PPS and the PIL (Portland Interscholastic League) serve our middle school basketball participants during the winter season. The middle school program is cluster based, meaning athletes participate in one of the eight high school clusters they live within.
The PIL middle school league supports two teams per grade level, with each team having 10–12 participants. Tryouts for placement on one of the two teams are held at Cleveland High School generally during the first weekend of November. Please consult the team Google Calendar for any updates and specific dates and times. Tryouts will be over the course of two days. Attendance both days is recommended, but one day is required. Cleveland cluster teams are chosen by the high school coaching staff and overseen by girls varsity head coach, Stacey Berg. Development within the PIL league is recommended for future Cleveland athletes. They will learn skill concepts, offensive and defensive sets, and team culture unique to the girls program at Cleveland High School.
Teams will practice in 90-minute slots, twice a week, at local area middle schools. Practices begin late November, based on coach and gym availability. Games will be played on Wednesday evenings, with some Saturday double-headers, beginning early December. The season concludes with tournament play the last weekend of February.
It is possible, due to high turnout, that some players who attended PIL tryouts will not make a PIL team. In these instances, we encourage you to explore recreational opportunities through the Portland Parks & Recreation Goldenball Program: portland.gov/parks/sports/goldenball
