When College Counselor Mr. Joaquim Hamilton stepped up as the head coach of girls JV basketball last year, he had no idea of the team they would become, ultimately going on a 13-game winning streak and creating a tight-knit team culture. Led by the ringing sound of his trademark cowbell, their strong season helped form lasting bonds.
Coach Hamilton, also referred to as Coach Wok by his players, brought new life to the program during his first season with the JV girl’s basketball team.
“We started to get grounded in this belief in ourselves,” Coach Hamilton said. “We were kind of a little bit of a ragtag bunch. We were just trying to get a team together to put out there. And then it was like, we had our first win.”
This rejuvenation was characterized by inspiring mantras, practice-long laughs, an enthusiastic sideline, and the ringing of one special cowbell.
“We were really close as a team and were constantly laughing,” Maggie Salerno ‘26 said. “I think that helped on the court as we lifted each other up and encouraged each other even if we were down.”
Last year’s team had much crossover from fall sports players-wise. Many of the sophomores who had spent the fall season training and becoming familiarized with one another on the soccer field and volleyball court brought their initial bonds to basketball.
“To be honest with you, I think we actually inherited the bond,” Coach Hamilton said. “So I feel like they came in with a good core.”
Cece Fikioris ‘26 adds that the setting Coach Hamilton created within the junior varsity helped to strengthen the team’s bond.
“Coach Wok’s funny personality definitely made a team environment that was able to get along so quickly,” Fikioris said.
According to Coach Hamilton and players, the team’s rich culture off the court directly translated to their play between the white lines.
“But these girls really believed in it, really ran with it, and really connected with each other,” Coach Hamilton said. “I think that’s why we had just such, such great success.”
Mr. Hamilton’s cowbell, with “Gotta Have More Cowbell” scripted in bold, which is not only used as a coaching mechanism but at House Competitions for Mr. Hamilton’s House, Alcott Day, is a call for spirit and a symbol for upliftment.
“When you hear that cowbell, you should know good things are happening: turnovers are happening, the crowd is into it, something we all need to rally around,” Coach Hamilton said. “The cowbell has become a little bit of a rallying cry, in the sense of just wanting people to all get focused in, and locked in on cheering and putting their energy all towards the same thing.”
“When we heard Coach Wok’s signature bell we knew we were doing well,” Salerno said. “He always used it to encourage us.”
The team was able to effectively balance their lighthearted culture with competitiveness by knowing the correct times to find focus and “lock in” at practice.
“During practices we did lock in and work on plays and technique, but we always had so much fun during the games,” Fikioris said.“Especially during warmups, where we would dance to whatever was on aux.”
The key to the team’s accomplishments last year, finishing with a 13-2 record, was their energy.
“So we have a really aggressive defense that has good energy, good conditioning, being aggressive, being in people’s faces,” Coach Hamilton said. “That always helped us get out to a good start.”
Looking forward, as winter sports begin, Coach Hamilton hopes to link new players into the preexisting team culture and carry over last season’s success into this winter.