You get the sense that Gardendale sophomore Layla Berry is one of those student-athletes who is going to do something exceptional with her life. The three-sport athlete somehow achieves the unique trifecta of balancing faith, sports, and academics. For instance, she is involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), she stars in cross country, basketball, and softball for the Rockets’ sports teams, and she carries a 4.2 overall GPA in the classroom.
The daughter of two educators and coaches, Layla plays point guard and shooting guard for her mom, Holly Berry, who serves as the head girls’ basketball coach at GHS. Holly’s counterpart and husband, Chris, serves as the boys’ head basketball coach.
Layla says this is not the first time her mom has coached her—Holly also coached her daughter in middle school— but jokes that it’s definitely gotten “harder” this second go-around. “I think I’ve gotten used to it by now,” Layla laughs.
Last season, the 5-foot-9 guard averaged 20.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while being named Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) Honorable Mention All-State for the 6A classification and third team All-Region by The Birmingham News. She was named first team All-Area.
Though Holly challenges her daughter on the basketball court to be the best she can be, the pride she has for her is apparent. “Layla is a true competitor in every sense of the word. The work she puts in behind the scenes is brought to light every time she steps on the court. She loves her teammates and plays the game for them as much as for herself,” she says.
In addition to starring on the hardwood, Layla plays third base in softball for head coach Kyndall White and runs on the cross-country team for head coach Miller Wood. In 2023, Layla was a Top 15 finisher at cross-country sectionals and a Top 40 finisher at in Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) state competition.
Layla says she wants to play basketball in college but is unsure at this point what school she is leaning toward (she admires both Caitlin Clark and the UConn women’s program). Her favorite subject at GHS is science, but she plans on following in her parents’ footsteps by becoming a teacher and coach after she graduates in 2027.
Overall, she remains humble by recognizing who has given her talent and athletic ability in the first place. “My faith is very important to me because I believe that God gave me my basketball ability to be able to further glorify Him,” she says.
Look for Layla to excel and to help others to shine when the Rockets open the season on November 7 against Altamont. TG
A special thanks to our sponsor, Launius Furniture in Kimberly, Alabama. Photos by Al Blanton. Please follow Talegate on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok.
