28 Nov 2012
Baryn Dumas / Intern
Alexis Hyder, a freshman on the women’s basketball team, has been playing basketball since the age of four.
Back in high school, Hyder was seen as a leader and star player, guiding the LBJ Jaguars to the state finals in her senior year. During her senior year, she averaged 35 points a game, with a high of 61 points during the season.
She even won the district MVP award twice in her career.
“I was a leader in high school,” she said.
During practice, Hyder has been adjusting to become more of a team player, rather than being a high scoring competitor like she was in high school. Being surrounded by other good players will allow her to not have to shoulder much of the burden like she did in high school.
She went on to say that for her freshman year, she was going to focus on “adapting to college basketball” and be a “positive help.” She also said it was not all about her this year.
Each of the women’s basketball players had a green bracelet on their wrist, which Hyder said she wears every day.
“This bracelet, our coaches gave us, stands for F.I.S.T.,” she said. “Focus, Intensity, Strength and Team. A single finger or open fist won’t do much damage, but a closed fist can do a lot. I want to be a part of those five fingers.”
Hyder has taken full advantage of her opportunities this year. With senior forward Jasmine Godbolt out due to an injury, Hyder has played in all six games this season, starting five of them.
She’s currently second on the team in total rebounds with 41 and is the second highest scoring player on the team with 11.2 points per game.
In preparation for any game, most athletes always talk about extra workouts and practice, but for Hyder, it is “really about going hard every practice, because it is most like a game.”
She’ll also partake in other practices, such as the occasional trip to the Pohl Recreation Center.
“Sometimes I go to the Rec at night, shoot a few hoops,” she says. “Practice doesn’t stop.”
Even though she isn’t asked to shoulder the bulk of the load for the Mean Green, Hyder is doing what she does best and performing on a nightly basis.
