CISAA Parents - What You Need to Know

Parents and Caregivers, What You Need to Know About CISAA Age and Stage Appropriate School Sport

The Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) comprises 38 independent schools that are members of the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario (CIS Ontario). All 38 CISAA schools collaborate in all areas related to the administration of the interschool athletic program, which offers 26 sports, 181 leagues, and 1,599 teams (statistics from the 2024-25 school year). The interschool program offers school sports to students from grades 4 to 12. Athletic Directors from each of these 38 schools meet at the beginning of each season to organize schedules, discuss association business, and then meet in late May for the annual meetings.

Considerable time and energy have gone into developing the association framework to ensure the Vision, Mission, and Values of CISAA are always at the core of all decisions:

CISAA School Sport Model

The CISAA School Sport Model incorporates age-and stage-appropriate sport formats and guidelines to ensure every child develops to their potential. 

  • Preferred play dates have been established to offer consistent days of the week for games within each age group.
     
  • Sport guidelines and league formats have been adjusted to meet the needs of each age group.
     
  • The balance of school life, school sport, academics, and family life is considered when creating league schedules, the number of games per season, and the playoff formats for each age group.
     
  • Long-Term Development principles are adhered to, which ensures the correct balance of training and competition over the course of each season.

Fair and Appropriate Play

Fair and Appropriate Play is an elementary age group-focused framework to ensure all children on interschool teams receive appropriate playtime to develop to their potential. Formats for these age groups align with best practices currently used in provincial and national sport organizations. 

Positive experiences in the early years lead to children continuing in competitive sport as they enter high school. Elementary age groups, ranging from Under 10 to Under 12, integrate all interested children onto teams of balanced skill levels. This ensures that all children are exposed to a variety of skills among their peers and are not streamed into skill levels too early, which can hinder their individual development and hinder them from maturing at their own pace and to their full potential. At the Under 13 and Under 14 age groups, fair and appropriate play guidelines are adjusted to accommodate age-and stage-appropriate sport guidelines.  This also ensures that competition is meaningful for all involved.

Professional Learning Plan for Coaches

A number of sports require enhanced safety and coaching standards. CISAA implemented a professional learning plan for coaches in 2021 to ensure coaches attain the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) National Coaches Certification Program (NCCP) “trained status” that exceeds provincial requirements. 
 

Foundation Courses include:

Sport-specific training:

  • Sport-specific NCCP courses so that coaches attain competence and  confidence in the teaching of all skills related to their sport(s) of interest.

CISAA has revised and updated all constitutional documents and processes to ensure fair treatment of all individuals. A positive, inclusive, safe, and welcoming sport environment is critical for all participants (students, coaches, officials, spectators).

Of particular importance is the

The association has high expectations for everyone involved.

The athletic director at each school is your first point of contact when you are looking for more information about CISAA. You may also contact me at twhite@cisontario.ca.

Sincerely,
Tim White
CISAA Director

Tim White, CISAA Director
CISAA – Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association