One of the biggest drawbacks to having so many feeders schools is not the availability of good athletes for basketball but the lack of opportunity to play other sports that are offered in most middle schools (track, soccer, golf etc.). Until about two years ago basketball and basketball cheerleading were the only two sports offered at the elementary school level in Grundy County. Girls' volleyball was added when Ricky Richards the previous girls' high school basketball coach switched to coaching the high school volleyball team. Softball is not offered as a school sport but ran by an organization of parents and volunteers and usually coached by parents. Basketball has very strong participation from players and parents because for generations it has been the sport offered in elementary schools. There is a player on the high school team whose mother and grandmother both played for Grundy.
The "Big 8" conference for elementary basketball is highly competitive and draws crowds that rival most high school contests. It consists of 6 teams from Grundy (Pelham, Tracy City, Coalmont, North, Swiss Memorial and Palmer), 1 team split between Grundy and Marion (Monteagle) and St. Andrews-Sewanee. It is not unusual for 2 or more of these team to participate in the James C. Haile or TNT tournaments.