Ambrielle Clark of Jeanerette, right, drives against New Iberia during girls’ summer league basketball Thursday at NISH. Clark will take over as Jeanerette’s point guard next season. - Lee Ball / The Daily Iberian

Sometime during the last couple of weeks of the 2010-11 basketball season, Jeanerette Senior High guard Ambrielle Clark had a revelation.

Not on how to play basketball — she already knew how to do that — but on the fact that the seniors on the basketball team would be leaving very shortly, and it appeared that a leadership void was inevitable.

So Clark, a sophomore, decided to step up her game, during both practices and contests, and make sure that there was going to be leadership for the upcoming 2011-12 season.

“I feel that I have to show my team that no matter what goes on, no matter what the score is, we have to keep pushing,” said Clark. 

“Eventually, we’re going to get there.”

Understanding what was coming was one of the reasons that Clark decided to take on more of a leadership role. She has shown that leadership during the Lady Tigers’ summer basketball work.

“If no one else was going to step to the plate, I needed to,” said Clark. “I didn’t want to see the team fall apart.”

That was just what first-year coach Keia Vanderburg needed as she begins her stint coaching girls basketball at Jeanerette, replacing former girls coach Darrell Caesar, who is taking over the boys’ team.

“She just came out for summer league ready to work,” said Vanderburg. “Since this is my first year, she’s actually stepped up and helped me out.”

Vanderburg added that Clark makes sure that the rest of the players get together, makes sure that everyone knows all the plays, including the ones the coach is not familiar with, and makes sure that she steps up her own game and is not just a vocal leader but also one who leads by her actions also.

The first-year coach noted that Clark is also playing AAU basketball this summer, which has helped in the transition from becoming a quiet player to a team leader.

“It shows because she is learning the fundamentals on the court that she was lacking last year,” said Vanderburg. “Her game has improved a whole lot since last year.”

Clark moves into the point guard position for the Lady Tigers this summer in anticipation of the start of the 2011-12 basketball season. She admits it’s not her favorite position, but she understands that she needs to take over and run the offense for the good of the team next year.

“I really don’t like point guard but I’m going to do it because if I don’t nobody else will,” said Clark. “I didn’t really play it last year but I’m going to do it because I love basketball and my teammates.

“I love basketball and it’s my passion. If I’m going to take this to college and into the pros then I need to show that I really care about this.”