Alum renews contract with women’s pro basketball team

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  Known for her defense and protecting the rim, Mya Berkman blocks a shot to give her GAS Evnikos Women's basketball team another possession. Contributed photos

  Known for her defense and protecting the rim, Mya Berkman blocks a shot to give her GAS Evnikos Women's basketball team another possession. Contributed photos
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  A natural center, Marble Falls graduate Mya Berkman keeps her feet steady as she works her way to the basket while playing for GAS Evnikos Women's basketball team in Greece.

  A natural center, Marble Falls graduate Mya Berkman keeps her feet steady as she works her way to the basket while playing for GAS Evnikos Women's basketball team in Greece.
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  Marble Falls graduate Mya Berkman gives a glimpse of a view in Athens, Greece where she plays professional basketball.

  Marble Falls graduate Mya Berkman gives a glimpse of a view in Athens, Greece where she plays professional basketball.

The dream of playing professional basketball continues for Mya Berkman.

The 2018 Marble Falls High School graduate is returning to her GAS Evnikos Women’s team in Athens, Greece. The squad is part of Greece A1 Women and Greece Cup Women leagues.

“God blessed me with the opportunity,” she said.

"It's definitely once in a lifetime. I'm definite ly grateful to continue to play. Looking at my offers, I was open to any country. My best offer was from my old team.

They gave me their best offer. I love Greece. I’d love to go back.”

When she met with the coaching staff, led by new head coach Labros Bartzos, she was told of a vision of where the team wants to go and her role specifically. He took over in February when more than half of the season was completed. He earned her respect when he drew up a play and used the player the opponent was keying on as a decoy. The play designed for the real shooter called for Berkman and another teammate to set a screen. The play worked.

“That was a perfect play,” she said. “They love me as a player. It became a different team.

They said, ‘We’re building the team around you.’

I’ve never been in this position. We’re competing at a high level. I would say out of every game, all but four, we definitely were

within five points. All were close except with the top two teams.”

The organization is bringing in guard Madison Griggs who’s a shooter.

She will allow Berkman to do what she enjoys.

The former Lady Mustang believes the addition combined with the coach’s philosophy will translate into more success.

“(The defense) can’t double me immediately,” she said. “I just know we can do that with the coach and correct playbook. He knows when to be a friend and when not to.”

Before Berkman left for Greece in August, she had ankle surgery and was told to “do nothing for six weeks.”

While she rehabbed the ankle, she wasn’t able to put in the work on her basketball game like she wanted. Still, those obstacles didn’t slow her down.

Since her return to the Texas, she has been playing basketball, lifting weights and doing conditioning.

“I try to lift heavy right now,” she said. “My arms look good. I try to lift three times a week. Cardio has been the only thing I haven’t hammered.”

While she has been back for several weeks, Berkman has kept busy.

She returned to Chick- fil-A after realizing she was going to work “my way to owning one,” is studying to be a certified public accountant, and completed reading “The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do.”

“(Franchise owner Alan Williams) is going to help me with that. I love Chick-fil-A, I love what it stands for,” she said. "I finished this lead ership book. It had super realistic stories on leadership positions. It’s has servant-leader mistakes that anybody can make.

Books are knowledge. I love reading. I’m able to learn.”

She noted that on June 4, a little girl and her guardian walked into Chick-fil-A and admired the player’s hair. They asked Berkman about her hair products, how she keeps it neat, and her secrets to curly hair. The athlete wrote down the names of her products and her beauty routine. Conversations like those convince Berkman she’s on the right path.

“She asked a few questions,” she said. “It took me five minutes to help her. I miss those relationships. Being back at Chick-fil-A, I'm able to speak with guests.”

And she was the volunteer coach for the Lady Mustangs summer league team that played in Lampasas each Monday in June and will work out with them on sport-specific drills.

“I’ve been the helping the girls,” she said. “I work with the posts. I was able to briefly go in (June 3). There were a decent amount of girls. I’m teaching the basic defensive principles and a play or two.”

Her dad, John, recently took over the Marble Falls boys basketball program after being at the helm of the Lady Mustangs for almost a decade. He was her coach when she played for Marble Falls. The duo helped the Lady Mustangs reach the Class 5A Region IV tournament in 2017 and 2018. The Lady Mustangs new head coach is Adley Canales, who was on John Berkman’s staff when Mya was still wearing a Marble Falls uniform.

“My dad did a great job for the program,” she said. “(Canales) has been there the whole time. I think it was a good opportunity for both of them. It was great to see.”

Jennifer Fierro publishes reports about area youth athletic events on her website TexasChalkTalk.com. To send her a note, email fierrojennifer@yahoo. com.