Dallas Hoops Standout Tanayah Harrell Coached by Grandmother, Excelling on Court

LEWISVILLE, Texas — Tanayah Harrell boasts lofty aspirations of someday evolving into a basketball star, much like Brittney Griner of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.

If her dreams ultimately come to fruition, she'll have one special person to thank.

Her beloved grandmother.

Unlike many of her peers, Harrell's athletic accomplishments flourished immensely in recent years in large part because her grandmother, Aretha Young, has assumed the unlikely coaching role.

Young has worked intensely with her granddaughter for the past eight years, most notably on the basketball court, where the 14-year-old Harrell is making a strong case to solidify a roster spot on Lewisville High's varsity team this fall.

Even as an incoming freshman, the 5'6" Harrell has made it known that her primary objective is simple.

In fact, this speedy combo guard is aiming to have an immediate impact and compete for significant minutes for a Lewisville team that finished just one game above .500 last year (13-12).

"I like basketball the most and would love to play in college," Harrell said during a recent interview. "I was privileged to play all positions, especially the post. But I really like to play the point guard position."

Even for a player who is years away from making the leap to the collegiate ranks, many believe the sky's the limit for Harrell not only because has she become the catalyst for virtually every team on which she's played, but because she has proved to be a student of the game, a pupil who steadfastly has been taught by a coach with whom she has had a close-knit bond with ever since she was an infant.

Young is a former basketball standout who played the game for more than four decades. Consequently, she eventually transitioned to coaching, a craft that has lasted for more than 25 years.

Young's coaching interest began years ago when she started coaching her youngest daughter, Robin, who was member of a local kickball team. It wasn't long thereafter that she switched to coaching basketball, particularly at an area YMCA facility where she coached individuals from ages three to 75.

In addition, Young, with the aid of her brother, Ron, organized a local AAU team called "Lady Navigators" as well as coached a three-on-three senior hoops team that captured the national championship.

Nowadays, Young routinely coaches her granddaughter, working on an assortment of mechanics and fundamentals, from dribbling to passing to free-throw shooting and mid-range jumpers—everything a combo guards needs to become efficient on the court.

"After moving to Texas, I wanted to continue coaching," Young said. "And what better way to do it than to start training my own."

After joining a recreational center league in Irving, Texas, Young eventually formed a team that was comprised of her granddaughter—a then-seven-year-old Harrell—and several other young athletes.

Given the camaraderie she's built with Harrell and Co., it's safe to assume she has gained an even greater admiration for the game, let alone a deeper relationship with her granddaughter.

On and off the court.

"I've been working with her about once a week," Young said. "But I do call daily to give her tasks to do to improve her game. I believe if she goes out and practices on her own, she would really want to improve herself."

What coaches deem mostly intriguing about Harrell, Young said, is despite her youth, she has established a high IQ for the game.

In other words, this speedy combo guard is teachable, an attribute many say she possessed from her grandmother.

"I like her drive and determination," Young said of Harrell. "Tanayah is left-handed, so watching her develop certain fundamentals she needs for a lefty is great."

So what does Harrell's skill set remind Young of?

"She reminds me a little of me with her drive to want to score," Young said.

Something even Brittney Griner would find intriguing.

Andre Johnson is a regular contributor for Bleacher Report. Based in Dallas, Texas, Johnson covers the NFL and the NBA's Southwest Division. To reach Johnson, send an email to [e-mail]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.