Law Magnet program (Amanda Scurlock/L.A. Sentinel)
Dorsey senior Jaidin LaCount has been playing on the varsity girls basketball team for four years. She helped the team put on a contending campaign this past season with a 16-7 overall record. The Dons also won the Coliseum League title with an 8-0 League record. After averaging 9.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game this season, LaCount was named on the 2019 All-City Division II team.
“This team is much closer than the previous year,” LaCount said. “We win games more simply because we have a better connection with each other.”
LaCount noted how playing in the Coliseum League allowed her to get experience competing against different players and playing styles. A key lesson she learned during her basketball career is to trust her instincts.
“Don’t think too much, just play your game,” she said. “I tend to over think a lot during the games and that messes me up many times.”
During the Dons’ City Section Semifinals match against Roosevelt High School, LaCount scored 19 points and three rebounds. She was named the Semper Fidelis Player of the Game for her performance.
In January, LaCount made a season high of nine steals during a 71-34 victory against Locke High School. Out of the 20 games she played in, LaCount scored in the double digits for nine of them.
Dorsey battled against tough programs, including St Mary’s Academy and Granada Hills Charter, early in the 2018-2019 season. Wins against Antelope Valley, Locke, and Venice would help Dorsey ultimately earn the no. three seed in the CIF City Section division II playoffs and reach the championship match.
LaCount is a student of Dorsey’s Law Magnet, her favorite class is Constitutional Law and she has a 3.2 GPA. The teacher in her Constitutional Law class teaches about budgeting and saving.
“I’ve been to law schools, I’ve been on field trips that I just got different connections with many different people and different programs,” LaCount said about the Law Magnet. “They have many different programs for scholarships.”
Time management plays a major factor in LaCount balancing her obligations to her team and to her studies. The difficulties that come with juggling the two are worth it for LaCount. Teachers work to help her succeed in the classroom.
“The teachers that I have, they’ll stay with you at lunch, after class, afterschool just to make sure that you’re understanding the subject,” LaCount said. “If you’re doing bad in their class, they’re gonna let you know and give you the assignments that you’re missing.”
Along with aspiring to have a promising basketball career, LaCount wants to be a sports doctor. She is looking to enroll in an athletic training program.
“I love sports and I feel like learning about all ligaments and muscles, I find that very interesting,” LaCount said. “I know that that field has many benefits as far as insurance. I just want to be set for life and not have to worry about debt.”
Student Athletes with high GPAs and experience with student organizations or volunteer work make great candidates for student athlete of the week. Email [email protected] to nominate a student athlete. Cheerleaders and dance team members also qualify.
