By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The popularity of girls basketball is declining.

In the fall, the National Federation of State High School Associations presented data that dropped basketball to the fourth-most popular sport among girls.

And that participation numbers had dropped 19 percent since 2002.

In girls sports, track and field has the highest number of participants nationwide, with volleyball ranking second and soccer jumped ahead of basketball for the No. 3 spot. Softball is fifth.

Keep in mind, these are national rankings and maybe not an exact depiction of Portage County.

However, the trend for declined participation in girls basketball locally has also been impacted.

Of the 12 Portage County schools surveyed, five indicated they have seen a decrease in participation numbers over the last five to 10 years (Aurora, Kent Roosevelt, Mogadore, Ravenna and Rootstown), three indicated that participation numbers have stayed relatively the same (Garfield and Southeast), one had a new coach and was unable to speak with conviction numbers (Crestwood), while one said numbers had increased (Streetsboro).

Three schools did not respond (Field, Waterloo and Windham).

Just outside of Portage County, three schools had to cancel their high school girls basketball seasons completely because they did not have enough players to field a team. Those schools were Lake Center Christian, Jackson-Milton and Middlefield Cardinal.

Lake Center Christian athletic director Shane Byler, whose Tigers are members of the Portage Trail Conference, expressed that the school was “extremely disappointed” to have to cancel the 2022-23 season.

“We officially had six players in the high-school program,” Byler said. “We were prepared to give it a shot if we had seven, but we were really shooting for eight players.”

Byler also said that he was aware ahead of time that the girls basketball numbers could likely be down for this season.

“We knew that numbers would be lower this year, but we didn’t anticipate having to cancel the entire program,” Byler said. “Sadly, a combination of factors led to our inability to have a season: Graduating 7-of-13 players from the 2021-22 season, welcoming a small freshman class, winter season-ending injuries from the fall and also a few girls who decided to focus on other things, respectively.”

Byler indicated that the future of the Tigers’ program returning for the 2023-24 season are very high.

In grades 5 through 7, numbers are strong, including 16 seventh-graders alone.

“The eighth-grade class is another small class, but we currently feel like we’ll be able to have a high-school program next year,” Byler said.

Byler said that two of the Lake Center Christian players are playing for their home district of residence this season, which is allowable by the OHSAA since LCC is not sponsoring the sport this year. Other players have been welcomed to use the gym and weight room to continue to work on their strength, conditioning and skills.

Here is the information shared by the Portage County girls basketball head coaches that responded to the Portage Sports survey last month.

AURORA

Head coach Erika Greenberg

 1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

Over the past 3 to 5 years, our numbers have stayed relatively the same. Not anywhere near where I would like them to be, but we always have around 20 to 23 players for varsity and JV. However, when I first started coaching, we used to have enough girls for a freshman team, so over the last 10 to 15 years numbers have gone down.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

We have two separate teams.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

I think that there are a multitude of reasons that numbers have declined over the years (students wanting jobs, more time commitments for young people, more emphasis on grades/AP classes).

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

We have a JV team with a near-full schedule.

CRESTWOOD

Head coach T.J. Henderson

1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

I can only talk about last year and this year from my experience. Last year, we had 18 girls in the high-school program, with six of them being seniors, and 15 in the middle-school program with zero youth group. We started a sixth-grade girls travel team last year.

This year, I am now in the high school teaching, and I have done a summer camp and skills lessons and our numbers have grown like crazy.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

Last year, we had a 7th and 8th grade team combined, with only six eighth-graders and eight seventh-graders. This year, our first day of the season was Jan. 3, and we currently have 14 seventh-graders and 16 eighth-graders.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

When it comes to basketball, it’s a hard sport to be successful at. It takes year-round skill work and a mindset to compete and run. Being in the building has allowed me to find girls that have thought about playing and talk to them about trying it and building on relationships to push them athletically, but have a smile when they are all done.

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

At high school, we have a full varsity and JV schedule. Our goal is to keep growing youth numbers and work toward filling a freshman team in the near future.

GARFIELD

Head coach Aaron Gilbert

 1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

I would say over the last 3 to 5 years my numbers have been pretty consistent at about 16 to 18 girls each year.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

We have good numbers at the junior-high level; about 10 players per squad, and we have had to make cuts most of the time at the junior-high level because about 16 girls will tryout.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

I do think that overall participation numbers have decreased just by a few here and there.

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

We have not had a freshman team in over 10 years, but we do have a full JV squad and schedule – even though several teams in our league tend to play two-quarter JV games, we could play a full JV game. The only team that has not played JV in our side of the league is Liberty, which does not have a JV team at all.

KENT ROOSEVELT

Head coach Craig Foreman

 1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

Over the past 3 to 5 years, we have been roughly the same. We have had smaller numbers in general compared to when I started 17 years ago. We used to have 12 on varsity, 12 on JV and even 15 on freshman. We continue to have smaller numbers in ninth grade, but there are not many schools left that do. Even the big schools, which blows my mind that they don’t have ninth-grade teams anymore.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

We have two teams and solid numbers.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

There is a sad, unwarranted demand by club sports, as well as even some high-school sports that require athletes to specialize and focus. I have lost athletes for a season because their other sport coach told them they needed to quit basketball. It’s a sad, selfish mindset that some coaches have and parents and athletes fall for it. I think this has hit female athletics even harder than the male side. Of the sports offered to females, b basketball seems to be the one left behind when athletes also play volleyball, soccer and softball. The reasons for that? Maybe it is a longer season? Physically more demanding? The answer, I am not really sure. Personally, as a coach, I encourage multi-sport athletes if that is what they choose and can see benefits that come with it. High school is such an awesome time in our lives. Think about it, it’s four years unlike anything else we ever experience again in life. Kids should be able to experience different sports if that is what they want to do and no coach should have any right to tell a kid otherwise. Sadly, I am old school in that thinking, I believe.

