As a program, the boys’ basketball team has been one that’s taken a few hits as of late. Beloved and longtime coach Kerry Sarden passed away in early 2024, giving last year’s team a season riddled with grief and the hardships of trying to overcome this insurmountable loss. Then this year, because of circumstances outside of players’ control, the program’s new coach – BJ Thomas – had to transition out of the head coaching job, meaning the team needed a new leader. Into the void comes a fresh new face, Coach Krystal Wells, a longtime teacher at North Atlanta. Wells plans to bring a new approach to the position and seek to breathe new life into a program looking for stability.
A true student of the game, Coach Wells’ background is basketball through and through. Her love for the sport sprouted in the AAU circuit, playing in tournaments since she was 9 years old. In high school, she quickly gained stardom as one of Georgia’s top point guard recruits coming out of Douglas County. Racking up numerous D1 offers, she elected to attend LIU Brooklyn on a full basketball scholarship where she would spend two years as a captain and finish second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.1 points per game. After many successful years running the floor, she decided to step to the sidelines, beginning her coaching career. For Wells, the decision to coach was a natural choice. “I love playing basketball, but I also love bringing people up. That is why coaching is so important to me”. said Wells.
In recent years, women have rapidly progressed in leadership roles for male-dominated sports, Coach Wells being part of this movement. Historically, few women have coached boys’ varsity teams at North Atlanta, let alone at any APS school. Although she’s honored to be a part of something so groundbreaking, Wells is a coach first. “I don’t want to focus on being the first women coach, I want to focus on being a great coach”, said Wells. “My purpose is to be known not for wins and losses but for how I impacted people”.
In the last 3 years, the Warriors have been unable to surpass records with a win-loss ratio of above .500, a major blemish on the program’s resume. A winning culture is just what the dubs need, and Coach Wells is prepared to bring it. How will she do it? One word: Defense. “We have a lot of offensive talent, but at the end of the day, defense wins championships”, said Wells. “You’re not going to get on the floor if you can’t play good defense.”
Armed with new strategies and fresh optimism, Coach Wells has the tools to be great with North Atlanta Basketball. If there’s anything you can expect from this season, expect a fight until the final buzzer.
