Jahnarriah Massey
Excellence On & Off the Field

Story by Katrice Williams 
Photography by Erich Perez

It’s about having passion for what I’m doing and knowing what I can do. It’s about my team and having good energy. Overall, it’s just a good time with my coaches and teammates. It’s a pleasure to be on the field,” says Jahnarriah Massey.

Jahnarriah, “Nari,” is a high school senior at Woodville Tompkins Technical & Career Institute (Woodville), which is under the leadership of Principal Alfred McGuire. Besides being a stellar student, Nari is an outstanding athlete. Woodville has proven to be a great fit for her. Nari, who aspires to become a nurse practitioner, has enjoyed being a part of Woodville’s nursing pathway.

“You can start your career early while you’re still in high school; that’s what I enjoy about Woodville. It has good academic programs. The teachers are great, and the opportunities are awesome,” she says.

Nari has already earned her certified nursing assistant (CNA) license; she is also looking forward to attaining her patient care technician (PCT) certification prior to graduating.

Nari has played a variety of sports since she was very young; her dad Jahnard played a tremendous role in her athletic endeavors.

Sports

“My father always wanted me to be active. I started playing basketball at the YMCA at about eight years old,” she says.

Over time, Nari grew to love the sport. She eventually began playing soccer as well. Nari continued both sports throughout elementary and middle school while she also became involved in swimming.

Nari was excited about her freshman year of high school, especially since she planned to try out for the basketball team. The Woodville Wolverines are under the leadership of Athletic Director Emma Sharp. Woodville offers its students a variety of sports.

Nari felt privileged to earn a position on the team; this is her fourth year.

“I enjoy playing it. I like the competition. The team and the coaches are very consistent. They want to get things right. I appreciate the coaches because they are very motivating,” she comments.

Nari appreciates the growth and development she has experienced under the direction of her coach Jeffery Roberson, who is assisted by coaches Emmett Ready and Jamaica Ready. Coach Roberson speaks highly of Nari.

“I consider her a leader. She has a lot of potential. I have enjoyed coaching her over these years. She’s not a player that says a lot, but she’s a person of action. Her primary position is forward, but she can play any position on the floor from the one (point guard) to the five (center),” Coach Roberson states.

For the Love of Flag

 Over the past couple of years, Nari has developed a special place in her heart for a sport that was never initially on her radar – flag football (flag). This season marked Woodville’s third year of offering girls’ flag. Nari did not try out during her sophomore year when the program had first begun; at the time, she was focusing most of her athletic efforts on playing basketball.

“At first, I didn’t really realize how big the sport would end up being. I started playing it for fun, and I really liked it,” Nari reveals.

The popularity of flag has been astounding over the past several years; the sport has become a part of many high school athletic programs across the country. Flag follows much of the same premise as touch football but without the contact, decreasing the risk of injury from impacts. Whereas a traditional football team has eleven players on the field per play, flag has only seven.

Nari’s flag coach is Coach Jamel Miller, who coaches girls’ soccer as well. Coach Miller, who is also a school counselor, is assisted by Coach Aaliyah Bell, who joined the Wolverines at the beginning of this season. She leads the junior varsity team.

Coach Miller has been pleased with the overall athletic development of his team since the first season.

“It wasn’t a bad first year, considering that most of the girls had never played it nor understood the concepts,” he states.

The first year of the program was so successful that many additional girls participated in tryouts. Coach Miller created the junior varsity team from that multitude.

Nari, who is one of the captains of the varsity team, plays the position of wide receiver on offense and safety on defense.

The first game of this year’s flag season was in October. The team’s growth, athleticism and cohesiveness have been apparent.

“Each year, we’ve made incremental gains; each year, we’ve grown the program. This year is the first year that we’ve made the playoffs,” Coach Miller says.

Nari appreciates Coach Miller’s efforts and direction in helping her develop into the successful flag athlete that she has become.

“He’s a good coach. He’s very serious. I appreciate him because he’s the one who [encouraged] me to take the sport more seriously,” she says.

Nari is also thankful for the team she was afforded the opportunity to play alongside.

“They have really good energy. It’s fun to be out there with them,” she states.

Coach Miller is proud of Nari–her tremendous growth, diligence, aptitude and overall impressive skill set. “Right from the onset, I noticed her skill set. I noticed she would add value to the team. She can catch the football really well, and she’s a good route runner. She’s a smart, high IQ football player; she’s dynamic in that way. As one of my captains, Nari is very assertive. She’s no-nonsense because she takes it seriously,” he says.

He knows that Nari has proven herself to be a phenomenal role model and leader; she has even taken time to help some of the younger players with the sport.

“She shows them how to do certain things—pointers on how to run routes or catch better. She works well with the team,” he states.

Coach Miller is confident that the program will continue to thrive and provide great opportunities for its athletes.

“We’ve established this program by building a culture of positivity, respect and character; I would like to maintain that and consistently provide the girls with a safe, supervised space after school. I want to continue to develop my players. I want to continue to give the girls more opportunities to earn scholarships for college,” he says.

Nari has already received two collegiate offers for flag. She is excited for what is to come.

Nari knows that school athletics can make a real difference in the lives of countless young people, often helping them to embrace beneficial skills along with good character traits: sportsmanship, self-control, diligence and tenacity, to name a few. Even more, Nari knows that athletics always comes second to academics.

“Academics always comes first…student first and athlete second,” she says.

Inspiration and Mentors

Nari does not take for granted the meaningful people who have played instrumental roles in her life, particularly her mom Demetria, who has been a true inspiration for Nari’s decision to pursue a nursing career; Demetria has been in the field of nursing for quite some time.

“She has always been there, helping me through things and teaching me life lessons. She is definitely my number one inspiration,” Nari says.

Nari has sincere gratitude for two of her biggest mentors at Woodville:

Natasha Harris-Haggan, who has been her healthcare instructor, and James Blocker, who has been her Economics and AP Government instructor.

“Ms. Harris-Haggan is a very stern teacher, but I appreciate everything that she does. She looks for the best in people. She’s doing it all out of love. Mr. Blocker really tells it like it is. You can talk to him, and he’s going to help you through it,” Nari states.

Doing More

Nari is a member of several extracurricular organizations in school.

In addition, she works at a retirement facility, offering help to those who often need it most. The aspiring nurse loves helping others; she feels it to be very rewarding.

Nari would advise any young person, especially young ladies, to be diligent and persist toward their goals.

“I’d tell them to get out there and try; you never know where it all might take you. Last year, I never knew that I would get offers to play flag. I never knew that I would be here,” she says.