Many young athletes have aspire to compete at the collegiate level, but a small number of them actually make that dream possible. Senior Layla Barnes is committed to play collegiate basketball at Johnson County Community College, proving that hard work can lead to great success.
Barnes began playing basketball in April of her freshman year when former BV Lady Tigers basketball coach Bruce Erickson pulled her out of class to talk to her about summer travel basketball camps.
“I was a freshman still, so I didn’t think I would really go. If I did, [I thought I’d] just be ‘there.’ We started talking about it, and he wasn’t even looking at me because he was so short, and I [was] just staring at him like, ‘Me? You picked me?’ That was probably why I started [playing], because he saw something in me.”
When Barnes first joined the high school team, she couldn’t even imagine herself playing basketball at the next level.
“As a freshman, I was blinded because I didn’t know what it meant to be a good player. But like my dad says, ‘You can’t fall off the floor,’ I probably couldn’t find a way. I was really that bad, and once I realized how good I had to be to make it where I wanted to go, I did not think for a second [that] I could do it. Not even close. I didn’t think I could make JV, let alone where I’m at.”
Throughout her high school career, Barnes put in many hours in the gym to improve her game. She has had many helpful coaches that have helped her grow tremendously.
“[My trainer], Luther Glover, would work with me all the time. He gave me a nickname and everything. Erickson [helped] in the way he would open the gym. He really wasn’t supposed to, but he would open it [for me]. Debaun saw something [in me] as well. She kept working with me even though I wasn’t very good at all. Those 3 never gave up on me, and they helped me a lot through everything.”
Out of everyone who has helped Barnes, the person she appreciates the most is her father.
“My dad’s always been there. He just kind of said, ‘if you want to work, we’ll work.’ Once he realized I was serious, he said, ‘Let’s do it, let’s be full throttle, let’s go.’”
Barnes is grateful for her dad’s help with basketball, but she also has a very strong bond with him off the court.
“God gave me my height. I worked hard for my athleticism, and ultimately, God helped me through. But my dad [is] not my biological father, so God gave me that, and I have to thank [him] for that. [My dad helped] me and he stuck with me. He could have left anytime because he’s not my biological dad, but he didn’t. He stuck with me. Truly, I went through a dark time in my life, and without him, I would not be here.”
In the past few years, Barnes’s hard work has led her to a successful high school basketball career with many highlights along the way.
“[My favorite game] was on my birthday. Junior year, I got a double double [and] my career high points and rebounds — 17 points and 14 boards. I also got like five blocks. My proudest moment from that game was [when] I got three fouls in 5 seconds. I fouled out with 2 minutes left on the clock, but we were destroying so it was no big deal. As the refs escorted me off, the parents all clapped for me. I looked at my coach, and he was smirking at me. [I said] ‘I deserve a trophy for that,’ and then I walked to the end of the bench.”
Barnes has many lessons from playing basketball, and they continue to help her on and off the court.
“Basketball taught me patience, work ethic, [and] being a leader, [as well as] patience with trusting the grind, [and to] trust the process. It’s taught me [about] making a routine, [and] it’s taught me about myself as a person [too]. [For example,] I get frustrated easily, but [I learned] how to keep my rhythm, and I apply that to so many other things. It kind of saved me in a way. Without basketball, I would not be where I’m at [today].”
After high school, Barnes plans to get her MBA and continue to play the game that she loves at Johnson County Community College. However, she sees JCCC as just the next step in her journey to an even higher level.
“I see JUCO more as a stepping stone. I do not see it as college, per se. It is a big deal, [but] I just see it as the next step [towards] my ultimate goal, which is going to DI. I had a ton of DII, DIII, NAIA, and other JUCO offers, [but] a lot of people don’t know that. I didn’t want to settle for DII.”
Barnes has a mantra that has kept her motivated throughout the years, and she strives to live by it every day.
“My main slogan is ‘pain is progress.’ When it’s ‘do or die time’, you can either ‘die’ or you can go ‘do.’ So you can quit, or take the pain and get better.”
Barnes’s advice to younger athletes is to keep a good routine and to keep going when times are tough. She believes that if you stick to a routine, you will find success as long as you keep working hard.
“Trust the grind. Don’t give up. If you find the one sport [you love], no matter how unathletic you are, you’ve got to just keep working. You can do whatever you want. Keep growing, stay with it, and keep a good work ethic because that’ll carry you past college [and] through your job.”
