James Clemens’ head coach Monica Maxwell relives years at Sparkman

MADISON – Monica Maxwell’s odyssey in basketball, first as a player and now as head coach, has become one of huge success, a bevy of difficult decisions and the battles within herself to build on what she considers to be a long-term relationship as a career. In her fourth season as head coach of the James Clemens Lady Jets’ program, she has the burning desire and strict commitment to mold her program like what she experienced as a player at Sparkman High in the early years of the 21st Century.

“I have no deep ties to my high school as I’m very competitive and want to win no matter who we play,” said Maxwell.

The 37-year old knows the local layout of high school basketball. She was an assistant coach for the Lady Jets during the 2015 season and had a similar position at Hoover, Hazel Green and New Hope and at Scheiner University of Texas before she took her current position in 2021. She’s a graduate of nearby Sparkman High in 2005 where she was named a McDonald’s All-American nominee and played on back-to-back state championships for the Lady Senators in 2002 and 2003. She was an All-State selection both her junior and senior seasons where she averaged scoring 15-points per game, and she participated in both the North-South and Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Games. She was even named among the school’s Homecoming Court.

She earned an athletic scholarship to Samford University where she played for four seasons. Upon leaving college with a degree in Sociology, Maxwell played professional basketball in Germany where her team won the league championship, and she was awarded the honor as Most Valuable Player averaging 18.3 points and 6 rebounds per game.

Not all has been rose-colored for Maxwell. She added, “I had shoulder reconstruction while I was in high school, a second shoulder reconstruction surgery while in college and a third shoulder surgery while in Germany. That last injury forced me into coaching and I’m glad it did.”

While coaching at James Clemens, twice a year Maxwell has the pleasure of facing the team from her alma mater, and when the game is held at her former school, the experience is one she beholds with thoughts of yesteryear.

“For the first time I took my kids to Sparkman and showed them my photos on the wall inside the gym at Sparkman. I knew my dad would be proud. I felt no questions as I’ve accomplished something. Finally, I’m not hard on myself and proud of what I have become,” said Maxwell, whose father, Bruce Maxwell, died in Dec. 2023, at age 58.

“Before this year, I felt a lot of pressure and I put that pressure on myself when we played Sparkman,” Maxwell added. “My outlooks on things have changed. I do the best I can. When at Sparkman, I always make my way to the wall inside the gym where all our photos for those years line the wall and I experience great flashbacks, remember the great times we had there. Seeing our photos and knowing how we played I have a great sense of accomplishment. Sparkman will always be my home. My safety net.”

Maxwell played for head coach June Seals with Patrick Delay her assistant coach. Both coaches have since retired from coaching, but Delay fondly remembered one of his star players. He said, “She was on Sparkman’s first state championship team and was the best pure shooter to come through Sparkman. We could cross half-court and give her the green light.”

Midway through her fourth campaign with the Jets, her teams are just 1-8 versus her former school. The lone victory over the Lady Senators came Nov. 22 at Sparkman. The return match at the confines of James Clemens saw Sparkman take control and defeat the Jets.

Her coaching style has changed in many subtle ways as her players, many of whom are as young as 14 when they arrive within the program of the school on County Line Road. She has found out she has to adapt to what the young athletes are mentally into. She battles the efforts of adapting, but not change her standards.

“One thing that has changed is the fact most of the girls are more worried how they look then how they play,” said Maxwell, who as a single mother has two children including Millie, 6, and Jett, 5. “I see changes within our girls off the court. Only three of my players have been with me while I’ve been here. This is my most difficult season of coaching as the team is young with three seniors and one junior making up less than half of the team roster. I’m trying to instill effectiveness this year as I’m developing these girls. I’ve had to tippy-toe around this team.”

A one-time passionate soccer player, Maxwell made her way to the basketball court at age 13. As a junior at Sparkman, she chose basketball as her sport, which has proven to be an excellent choice as her oncourt talents paved her way to college and now as an educator and coach.

“As a freshman I was scared and I thought of quitting as I hated the whole basketball scene,” said Maxwell. “But I had amazing teammates and coaches who guided me through the tough times. They made that green light a little greener. Like back then at Sparkman, my outlook on things has changed here at James Clemens.”