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

We have a full JV schedule and a small half-season game schedule for ninth grade, as there are limited amount of opponents that play in the entire state of Ohio.

MOGADORE

Head coach Jen Ritch

 1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

It really varies year to year and class to class, but overall, the numbers are down. The most players we have had in the past five years was the 2021-22 squad, and I had 18 and a full JV and varsity squad. We have had anywhere from 12 to 16 girls the last couple years. This is the first year in a couple years that we are only able to offer two quarters of JV. In my entire span of 20 years at Mogadore, 14 of them being a part of the girls-basketball program on some level, we have never had to make cuts, which is crazy because volleyball, cheerleading and softball have cuts almost every year.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

We do have a separate 7th and 8th grade team. They are small, though. Eighth grade has seven girls and seventh grade has eight girls. We only had five eighth-graders last year and only two tried out for high school thi syear, which is why we don’t have enough for a full JV this year. We also may not have a seventh-grade team next year, as I only have three sixth-grades playing in the youth system.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

Honestly, a couple factors. We are a small school to begin with and if we can get five girls to come out per grade, then we would be OK, but we don’t because of the following things:

• JO volleyball most specifically at our school and specializing in one sport in general.
• Basketball is a long, difficult season that requires sacrifice and hard work. Most kids don’t like that.
• Basketball is physical and involves lots of running. Most kids don’t want do that anymore.
• Kids want a car, phone and other material things that require money and therefore a job, which becomes their priority; not high school basketball or any sports.
• While there are always the exceptions to the rule, the vibe over the past 3 to 5 years has changed for girls sports Mogadore. As the girls seem to want to gravitate toward the sports with shorter seasons that are less physically and mentally demanding. Most of them stay strong through youth, but then they start severely dropping off in junior high and high school when basketball becomes a 5 to 7 day a week sport.

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

We do not have a freshman team. JV for us this season are 2-quarter games, and we are not even close to a full schedule with Lake Center Christian and Warren JFK not having teams. We are down to 13 girls total for this season so if any other player should become injured or ill, even those two quarters could be in jeopardy for us.

RAVENNA

Head coach Courtney O’Donnell

 1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

Yes, I believe numbers have decreased over the past 3 to 5 years.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

This year, we do have a combined 7th and 8th grade team, with a total of 11 players.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

There are numerous reasons numbers have decreased. I think some coms from the pandemic, some come from lack of interest, some kids are specializing in one sport, some put jobs and money first and after talking to some kids on why they didn’t want to play here, they had bad experiences in the past and didn’t have fun.

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

At the high-school level, we have a JV and varsity team. We currently have 15 players (17 when healthy).

ROOTSTOWN

Head coach John Zelenak

 1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

Roster sizes have decreased slightly, but the talent level in the gym has narrowed tremendously, too. It has created a stronger group top to bottom. Every kid on the roster now may be a varsity player eventually. When I first took over, there were multiple players who were not ever going to be varsity players during their four years. Instead of having a person with fifth-grade skill through 12th grade, I now have 10-12 grade skills even though the numbers have decreased a bit. 

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

We have a 7th and 8th grade team, however, we need to play a couple of seventh-graders on 8th to make that work. We have a small eighth-grade class (only 3 players). Next year, we will have two full teams again and nobody will have to move up or down.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

I believe that a majority of people today do not want to work for things. People don’t battle through adversity. They just take the simpler path. They seek instant gratification and if they don’t get that, they go a different direction.

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

We currently have a full JV team. Many of our opponents do not have a JV or only have enough to play two quarters. We end up seeking games for JV.

SOUTHEAST

Head coach Craig Netttleton

1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

We have stayed relatively the same, with about 18 to 21 players per year.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

We have separatae teams for middle school.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

Our numbers have decreased in the lower grades the last few years. Time commitment, it is a tough sport and there are many skills involved.

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

We have a full JV team, but not a freshman team.

STREETSBORO

Head coach Carl Singer

1. Do you feel your roster size has decreased over the last 3 to 5 years?

No, actually, I would say our roster size has increased in the last 3 to 5 years. Five years ago, we were struggling to have a solid JV team and now that is not an issue at all.

2. Do you have a combined 7th and 8th grade team? Or enough to have their own team?

We have two teams. Our numbers at the middle-school level have usually been pretty good, and we have to make cuts at this level every year.

3. If your numbers have decreased, what do you think are the determining factors?

While our numbers have not decreased, I know others’ have. I think part of it is due to kids having more options that they can do even if they are just at home. Then you also have more specialization, where more kids just focus on one sport and even if you have several of those kids playing basketball, sometimes it will deter the upperclassmen from playing if they believe a younger player will “take their spot.”

4. At the high-school level, do you have a full freshman team/schedule? JV team/schedule?

We do not have a freshman team. While we have enough freshman players, we determined those players would get sufficient playing time on JV. We do have a full JV schedule, but have run into the issue of a few teams not being able to play JV or only playing two quarters.