Coach Natasha Perkins, Barret’s Chapel

Barret’s Chapel’s basketball coaches, John and Natasha Perkins, hosted their 2nd Middle School Play Day. This dynamic husband-wife coaching duo is super dedicated to the sport of basketball and to the players that they coach. At Barret’s Chapel, they are sharing the sideline in a different format with John coaching the boys team and Natasha coaching the girls. I’ve known these two for quite some time. I am so, so super grateful for the support and faith they had in me during my early days of running camps and hosting training sessions.

Barret’s Chapel Play Day was a great event of boys and girls teams from near and far. The following girls teams participated: Barret’s Chapel, Brighton, Lakeland, Collierville, and Kate Bond.

Here are just a few of the players that caught my attention from the event:

Elyse Warren, 2022 Barret’s Chapel Guard

The most athletic player in the building and also with the most toned frame was 2022 guard Elyse Warren (Barret’s Chapel). She is really coming into her own as a player. During the off season, she gained experience playing in major exposure tournaments and playing up with high schoolers. You will find her actively all over the court hustling, getting rebounds, steals and getting to the basket.

Mallory Collier, 2023 Barret’s Chapel Post

Elyse’s teammate 2023 forward, Mallory Collier, is also growing as a player. She has only been playing basketball for a short period of time. Standing over 6’0, she was quite the gentle giant. Mallory put in a lot of work over the summer attending numerous basketball camps. Now, she is vocal on the court directing players to their position and asking for the ball.

Carlia Northcross, 2022 Kate Bond Forward

The second most athletic player in the building was Kate Bond’s 2022 forward Carlia Northcross. She towered over all the other players on the court. She looked at least 6’2-6’3 but could be slightly shorter. I was super disappointed that I did not get a picture of her shot blocking ability. With her length,  it really is a sight to see. Plus, she can get out in open court and handle the ball.

Cour’Tayza Flowers, 2022 Brighton Guard

Brighton has an inside-out duo. Eighth grader, Cour’Tayza Flowers, is a nice size guard with handles. Although she struggled with her outside shot, her shooting technique looks good. With growth, she will be consistently knocking down her shots. Mari Leonard is a 7th grade post player. She is aggressive, gets steals and rebounds the ball.

Mari Leonard, 2023 Brighton Post

I was shocked to learn that Collierville’s PG Andrea Carter was only a 6th grader. She can flat out shoot the ball.