Celebrating Title IX: Monique Boykins

by: Madison Beecher

Monique Boykins, known to her players as “Coach Mo” is a basketball coach for various teams including Penn Wood High School Lady Patriots, former player, speaker, and scientist.

It was in third grade when Boykins picked up her first basketball. She recalls being the only girl in her neighborhood basketball program in Yeadon, Pennsylvania.“I tried out because I was taller than all the guys,” Boykins explains, “And they had me out there playing with the boys. For two years, I was the only girl.” Years later, she would accumulate 1,064 rebounds at her high school, Penn Wood, still holding the school record to this day.

After high school, Boykins set out to play for Kutztown University studying biology. After graduating, she toured briefly with the Global Sports Academy, playing basketball in Belgium, Holland, and France. In 2009, she became the girl’s coach at Penn Wood, would coach Lower Merion for two years, then returned to coach Penn Wood in 2019. Her unique coaching style has successfully rebuilt the Lady Patriots of Penn Wood into a successful and competitive basketball program. Under Boykin’s leadership, her graduating seniors achieved academic success as well as a result of the skills and character development gained within Boykin’s program.

When “Coach Mo” isn’t on the basketball court, she’s in the lab working as a scientist to create vaccines and lead quality training within firms like MedImmune. “I knew what I wanted to be in 7th grade. I got excited about it and kept telling myself in the mirror that I was going to be a scientist.” Boykins shares that coaching allows her to teach her athletes the importance of following their passions just like she did. It is Boykins’ goal that every young woman in her programs mature into not only the best ballplayer but the very best person they were created to be. “Let your passion be your vehicle to your success,” Boykins said.

Monique believes strongly in giving back to her community and in 2011, when she became aware that the local P.A.L. in Darby, PA had fallen apart, Monique created the “Jump‐Start” basketball league at the Darby Recreation Center providing a fun and competitive basketball league for children and young adults. Under this umbrella, Monique developed and ran the basketball league for men 8‐25 years of age. She is also the founder of “Team Success” a travel basketball program that exposes players to Division-1 and Division-2 schools.