WESTFIELD – Anyone awaiting the Westfield Vocational-Technical High School girls’ varsity basketball team’s season will have to wait … a lot longer.
The Tigers’ Dec. 17 opener against Hampden County Charter School, and the entire 2013-14 season slate has been canceled, the school’s athletic director Karen Gomez confirmed Tuesday.
Gomez said the girls’ varsity basketball program has been suspended for one season due to lack of participation. Only six players were eligible to play this season. A total of 12 are required to participate in Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association sanctioned events.
“They’re just a victim of circumstance,” Gomez said of the current players. “Also, we can’t have girls just show up on game day and not at practices.”
“We did not have enough numbers to field a team.”
Westfield Voc-Tech will not entirely eliminate the sport from its school, with plans to support a junior varsity team.
“Hopefully we can build up the JV level, and hopefully bring the program back next year,” Gomez said.
The athletic director is currently working on building a revised schedule for the junior varsity team.
The junior varsity team was cut in 2010 due to lack of involvement.
According to Gomez, participation numbers in girls’ basketball are down all throughout the city, including Westfield High, where she is also the school’s AD. There is also no 7th/8th grade girls’ Suburban League team this season.
Voc-Tech girls’ varsity basketball coach Matt Seklecki was unavailable for comment.
NOTE: The Voc-Tech boys’ varsity basketball team will tip off its 2013-14 season Sept. 17 at Hampden County Charter School at 7 p.m.
