"Hard work, No excuses!"

Coach Green stands in the center of the Churchland High School basketball court.

“What​ ​made​ ​you​ ​aspire​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​basketball​ ​coach?”

“I​ ​love​ ​the​ ​game,​ ​competing,​ ​and​ ​developing​ ​players.”

Jarvis​ ​Green,​ ​head​ ​Junior​ ​Varsity​ ​coach​ ​for​ ​the​ ​girls’​ ​basketball​ ​team,​ ​is​ ​in his​ ​second​ ​year​ ​coaching​ ​high​ ​school​ ​basketball.​ ​​ ​This​ ​is​ ​his​ ​fourth​ ​year coaching​ ​overall​ ​(his​ ​first​ ​two​ ​years​ ​were​ ​spent​ ​coaching​ ​recreational basketball).

Although​ ​Green​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​head​ ​Varsity​ ​coach,​ ​he​ ​jumped​ ​at​ ​the opportunity​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​JV​ ​coach.

“I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​Varsity​ ​coach,​ ​but​ ​like​ ​everything​ ​else,​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​process​ ​and it’s​ ​a​ ​stepping​ ​stone.​ ​​ ​So​ ​JV​ ​definitely​ ​helped​ ​me​ ​develop​ ​as​ ​a​ ​coach​ ​and also​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​ropes​ ​of​ ​running​ ​the​ ​Varsity​ ​program.”

The​ ​2015-2016​ ​basketball​ ​season​ ​was​ ​Green’s​ ​first​ ​year​ ​coaching​ ​high school​ ​basketball.​ ​​ ​Despite​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​last​ ​year​ ​was​ ​a​ ​losing​ ​season​ ​for girls’​ ​JV,​ ​he​ ​takes​ ​it​ ​as​ ​a​ ​learning​ ​experience.

“My​ ​first​ ​year​ ​was​ ​pretty​ ​good.​ ​​ ​I​ ​had​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​things​ ​as​ ​a​ ​coach.​ ​​ ​I had​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​about​ ​the​ ​players​ ​also,​ ​but​ ​overall​ ​it​ ​was​ ​good​ ​growth​ ​for​ ​me and​ ​the​ ​players.”

Green​ ​plans​ ​to​ ​stay​ ​more​ ​consistent​ ​with​ ​his​ ​coaching​ ​methods​ ​that​ ​he used​ ​last​ ​year,​ ​and​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​build​ ​off​ ​of​ ​what​ ​he​ ​saw​ ​and​ ​learned​ ​from the​ ​players​ ​and​ ​help​ ​them​ ​develop.

Even​ ​though​ ​Green​ ​loves​ ​the​ ​competitive​ ​side​ ​of​ ​basketball​ ​and​ ​watching the​ ​players​ ​push​ ​themselves,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​some​ ​disadvantages.

“With​ ​coaching​ ​girls,​ ​their​ ​attitudes​ ​can​ ​be​ ​out​ ​of​ ​this​ ​world.”

Coaching​ ​basketball​ ​as​ ​a​ ​profession​ ​is​ ​definitely​ ​something​ ​Green​ ​would look​ ​into​ ​doing,​ ​if​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​presented​ ​itself.

“My​ ​dream​ ​coaching​ ​job​ ​would​ ​probably​ ​be​ ​being​ ​the​ ​head​ ​Varsity​ ​coach at​ ​a​ ​premier​ ​rank​ ​high​ ​school​ ​or​ ​coaching​ ​at​ ​one​ ​of​ ​my​ ​old​ ​colleges,​ ​which is​ ​North​ ​Carolina​ ​Central.”

Girls’​ ​Junior​ ​Varsity​ ​Basketball​ ​Team

Jarvis​ ​Green-​ ​Head​ ​Coach;​ ​Lemar​ ​Ricks-​ ​Assistant​ ​Coach

Jadyn​ ​Bright-​ ​Power​ ​Forward/Center​ ​(Captain)

Zaniquia​ ​Kirby-​ ​Point​ ​Guard​ ​(Captain)

Laila​ ​Mann-​ ​Point​ ​Guard/Shooting​ ​Guard

Clarice​ ​Pate-​ ​Power​ ​Forward/Center

Molly​ ​McDonald-​ ​Shooting​ ​Guard

Arielle​ ​Nelson-​ ​Shooting​ ​Guard/Small​ ​Forward

Anaiya ​Harper-​ ​Small​ ​Forward

Green​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​closing​ ​remark,​ ​so​ ​people​ ​would​ ​know​ ​what​ ​to expect​ ​from​ ​the​ ​girls’​ ​JV​ ​basketball​ ​team.

“People​ ​should​ ​expect​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​more​ ​wins​ ​than​ ​last​ ​year,​ ​more​ ​effort,​ ​and​ ​also expect​ ​a​ ​winning​ ​season."

Photo: Jadyn Bright

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