The Spain Park girls basketball team were honored with individual trophies and commemorative coins Monday night after being denied the title for winning a boys tournament.
The fifth grade girls received their trophies in a private ceremony with the city’s mayor, and looked thrilled to get their hands on some hardware.
‘Members of the Lady Jags 5th grade basketball team were all smiles as they received a trophy and commemorative coin from Mayor Brocato in recognition of their recent championship victory,’ a Facebook post from the City of Hoover read.
‘The team received their trophies in a private ceremony at their request in lieu of attending Monday’s City Council meeting.’
According to reports, the Spain Park girls – an elite team from Hoover – were told at the beginning of the season that they would not be able to practice at the local gym unless they joined the boys recreation league.
The Spain Park girls basketball team was honored on Monday night after being snubbed
The players looked delighted as they were recognized for their tournament win
Despite being an elite team – one that conducts try-outs to fill out its roster – the Spain Park girls did exactly that, going on to win the tournament championship before being told they were ineligible for at trophy.
Instead, the hardware was given to the boys recreation team they had defeated in the final.
That decision caused controversy, as one team mother ignited the debate with a Facebook post.
‘What did they do to get disqualified?’ asked Jayme Mashayekh, the mother of one of the team’s girls. ‘Did they not pay their dues? Did they not play up a level in competition? Oh, it’s because they’re GIRLS?!?!’
The issue, according to the HPRD, stemmed from tournament rules differentiating elite teams from recreation league teams, and not because of gender of the eventual champions. While the Spain Park girls were competing against boys, they were still considered a select or ‘elite’ team, and because of that, they were never eligible for a trophy in the tournament comprised primarily of recreation teams.
‘Only regular recreation teams are eligible for awards/trophies,’ read the HPRD statement. ‘Coaches of the ‘elite’ teams are made aware of and agree to these rules at the time they request to participate.’
The team’s coach Wes Russell released a statement following backlash to the supposed snub, insisting that he and the girls were aware of the rules from the beginning of the season.
He also insisted that the his team had not been treated unfairly, claiming that throughout his 12-year coaching career ‘boys and girls have always been given equal treatment.’
The HPRD insisted that the girls being snubbed had nothing to do with their gender
The girls were one of two ‘elite’ teams invited to Monday’s city council meeting
‘Social media posts have negatively portrayed the rules and policies of the City of Hoover Parks and Recreation as somehow unfairly treating girls versus boys,’ Russell said.
‘The City of Hoover has allowed our team to utilize and practice in municipal gyms, just as they have done in my 12+ years of coaching in both the Hoover girls and boys leagues. Our team knew the rules of the Hoover Rec league prior to the tournament, and we still chose to have our team compete in this boys tournament,’ he added.
‘I have coached boys and girls flag football, and boys and girls basketball all under the umbrella of the City of Hoover leagues. In my 12+ years of coaching, boys and girls have always been given equal treatment.
‘While the optics of this story appear to paint the City of Hoover in a negative light, my personal experience and that of so many other Hoover families tell a different story,’ he said. ‘The Hoover Parks and Rec Dept. has agreed to review the rules related to competitive teams playing in the rec league to clarify the rules and make them fair to all participants going forward.’
‘So proud of Rylie and her basketball team,’ read Mashayekh’s post. ‘It was a hard lesson they learned tonight. They won the 5th grade boys rec league championship but were not given the trophy.
‘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 (sic) 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,’ Mayshayekh continued. ‘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. 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.’
The HPRD responded in a statement on Monday, explaining that the Spain Park girls and another elite team would be honored at Monday night’s city council meeting.
‘Questions have recently been raised about recognition of teams participating in a youth basketball tournament conducted by the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department (HPRD),’ read the organization statement.
‘For many years, HPRD has allowed ‘elite’ teams based in Hoover to participate in tournaments it conducts. Those ‘elite’ teams are not sought out by HPRD, but rather they come to HPRD and ask to participate. Members of ‘elite’ teams are hand selected.
‘They do not go through the same talent evaluation as those who participate on regular recreation league teams. Therefore, ‘elite’ teams willingly agree to compete against recreation teams in a different division within their grade level or against teams that are above their grade level to ensure fair competition for all youth athletes.
If an ‘elite’ team participates in an HPRD youth tournament and makes it to the championship round, they are not eligible to receive any awards/trophies. Only regular recreation teams are eligible for awards/trophies. Coaches of the ‘elite’ teams are made aware of and agree to these rules at the time they request to participate,’ the statement concluded.’
The organization did pledge to review its policies to ensure fair competition and procedures, and that those details are ‘more clearly understood.’
Mashayekh did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
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