When JazLynn Bowman walks into the Scott’s Branch Middle/High School gym, she isn’t just stepping into practice. She’s stepping back into her own story.
A Scott’s Branch alumna, a former point and shooting guard, and a member of the 2018–19 state championship team, Bowman now leads the school’s B-team girls’ basketball program—a group of sixth through ninth graders still learning the game but already buying into her belief that they can grow into something special.
“This is my second year coaching, and last season went really well,” Bowman said. “I had a group of 14 girls and about 10 of them had never played basketball before. But we made it to the second round of the playoffs—the game before the championship. We lost only two games all season.”
This year’s roster is smaller—about eight or nine players—but steadier. Six to seven returners are back, with many of last season’s players moving up to varsity. Bowman said the continuity gives the team a strong foundation.
“My girls listen. They’re very coachable,” she said. “Their biggest strength is having an ear to listen and wanting to learn.”
Bowman’s coaching style mirrors her personality—steady, calm and conversational.
“I don’t really yell. I’m more of a sit-down-and-talk coach,” she said. “If they make a mistake, I don’t call them out in front of everybody. I pull them aside and talk through how to fix it.”
The challenges are typical for a young squad: learning plays, remembering sets, getting comfortable dribbling and passing. But Bowman said watching the girls grow from Day 1 is what keeps her motivated.
“A lot of them couldn’t dribble, couldn’t catch, couldn’t pass,” she said. “To see the improvement—just to think, hey, that used to be me—that’s the most rewarding part.”
Coaching at her alma mater has made the experience even more personal.
“It’s amazing,” Bowman said. “To graduate from here, to win a state championship here, and now to coach under Lucinda Stukes, who coached me—it’s a full-circle moment. I love my hometown. Anything I can do to help the next generation, I’m willing to do.”
Bowman balances coaching with teaching and serving on the Summerton Town Council—a load she manages, she said, with “a lot of prayer” and the discipline to rest whenever she can.
“I try to utilize my off days to rest and revamp,” she said. “Being 23, a lot of people say, ‘You really can do all this.’ I try to show my girls that you can do anything with God first, determination and perseverance.”
Her roles overlap in unexpected ways. “The way I deliver lessons in school is the same way I deliver them in the gym,” Bowman said. “People call me the mouthpiece because I’m vocal. That definitely transfers.”
The community, she said, has been steady behind her. “They always show up. No matter how far we travel, they’re right beside me,” she said. “I have a bomb squad right behind me in the stands.”
This season, Bowman expects leadership from returning players Ariana Brantley, Brooklyn Felder, Makaylyn China, Honesti Taylor, and Azariyah Taylor – girls who showed up throughout the summer to put in the work.
“You get better in the offseason,” Bowman tells them. “Don’t wait until the season starts.”
And there are already memories the team is carrying into the new year. Last season’s one-point win over Manning—sealed by two clutch free throws in the final seconds—remains a favorite.
As her players grow, Bowman hopes they leave her program with more than just basketball skills.
“I hope they gain knowledge and skills they can carry on—and that they keep putting in the work,” she said. “Dribble down the road, go to the park, find an AAU team. Anything to help you get better.”
For Bowman, the victories go beyond the scoreboard. They’re found in the confidence her girls build, the lessons they learn and the pride of giving back to the school—and the community—that shaped her.
