photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman Jayla Colter drives with the ball in a 63-53 loss to Olathe West on Wednesday in the first substate round.

Jayla Colter had some nerves about playing varsity basketball her freshman year. As a point guard on a team with four seniors, Colter had to step in and play above her years of experience.

Luckily, a coach on that staff was familiar with Colter. Not only has he coached her since kindergarten, but he is also her dad.

Jeff and Jayla Colter recently finished their first year together on the Lawrence girls basketball team. The season featured a lot of tough love and trials by fire. It taught Jayla a lot, but more than anything, it made her tougher.

“Her toughness has gotten better by just playing in the Sunflower League and playing against girls who’ve been playing varsity for a few more years than her,” Jeff, an assistant coach, said. “I’m very proud of how she played. To be a freshman and step into 6A basketball Sunflower League is tough. But overall, I’m very proud of what I’ve seen, and we’re ready to get to work for next year.”

This season was a completely different experience for Jayla than any other. It was daunting to compete against girls at the 6A level and be charged with leading the offense on the court.

“It was scary, but I knew I had people to look up to and talk to for advice,” Jayla said. “I got mentally tougher. At first, it was a little shaky. But going into more and more games, I got more into it.”

Jayla has played basketball all her life. Two of her siblings play, and the sport is popular in her family. Jeff has been involved in her basketball career since the start, and his favorite part is watching it all up close.

“It’s great because I get a front-row seat every game to watch her,” Jeff said. “To see her work ethic in practice and see how she’s learning and growing in the game. It’s been fun to be a part of.”

In practice, coach Colter is just “Dad” to Jayla. He can give Jayla a little more “tough love” at times when she needs it as her father. He knows her and her basketball skills as well as she does. He can tell her exactly what she needs to fix.

That has been a big help as Jayla has learned how to become a regular starter. Aside from the time she missed in the middle of the season due to an ankle injury, Jayla was among the Lions’ regular starters. It helped that Jayla has spent a lot of time on the court with some of her fellow Lions before the season.

Confidence has been a crucial factor for Jayla. It’s one of the things that Jeff has seen the biggest improvement in over the course of the year. The belief in herself has helped make her one of the team’s most reliable players on both ends of the court. She can guard another team’s best guard and hold up well.

Jayla benefited from a strong senior class that helped her gain confidence. Three of the four seniors were guards who played a role close to her. From the start of the season through the team’s final game in the substate round, those seniors helped Jayla fit in and grow.

“I had my teammates to fall back on,” Jayla said. “I’ve known some of the girls for a long time, and they welcomed me with open arms. We built a quick bond with each other.”

Aside from her teammates, Jayla always had Jeff to fall back on. Jayla says Jeff is a “funnier coach” who can keep things light. In times when games are close and stressful, Jeff likes to bring positive energy to the bench. When Lawrence trailed Olathe West late in the Wednesday substate game, Jeff was joking with some players and keeping things positive. Jayla said he’s a coach with whom players can have a laugh and can also get constructive criticism.

The Lions will look different next year, with four important pillars of the team leaving in May. As one of the returners with the most starting experience, Jayla will be someone the team will have to rely on both on and off the court. Even though the Lions ended their season with a loss, the team showed a lot of positives to grow from, and both Colters are excited to see where the team can go next year as Jayla becomes an experienced leader for the team.

“I’m ready to keep building as a player and build chemistry with the players coming in and give them the same role model that I had,” Jayla said.