By Amanda Scurlock for The LA Sentinel
Originally published July 29, 2026
Jaden McDonald was a dual-sport athlete for the Centennial Apaches, playing basketball and football. His father introduced him to the sport at a young age and he took it more seriously during his eighth grade year.
He spent his ninth grade year on the JV team before moving to varsity. McDonald noted how that was a big transition.
“The game was a lot faster, of course the players were stronger, taller, faster, but the game was faster,” McDonald said. “Translating how I played on JV to varsity; once I got that and everything I had to do, it started falling in line.”
Being a senior, he learned how to better speak with his teammates.
“I need to communicate differently according to different personalities,” McDonald said. “I even asked my coach how he dealt with it.”
McDonald was a point guard for the boys basketball team and a safety, corner and wide receiver for the football team. Playing in Pop Warner taught him the importance of being vocal.
A proud moment for McDonald was when he won a championship with his Pop Warner team during the eighth grade.
Football gave McDonald a next-play mentality that helped him during basketball season. The physicality of football helped him with basketball as well. Transitioning out of football season into basketball takes time.
“Football, it’s a sport that came natural to me because I’ve been playing it my whole life,” he said. “Basketball, I was more of a late bloomer. I got to work out for basketball.”
To balance being a student and an athlete, McDonald uses time management to complete tasks.
“I know when I need to get my work done and the time to get my work done,” McDonald said.
The obligations he has to sports and his studies will be helpful in different facets of life, according to McDonald.
“That’s why I love doing it,” he said. “If I can be a successful student athlete, I know I can be successful in life.”
McDonald aspires to become a professional athlete in either football or basketball. He also wants to work in real estate.