Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Kai Bell has introduced a practice squad of SHP boys, who are not playing a winter sport and have little prior basketball experience, to help his team prepare for their upcoming season.
The Varsity Girls team has an 8-person roster, which is not enough to have a full 5v5 scrimmage in practice and leaves only three spots on the bench in the event of injury or illness. Coach Bell explained that this size, the lowest it has been in years, is “just part of the cycle.” Last year, the basketball team had a 15-person roster with six returning players, due to the loss of five seniors and other players who chose to focus on other sports. Since basketball teams only need 5 people on the court, the difference between a too-small and an ideal roster size can be just a few girls. Teams struggle to practice with a roster of 8, but a team of 12 girls can be almost too big. “Every girl counts,” Bell says.
The winter season also creates challenges with breaks for the holidays interrupting the season, athletes juggling their finals and practices, and a short transition period from the fall sports season. “I really want to praise the girls for being resilient and working through this,” Bell said, “and keeping themselves healthy because if we lose someone, man, we’re in trouble.”
This arrangement has allowed several boys to take turns cycling through joining the girls’ practice, letting them enjoy playing basketball without the conflicts and the commitment that comes with an organized team. Bell says that boys scout teams are “not a new idea,” and while they had been used in the years before Bell arrived on the basketball scene, this is his first year implementing this strategy.
When Bell first held an open gym as a tryout, he worried about guys not taking it seriously or just being there to use the open gym. But as tryouts progressed, he was pleasantly surprised. “It was pretty clear we had the right guys going in,” Bell explained, “they were into it, cared about what they were doing, and were working just as hard as the girls in practice.”
David Edelman ‘26, the captain of the scout team, jumped at Bell’s offer. “It was a no-brainer for me,” Edelman explained. “I have always loved basketball, and all of the water polo seniors get to take the winter off, so I finally had some time to try a new sport I never had time to do before.” Edelman is almost always a part of the boys who join in the girls’ practices after school to participate in drills and scrimmages. Edelman said the scout team “allows the girls to practice against bigger and stronger opponents and be more physical, something Coach Kai [Bell] is always telling them to do.” The scout team also helps simulate specific offenses or defenses the girls might have to face in their upcoming games.
Team Captain Maggie Goldstein ‘27 shared that when she first heard of practicing with a boys scout team, she “kinda laughed, but was also kinda excited.” As this is her third year on the team, Goldstein agrees that the scout team has helped them avoid the risk of injuries and simulate game-like situations in practice, which she said are “essential to success.” She also noted that “they bring a lot of energy to our practices… They mesh well with the team, and we both get excited when the other side succeeds.”
The scout team and small roster size have fostered a stronger community in the girls’ basketball world, treating scout team members as if they were on the roster. “The guys seem to really care about the girls and what we’re doing,” said Coach Bell.
Members of the scout team have gone to all of the games, and Edelman sits on the bench with them. “I bring them water, participate in huddles, and even shake hands with the other team at the end of the game,” Edelman says. “I even participated in media day and the team white elephant party.” The scout team does not just boost morale with their energy in drills and scrimmages, but also in their support for the team, even once bringing Antoine’s Cookies to practice.
Bell said that the scout team is a practice that he would definitely continue in the future, but may not be necessary if numbers bump back up for varsity next year. Bell predicts that a large number of sophomores on JV will make the transition next year and the team will be receiving a promising incoming freshman class. “This is a good moment,” Bell admits, “and you never know if you will have the right guys to do it again until you’re in the moment.”
“I get new friendships… and to play the best sport in the world after school every day,” David said. The scout team has benefitted everyone involved and has brought a special connection between student athletes at SHP that we may never get to see again after this year.
