Parents of a teenage player on the Churchland junior varsity girls’ basketball team in Portsmouth have revealed that Arlisha Boykins, a 22-year-old assistant coach, dressed in their daughter’s Truckers uniform while she was away at a club basketball tournament.

 

Another shining moment for the adults in the room. An assistant coach pretends to be a player and plays in a high school game. You've got to be kidding me. https://t.co/IjEDT8FvFJ

— Tim Ring (@timringTV) January 31, 2023

 

Boykins is seen wearing a black Churchland jersey with the No. 1 on the back in the game footage from January 21 against Nansemond River, which took place in Suffolk. WAVY obtained highlights of Boykins, who was competing against 14 and 15-year-old girls, blocking a shot and driving for a layup. She was also spotted taking part in team activities, such as shooting free throws and even diving into the crowd to retrieve a stray ball.

 

The New York Post also confirmed that Boykins is no longer working for Portsmouth Public Schools. Wednesday was her last day of work. According to a school spokesperson, the administration of Churchland High School met with the parents of JV and varsity players.

 

Boykins wasn’t the only Truckers coach let go; the varsity team’s coach was reportedly “encouraging the behavior” during the game, according to the news outlet’s sources.

“Coaches always preach to the kids about integrity and those types of things, so I was just shocked,” the father of the teenage basketball player said.

 

The family of the 13-year-old girl also confirmed that their daughter will not be attending Churchland High School next year and instead will look into other options. The family is also asking Churchland school administrators to personally apologize to them.

Players from the Churchland junior varsity team and their parents decided not to play any more games or finish the season. The incident is currently being looked into by the school.