HISTORY

 75 + years and still going strong. The St. Thomas Men's League is one of the oldest running basketball leagues in the country. 
 "I came home from the war in 1946 and the local recreation director at the downtown YMCA had started a league," recalls the late Ron Barnes.
 "But I wasn't able to play that first year because I was still playing Ontario Basketball and you weren't allowed to play both at the time". 
 The core players in the league were war veterans, and many blue collar workers from industrial companies in the city.  The games eventually moved from the "Y" to STCI High School where they continued for a number of seasons.  But when the rent was raised, the members came up with a different solution.
 "Pete Hepburn told us we could use one of his barns. So all the guys got together and built a court inside his barn".
  Eventually Arthur Voaden Secondary School built a new gymnasium and the league shifted from the barn back to the high school. Even Alma College was used a a gym at one time.
  Over the past two decades play has moved from AVSS to Central Elgin, and now has a home at Parkside Collegiate.
  "I am not suprised that it is still going after all these years," says Barnes. "There have been so many good people step up and take the reigns, and also help with sponsorship".

  In the past few years the league has become younger and younger. The older players are spending more and more time with their families, and the high calibre of players right out of high school has helped keep the numbers up. 

League president Brent Lale has run the league for the past 23 years. 
  

For a little history, here is a story I did back in 1999 on the history of the League. 

LEMON DRAFT

  The St. Thomas Men's League is unique as it drafts new teams every year with the Lemon Draft system. Its a draft which is designed to keep the teams as balanced as possible.  In round one, the six teams draft across the board 1-6.  In round two, the team that picked second picks first. In the third round, the third team selects first and so on.  While it may seem the teams at the end are drawing the short straw, they make up serious ground in the later rounds when the talent pool decreases. It is a great system that many leagues should use to keep their teams balanced.