At 6:30 a.m., Greenough Street is practically empty. Very few teachers have arrived at school to prepare for their classes, and no students are to be found. However, a light is on at the Tappan Gymnasium where junior and girls varsity basketball player Jada Kimbro is practicing her jump shot and free throws before school starts.
Kimbro started playing basketball and soccer when she was just seven years old and running track when she was six after her mother signed her up for the sports to keep her busy. While basketball initially was just another activity she had to attend, Kimbro developed a passion for the sport over her years of playing.
“My favorite thing about basketball is being able to learn new things,” Kimbro said. “It’s kind of my comfort zone because if I have problems with school or friends or anything else, it just makes me forget about it.”
This year 一 her second season on varsity basketball 一 Kimbro has averaged eight points a game and has been consistently scoring double digits, a feat that not many achieve. She was also named tournament MVP during the Legends Classic Holiday Tournament, where she led the team and scored 23 points over two games. Girls varsity basketball head coach Kendell Jones, who has been coaching Kimbro for three years, said Kimbro’s success is due to her hard work and drive.
“She’s dedicated, she wants to get better. She’ll show up in the morning at 6:30, she’ll stay after practice on the weekends, and she wants to put in the work. She puts in the work, and she’s seeing good results,” Jones said.
Kimbro said she has been feeling much more confident this season.
“I feel like this year I’ve stepped it up a little bit and finally found my place on the team,” Kimbro said.
Junior and co-captain Nefeli Aga-Kitch, who has played basketball with Kimbro since middle school, said Kimbro’s inviting nature and humor make her beneficial to the team.
“She has a lot of energy and is always ready to get after it in practice and I think that’s really inspirational. Her energy really flows through the team and she definitely motivates us,” Aga-Kitch said.
While Kimbro’s enthusiasm is beneficial to the team off the court, Jones said it is also a valuable trait when she’s on the court.
“When games are tense she’ll make people laugh 一 she’s hilarious, she’s very funny, she’s just a good spirit and it helps the team out,” Jones said. “She has the ability to draw people in and they all want to be around her which makes her a leader.”
Along with playing varsity basketball, Kimbro also plays varsity soccer in the fall and ran track last spring, making her a three-sport varsity athlete. Although finding balance can be difficult, Kimbro said she has gained experience navigating all three sports throughout her high school career.
“I feel balancing them can be tricky because during basketball, I’ll kick the basketball like a soccer ball sometimes, but I feel like it’s not too hard because when I played basketball, I also played soccer at the [same] time so it’s something that I’ve gotten used to,” Kimbro said.
Jones said that one of Kimbro’s most valuable assets on the court is her speed.
“She’s very, very fast,” Jones said. “She’s able to get out and get some steals in transition and hit open layups. I don’t know if it’s a combination of her running track mixing with soccer, but she’s learning how to use her speed on the basketball court.”
Along with her goal of performing well this season, Kimbro hopes to continue her basketball career after high school.
“My goal is just to keep practicing and working hard. I don’t care if I go D1, D2, D3, anything, I just want to keep playing,” Kimbro said. “I just want to keep improving and winning so I can become a better player for my team and for myself.”
