Melvin Wilkes has been with First Assembly Christian School (FACS) for 12 years and has coached boys and girls basketball teams as well as served as the PE teacher. Wilkes started his teaching career as a kindergarten teacher at Promise Academy before transitioning to FACS.
“My love and passion for being impactful in the early stages of a child’s life is rewarding,” says Wilkes. Wilkes, who is a graduate of White Station High School and Crichton College, utilizes his morals and values from his upbringing to be impactful in the lives of each child that he encounters year after year. “Being a Christian role model and positive influence in their lives lets me know that I am serving my purpose in life, and that’s what continues to promote my drive and motivation to continue this mission,” says Wilkes.
Married with two children, Wilkes values his family and the opportunity to work alongside his brother Dee Wilkes, who is the head boys basketball coach at FACS. Wilkes, who grew up in the inner city of Memphis, enjoys his tenure at FACS and the impact he has had on the children. Wilkes appreciates the friendships and relationships that he has built over the years with the coaches and players.
FACS made school history with its first TSSAA boys basketball state championship. “We were hungry for the win and so were our players,” says Wilkes. Wilkes coaches with a winning attitude in a positive environment. Being a positive role model and staying engaged to the young team is a motto he lives by.
Wilkes treasures the memory of this winning experience, which he shares with his brother. The championship game meant a lot to him, his brother, and the school. “As an assistant coach for FACS boys basketball team, we won the state championship this year, which was such a fun and exciting time to coach my nephew Kobe Wilkes and to also work alongside my brother,” says Wilkes.
“FACS beat Goodpasture 48-42 in the Division II Class A title game at Tennessee Tech’s Hooper Eblen Center to avenge a loss to the Cougars in last year’s state quarterfinals,” adds Wilkes. Last year, FACS had lost to Goodpasture during the quarterfinals. But this year, the FACS team returned home as champions after beating Goodpasture in the finals. “This game was so amazing for our school history and for us as coaches.”
Wilkes manages his practices to be an optimal learning environment by outlining standards and expectations of the students. He believes in being creative and influential by encouraging positive communication among the students. Alongside practice and hard work, a positive mindset and open communication are equally important. “The best part of coaching is that I can be a role model for the players that I coach,” Wilkes says. “I get to impart the things that I learned as a player onto the young men that I coach daily, such as my drive, skill, and winning mentality.”
Besides being an outstanding basketball coach, Wilkes is loved by many middle and high school students because of his loving demeanor. He is a great assistant coach who impacts his students both on and off the court. “We built some long-lasting relationships with the players and look forward to what the young men will do in the future,” says Wilkes.
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