Archdiocese Reverses Decision, Reinstates 2 Girls Back onto Basketball Team

Days after two girls were kicked off a boys' youth basketball team in New Jersey, they were reinstated on Thursday by the Archdiocese of Newark.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), it was determined that the fifth-grade Catholic Youth Organization basketball team at St. John's in Clark, New Jersey, could be coed after previously deeming it against the rules.

The boys on the team decided to forfeit the remainder of the season rather than playing without their female teammates, but it was later found that there were no rules against a team being coed in the division, and its 7-3 record was restored.

Per the Associated Press, assistant coach Keisha Martel was pleased with the decision: "This is all we ever wanted. This was never about being defiant or wanting to break, bend or change rules. It was about fairness for these 10-year-olds, about finishing the season the way they started—together."

With the team back intact, they will have an opportunity to make a run at the championship in the playoffs.