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Basketball is played all over the globe and in some of the least recognizable places one can find on the map. Sometimes, there are also stories so incredible that unless they’ve been brought up with records to prove it, the story may be lost in time.
One such example happened in Hoover, Alabama, where an all-girls team of fifth graders had to do the impossible. They were asked to compete in the boys' basketball league so they would not lose their practice facility.
In a mother of all upsets, the girls team went on to beat the fifth-grade boys for the championship. That wasn’t even the most mind-boggling thing to happen in the competition. Instead of giving the trophy to the deserving winner, the award still went to the losing team.
Jayme Mashayekh, who has a daughter playing for the all-girls team, explained the befuddling events on her Facebook page:
“These girls have played together for 3 years for a competitive girl’s league representing Spain Park. All are 5th graders in the Hoover school system. Half way through their season they were told they could not use the Hoover gyms for their practices unless they paid to play in the Hoover rec league.
"They were told to stay together as a team they had to play up a level in competition and play the 5th grade boys. The girls were middle of the pack throughout the season losing several close games by 1 point. Playing the boys was a challenge they rose to meet. It made them better players and a better team."
She continued:
"They were told before the championship that they could play in it but if they won they wouldn’t be allowed to have the trophy. “Excuse me? What?” What did they do to get disqualified? Did they not pay their dues? Did they not play up a level in competition? Oh, it’s because they’re GIRLS?!?!
"So sure enough these 5th grade girls played their hearts out, left it all on the floor and battled their male counterparts only to be told, 'No, I’m sorry you don’t count.'”
Allen Rice of the Hoover City Administration reportedly had a dialog with a few parents from the Spain Park team. The city and the rec center are looking forward to honoring the girls basketball team after what they have accomplished.
It’s not yet known how the girls will be honored, but until that happens, the basketball gods should be gravely concerned about this.
Sexism may have nothing to do with what happened to the Alabama all-girls basketball team
![The Spain Park girls basketball team was denied of the championship trophy because of policy. [photo: AL.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/03/952b5-16781137564367-1920.jpg)
Somebody by the name of Jason Jordan shed a bit of light on what happened to the whole basketball incident described by Jayme Mashayekh. Here’s what he posted on Mashayekh’s page as a response to her story:
“I’ve coached both boys and girls in Hoover for years and can assure everybody that they don’t discriminate against girls.
"This policy has been in place for years. Hats off to this team for winning the championship. It is unfortunate they couldn’t get the trophy but it sounds like Hoover is going to make it right by honoring the girls. The same thing happened to a boys team."
He continued:
"Since Hoover has limited gym space and high demand for practice facilities it makes it extremely difficult to accommodate everyone. Hoovers’ policy has always been that if you want to use a Hoover gym for OTM practice then you must participate in the rec league.
"Most coaches want to keep their OTM team together and play them in the rec league. Since this would be an unfair advantage because most of the OTM teams are comprised of the best players, they are required to play “up” by two grade levels. In this case, the girls are in 5th grade and there is no 7th-grade girls rec league so they had to play against the 5th grade boys.
"In the past and I’m sure here too, the league tells the coaches well in advance that you can sit out the tournament or you can play but you will not get a trophy. In the 15 plus years I have coached, I’ve never seen a team win it all playing up, so congratulations to these girls and the coaches for winning the championship. Trophy or no trophy, they are the champions.”
Spain Park rose above the norm to be able to use their practice facility. They beat an all-boys squad fair and square and should be rightly honored for their jaw-dropping basketball feat.
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