Girls basketball program at LeBron James' I Promise School is already taking off

In just its second year, I Promise School girls basketball was the Akron City Series runners-up

AKRON, Ohio - More than 20 years ago, LeBron James and his St. Vincent-St. Mary teammates made their mark on the floor at the University of Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena, playing almost every home game at the home of the Zips. 

Fast forward and it was the girls basketball team from the school created in the NBA superstar's legacy taking the same court and making a name for themselves, as I Promise School (IPS) was the Akron City Series middle school runners-up after a loss to Hyre at the JAR Arena on Feb. 13.

Making it to the championship game was quite an accomplishment for IPS, seeing as how the program is only in its second season.

IPS opened in 2018 with students in third and fourth grade and added a grade each year and now has students in each grade from third through eighth. But it wasn't until last year that IPS added athletics, with track and field, boys and girls basketball, and step and cheerleading teams. 

In that first year, more than 80 student athletes and 25 coaches participated in athletics at IPS and the IPS track team got off to a fast start, setting a number of historical Akron middle school records.

In its inaugural season, the girls basketball team finished 5-9. They then turned it around this season and finished 10-2 in the regular season to make it to the championship game, their only losses coming to Hyre.

"The season has been pretty incredible," IPS head coach Kathryn Daugherty said. "They have grown so much. I've got a team of girls that have never played organized basketball. They may have shot a couple of shots in the backyard or in the driveway, but we have been working with them. (There are) no days off, weekends, breaks. Any time we get in the gym, we're in there. Everybody shows up. That's how they grow."

When IPS decided to install athletics at the school, they turned to Willie McGee to head up the department. McGee, who spent seven years as the athletic director at his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary, left STVM in 2022 to become a We Are Family Coach with the LeBron James Family Foundation and then became the director of athletics for IPS.

"It’s a blessing," McGee said. "I come from a traditional rich school at St. Vincent St. Mary, so to have the opportunity to start sports here at I Promise and try to instill some of those traditions and pride, it's been exciting for me. Our kids leave it all on the court, they put in the work in the classroom, and we have the opportunity to motivate them through athletics."

Daugherty, a 1999 graduate of Akron North High School, played all four years on varsity in high school and has tried to explain to her players how dedicated they need to be to play at a high level, be in it middle school or beyond. It's something the kids have bought into, even coming to school on days they might have missed otherwise. 

"Their dedication is amazing to me, they come to school because they want to come to practice," Daugherty said. "A lot of times, they'll say, man, I was so tired, I wanted to miss school, but I had practice. I know back when I was this age, I was playing AAU ball so that gave me a sense of dedication and I try to teach the girls how to be dedicated and how to grow."

And for students at IPS, it is important to get them into the school on a daily basis. The school is dedicated to those students who according to the IPS website, "are already falling behind and in danger of falling through the cracks."

Daugherty's teachings have been paying off, as the kids are excited to play basketball and excited to come to school. Some are even talking about what they are going to do next.

"You see growth and you see excitement and you see pride, and it's trickling over to (going to) high school," McGee said. "All of them are talking about staying together and what high school they're going to."

Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports

When they get to high school, they will also have the hard lessons taught by Daugherty for those who decided that something was more important than showing up to practice. 

"We've had kids missing practice to go to a birthday party, and they're going to sit out a game for that," Daugherty said. "If they're going to come late to practice they are going to run. They need to understand so that when they get to the next level, they're prepared for that. You don't get to pick and choose the days you want to go to practice and they completely understood that they had to work to play."

The girls understood the assignment, putting in work as soon as last season ended to try to get better this year. That hard work and dedication led them to the JAR on Tuesday night, playing in the Akron City Series' final middle school game of the season.

"From the end of last year and having them excited and committed and training over the summer, you see the growth and the excitement for them to start a new season," McGee said. "And it ended with this right here. The girls have nothing to be ashamed of. We're proud of them and happy they gave a great effort tonight."

It wasn't the first time the IPS girls had played at the JAR, as it is the home court for IPS basketball, much like it was for LeBron, McGee in high school, along with the college home of McGee, who played at the University of Akron. But no matter how many times you get to play on a court like that, there is just something different.

"For any age group, let alone junior high school, high school, being on the college level, to come in and compete at a venue like this with all the great memories, it’s special," McGee said. "It's surreal to play on a college court, no matter where you're at."

Despite the level McGee achieved in high school and in college, he hasn't really talked to the IPS kids about his experiences on the court. 

"Kids get to write their own path," McGee said. "(I'm) just trying to nurture them and allow them to create their own memories. I think we have some great coaches that have done a great job of mentoring and being great examples in the school. And I think that shows in our character and our hard work and competitiveness."

-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh