Girls b-ball squad with 7-1 record in boys’ league ‘blackballed’ from finals...

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Girls b-ball squad with 7-1 record in boys' league 'blackballed' from finals to save boys' feelings: coaches

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/girls-b-ball-squad-with-7-1-record-in-boys-league-blackballed-from-finals-to-save-boys-feelings-coaches/ar-BB1j3qqo?ocid=windirect&cvid=e22ec8aa3ce94b36bdaac2e29926b129&ei=20

Story by Alyssa Guzman (28 Feb 2024)

A sixth-grade girls' basketball team dominated an Ohio boys league — but then got barred from the championships because they might hurt the males' feelings if they won, their coach said league officials told him.

Next Level Academy's sixth-grade team was "blackballed" from the Southwest Ohio Basketball end-of-season tournament — despite racking up a 7-1 record — "due to the fact that they are girls," the academy said in a Facebook post.

"He [the tournament director] was basically trying to blackball the girls from playing in the game they deserve to play in," coach Erica Hallman told WCPO. "Our girls can compete with the boys any day of the week. Any day."

One of the directors of the tournament had texted Hallman and Next Level Academy Director Larry McGraw, allegedly telling them the girls were out because they "worried" the boys would "get frustrated and retaliate against a girl" if they lost to the all-female team, "especially in the year-end tourney."

Southwest Ohio Basketball, however, said that the Next Level Academy lied to them about the team being all-girl — and that the team can play in the girls' tourney after the league graciously let them finish the male-league season despite the "deception."