Coach Jeffrey celebrates his last junior varsity game before becoming an assistant on Girls’ Varsity Basketball in 2022. He is extremely excited about this upcoming season and the chance to coach some of his former junior varsity players again.
After four years of working as a basketball coach on the Hilltop, Coach Jeffrey Ferreiras was promoted to head coach of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team. In Coach Jeffrey’s first year at Hackley, he was the Girls’ Junior Varsity Basketball coach. After his second year of coaching last season, he became the varsity assistant coach alongside long-time head coach Coach Margaret Scarcella. After news broke of Coach Scarcella’s departure this off-season, Coach Jeffrey applied to become her successor and won the job, becoming the new varsity head coach.
Senior Donia Karandikar played for Coach Jeffrey during her freshman year on junior varsity and played under him last year during his tenure as varsity assistant coach. Coach Jeffrey has helped Donia grow as a player, and she looks forward to playing for him as he takes on his new role.
“I am very excited to have Coach Jeffrey as the Varsity Girls Basketball coach. He focuses on improving our skills and cares about who we are as people. He really values us beyond the court. He doesn’t see us just as players but as individuals, and that makes all the difference,” Donia said.
Coach Jeffrey’s coaching career started when his daughter was in fifth grade. He coached her and trained her to become a better basketball player. After working hard and training her for countless hours, Coach Jeffrey fell in love with coaching basketball and began coaching teams of middle school girls.
In 2018, Coach Jeffrey was approached by Sam Brown, former Hackley coach and current Fieldston Girls’ Varsity Basketball head coach, about joining the Hackley staff. At that time, he was coaching a group of girls at another school and wanted to continue coaching them until they graduated. Then, in 2020, Coach Sam stepped away from coaching at Hackley and asked Coach Jeffrey again to replace him as the Girls’ Junior Varsity head coach. This time, Coach Jeffrey accepted the offer.
“Four years later, I feel fully embraced by the Hackley community, and I’m honored to lead our Girls’ Basketball program,” said Coach Jeffrey.
Coach Jeffrey has become an important and inspiring figure for the players. He is known for his passion, support, and ability to bring out the best in each athlete.
His coaching style balances a drive for excellence with a genuine care for the player’s personal growth. Sophomore basketball player Zion Bennett emphasized how instrumental Coach Jeffrey has been to her development as a player, consistently encouraging her and pushing her to improve.
“Jeffrey is definitely one of the main reasons I still play basketball. He supports and elevates me,” Zion said.
Coach Jeffrey talks with his players daily. He demands a lot from them but believes that creating a positive and supportive culture is crucial to the team’s success and growth. One of his goals this season is to instill a deep sense of pride in his players.
“I want our team to embrace the process and the dedication it takes to grow as athletes and as individuals. I want to continue pushing the students because I know that they are up for the challenge and will put in the hard work,” Coach Jeffrey said.
Coach Jeffrey is looking forward to his new position and a successful season.
“We’re starting the season with an incredibly enthusiastic and ambitious group of girls. Every day, we will bring a high level of intensity and pay attention to details, working to understand the game fully and build ourselves up bit by bit,” he said.
His commitment to building a supportive and motivated environment sets a promising tone for the upcoming season, where the focus is not just on winning, but on growing both as a player and as a person. With Coach Jeffrey at the helm, the Hackley Girls’ Varsity Basketball team is excited and ready for a season brimming with success.
