Ontario Colleges Athletic Association

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is the governing body of all intercollegiate sports in the Canadian province of Ontario. The OCAA is a part of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association. The OCAA, with Ontario University Athletics, governs post-secondary school educational sports in Ontario.

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association began as an organization with a vision to be recognized as a leader in intercollegiate athletics, while remaining dedicated to student athletes and sport development.

Founded on June 9, 1967 as a result of an increasing need expressed by several institutions in the province to develop sport, fitness and recreational opportunities at the college level, the Association was founded by members of seven institutions across the province: Algonquin College, Centennial College, Fanshawe College, George Brown College, Mohawk College, Northern College and St. Clair College. Forty-eight teams competed in the eight OCAA sanctioned sports. Ten more colleges joined the fold in 1968 and by 1971 the OCAA was an athletic conference with 30 members. The largest percentage of growth in participation occurred in 1982-83 when the Association initiated a tiered system in some of its league sports. This system enabled colleges to participate and develop in the league structure.

1971 also brought about the beginning of inter-provincial competitions, with Ontario and Quebec playing off in seven sports. The following year, East met West and the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) was founded.

As the OCAA continued to grow and develop, the administration for the Association also experienced change. In the early years, an Executive Committee directed the affairs with the first members of the OCAA’s Executive Committee including Hal Wilson, President (Algonquin); Gord Smith, Vice-President (Lambton); and Joe Marko, Secretary-Treasurer (Mohawk). The day-to-day affairs of the Association were managed by the Executive and 26 Senior and Junior Convenors.

Since then, the OCAA Executive has expanded to seven positions: President, Past President, 1st Vice President and four Vice-Presidents. Perhaps the most important development of the OCAA, from an administrative and program development perspective, was the hiring of an Executive Director in August 1976. This and the establishment of a Central Office, enabled the OCAA to professionalize its operations and give its members a focal point for continued growth.

As excellence became a more integral part of the OCAA mandate, initiatives such as the Media Guide & Directory, and the weekly Newsletter “The Record” gave member institutions a higher profile in the sport community and with the media.

...
Wikipedia