Basketball tournament: Girls not allowed on boys team

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The pint-sized 10-year-old is described by her coach Kevin Frey as a “stud” and a “superstar”. Jaelyn plays on a 4th grade boy’s club team, Frey Basketball Academy.

“The girls didn’t really give me a competition,” Jaelyn said.

“If there’s not another team that she can go to where the competition is going to be equal so that she can continue to get better, why hold her back,” said Barry Bates, Jaelyn’s father.

“I’ve never seen it before,” Frey said. “Not at this level.”

“You hear comments of, ‘Who’s got the girl?’ and quickly they realize that she’s just not any girl.”

Having a girl on a boy’s team hasn’t been a problem for the coach, the players or any of the tournaments Frey Basketball Academy plays in.

That is, until a week ago.

One of the state’s big tournaments is the upcoming Southwest Salsa Slam, a qualifying tournament for the national championships at the level Frey Basketball Academy’s fourth grade team plays at. It’s organized by New Mexico Select and tips off in a little more than two weeks.

Jaelyn’s team was signed up to play. But last week, tournament organizers notified the team that as long as Jaelyn suited up for the squad, the team wouldn’t be allowed to participate.

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After a number of parents and Frey himself complained, the tournament sent another email:
“The intent of the rule is simple; if you allow a 4th grade girl to play on a 4th grade boys team, how do you stop a 6’10? freshman boy from being allowed to play on a freshman girls team… NM Select will not bend or change our rules.”

Those rules are in line with AAU guidelines, which also prohibit girls from playing on boys. But Frey said the tournament is not bound by AAU rules and should make an exception for fourth grade teams.

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