 5:30pm or 7:00pm." By June 11, 2017, the beginning had been changed to "Exhibition Games for Tier 1 teams..."

Summer Soccer Overview:

• "The majority of Hornets players aged 9 to 18 will play ERSL in 2017, with the exception of our Mini players (U9-12) at the Tier 1 level, who will play in the new eight club development program." By June 11, 2017, the ending "with the exception of ..." had been deleted.
• the ERSL District Development League is described as "Tier 2 & Tier 3" with no acknowledgement that the ERSL also has Tier 1 (the same information was on their website as of June 11, 2017). This understanding that ERSL T1 is really T2 and ERSL T2 is really T3 is reflected in the labels Gloucester Hornets use for their teams in the ERSL: in the T1 division, their teams are labelled T2 and in the T2 division, their teams are labelled T3.

Boys U12 schedule (on their website as of June 20) showing a regular schedule of Sunday evening games until October 1:

Ottawa Internationals OPDP description

May 12, 2017 email (highlighting added) from Aly Mawani, the Internationals VP for Boys Competitive

Note:

• the use of the term OPDP (twice)
• the reference to "guidance and instruction from Peter Menyasz (Boys' Staff Coach)". Peter Menyasz is also the VP of the EODSA.

Ottawa City OPDP description

From the Ottawa City website May 16, 2017

Club Representative Game Nights:

• two T1 teams at U9-12, one set of T1 teams that plays Monday to Thursday as part of "ERSL District Development" and a second set of T1 teams that play Sunday as part of an "Exhibition Group" (the same information was on their website as of June 11, 2017)
• page title is "ERSL Game Nights", which gives the false impression that the Exhibition Group is part of the ERSL (page title had been changed to Representative Game Nights as of June 11, 2017)

List of teams: the T1 teams without a label are presumably playing Sunday nights ("Exh Group" was added as of June 11, 2017 to every team playing Sunday nights)

Program Overview: note the incorrect suggestion that all U9 to U12 teams play in the ERSL

Ottawa South United (OSU) OPDP description

May 8, 2017 email (highlighting added) to OPDP teams from Craig Stead, the OSU Programs Manager, who is also the EODSA Director of Development

OSU's top teams are part of their Force Academy, with the top team at each age group named Black and the second team named White.

Note:

• the listing of the eight participating clubs
• the use of wording that indicates that the teams are part of a league ("round of games", "schedule", "next round", "final round of games", "scheduled", "mid-season break")
• the attempt to define the games as "exhibition games"
• the suggestion that the EODSA condones the program: "in terms of the formation of the games the participating clubs have worked directly with our district (EODSA) to find the best solution for implementation"

TeamSnap schedule: a Sunday evening, May 14 game described as a "Regular season game" and "This is the first of our regular season game."