SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — The Social Circle Lady Redskins have found themselves a young star in Jada Hyman, who is in the middle of a breakout sophomore year. 

It comes off the heels of an impressive freshman campaign, too. 

Hyman is playing a larger role for the Lady Redskins this year, though, now that many of the veterans from last year’s team have left. 

She credited her head coach — Dave LaBarrie — when discussing how the coaching staff has helped her both during the season but also in the offseason.

“[The coaches] have helped me a lot. [Coach LaBarrie] came to watch me play during AAU and he coached me over the summer,” Hyman said. 

LaBarrie has been impressed with Hyman’s play so far and sees the sophomore as a clear leader on the team.

“Most people who come in at the ninth grade level go to junior varsity, but we do not have that. She was at a disadvantage last year, but she did extremely well,” coach LaBarrie said. “Last year we had senior leadership. This year we do not [have that], so people tend to look towards her.”

One thing that stood out to LaBarrie when he first met Hyman was her dedication to the game in the offseason, since she plays Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball when the season is over.

Along with playing in the AAU, Hyman also runs track and was a member of the softball team this past season at Social Circle. 

She’s had great success in both arenas. 

Hyman finished last track season with a top finish at the Class A-Public State Championships in the 400-meter run while setting a school record finish at 57.96. She also finished second in the 200-meter run and fifth in the long jump. 

This past softball season, Hyman contributed her speed with a team-high 16 stolen bases in the Lady Redskins state runner-up finish in Columbus. 

Hyman mentioned how being a part of the track team, specifically, has its benefits when the basketball season begins.

“[Running track] helps with my IQ and speed, as well as my agility and endurance so I can keep pushing when I am tired,” Hyman said.

One of Hyman’s biggest strengths on the court is her shooting, which has played a big part in her team-leading 16.1 points per game. Her quickness places her atop her team with 18 total steals, which is a 2.0 steal per game average. 

Despite her solid shooting, both Hyman and LaBarrie know she can become even greater if she can improve on finishing at the rim.

“[If she gets better at driving] she can be a heck of a player because that is her weakness,” LaBarrie said. “It is not that she cannot do it, she just focused on shooting outside shots.”

The Lady Redskins (3-9) are not having their best season, but they are coming off a 57-33 win over Lithonia on Tuesday. 

Hyman knows what the team has to do to be successful throughout the season.

“We just need to stay positive,” Hyman said. “We do not need to get in our own heads too much and we do not go out feeling defeated before we play.” 

While Hyman competes at a high level across numerous sports for Social Circle, she is 100% focused on her basketball season right now. 

And, with two more seasons left in the Lady Redskins’ program, she has a couple of goals in mind that she plans to complete before her time at the school is over.

“I want to definitely score 1,000 points and have a winning season before I graduate,” Hyman said. “It would mean a lot because I went from being something small to being something bigger.”