We, the parents and families of Franklin youth basketball players, are asking Franklin Grizzly Cubs Basketball to participate in the Hoosier Youth Basketball League (HYBL) for both the fall and winter sessions instead of moving forward with an in-house league.

With MYT no longer operating, surrounding school communities have transitioned to HYBL so their players can continue competing against other programs in organized, grade-level basketball.

Franklin should be doing the same.

Under the proposed in-house format, Franklin players would be combined into broad divisions of 1st/2nd grade, 3rd/4th grade, and 5th/6th grade, with Franklin teams playing against each other. 

As parents, we are concerned that this format does not provide the level of competition or development our players need. Our children benefit from competing against different teams, coaches, playing styles, and skill levels. Playing other communities also allows them to grow together as Franklin teams and represent Franklin basketball outside of our own program.

When surrounding communities are competing in HYBL and Franklin is playing only within its own program, our players lose those opportunities.

For the HYBL session, all games are played in Greenwood, making participation especially accessible for Franklin families without requiring extensive travel. This allows our players to compete against teams from surrounding communities while still playing close to home.

This petition is parent-driven. We are asking Franklin Grizzly Cubs Basketball leadership to listen to the families whose children participate in and support this program.

We want our players to have the opportunity to:

Compete against other local school-based teams
Play primarily against athletes in their own grade
Face a wider variety of competition
Develop their skills through meaningful, competitive games
Grow together as Franklin teams
Represent Franklin alongside the surrounding basketball programs
Be prepared for the next level of Franklin basketball
Our goal is simple: we want Franklin’s youth basketball players to have the same competitive opportunities as players in surrounding communities.

We respectfully ask Franklin Grizzly Cubs Basketball to reconsider the proposed in-house league and participate in the Hoosier Youth Basketball League for both the fall and winter basketball seasons.

If you are a Franklin parent, family member, or community member who believes our youth basketball players should compete in HYBL, please add your name and help make our voices heard.