JaDarius Duncan's Blog

By JaDarius Duncan

FORT KNOX, Ky. — The sound of sneakers on hardwood has been a constant in Jahnae Duncan’s life for nearly as long as she has been able to walk.

At 2 years old, Duncan was already in the gym watching practices while her father coached. By the time she began playing organized basketball, she was competing against older children and quickly standing out.

“She picked up advanced skills early,” said her father, Johnnie Duncan. “Her first year playing, she was 2 years old playing up with 3 and 4 year-olds, and she ended up being the best player out there.”

Now a senior guard at Central Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina, Duncan’s journey reflects both early promise and personal growth. In a sport that remains one of the most widely participated girls high school sports in the country, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, competition and expectations often begin early. Duncan’s experience mirrors that national trend while highlighting the resilience required to sustain it.

Although basketball surrounded her from childhood, Duncan said the sport did not feel fully her own until the summer before her sophomore year, when she suffered her first knee injury.

“I realized I actually wanted to be around it,” Duncan said. “I wanted to help my teammates win. That was probably the summer I put in the most work.”

Playing against older athletes shaped her mentality early. Rather than shrinking in those matchups, she used them as motivation.

“Playing against older kids made me want to play even harder,” Duncan said. “I didn’t want anybody to look down on me. I wanted to be seen the same as them.”

That early exposure accelerated her adjustment to the pace of the game, but confidence developed more gradually. Early attention did not immediately translate into self-assurance.

“I’d like to say it helped my confidence, but it didn’t,” Duncan said. “It really took a toll on me. There were a lot of adults in my life trying to pressure me to do stuff I probably wasn’t ready to do.”

Johnnie Duncan said he observed that internal struggle even as others saw talent.

“As talented as she is, she’s never really felt that she was talented,” he said.

The pressure nearly led Duncan to step away from the sport during eighth grade. She said she considered not trying out that year before deciding to return. In her first game back, she felt a renewed connection.

“It was like the game just came natural,” she said.

Now entering the final stretch of her high school career, Duncan has grown into a more vocal presence on the court.

“I’ve definitely gotten better with speaking to my teammates and doing the little things,” she said.

Off the court, she maintains a 4.0 GPA while balancing athletic and academic demands. Research from the NCAA indicates that participation in organized athletics can correlate with improved academic discipline and time management among high school students.

Johnnie Duncan said her character stands out as much as her performance.

“She mainly just has a good heart,” he said.

Duncan’s path has included early competition, public attention, self-doubt and recovery. As graduation approaches, basketball is no longer simply a sport she grew up around. It is one she has chosen to pursue on her own terms.