Girls' Basketball - A Concern or Not?

Learning never stops and even your dedicated scribe added to his knowledge after reading the lowest scoring high school basketball game was, apparently, in the United States. Yes, and reported to be back on Feb. 1, 1997 in the town of Roxboro, N.C.

A boys' team won by a final score of 2-0. The only points came right after the tip-off and, apparently, the heating system in the school wasn't working on a chilly night, which seems to be some excuse for the final score. Hmm.

What is also interesting is that it was around this time last year when a regularly scheduled York Region high school senior girls' basketball game ended, 32-0. That's right, no points. St. Joan of Arc from Maple beat Stephen Lewis of Richmond Hill. The Principal of the losing team didn't like the fact that I wrote a story about her school team failing to score a point in the 32-minute game. I explained the game occurred, the players may have been learning, but a game is a game and there is no arguing with the outcome. Try talking with some senior administrators.

This year, the same school that couldn't score a year ago, certainly can now. How about a 5-1 record - the best among the 28 school teams in the York Region Tier Two league? But Stephen Lewis and its same female Principal, for whatever reason, have not called me to talk about the turn-around, the success, the athletes and lots more. Guess she's busy.

While it seems that basketball is prospering at Stephen Lewis, the general state of the girls' game in the Greater Toronto Area is not looking very healthy. Maybe I have it all wrong and teams have just been playing some outstanding defence. Glancing through the results of high school senior games in various leagues, and even checking out various games this year, the scores have been low and sometimes embarrassing. I know, they're trying.

In Mississauga, a Peel Region game had Heart Lake beating Central Peel 40-9 while Westview defeated York Mills 50-8 in a Toronto game. There are many more like this - scores in single digits - but schools tend to keep things mum and draw little public attention. Shh, even though those scores still occur.

Could it be that girls' are lacking the skills and interest in basketball or maybe the number of qualified coaches has diminished? And, I am told, many teenage girls are also dealing with part time jobs, other sports, community work, club basketball only and, yes, even focusing on school work?

For the record, only two schools in the Greater Toronto Area (and that includes many schools) have won a provincial gold medal. Eastern Commerce and Albert Campbell, and they each won twice. That's it since the these finals have been held, and even with OFSAA watering down the game to four levels.

I enjoy watching the game. Played a bit back when I was in school but maybe Basketball Ontario might need to start coming up with some creative ways to promote the sport in schools. They say that's the job for OFSAA and this provincial school sport group also needs to get more visible and vocal emphasizing the need for participation and more certified coaches. One more possible suggestion, there's also a pro team in town, that many people believe should consider focussing more community promotion time to the girls' game - while it's still around.

Comments

[James]

The sport is going downhill, a slow death in Toronto schools.

[Anonymous]

Basketball for girls in Toronto has always been a problem and there is no real cure for the reasons you outlined. There's just too much happening and students have to pick and choose.

[Former Coach]

Good topic for discussion but we all know that recruiting killed this game in schools. Students just want to play at notable schools for good coaches and get recognition.
As for Stephen Lewis, some schools have administrators that are good and well liked. Others, aren't so fortunate.

[Julius]

The high school girls' basketball game in Toronto is so inferior to the rest of the province - and that's going downhill as well. The athletes are no longer around and many coaches can't be bothered.

[TT]

My girlfriend plays on a Tier Two high school basketball team and she will tell you it's pathetic. No one cares. I call it comedy relief.

[Paul]

Come on people. Go check out the Tier Two league. Stephen Lewis is not great. The rest are horrible. They would all get smoked in the Tier One league and then against other regions, look out. It really is a sad state.

[JFox]

If you care about kids and keeping them active and competitive then sure this is a concern but you get what you offer. Nothing breeds nothing.

[Club Coach]

Basketball Ontario and OFSSAA rarely talk.
Think about it, Basketball Ontario has no interest in the high school game. OFSSAA wouldn't know where to find Basketball Ontario with a map. I do believe they are in the same building in Toronto.
They would celebrate when all high school leagues fold. It's a money thing. No high school basketball and the kids go to clubs. Rest my case.
Yes, some kids play both and many coaches in the club system, just like baseball, don't like it one bit.

[Mr. T. Johnston]

Maybe the time has come for schools to give every basketball player a trophy for participating. That's just what they do for the little kids starting sports. That could be an incentive. Or, how about time for "community service". Better still, how about physed classes - remember them? The same classes that many of these teachers took and on that note why aren't teachers, who benefitted from sports, all required to supervise or coach and not just the same ones year after year.

[Julie in Hamilton]

High school girls' basketball in Toronto. Didin't know it existed.

[Lawrence]

I would wager there are a handful of high school girls teams in the Toronto area that could post a 100-0 score in a game today if their coaches allowed them to it. You have to make mistakes and play like a turtle just to salvage some respect. Some of the opposing teams are dreadful.

