{"id":8431,"date":"2023-05-25T13:27:30","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T13:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=8431"},"modified":"2023-05-25T13:27:30","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T13:27:30","slug":"toledo-league-of-champions-end-season-with-championship-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/25\/toledo-league-of-champions-end-season-with-championship-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Toledo League of Champions End Season with Championship Game"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Old West End Queens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Truth Staff<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This past weekend, the sixth through eighth grade girls of the Toledo League of Champions ended their inaugural season with playoffs and championship game at Leverette Elementary School. The five-team basketball league, which helps to fill a void during the off season was a huge success considering it\u2019s currently the only opportunity for girls of this age to continue their hoops dreams in the spring.<\/p>\n

The league is the brainchild of Torri Blanchard, herself a former player \u2013 outstanding player at that during her years at Scott High School and, afterwards, at Urbana College \u2013 and now the mother of a young player, a fifth grader named Lila.<\/p>\n

In April 2022, when Lila\u2019s fourth grade season ended, Blanchard decided to look around and find a team, a league where Lila could play during the off-season.<\/p>\n

Her search turned out to be a frustrating and ultimately disappointing experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to find a league for her for the summer \u2013 it was the exact opposite of what I expected,\u201d recalls Blanchard. \u201cI called all over. There was no place for young girls to play so I ended up working her out during that summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Runners up The Toledo Skyy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was really only one thing to do if Blanchard wanted her daughter and other young girls to be able to play ball during the off season and her godfather, George Rice, pointed her in that direction.<\/p>\n

You need to start your own league, Rice told her. But Blanchard, whose busy life revolved around two young children and a full time and a part time job, didn\u2019t feel quite up to that undertaking \u2026 not at first. But Rice offered to help and basketball has always been a family tradition with the Blanchards. Torri\u2019s sister, Taria, herself a standout player during her school years, and her father Herbert (Coach Pete), along with extended family would be there to assist her.<\/p>\n

Torri passed out flyers, sent email blasts and notified those in the Toledo area of her intentions \u201canywhere I thought girls in those demographics might be.\u201d<\/p>\n

So a league was formed this April, consisting of five teams of players at the seventh and eighth grade levels \u2013 the Toledo League of Champions. The five teams \u2013 The Toledo Skyy, Old West End Queens, Lady Bears, Lady Bratz, Home Girls – played a five-week schedule culminating in this past weekend\u2019s playoffs and championship game.<\/p>\n

The Old West End Queens, led by Most Valuable Player Honey Harper, defeated the Toledo Skyy in their Saturday noon match up.<\/p>\n

Now that the spring season is complete, Torri hopes to continue into the summer with a series of three-on-three basketball tournaments \u2013 \u201cto give girls a reason and the space to work on their game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis does matter,\u201d says Blanchard. \u201cThese girls will turn into women and we will have created a bond that will last over the years. It\u2019s limitless as to what they will become.\u201d<\/p>\n