The first lady of NYC sports: Kennedy excels despite learning disability

Jacquie Kennedy might be the best all-around female athlete in New York City.

She’s Poly Prep’s star outside hitter in volleyball. She’s the school’s starting softball catcher and a middle-of-the-order hitter. And she’s also a starting forward on the Blue Devils girls basketball team in addition to playing travel ball with the NYC Lady Warriors.

Kennedy also grew up playing soccer and swimming. The 5-foot-10 junior seems to excel at every athletic endeavor she tries.

But her biggest Achilles heel is actually school. Kennedy has a learning disability and though she remains at the very least a ‘B’ student, none of it comes easy for her. Unlike sports.

Denis Gostev

Poly Prep's Jacquie Kennedy started playing volleyball at Poly as a freshman.

Philip Hall

Kennedy moved to catcher this year for the softball team and was a key piece in a sixth straight NYSAISAA title run.

Denis Gostev

Kennedy calls basketball her primary sport.

“With sports, if I try to do what I need to do, I’ll get better,” Kennedy said. “But with school it’s frustrating. It’s not just, if I do this, then I’m going to get that.”

Kennedy gets as much time as she needs on tests and teachers are supposed to give her the class notes, which isn’t an issue because most post them online for everyone. Poly Prep is extremely demanding academically, but also accommodating for her and her needs. Kennedy said last year was somewhat of a struggle, because she was stubborn and didn’t want help and her grades suffered somewhat.

“It’s really annoying,” Kennedy said of her learning disability. “When it comes to reading, it takes me twice as long as anybody else. Every year I go through my ‘I hate school’ mental breakdown whether it’s for midterms or finals.”

As hard as she works at sport – and Kennedy gets no breaks – she has to work twice as hard at school. Kennedy spends every free period in the library working. She brings school books on the bus to away games. Instead of going out to a party on a Friday night, she’ll be doing school work.

“She’s one of those kids that has to work real hard and she does,” said Poly Prep athletic director and softball coach Mildred Piscopo, who is also Kennedy academic advisor. “That on top of playing three seasons, never really having a break, takes a lot of commitment and dedication.”

Those are two things Kennedy is certainly not lacking.

She views basketball as her primary sport. She doesn’t play club volleyball or travel softball, but plays AAU basketball with the Warriors, one of the top programs in the city, alongside players from elite teams like Christ the King and Bishop Ford. In two years, she hopes to play college basketball regardless of level.

“I’m just in love with the sport and that’s what I want to do,” Kennedy said.

Piscopo, though, has told her that she should keep her options open. Kennedy has become one of the top girls volleyball outside hitters in New York City with the power to put balls down that many lack and the athleticism to play defense and pass well. Fieldston coach Collin Henry approached her last month to ask her to play for his AllStarr club program in the winter and spring, but she turned down the offer because of basketball and softball.