Jaylyn Sherrod Pours Back Into Birmingham With Third Annual Youth Camp
Two weeks after playing in support of MDF Nation Foundation in her second Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball campaign, Jaylyn Sherrod partnered with the foundation in a different way to put on her third annual Will Over Skill youth basketball camp in her hometown of Birmingham, Ala.
The 2024 WNBA champion hosted 130 young players ages 11 to 17, offering drills, skills stations, competitive games, and IQ sessions to help deepen their knowledge of the game. In addition to the coaching they received, attendees were selected for camp awards, enjoyed a meal, and received backpacks and basketballs at the conclusion of the camp.
Sherrod worked with MDF Nation founder and former NFL defensive lineman Otis Leverette, who has played a large role in her basketball career since she was 13 years old, to launch the camp for the third straight year.
The chance to take the positive lessons and influences of her early career and pay them forward to the next generation of Birmingham basketball players is something especially important to the second-year pro.
“Birmingham is the city that raised me, and I know when I was growing up, there weren’t many opportunities like this for the youth,” Sherrod said. “We just give these kids something that they can, one, look forward to every year, but also know that there are people that look like them, that went to the same schools as them, that were raised in this same community as them, that have achieved goals that they might have for themselves as kids.”
Sherrod was also joined by former Pac-12 opponent Te-Hina Paopao, who played her rookie season with the Atlanta Dream and competed alongside Sherrod in AU Pro Basketball Season 5.
“Having [Te-Hina] out there meant a lot. She left Atlanta and drove to be a part of it, so to have her come out and be a part of it was really special.”
By hosting her annual camp, Sherrod hopes to inspire each young attendee to chase their dreams while also understanding the value of investing in their community.
“It’s just to show them it is possible,” Sherrod said. “But it’s also important to not forget where you come from and to pour back into your community that poured into you.”
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