[Go Girls Go]

We are just learning and not as talented as other teams so just give us a break. I didn't think we had to be professional athletes to play a high school game.

[S.K. Weston]

Just try imagine how much money can be saved if they cancel some of these school basketball teams. We save on officials, bus transportation to locations, supply teachers to fill for others, uniforms, hotels for trips to tournaments where the teams get blown away. Take that money and put it to good use with some gym programs that are mandatory to a school curriculum.

[Method Man]

This article illustrates the great divide that now exists in the GTA for female HS basketball players. On one hand, there are the club players and their teams who are collectively light years ahead of comparable players from 10 or 15 years ago in every aspect of the game - taller, stronger, more skilled and most importantly, better coached. Club coaches tend to have a reasonable (not perfect) baseline of knowledge; they tend to take their work seriously. On the other hand we have the HS "programmes" (a term used in its institutional sense only, given that GTA high schools generally do little or nothing to 'develop' or 'promote' any semblance of individual skills or a real basketball experience for girls in a laughably short 8 to 10 week season.

Girls' HS basketball is quite vibrant in the Hammer, KW, Windsor, Kingston and Ottawa - the sport is taken seriously in those places and elsewhere. I see the GTA malaise as the product of three influences: school administration (including the fine people at OFSSAA)for generally failing to promote girl's sports equitably; the seemingly pervasive attitude that having willing volunteer teachers with no credentials in the sport is an acceptable practise; the resulting attitude of the players and HS's generally that girls basketball is a second rate activity that ought not to be taken seriously.
The GTA girls' game - where buy outs are school spirit. These things feed on one another. This problem will not be resolved. Club players will do their thing, the HS practices and games are a chance for them to shoot a ball and socialize while waiting for the club season to start, but GTA girls' basketball as a rational, competitive athletic activity? Please.....call it what it is, as David Grossman has done here. It is fairly maligned.

[B. Doyle]

Mr. Grossman has pointed out tastefully, when he could have hammered people, how this sport is dying. It's now up to people to give it a transfusion or bring out the Bible.

[Dober]

Finger pointing is what you'll get between everyone with not one organization taking charge and having any leadership skills to get this sport back on its feet.

[N.Stewart]

There are some very competitive teams in the GTA that can compete with the rest of the province to an exent. Basketball as a sport is a very technical sport, it takes years to master. Our girls need lots of gym time and dedicated coaches. What happen Mr.Grossman to your weekly top ten list, this year? You are doing a great job with boys football, but seem to have dropped girls basketball. All the support and attention is needed to nurture and grow the sport. Money should be the main focus when discussing young people and sport.

[Morris]

Interesting comment from one of the posters.
N. Stewart says money should be the main focus when discussing young people and sport.
First you need the players, then you need the Government, school boards and everyone else to get together with the moola. No players, no coaches equals no moola and even at the best of times.

[Former Hoops Coach]

When you look at the population size of the Greater Toronto Area and the number of teenage girls playing basketball, that says it all. This sport is in deep trouble in this part of Ontario and maybe too late to save. There will always be teams but they will likely be inferior to the rest of the province.

[TM]

Maybe it's time to have more intramural programs and help student learn the game better, stress fundamentals and techniques, than to waste time and money on intercollegiate games that can destroy self confidence of young players and turn some of these games into nothing more than an embarssment and kids get turned off entirely.

[G Ernest]

Passion has to be seen. Basketball skills have to be developed before HS starts. For the few who are vying for post secondary school success in basketball, they will work on the skills during the off-season. If coaches don't realize this, then during the short season it will become evident through the scores. My daughter started playing basketball in grade 9 and caught the bug. She has worked hard on her skills and it shows. The coaches at her high school are passionate and the players respond to it. Athletics should be an integral part of an education. When the powers that be understand this and what teenagers need, then it will become a priority. It is not just a basketball issue. It's an education issue.

[Sim]

The educational bureaucracy needs to understand that athletics is an integral part of a students education.
They talk a good talk, but show little action and understanding.

[Peter]

High school basketball in trouble?
Take a look at this score from the Toronto Star newspaper.
Pope John Paul II 73, Blessed Mother Teresa 8

[PG]

Not only are many of these comments right on, but the scores of games I see in the paper are dreadful. My buddy coaches and tells me that opposing coaches are too lazy to right down names on score sheets and the scorers, students forced to do it, don't even keep proper score. Do we have a problem?

[canyou?]

These comments are crazy.. Has everyone completely forgot about the GOOD teams and good players coming from the GTA?! Sure, every school isnt a powerhouse but that is the same with most sports. When the finals come around, there will be good games. And what happened to the top ten? The top ten teams are actually good and competitive. I suppose your not doing the five best players at the end of the year either? Or the regional all-stars?
Terrible.