LAKELAND, Fla. — Feb. 1 is National Girls and Women in Sports Day! It's a day created to inspire girls and women to realize their full power and potential in athletics.
Anyla Parker is a 6th grader at Excel Christian Academy in Lakeland. This 12-year-old basketball prodigy actually plays on the varsity squad, and while that's an amazing accomplishment in itself, it's her determination to change the world of sports that's truly inspiring. "My goal is to change people's mindset about girls' and women's basketball."
Anyla, also known as AP, knows she's good.
"I started playing when I could start walking." By the time she was 5, she was playing against kids several years older.
"And that's when everyone else started realizing that I'm not just a normal girl, I'm actually good." She's even gone viral on social media for her magic moves.
"She proved herself. She outworked everybody. No matter the gender, the background," Anyla's mom and coach, Nadine Serrano said. She says she has always seen that spark. "I knew I had someone that was going to be used in a big way."
Serrano remembers when Anyla was made to sit out of a game because the rules said girls couldn't play in that league.
"And I went over to her and I said how do you feel not being able to play because you're a girl? And she said I never want anyone to feel this again."
And that started Anyla's fight for equality. "Equality in sports. This is actually my line. This is my brand."
A big talent with an even bigger determination. "I want to play in the NBA, not the WNBA, the NBA."
Nadine says there's nothing holding her back. "What you believe is what you're going to do so I tell her, believe that you can do anything. Believe it more than anybody else because there's a lot of people out there that are going to tell you you can't. You're going to make them feel uncomfortable, so believe it and go out there and do it. Don't worry about what anybody says."
Anyla is already shaking things up, and not just in basketball, she's starting her own clothing line promoting equality in sports, reminding women and girls not to let their gender keep them from reaching their goals.