Virginia JV basketball coach poses as player in game, gets fired
From layups to laid off.
A 22-year-old assistant coach for a junior varsity girls’ basketball team in Virginia impersonated a 13-year-old player and participated in a game earlier this month.
Arlisha Boykins was fired for the sophomoric stunt, Norfolk NBC affiliate WAVY reported Monday.
The student who was supposed to play had a club basketball commitment during the Jan. 21 JV game for her team at Churchland High in Portsmouth, the student’s parents told WAVY. Boykins solved the problem by putting on the student’s jersey and playing in her place.
Boykins made little effort to hide that she was a super-super senior in a JV game, according to video obtained by WAVY. On one defensive possession, she emphatically blocked an opponent’s shot way out of bounds. On another possession, she drove strong to the basket and converted a layup while getting fouled, though she missed the ensuing free throw.
The video also showed at least one player sitting on Churchland High’s bench watching her coach play in the game.
“Coaches always preach to the kids about integrity and those types of things, so I was just shocked,” the impersonated 13-year-old’s father told WAVY.
Boykins’ last day of work was Jan. 25. Churchland High’s varsity coach, who apparently backed the intergenerational interloper, was also fired, WAVY reported. The JV players chose to forfeit the rest of the season.
It’s a true basket case.
