GlenOak Girls Basketball - The Future?

[polar_purple]

As I was departing the games on Saturday at Jackson, the GlenOak JV team was heading out to their bus to wait on the varsity team to finish up in the locker room. I was exiting among a group of about 5-6 JV girls.

In the 15-20 seconds or so it took for us to make it through the doors and to the bus area (my car was parked just beyond it), I couldn't help but overhear an unusual conversation. Several girls were talking about how they were going to go to different schools next year and play ball there. McKinley and Timken were specifically mentioned, although there could have been more, since I didn't hear the entire conversation.

Sadly, even though they had their last names emblazoned across their jacket backs, I don't recall a single name. The only thing I did notice is that the group was mixed racially, but all three girls in the center of the conversation were African-American (NOT a racial thing - just helps to identify who the kids were).

Anyhow know of any substance to that? As said, I didn't hear much of the conversation, but enough to really pique my interest. For all I know, it could have just been horseplay, but wasn't sure - they sounded reasonably serious. Are any of the girls known to be leaving GO next year? Is P2P possibly scaring some kids off?

 

[Darksider_99]

That is a concern that is also at Jackson. There will be athletes who leave because of Pay To Play or as they like to call it at Jackson Pay To Participate.

 

[GOBaller08]

yea its definitely scaring ppl off - im surprised Hoover wasnt mentioned?? mayby 2 good with the nat'l ranking and all :shrug:

 

[polar_purple]

That is a concern that is also at Jackson. There will be athletes who leave because of Pay To Play or as they like to call it at Jackson Pay To Participate.

One of the Jackson officials and I were discussing Jackson's P2P this past weekend and he mentioned that we had 110 (give or take a few) cross country participants this year - and only lost ONE due to P2P. That's just incredible!

Plus it's another $38,500 against the "deficit" (Jackson's P2P is $350, whereas GO's is $250).

 

[Clyde Frog]

Earlier this year the Repository had a story about GlenOak cross country and it quoted Scott Ferrell, the girls cross country coach, as saying that this year's team was the biggest (runner-wise) team he has had since he started coaching cross country. So apparently both Jackson and GlenOak should have put in P2P a long time so our XC teams would have been even better!

As for the girls leaving I can see it happening. I think when Gary Isler retired two years ago after his daughter graduated, that took a big hit to the girls basketball program because of how respected Isler was as a coach and person. Combine a fairly new coach, along with having to pay $250 to be on the team, and I can see why some people would go to another school without P2P.

And polar_purple, I just looked at the GO basketball program and we have four African-American girls on varsity but all four of them are seniors, but we do have three on JV so they must be the three you were talking about. Hopefully they were only joking because the team loses a lot after this year to graduation and we can't afford people to transfer out.

 

[Aviatorwithwings]

Yes... Isler was respected but so is Coach Whitted... the Eagles are fine this year and also in the future...you can only play 5 girls at a time and I guarantee the 5 best sprinkled with others will continue Whitted's move toward the elite of the league.....

 

[thebigguy]

P2P is a very scary thing. In talking to some AD's and coaches they are of the belief that it is something that will rear its ugly head down the road. The kids in the Jr. High programs are where the numbers will stop dropping which will lead to problems down the road. It is a sad fact but one wonders if Glenoak will pass a levy in the next year or two. I would hate to see what will happen to the district down the road.