Sharp shooter

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Lisa Hoffman isn’t one to shy away from competition.

A three-time MVP and The Out-of-Door Academy senior forward, Hoffman has become one of the area’s most prolific scorers, having led ODA to the regional tournament twice in the past three years.

Although, there was a time when Hoffman, the team’s senior captain, faced a competitive test she wasn’t expecting — one that ultimately shaped her into the player she is today.

Three years ago, the then freshman, decided to try out for Next Level Hoops, a competitive travel team out of Lakewood Ranch.

Walking into the gymnasium, Hoffman looked around in awe as the area’s top talent hit the court. Coming from a small school, Hoffman had never seen them in action before; it didn’t take long for her to realize the pace and level of expectation was unlike anything she had previously experienced.

“I was terrified,” Hoffman says.

It wasn’t until Hoffman was one of only a handful of freshman to break onto the 11th-grade team’s starting roster that she realized she could compete with anyone.

“Travel taught me individual growth,” Hoffman says. “You play at a much faster pace, and it’s made me a better player and person overall.”

Now in her senior season, Hoffman is once again using her competitive edge to help lift the Lady Thunder. After falling to Bishop Verot 39-28 in the season opener Nov. 13, Hoffman has led ODA to three straight victories.

Most recently, Hoffman scored a career-high 33 points in a 45-31 victory over Gateway Charter Nov. 24. It was the second time this season that Hoffman has scored more points than the entire opposing team combined.

“I want to say I’m surprised, but the level of play is so low,” Hoffman says. “I always try to get the younger girls involved because when I leave here, I don’t want to be called a selfish player. I want to give them that experience.”

Hoffman, who is averaging 21.3 points in the last three games, credits her success on the court with the work she puts in outside of practice. Hoffman will spend anywhere between two and three-and-a-half hours every weekend in the gym working on shooting drills and mechanics.

Like a lot of children, Hoffman started out playing youth soccer. But she soon realized soccer wasn’t for her.

“I was awful at soccer,” Hoffman says with a laugh.

Hoffman began playing basketball when she was 9 years old after her parents bought her a basketball hoop for Christmas. She began playing with the kids in her neighborhood — all of who were older and taller than she was.

It was during those pickup games that Hoffman learned the value of hard work and determination and how to thrive off competition.

“If you want to get better, you have to play against better people,” Hoffman says. “When I was young, I joined a (recreational) league and destroyed everyone because I had been playing with kids who were older than me. That’s when I realized I was pretty good.”

Hoffman joined the ODA girls basketball team in seventh-grade, helping lead the Lady Thunder to district runner-up finishes in the 2010-11 and 2013-14 seasons.

This season, Hoffman has once again taken on a leadership role in the hopes of developing the team, which is comprised mainly of freshman who are almost all relatively new to the game.

“There are so many different levels of talent that it makes it hard to combine practice,” Hoffman says.

Hoffman, who plans to study pre-medicine next year, knows that the day will come when she has to give up the game she loves. For now, though, she’s focused on leaving her mark on a young ODA team the best way she knows how — by teaching them the importance of leadership, communication and individual growth.

BY THE NUMBERS
21.3 - The number of points Hoffman is averaging over the past three games.

33 - The most points Hoffman has scored in a single game.

5 - The number of years Hoffman has been a starter on ODA’s varsity squad.

9 - The number of years Hoffman has been playing basketball.

1 - Next Level Hoops’ USAAA Florida ranking when Hoffman joined the team as a freshman.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].