22-year-old Virginia basketball coach, Arlisha Boykins, fired for impersonating a 13-year-old in game

Arlisha Boykins, a 22-year-old former assistant coach on the Churchland JV girls basketball team in Portsmouth, impersonated a 13-year-old player that played for the Truckers. The student athlete was out of town at a club basketball tournament, parents of the girl told. 

The game was Saturday, Jan. 21 in Suffolk against Nansemond River. Video obtained by WAVY shows Boykins wearing the number 1 jersey for Churchland, actively playing in the game.

WAVY confirmed Boykins is no longer an employee of Portsmouth Public Schools. The players on the team, along with parents, chose to opt out of the remainder of the season.

“Coaches always preach to the kids about integrity and those types of things, so I was just shocked,” the father of the 13-year-old said.

The school division has launched an investigation into the matter. The family told WAVY their daughter is no longer interested in attending Churchland High School next year and will pursue other opportunities. The family is also seeking an apology from the school division.