In Appreciation of James Braxton: By Lindsay Barnes, Headmaster 1999-2008
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James Braxton has been a leader and innovator at MSA for seventeen years.
Story by Lindsay Barnes, Headmaster 1999-2008
As legendary basketball coach John Wooden once wrote, “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” By this standard, James Braxton has achieved greatness many times over at Miller School.
Calm. Wise. Humble. Genuine. Earnest. Trustworthy. Dedicated. Family-Oriented. Ethical. Compassionate. These are just a few of the many adjectives used by Miller students and adults alike when asked recently to describe Coach Braxton, now in the midst of his 18th year of exemplary service on the Hill.
As current Head of School Mike Drude so accurately and warmly observes, “James Braxton optimizes MSA’s mission of engaging the minds, hands, and hearts of our students. Always putting the best interests of the students first, James is a hands-on administrator who rolls up his sleeves and gets to work for the benefit and physical health of all our kids.”
But where did it all begin? Where did the qualities of James Braxton’s unique character begin to take shape?
According to younger brother Jonathan Braxton ’03, in order to know his older brother, a person must first appreciate their upbringing in nearby Louisa County, Virginia. “From our parents, the message was clear and consistent,” according to Jonathan. “We were raised in a loving Christian home and were taught to have a strong foundation ensuring that we were able to hold our own. Work ethic was everything.” Approaching each project with thoughtfulness and without being in an ill-conceived hurry was an important component of the Braxton work ethic. Whether in the classroom or in undertaking more manual tasks around the home, Jonathan remembers all three Braxton children learning from their father that working not only with diligence but also with a cool, calm, and collected demeanor was the best prescription for success.
Countless Miller School colleagues mirror Jonathan’s view of his older brother’s approach to his work. They marvel at Coach Braxton’s poise and his even-keeled demeanor. Notes Peter Hufnagel, who has worked on the Hill with James Braxton since 2005, “Remarkably, it always appears that James is able to achieve success without seeming to be under pressure or stress. Over the years, I’ve learned that he makes challenging work appear, in a way, effortless because of his leadership skills. He inspires and builds an institution and elevates everyone around him.”
A stellar athlete and strong believer in the personal and professional opportunities made possible by a sound education, Mr. Braxton graduated from Louisa Country High School and enrolled at Averett College (now Averett University) in Danville, Virginia. He earned his B.A. degree in Sociology in 1992, and, along the way, achieved All-American status on the basketball court. Many records from his years as a player still stand at Averett, where he was recently honored with induction into the university’s athletic hall of fame.
By 1994 and with two years of teaching and coaching behind him, Mr. Braxton found his calling. He was hired by Elk Hill Farm, a highly structured educational and counseling environment in which boys from ages 13 to 18 were taught the personal skills necessary to overcome the severely negative effects of earlier events and situations in their lives. According to Fred Wawner, also a group worker for this same program in the mid-1990’s, that’s where he and James Braxton first forged their close relationship, a friendship they would each bring to Miller School just a few years later. “James was my mentor at Elk Hill,” remembers Wawner. “We really grew as professionals there. The work was intense, and the day-to-day was very tough. Every kid wanted to be around James. He was revered for his ‘people’ skills. You could feel a sense of calm about the place when Braxton was on campus.”
Mr. Braxton joined the community at Miller School in 2003. Beginning as Director of Discipline and as an assistant to the girls basketball program, Mr. Braxton would come to hold a number of highly impactful positions at MSA over the years, including Dean of Students, Duty Team Chief, teacher (U.S. History, Pre-Algebra, Study Skills), and Athletic Director. From Day One, what James Braxton and his family added to life on the Hill was apparent for all to see and appreciate. Recalls a senior administrator who welcomed Mr. Braxton to campus in the summer of 2003,“James was such a calm and nurturing breath of fresh air. His ability to understand the teenage mind and his kind, level-headed approach to his duties were everything we could have wanted at the time and so much more — so very much more.”
