Meet Our Coach of the Year!
Jamilla Banks-Wall has just completed her first season as Moving Everest’s Lady Eagles Basketball head coach, with the team winning Moving Everest’s first Network Championship ever. Banks-Wall will also be receiving the Coach of the Year Award for Chicago Public League Girls JR High School on May 4th, 2024.
This award definitely didn’t just fall into Jamilla’s lap. She has taken the time to create a great coaching style with many moving parts.
Jamilla started her basketball career at the age of 14 while growing up in the Chicagoland area. After high school, she went on to play at Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL. In 2015, she and her team won the National Championship, earning her scholarship to Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Growing up in the same area as her players has created a relatable relationship be'tween coach and players. Jamilla’s main advice for anyone wanting to get into coaching is to do it for the right reasons. Jamilla shares, “Coaches should strive to be the type of adult that their players want to become.”
The main value that Jamilla holds her players to is accountability. She shares with them that having accountability at a young age puts you on a path to success. Her players have grown to think about what they could have done better instead of placing blame on others. She lets them know that it’s okay to make mistakes, but you need to hold yourself accountable to be better and contribute to the team. The coaches also hold their players accountable to be good teammates. They want to drive home the message that basketball is more than the stuff that goes on the stats sheets.
Coach Jamilla saw this season as a growing season. The majority of her players have never played structured basketball before and this was her first year being a head coach. Coach Johnson and Jones were major components in helping shape the team this season, too. Having three coaches allowed for personalized coaching. Sometimes a coach would work with one player on their shot if it was off that day. Most days Coach Johnson would film the girls playing and practicing — this way they’re not just hearing coaches’ critiques, but they’re also seeing it with their own eyes. With this strategy and growth mindset, the season kept getting better and better.
While character building through accountability and pushing for players to grow are great working tactics, a coach ultimately needs a progressive coaching style. Jamilla has a very hands on approach when it comes to coaching. She emphasizes the importance of instructional coaching for the level her players are at. She knows her players should be working at understanding the game, while also building their confidence. That’s why the coaches do the drills first, since she would never ask a player to do something she wouldn’t do herself. Jamilla also instills confidence through emphasizing that the girls will always have a spot on the team as long as they follow the rules the coaches have.
She wanted to create a relaxed environment with respectful boundaries where the girls can be free to be themselves while also locking in when needed. A major goal of hers was for them to fall in love with the game. The coaches will ask the girls what they see and think through a player’s lens. They want their players to have a voice and know that there are certain things that coaches do miss. With player feedback comes tailoring to drills based on the players and the team as a whole.
There is an obvious positive tone to Jamilla’s coaching style. On game days, she would message their group chat to get everyone hype. She always wants her team to go into game day with high spirits. Sometimes she would even invite high school coaches to their games, which would get the girls especially excited.
Ultimately Coach Jamilla Banks-Wall is extremely proud of her team. Not only for winning Moving Everest’s first Network Championship and making it all the way to the Final Four in the Chicago area, but also for their all around growth. They now know their part of the ever growing cycle of women’s basketball; Jamilla cannot wait to see the places her players will go.
Jamilla wants to thank her coaches Jeremy Jones and Orjuana Johnson for all the work they put into this season. She also thanks Moving Everest’s administration and teaching staff for all that they do, Moving Everst’s students and their families for their support, the high school coaches that have come out, and God for a healthy injury free season.
All of Moving Everest wants to congratulate Coach Jamilla Banks-Wall on the well deserved award of Coach of the Year. We also thank our Coaches Johnson and Jones, the players and the parents for an all around great season.
