Girls’ Basketball…this is a topic that has been a big part of my life for the last 20 years. While most people know me as a football coach from CB West and North Penn and now WNPV broadcaster and SOS.com blogger, girls’ basketball has taken up much of my life in the last two decades.
I was fortunate to have been blessed with four daughters (Ashley, Brooke, Devon, Jesse), who all gravitated to the great sport of basketball. In the early 90’s, I started coaching my oldest girls, Ashley and Brooke in youth basketball, and from there it just expanded into travel, AAU and even high school coaching of my girls.
When I wasn’t with the CB West or North Penn football teams, I was working my daughters in basketball drills, strength training or coaching one of their basketball teams. I’ve watched girls’ basketball develop from the 90’s to the amazing state it is in today. Today, girls’ basketball is the FASTEST GROWING sport in America according to the NCAA. More young girls are choosing this sport, and the development of these girls is simply incredible!
I’ve watched my older girls (Ash and Brooke) go on to play D-1 basketball at Winthrop University of the Big South conference and Columbia University in the Ivy league. Presently, my third daughter, Devon is a junior at Loyola University in the MAAC conference and fourth daughter Jesse is a senior at Germantown Academy and has committed to Villanova University of the Big East.
The level of play from when Ashley and Brooke played in high school to the present day players is a huge jump. The girls today are bigger, run faster and have much better skills. Keep in mind that Ashley and Brooke left high school in 2002 and ‘03 (not that long ago!). Players today are very athletic and mimic the moves of the boys’ game.
Not a believer yet???
Just go to one of the big girls’ games…O’Hara vs. Wood or GA vs. Carroll. How about CR North vs. CR South, CB East vs. CB South, Villa vs. Mt St Joe’s. The gyms will be packed with fans that are crazy into the game.
Blue Chip basketball hosts a one day tourney each year in January at Archbishop Carroll that pits the top programs against each other. You can’t find a seat in the gym!!
Three weeks ago I went to the district finals of AAA at Villanova to see Mount St Joe’s play Carroll and we had to sit in the second level to watch a great game. There had to be three to four thousand fans. It’s cool to see the enthusiasm for the girls’ game.
I must admit that many of my friends used to shake their heads when I talked about girls’ basketball, but it’s amazing how quickly they convert when their daughters start playing the game. Add to this mix that I’ve seen well over 1,000 girls’ games in the last two decades, and I’m convinced that the Philly region is one of the nation’s hot spots for the girl’s game.
Backing that assumption up is the final 2009 ESPN high school National Rankings for girls’ basketball that has Class AAA State Champ Archbishop Carroll (31-1) at #5 and Class AAAA State Runner-Up O’Hara (28-2) at #10 and Germantown Academy (32-0) at #22 in the country and #1 in State by Max Preps.
There are many reasons the game is exploding.
1) Since Title 9 is being enforced, all Division 1 teams are offering full scholarships for girls’ basketball unless the school is need-based (Ivy League, etc). Think about that!! All those men’s programs also have woman’s teams that are offering 13-15 full rides. That’s a lot of scholarships available. Also, girls’ basketball is really the only girls’ sport in high school that offers FULL RIDES. You may get an occasional full ride for soccer and field hockey, but most are partials for softball, field hockey, soccer, lax etc. Getting any type of scholarship is awesome but many families living in the inner cities push their daughters to the sport of basketball because of this.
2) Great young coaching! We have many people in the Delaware Valley that have been instrumental in the young ladies lives as far as basketball development. Steve Flynn (Renegades AAU), Art Bass (Central Bucks Skills and Drills), Jay Jameson (Lansdale personal trainer), Chris Clark (college, high school and AAU coach), Steve Chapman (Fencor AAU), Norm O’Rourke (Wildcat & Renegade AAU and high school coach), Tom Ward (Central Bucks Skills and Drills, high school coach) just to name a few that have made big impacts in the skill development of young girls.
3) As for coaches, the Philly area has some of the top high school and AAU coaches in the country! Start with Cheltenham’s Bob Schaefer (over 600 wins), Linus McGinty from O’Hara (over 500 wins), Sherri Retif – Germantown Academy (approaching 500 wins), Lou Palkovics – CR North, John Miller – Mt. St Joes, Tom Lonergan – CB East, Bob Schnure – Downingtown East for high school, and then in AAU, there’s Kevin Lynch – Philadelphia Belles, Joe Westerfer, Brian Creech – Philadelphia Belles, Bill McDonough – Lady Running Rebels, Chris & Linda Genther and Fran Burbidge – Del Val Comets, Heather and Eric Glemser - Fencor. These high school and AAU coaches have driven the sport to the next level.
Most of the top high school teams in the Philly area and all the top AAU teams play across the country and challenge the best teams out there. Then the Philly teams WIN! O’Hara won the Prestigious Nike Christmas tourney this year. GA won the Naples Christmas tourney over Downingtown East (Two Philly schools get in finals from 16 top teams from across the country), and Carroll went into New York City and beat Christ the King (one of the all-time top teams). In AAU, the Philadelphia Belles, Del Val Comets and Fencor have close to 10 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS between the three organizations.
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( HEAD COACH : RAY MARTIN ) 
( HEAD COACH : JOHN CHANEY ) 
