MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – A new study shows a 6% increase in children participating in team sports in recent years. And Caitlin Clark’s success may be one reason for this.
However, not all school districts across the state are seeing the same numbers.
Three school districts across the state have no girls’ basketball programs and four only have JV teams this season.
Gary Ross, Associate Director and Girls Basketball Administrator for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union said they’re working with schools to not only find out why but also work to find solutions.
”We’re going to gather some data from our schools. We’re going to have a task force that’s going to take a look at what are some things we can do at the state level, what are some things locally they can do,” Ross said.
One change they’ve already implemented is allowing players to play 21 games at each level, as opposed to just six quarters a night.
“They would only have the JV, you know the girl play in two quarters because they wanted to keep them for the varsity game in case they got in foul trouble so they could play 4. Well, then it ended up being that they weren’t in foul trouble. And so then the player didn’t play,” said Ross.
But Ross said the numbers aren’t all bad.
He said some schools have enough players for a Varsity team, but only fielding a JV team allows players to build up some success, playing against others at their own level.
Leaders at the YMCA in Marion said their numbers for girls’ youth basketball have been trending upward.
“We hope that the steady numbers or the steady increase that we’re seeing at the youth age will then blend into the high school level as well,” said Dale Emerson, Marion YMCA Branch Executive Director.
Emerson said the younger the athletes are, the more likely they are to find a skill set. But he says it’s not all about the sport itself.
“I think that the younger they get started, it gets them involved. And like I said, gets them active, but also they learn to love the game, and hopefully, that will transition from the younger age all the way through high school or even beyond,” said Emerson.
And Ross emphasized learning those skills is important to keep kids playing.
“Developing that culture and for schools really to create that interest in younger kids wanting to be part of their high school program and feel appreciated and feel valued,” he said.
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