The evolution of Emily Briggs has been a study in perseverance, dedication and commitment to the game of basketball.
And, more importantly, the game of life.
From a shy New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association star with Florenceville-Bristol’s Carleton North High Stars, Briggs has grown in leaps and bounds as she continues to make her mark in her home province as an up-and-coming coach and mentor.
A guard with the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association’s Moncton Mystics, Briggs is heavily involved in the coaching aspect of the game.
Whether as an assistant with Moncton’s Crandall University Chargers of the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association or learning the ropes with Basketball New Brunswick, Briggs can usually be found in a gym somewhere.
‘It’s hard to keep someone like Emily out of the gym,’ said Mystics’ owner, Shannon Parlee. ‘She’s always up for playing or for a workout. She is a credit to our organization and the MWBA.’
A teacher at Birchmount School in Moncton, Briggs has been able to combine her passion of sport and education.
It’s a win-win for the former player with Crandall.
‘I chose a career in teaching due to my passion for science and physical activity and education,’ she said. ‘I find great fulfillment in sharing and exploring these interests with my students. In particular, I love witnessing their individual growth and development as learners as we navigate these topics together.’
During her playing career with the Chargers, Briggs was approached by Marc-Andre LeBlanc in 2020 to join BNB’s junior Elite Development Program in the Moncton region.
The coaching fire was ignited.
‘After a couple of years of spring and fall sessions, BNB reached out and expressed interest in me to become a member of a provincial team coaching staff,’ Briggs said. ‘Since then, I have spent the last two summers as an assistant coach with the under-15 girls and worked with the junior EDP athletes.’
Briggs wore BNB colours as a player, earning a spot on the province’s under-17 at a Canada Basketball age class championship.
It was a full circle moment when she returned to the national stage as a coach last summer.
‘Anyone who has been fortunate enough to go to nationals knows that it is a grind, physically, mentally, and emotionally, but we also know that we would not change the experience either,’ she said, hitting the nail on the head. ‘I was beyond excited to be in that environment as an athlete with some of the best players from around the country. There was so much newness, excitement, and of course so many nerves. But overall, I was just happy to be there with my teammates and coaches.’
She felt there was a similar energy helping to call plays and quell nerves as a coach.
‘When it comes to being a coach at nationals, some of the same excitement and nerves exist, but there is a new feeling and it is the desire to make this experience worthwhile and memorable for the 12 athletes on our roster,’ she said. ‘In the last two years, I have been able to watch our athletes showcase their skills on one of the biggest stages of Canada Basketball and they do so in true BNB fashion. They never give up, finishing the possession, and doing the little things that count in the long run. My experience as a coach at nationals has been surreal. It is so special to be in that environment with our BNB athletes and coaches.’
Briggs will certainly continue to coach, joining the Chargers under head coach Allie Berry in ACAA competition while maintaining her relationship with BNB.
She was accepted as one of two coaches for the Canada Summer Games 2025 Women in Coaching Apprenticeship Program.
The goal of the program is to provide apprentice coaches with multi-sport games exposure to gain enhanced developmental opportunities.
Briggs joined Madeline Belding, the three-year head coach of the MWBA’s Port City Fog, in the program. Belding was selected as a mentor to Briggs.
It’s the small world program as Belding coached Briggs during the MWBA’s first season when she played for Port City before making the shift to Moncton.
‘I am excited and grateful for my apprenticeship opportunity where coaches from across the country come together and share knowledge and learn from one another,’ Briggs said. ‘Coaching has been extremely rewarding for me, I cannot wait to work with our under-17 girls at the Canada Summer Games in 2025.’
Briggs, hailing from the tiny village of Bath, maintains commitment to her roots when it comes to helping others.
There was a reason she was named the MWBA’s Community Player of the Year.
She was recognized for her commitment to others during a ceremony at last year’s Pro*Line Stadium Legacy Cup championship weekend in Halifax.
‘I have been fortunate to have many strong and respected volunteers show me the ropes my entire life,’ Briggs said. ‘Throughout my childhood, I saw and benefited from many athletes and coaches who volunteered their time in my community. Similarly, today, I get to learn alongside some role models of mine who volunteer in the Greater Moncton community. I have an immeasurable level of thanks to those individuals for the impact they had, and continue to have, on me.’
What drives someone, especially at a young age and relatively fresh off finishing a playing career to become immersed in community which includes her devotion to basketball?
‘When I volunteer, I am driven by the kids who show up with a desire to improve, my fellow volunteers, and my desire to remain involved within my community,’ she said. ‘I volunteer in a variety of ways, both at my school and other schools in my community. I coach Birchmount’s soccer and basketball teams. I coach with École Mathieu Martin’s varsity girls’ program.’
She’s certainly not in it for the accolades.
Not her style.
‘Volunteering is a symbiotic relationship, giving me the opportunity to teach and share my knowledge and passions and I grow from every volunteering experience I have had, she said. ‘The kids teach me new skills and challenge me to be my best. It is a give-take relationship, and I am very appreciative of the participants in each volunteering activity.’
Briggs is definitely one of the MWBA originals.
She has played all three seasons since the league opened its doors in 2022.
The experience playing with new players and enjoying what the league offers has been everything Briggs hoped it would be when she first started with the Fog and moved to Moncton.
‘Playing in the MWBA has been and continues to be special for me and for female athletes, no matter where they are in their playing careers,’ she said. ‘When the league started, I was near the tail-end of my collegiate playing career, and my focus was on competing with and against some of the best athletes in the Maritimes in preparation for my upcoming ACAA season.’
The thought of retirement after her Crandall career was not something she wanted to face.
‘I wasn’t ready to hang my shoes up just yet and since then, my perspective on the MWBA has changed,’ she said. ‘Now that I am no longer in university, I get to see the league as a space where very high-tier athletes get to share their love for the game with their friends, families, teammates, and competition. When I see some of the athletes I coach or my students in attendance at the games, I love it. When they are at a game, this creates the foundation for a new connection we have with one another. Additionally, maybe if they saw “Miss Briggs” or “coach” knock down a shot or two during the game, it makes for some entertaining Physical Education classes afterwards.’
Briggs has a list of thank you notes for coaches who have helped along the way.
BNB’s LeBlanc, Ryan Chase, recently retired provincial technical director Neil Smith, Pauline Lordon, Belding, Keira Dyck and Clay Wortman to name a few.
‘I am truly grateful for those who have helped,’ Briggs said. ‘Without them, these opportunities would not have been possible. I am very grateful.’
Emily Briggs (centre) received her MWBA Royale Community Person of the Year Award last spring in Halifax. She is joined by Community Relations Specialist Carly Johnston (left) of Royale (JDI) and Moncton Mystics’ owner Shannon Parlee. (MWBA Photo)