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Several sports across the country — notably hockey, football and lacrosse — use the term prominently as a youth age category. However, the word is considered a derogatory slur.

“It is very offensive,” Redford said. “It harkens back to the times of the circus with the freak shows. So every time you hear it, you cringe. It’s just not something that we like as a group. We don’t like to be identified in that manner.”

OBA executive director Jason Jansson said the organization’s board supported the change and plans will likely be formalized later this season. The midget category will likely be called U15 (under-15) and major midget would go to U16 (under-16), age terms that are currently in use at the sport’s national and international levels.

Athletics Canada, the governing body for track and field in Canada, currently uses age designators for some of its categories.

“It’s not a huge shift for us,” Gentes said.

Regina Scott, who has a two-year-old son with dwarfism, reached out to the local youth basketball association in Guelph, Ont., after noticing the term on a banner at a mall. Changes were soon made and the provincial association was quick to get on board too.

“It’s such a positive change,” Scott said from Guelph. “There is nothing positive about that word.”

Hockey Canada classifies the midget category as players who are under 18 as of Dec. 31 of the current season. Bantam is for athletes under 15, with peewee, atom and novice used as classifications for younger players.