Lady Eagle Nikki James Coaches Upward Basketball Team
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman sophomore Nikki James (Cookeville, Tenn.) spent part of her winter giving back to the community as a basketball coach in the Upward organization of Jefferson County. James, a standout volleyball player for the Lady Eagles and a business administration major at C-N, showed her love for teaching and sports by taking on a team of eight first through third-grade girls named the Sparks.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman sophomore Nikki James (Cookeville, Tenn.) spent part of her winter giving back to the community as a basketball coach in the Upward organization of Jefferson County. James, a standout volleyball player for the Lady Eagles and a business administration major at C-N, showed her love for teaching and sports by taking on a team of eight first through third-grade girls named the Sparks.
James was a member of the Carson-Newman women’s basketball team during her freshman year at Mossy Creek, but chose to focus on volleyball this past season. She was one of the top blockers in the South Atlantic Conference with 1.13 blocks per set, which ranked 20th in the nation. Her freshman year at C-N, James led the league in blocks (1.51 bps) and was fifth in the country en route to SAC All-Freshman Team honors. James was also named to the 2009 Food Lion SAC All-Tournament team after the Lady Eagles advanced to the tournament final.
“This was my first year coaching a team as well as volunteering for the Upward Basketball program,” said James. “It was a wonderful experience. Working with young athletes and teaching them about a sport that I have played as I have grown up was truly a blessing in disguise for me. It has been hard not playing basketball this year, but having the opportunity to keep basketball in my life through coaching Upward has filled the void of not playing.”
Upward Sports is an organization focused on teaching kindergarten through sixth graders the basics about sports, with an emphasis on introducing children to Jesus Christ. It is the largest Christian sports organization in the world, with over one million annual participants and volunteers.
“Being able to share my relationship with Christ and talk with these young ladies about everything He does for us opened up a window for me to spread the Word of God,” added James. “Our emphasis this season was to show how everything in our life, no matter how big or small, involves and revolves around Christ.”
NCAA Division II promotes its student-athletes to serve in their communities in its “Life in the Balance” positioning statement. According to the NCAA, “the emphasis for the student-athlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development in a personal setting. The Division II approach provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletic competition and development of positive societal attitudes in service to community. The balance and integration of these different areas of learning opportunity provide Division II student-athletes a path to graduation while cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead.”
Carson-Newman head volleyball coach Shannon Mincey was a strong supporter of James as a coach this season. "I always tell my players how fortunate they are that God has blessed them with athletic ability,” said Mincey. “Using that ability to reflect Christ can be a powerful tool. I am thankful for Joe Dobbyns and his wife Donna for organizing the Jefferson County Upward league. When Joe asked me about a coaching candidate, I immediately thought of Nikki because she does a remarkable job with the young players at our summer camp. There are so many opportunities to mentor children, and I am glad Nikki had the opportunity to do so. I hope God will work in Nikki's heart as well leading her toward coaching."
