ROPSSAA Unfair Ruling Against Lorne Park Secondary Junior Football Team

Update - November 18, 2016 - Thank you for all of your support.

If you would like to help the Lorne Park Football teams prepare for next year please consider buying a ticket for the Grey Cup Party Fundraiser held at the Clarkson Pump November 27th. See you there.

------------------------------------------

This petition is sent on behalf of all the parents of the players of the Junior Lorne Park Spartans Football Team.

Our understanding that the disqualified game against the St. Augustine Falcons on September 30th was due to a computer error with a new system, an error that was not caught with the usual oversight from ROPSSAA (Region of Peel Secondary Schools Athletic Association). We are requesting from parents of the players and people of our Lorne Park Community to sign this Petition arguing this ruling. This ruling has now eliminated the Spartans from the playoffs and we are asking that it should be reversed or looked at again.

The very frustrated parents have voiced that the boys should not be affected by a clerical error. We expect this to be reversed so the boys can play in a public high school league that teaches fairness and honesty and an understanding of mitigating circumstances. The young men of the team should not have 40 hours of preparation for a game be dismissed because of a paperwork error. Due to the changes in reporting initiated by the Board, the player was initially shown to be eligible but a computer mistake meant the player was not flagged. When adding a player in week two of the season, the coach learned of this issue with the player, and the problem was immediately self reported to ROPSSAA and the paperwork was immediately submitted and the player was confirmed eligible but the disqualification decision was upheld. There was no intention of hiding or deceiving the Board or league in any way. It is a simple error that should be easily fixed and should not result in such draconian punishment.

This decision has been appealed twice but no avail. It is important to note that the player who lives in the school area was always in fact, eligible, but paperwork was missing. This clerical error will penalize young boys that have practiced for weeks, attended meetings and love this game. It is unfair to make these boys pay the price and be punished for a paperwork error that ROPSSAA was aware of and yet nobody informed the coach or the school.

With many many years of football experience at Lorne Park Secondary from more than one generation of families, all consider this to be completely unacceptable and will go to great lengths to ensure the ROPSSAA organization start honest and thorough reporting and will see that this organization take ownership for this clerical error. The appeal should without question be reversed. Our community has to wonder if ROPSAA has a clear and unquestionable bias against Lorne Park Spartans. This request for disqualification reversal has nothing to do with being “sore losers” but only and honourably because our children are being treated grossly unfairly.

Your own Constitution states:
The aim of the Association shall be to make the fullest possible contribution to the health, happiness and physical welfare of the high school student by sponsoring well-organized and properly supervised athletic activities.

Your decision to not accept the appeal made by Lorne Park fails miserably by the Constitution you aim to fill.