Jaime Nared is 6'1" and wears a size 11 shoe. She's also 12-years old.
Jaime is from Portland, OR, where she grew up engrossed in the sport of basketball. She watches the WNBA and the NBA, memorizing plays, practicing them with her father Greg.
The problem is that she is way too good to compete with girls her age. The last time she played an organized game with 12 year-old girls, the final score was 90-7. So Jaime did the next best thing: play some ball with the boys.
She joined a boys team called Team Concept. The management at the private gym where the team played, called The Hoop, and Head Coach Michael Abraham informed Jaime's parents that she was not allowed to play on the team. There was a rule that prohibited mixed-gender play.
After she was banned, Jaime's mother Reiko Williams was understandably upset. She called a local news station, and Jaime's story was covered on Good Morning America and CNN. Jaime received support from people across the country, from her former guy teammates to a 55-year-old woman who had never even met her.
Jaime and her best friend Kailee Johnson (6'2", age 14) now both play for Abraham, but with the best high-school girls around. She's already getting offers to Oregon State.
There isn't much to do for Jaime but play with girls in high school. If she plays with girls or boys her age, it's like watching A-Rod vs. the White House tee-ball participants. She may not be mentally tough enough to play consistently with girls five years older than her, but she sure beats them physically. She's a pure athlete with a real aptitude for the game.
Maybe she'll be the next Candace Parker...or LeBron...or Jordan.
Credit to NYTimes for original info.
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