Rubama: Adults should have blown the whistle on decision to play 22-year-old assistant coach in a Churchland JV game
Disappointing and embarrassing.
That’s the only way to describe what happened on Jan. 21 when Churchland High played Nansemond River in a junior varsity girls basketball game.
The Truckers were shorthanded, and six players wore uniforms that afternoon at Nansemond River High. One of the players, though, was Arlisha Boykins — a 22-year-old assistant coach on the team.
Since news of Boykins’ participation, reaction has been swift and unflinching online. Google “Churchland High basketball,” and NBC News is among the national outlets that picked up the story.
Portsmouth Public Schools on Monday told The Pilot Boykins and the junior varsity head coach had been fired. Lauren Nolasco, Chief Communications Officer for PPS, did not identify the head JV coach, but multiple sources confirmed he is Jahmal Street.
Nolasco said there were “no changes to the girls varsity coaching staff.”
Varsity coach Jordhan Peterson declined to comment Monday when reached by The Pilot, and attempts to reach Churchland athletic director Mike Whittington were unsuccessful. Nolasco said no administrators were at the game.
So who had the bright idea to allow a 22-year-old to play against mostly 12- and 13-year-olds?
A recording with portions of the game is available with a subscription at nfhsnetwork.com. The feed picks up midway through the second quarter. There is one player on the bench in uniform — purportedly Boykins — and she’s a few seats away from the head coach and two assistants. That’s three adults and Boykins. The gym is mostly empty.
Boykins enters the game after a timeout with 3:55 left in the second quarter and the game tied 16-16.
She runs down a loose ball on defense and misses her first two shots before returning to the bench with 2:32 left until halftime. She’s back in the game less than two minutes later and scores to put the Truckers ahead 22-20.
Boykins starts the third quarter on the bench, but when a Churchland player limps off with an apparent injury, she’s sent in again. The Truckers won 47-45, but the game has since been ruled a forfeit.
Boykins is facing the wrath online. But what about the other adults? The coaches had to OK that decision.
There were only a handful of parents in the stands, but did they know that Boykins wasn’t a student? If they did, they should have said something.
As for Boykins, she should never coach again. That also goes for Street and all of the assistants on the bench.
Again: How did anyone think this was a good idea?
There were other options. They could have played without a substitution. Maybe that was too embarrassing a thought. But now the program faces widespread ridicule and much more embarrassment.
“Churchland’s administration immediately investigated and then reached out to the Virginia High School League to report the investigation’s findings,” Nolasco said. “In addition, Churchland’s administration held a parent and player meeting with both the junior varsity and varsity teams. In the meeting, the players from both teams expressed they did not want to continue this season. The teams’ remaining opponents and officials have been notified.”
It’s too late now to stop the embarrassment. This is a terrible lesson all the way around.
But it’s even worse for the adults in charge.
