Lively shows leadership for NISH basketball

La’Nasia Lively may not be a senior this year, but she is a leader on the court for the New Iberia Senior High School girls’ basketball team.

“She’s a great leader and she is still growing in the leader role. It fits her well,” said NISH coach Shalicia Johnson.

Lively, who plays point guard for the Lady Jackets, said the comradery between her teammates is what makes the team so good and playing together so enjoyable.

“The connection we have, playing together, it’s fun,” Lively said. “The most fun I ever had was beating Highland. It was a close game but I just wanted to beat them because they think they’re top tier and I don’t like that.

“I make people laugh, I bring everybody together.”

Johnson said Lively is more than just laughs, however.

“She’s the leader,” the coach said. “We’re trying to get her to step more into the leader role, and speak up more and get everybody under her wing.

“When she speaks, the team listens. She’s the more serious one on the team and that’s needed because we have a lot of young players on the team.”

In addition to her leadership qualities, Johnson said Lively is also a key player on the team.

“She’s the go-to person if we need someone to get a stop on defense,” Johnson said. “She’s always in the middle of the plays. If any kind of action is going on, she’s in the middle of all of it. She brings the fire and the spunk to the game.

Johnson said leadership doesn’t always have to come from the older player on the team, and that Lively is a great leader even as a sophomore.

“Leadership doesn’t have an age or a grade on it, it’s somebody who steps up and doesn’t mind taking the team under their wing and showing them the ropes of how basketball works at NISH,” the coach said. “She’s only a sophomore, so she has a lot of growing that she can do. The future is going to be extremely bright for her, we just need her to get more playing time on the varsity level and learn the game more. She’ll lead the team to some big things.”

The NISH girls’ basketball team is 9-5, with big wins over Higland Baptist, St. Martinville, and Westgate. The Yellow Jackets will be back in action after the holiday break against Central Catholic on January 4. Tip off is at 6 p.m.