Grant helps TPS revive freshman basketball

Where once there was darkness for freshman sports in Toledo Public Schools, there is now a glimmer of light.

Good news came Thursday for the former budget casualty, as the district formally announced that basketball is back for the year, thanks to a private grant. While no guarantees were made, ongoing funding for the program might be on the horizon.

And the district has begun a comprehensive review of its athletics program, with the potential for more freshman programs to come back from the scrap heap.

Freshman sports were cut districtwide in 2010 during a round of budget cuts. That loss was a "tragedy," Todd Mitchell of the Toledo Basketball Academy said. The group approached TPS to bring back the program; along with Key Bank and the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, the academy is funding freshman basketball with a grant of about $17,000.

"[The program] will hopefully help them and keep them -- number one -- off the streets," Mr. Mitchell said, "and give them something important to do outside of just their education."

All six TPS high schools will have boys freshman teams; Start and Waite won't have girls teams because of a lack of interest. The teams will play a condensed, 10-game schedule, including a season-end tournament. The season begins Friday night.

"I'm just thankful to be able to play on a team," Woodward student Khalil McCall said, "[and] that they care so much and that they brought it back for us."

Toledo Board of Education members and district administrators hailed the partial return of freshman sports. Assistant Superintendent Brian Murphy said that freshman sports was an important feeder program for junior varsity and varsity athletics -- students who don't make other teams their freshman year lose a year to develop fundamentals, stunting their athletic growth.

School board members cut freshman sports to help spare academics, the district's core focus. But athletic programs can have an academic benefit, board members said at Thursday's announcement.

"It's a wonderful incentive for students who want to play but know they have to reach certain academic requirements," board member Cecelia Adams said.

The basketball grant is only for one year, but Mr. Mitchell said the academy hopes to develop continued community support next year, and potentially keep freshman basketball open annually. That might mean continued support from the academy.

Meanwhile, a TPS athletic committee is considering options for the district's entire athletic program. The committee is in its infancy, having only met twice, so whether freshman sports makes a full comeback is not a certainty. But the district is considering its options, including developing additional partnerships with outside organizations -- such as the basketball academy -- to fund sports programs the district can't afford.

"We've made small progress," Mr. Murphy said, "but we have a lot of ideas and we are bringing some things to the table."

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com or 419-724-6086.