Monet from Brooklyn
“Coach Johnson’s journey from being Monet, aka “Moe from Brooklyn,” to the strong, caring, loving, ambitious woman she is today is a testament to the transformative power of personal growth and experiences.”
2002: the start of the most important game of the whole season. Moe was getting warmed up but then something unexpected happened — a pass from a teammate which almost stopped her from playing in the championship game. Everyone heard a big pop, and Moe just thought it was a jammed finger, but it was actually the sound of her finger getting dislocated. Her trainer kept saying “sit out,” and “you can't play like this,” and “it's just a game,” but to Moe, it was much more than that. It was just another hurdle for her to leap over and overcome. Moe told me: “Just cause I can’t use my left hand doesn’t mean I can’t use my right.” So, that's what she did. She was unstoppable that game: 27 rebounds using only one hand and winning the championship. This is the story of Coach Johnson.
Coach Johnson is a strong, independent woman who represents Comp Sci High in many different aspects. She is the Assistant Boys Basketball JV Coach, the Head Coach Of the Boys Varsity Team, and the Team Sports Elective Teacher. When most people hear the name Coach Johnson, these are some of the things that come to mind, but her story goes much deeper than that. To tell the truth, at first when I heard her name, those titles are all that came to my mind, too. But, as time went on, I realized there is always a why behind everything that someone does. So then, I took time to ask those questions that people usually don’t and find those answers that people don’t usually look for: the truth behind it all.
The Coach we all love and know today wasn’t always the person she is today. Many, many, many years ago she was just “Monet from Brooklyn,” a young girl with a tremendous passion for basketball. A young girl with the weight of doubt on her shoulder. A lot of people doubted Monet as she struggled with her grades in highschool. Due to this she didn't go to a top college for basketball as she would have wanted to. Still determined to succeed, life took her on a different route, although she feared this route would hinder her future as a basketball player.
To her surprise, this path would only be the start of something greater. Monet attended Monroe College in the Bronx, where she completed her Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. After that, she went on to receive a full scholarship to play basketball at Robert Morris University. Then she graduated with her Bachelor's Degree and went on to play overseas.
The Coach we all love and know today wasn’t always the person she is today.
Many, many, many years ago she was just “Monet from Brooklyn,” a young girl with a tremendous passion for basketball.
Coach Johnson originally thought that graduating from a junior college would be a setback for her basketball career; instead it made her stronger, wiser, and determined to continue to achieve greatness. Through this experience Coach Johnson was able to realize that she wanted to help out the youth and build impactful relationships with the younger generations. She wanted to help make a change in the youth’s lives through mentorship and positive guidance in order to help them and prevent them from making the same mistakes she made in her younger years.
Being able to connect with the youth on that level has helped her a lot in life because she was able to build positive relationships which has made her a better coach and a person as a whole. Her work with the youth has allowed her to master patience and compassion. Her passion for helping the youth has became her life and in Coach Johnson’s words, her life is “something she values and doesn’t play with.”
Coach Johnson's journey from being Monet aka Moe from Brooklyn to the strong, caring, loving, ambitious woman she is today is a testament to the transformative power of personal growth and experiences. Often, people only see the present version of someone, not fully understanding the path that led them there. It's important to recognize that everyone has a story and a past that has shaped them. In Coach Johnson's case, her past experiences likely played a significant role in molding her into the inspiring figure she is today. By understanding a coach's backstory, you can form a more genuine and empathic connection with them. Which then leads to a more effective coaching relationship as you'll be more likely to trust their guidance and advice, knowing that it's rooted in their personal experiences and growth. This is her why. The truth behind it all.