Jim Dabbelt Bio
Jim Dabbelt is a lifelong resident of the Dayton area, having been born in Dayton and raised in the northern Miami Valley community of Tipp City, Ohio. When his son Montana started school, Jim moved back to his hometown community and calls Tipp City home once again.
Synonymous with basketball in Ohio, Dabbelt is considered by the experts as the premier media source in the Buckeye state for Ohio girls’ basketball. His coverage of the sport spans over 30 years.
Upon graduation locally from Tippecanoe High School, Jim began his basketball promoting duties as a free-lance contributor to the Tipp City Herald for a few years, and in 1989, he began his AAU girls basketball career.
In 1991, Dabbelt created the Ohio Girls Basketball Update, focusing on the top girls’ basketball players in Ohio. During that time, Jim was the sole girls’ basketball writer for the Ohio High School basketball Magazine, while contributing information to publications such as the USA Today, Dick Vitale’s publication, and Street and Smith.
He remained active in the girls’ basketball community via the opportunity to promote the premiere players.
In 2003, Jim created and directed The Dabbelt Report, a website which quickly became a household name for all girls’ basketball players, coaches and fans in Ohio. Once Dabbelt left the coaching game in 2006, he has focused only on the website.
Also from 1998-2008, Dabbelt was the Sports Editor of the New Carlisle Sun and the Enon Messenger, where he earned over 15 writing awards during his time. He is currently the Sports Editor of the New Carlisle News, Enon Eagle, Troy Tribune, and Tippecanoe Gazette, covering events in and around his hometown.
Over the past few years, Dabbelt has been honored for his longtime work in the game of basketball, including the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Miller Park in Milwaukee in July, 2013 before a Brewers/Reds game. He also threw out the first pitch for the Dayton Dragons, dropped the first puck prior to several hockey games, and has spoken at several sporting events including Ohio’s top events held by the Ohio Girls Basketball Report.
Away from the basketball court, Dabbelt’s other personal interests include golf, music, attending sporting events and can be found at the gym working out solid five days a week. He is also an avid Pittsburgh Penguins fan, and can occasionally be found at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
Jim is very active on social media, and you can follow him on Twitter (@JDabbs86) for all of the latest news.