Students routinely attest to Mr. Braxton’s many acts of kindness and understanding. Christine Nyobe ’09 came to Miller from Cameroon. She was without a winter coat when her plane landed on a cold night in 2006. Remembers Christine, “As soon as Mr. France (Rick France, then Director of Academics), Mr. Braxton, and I arrived at the School, Mr. Braxton took me directly to his office and gave me a big blue coat because he could see that I was very cold. I still wear this coat today.” Carly Sable Dittmar ’09 has a similar recollection. “When I first met him, I remember Mr. Braxton as being incredibly kind and welcoming. He made me feel so comfortable.”
It is instructive to note that Coach Braxton’s kindness and his calm demeanor were on display not only during the good times; they were also essential elements in the discharge of his duties during difficult moments as a student life administrator. When a behavioral line was crossed by a student, Coach Braxton was often the adult in charge of fully investigating the matter; and, once all the facts were gathered, it was Mr. Braxton whose responsibility it was to recommend an appropriate disposition, a resolution designed to be fair not only to the student in question but, of equal or greater importance, also to the principles of behavior endorsed by the entire Miller School community.
As remembered by one former student, “Coach Braxton was honest and fair, yet someone who insisted on accountability and the acceptance of responsibility. Embarrassment or ‘tough love’ was not part of his preferred method of handling a problem. Instead, it was ‘let’s talk about what happened, why you did this, what can be learned, and how we are gong to go forward.’ ” Fred Wawner agrees. “James is able to connect with students and faculty in ways that make redirection non-threatening and positive. He’s a change agent, always working to build on and improve a school culture where trust is very important.”
Not surprisingly, the same attributes which have been so evident in the performance of his administrative duties at Miller are reflected in the way Coach Braxton envisions and operates one of the most successful girls varsity basketball programs in Virginia. Just a cursory review of the history of Lady Mavs and their head coach reveals the following:
16 state championship tournament appearances,
7 state championships,
10 conference championships,
76 percent of all games won, 357 total wins,
19 first team all-state selections for MSA players,
4 central Virginia coach of the year honors, and
4 statewide coach of the year honors.
But those closest to James Braxton understand that points on a scoreboard or plaques on a wall are only part of the story. Victories of an athletic sort are enjoyable, of course. But, the ultimate victory Mr. Braxton seeks for each Miller student is the victory of a long, happy and productive life, a life that is built in large part on the foundations laid and the lessons learned at Miller School.
Says Mr. Braxton, “Miller is great for getting all of our students to step outside their comfort zones, for building their self-confidence and character. I try to keep as part of our team any student who genuinely wants to be part of the program, to learn, and to contribute to the good of the whole, even if basketball is not her comfort zone. Along these same lines, I always tell my players not to let basketball use you. Instead, you need to use basketball and everything else here at Miller to prepare for the next thing in life. For everyone, the ball is going to stop bouncing at some point, and, when it does, our young people need to be ready.”
Carly Sable Dittmar echoes this sentiment. “Not only is he a coach during school hours; he is also coach and mentor 24/7 for whoever needs him. He and his wife Natasha are committed to the students at Miller. They don’t just ‘show up.’ They are incredibly dedicated to the growth of young adults.”
Cassie Kirby ’09, an aspiring basketball coach herself, is in full agreement. “As I’ve gotten older and begun to coach,” says Cassie, “I hear myself saying the same things he said to me. Coach Braxton is more than a coach. He is family! His impact on my life is more than I think he will ever know.”
Readiness for life. For each and every Miller School student, that’s Mr. Braxton’s goal, and therein lies the measure of the greatness.
Yes, James Braxton is an award-winning athletic coach, a wizard in designing and deploying basketball strategies and tactics. But, more indelibly, he is a caring mentor whose attributes of hard work, reliability, accessibility, and equanimity have inspired and guided hundreds of young people and dozens of Miller School adults over the years.
And he’s done it all with an endearing humility — a grace, even — that is uniquely his own.
Sums up a long-time friend and colleague, “James just has a wonderful way about him, a way that’s almost impossible to capture in words. But we all see it. We all feel it. And, for sure, we’re all blessed by it.”
