Playing and coaching sports during job action comes with own set of rules
Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation supports students and teachers joining non-school teams
Teachers and students are free to take advantage of an invitation by Basketball Nova Scotia and Hockey Nova Scotia to play apart from their school teams while work-to-rule job action is in effect, according to the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation.
The federation suspended all school sports when the teachers' job action began Dec. 5 because teams would no longer be covered by the organization's insurance while work-to-rule is in place.
Since then, however, Basketball Nova Scotia and Hockey Nova Scotia have invited students to play on non-school teams.
Hockey Nova Scotia has even established a league dedicated to young players sidelined by the job action.
'Not school name, not school uniforms'
The federation's executive director, Stephen Gallant, said both students and teachers who volunteer as coaches are free to take part as long as the new teams are considered separate from school teams.
That means players cannot wear school uniforms or use the name of their school team.
"Anybody that plays in those leagues has to have a team that is separate from their school team," said Gallant.
It's unclear at what point the school basketball and hockey seasons would be lost if the job action continues.
Violating spirit of work-to-rule?
About half of the 2,000 volunteers that coach school sports are educators.
A representative with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union said the union executive has yet to discuss whether participating in outside leagues violates the spirit of work-to-rule job action.
However, Mark Laventure said there is nothing in the work-to-rule guidelines that prevents teachers from coaching in sports leagues outside of school.
"I know the coaches, the athletic directors, the principals all want kids back out being active," he said.