At Berkshire, basketball is more than just a game, it’s a tribute to resilience, a lesson in perseverance, and a testament to the power of legacy. The rallying cry of the girls’ varsity basketball team, We ‘Wil’ Keep Working, is not just a motto; it is a promise to honor the dedication of a man who shaped the program with unwavering commitment: Coach Wil Smith.
Wil Smith joined Berkshire in 2010 as the school’s first Dean of Community and Multicultural Affairs, a position now known as the Dean of Diversity and Inclusion. He served as the head coach for the girls’ varsity basketball team and an assistant coach on the football team, but his impact stretched beyond the sidelines. He instilled in his players his mantra, “Keep Working”, and the belief that hard work was the only path to success.
Unfortunately, Coach Wil Smith passed on February 22, 2015, from colon cancer. However, almost a decade later, his words, “Keep Working,” still ring true and have become a foundation for Berkshire’s basketball team.
When Head Coach Junior took over the program, he learned that the team’s core values were built on something far more significant than a desire to win. At first, he didn’t fully grasp why Keep Working was printed on team shirts, but once he understood Wil Smith’s story – his relentless drive, refusal to give up, and commitment to pushing players beyond their limits – he realized this was no ordinary phrase. It was a mission.
Wanting to honor the coach who came before him, Coach Junior and his team made a small yet powerful change to the team’s motto. The phrase became We ‘Wil’ Keep Working, a tribute to a man whose influence drives the program today. Basketball for the Berkshire girls became more than just a sport; it became a testament to resilience, gratitude, and the enduring spirit of Wil Smith. Every practice and game carries his legacy forward, reminding the team that their efforts are not solely for themselves but for those who came before them and those who will follow.
For Coach Junior, coaching is about more than just the scoreboard. It’s about growth, unity, and pushing each other to be better every day. “Passion is the worst,” he jokes, a playful acknowledgment of the challenges that come with the job. “But I love the challenge of getting better every year. Even when you win, you want to keep going because you love winning, and you love the process.”
And that process hasn’t been easy. The transformation of Berkshire’s girls’ basketball team over the past three years is a testament to what We ‘Wil’ Keep Working truly means. “We came from the bottom,” Coach Junior says. “Three years ago, it was tough. But we kept telling the team, ‘Keep working, keep working.’ And they believed in it.” That belief led the team through some of their most challenging seasons, setting the foundation for last year’s remarkable resurgence.
The words We ‘Wil’ Keep Working apply to the real world outside of Berkshire’s basketball court. “The world is tough,” Coach Junior says. “There are peaks and valleys. If you don’t keep working, you won’t make it. But if you take this mentality into everything – academics, careers, personal challenges– it will take you far.”
The Berkshire girls’ basketball team plays for the legacy of Wil Smith, whose words ceaselessly echo throughout each player’s heart. Every time they take the court, they honor his spirit. Every practice, every game, and every challenge, they face with the same determination he taught them. No matter the obstacle, one thing is sure: they Wil Keep Working.
