The Layners’ love of sports runs deep

Taylor Layner knew what he wanted in a relationship. The former Osceola baseball standout preferred someone who worked hard and was passionate about helping others. 

One more thing. She had to be a sports fanatic.

He found that in Amanda Byers. 

The two became friends at South Florida State College in 2012. He was a pitcher for the Panthers. She was an outfielder on the softball team. 

They reconnected about two years later at a Florida State-Miami football game. A relationship developed, albeit long distance. Layner transferred to Webber International. Byers went on to Florida Gulf Coast. 

“I found the perfect match,” he said. 

Once their college careers were over, the couple got engaged and moved to the bay area. Both wanted to become high school coaches in their sports. 

Last year, Layner was hired to take over Largo’s struggling baseball program. 

Soon after, the softball position at the school opened up. Layner encouraged his fiancee to apply. She got the Packers job this season. 

With their professional paths set at the same school, the two made plans to start a family. Byers found out she was pregnant in September of 2019. They were married two months later. 

There was no lavish courtship or wedding. 

After all, the diamonds that mattered most to them were on the field, not on any finger. In fact, Taylor proposed at Largo’s baseball stadium.

Their devotion to both sports goes back to when they were in high school. Taylor, a stellar pitcher, was the Pinellas County player of the year in 2011. He recently had his jersey retired at Osceola. Amanda hit .702 her senior season at Miami Dr. Krop, a statistic Taylor did not know until looking it up two weeks ago.

The teams they now coach have become just as much a part of their family. The Layners work tirelessly on fundamentals. They put together travel teams. They stress academics. 

Given the time commitments imposed by classwork and coaching duties, the couple had little time together since school started in the fall. They knew the workload would increase with a child on the way. No matter. 

“I was out there on the field until the doctor told me I couldn’t anymore,” Amanda said.

The players took notice of their dedication. 

“I think it’s a great match up,” Largo junior Zach Wagoner pitcher said of the Layners. “They both take the game seriously and they always put the players first. 

“There have been times during his wife’s pregnancy where the players questioned why (Taylor) was still at practice instead of with his wife. Both of the teams trust them and take their advice to help them grow not only on the field but off of it as well. They’re the best coaching duo you could get.”

Their son’s due date was in late March, the same time the Layners were supposed to be wrapping up their regular seasons. They knew there would be some major juggling with their schedules. Amanda would not be there for the stretch run of her debut season as coach. She would have to rely on her assistants, and her husband, if the season continued. Their parents were willing to babysit whenever needed. 

They made it work. Everything was coming together. The softball team won two games, equaling the program’s total from the previous three seasons combined. In two seasons with the baseball team, Taylor has compiled a combined 15 victories despite dealing with injuries to key players. The win total was more than the two seasons prior to Taylor’s arrival. And the 10 victories Largo recorded in 2019 marked just the second time the program reached double-digit wins in a season in the past decade.

“Largo was known more as a football school,” Taylor said. “We were starting to put the softball and baseball programs somewhere on the map.”

Then came the coronavirus pandemic. Spring sports were initially postponed before being canceled. 

The shutdown was beneficial. It allowed the Layners more time to prepare for Taylor Jr., who  was born March 25.

“It’s sad for the season to end the way it did , especially for the seniors on both teams,” Taylor said. “Everything happened so quickly. We had so much going on in our lives. This gave us time to really be together. That’s the one positive. It’s a crazy time, something we’ll always remember. When the history books are written 10-15 years from now, we’ll be able to tell our son he entered the world in the middle of all of this.”

The Layners knew what they wanted in a son. Someone who was strong and smart. 

And a sports fanatic. 

The training has already started. Taylor tries to get his son to use his left hand as much as possible, in hopes of developing a left-handed pitcher. The parents are even figuring out potential positions their son could play based on his estimated growth charts.

“Maybe a left-hander or right-hander,” Amanda said. “Maybe a pitcher or middle infielder. We’re athletes. We’re competitive. We want what’s best for our son. But we’ll support him no matter what he decides to do.”