LYNN — Longtime players and siblings Travonne Berry-Rogers and Shardayé Berry, who coach the rival Lynn English and Lynn Classical girls basketball teams, say their excitement and passion for the game has never stopped.
The siblings have played basketball since they were 6 years old, and were influenced to coach by their father, Douglas, who used to coach them during their playing days.
“I kind of had that knack for it, to give back to the next generation of kids and the up-and- coming basketball players,” said Berry-Rogers, 27.
The pair said the rivalry that occurred between their teams during high school — and persisted into their coaching years — was strictly left on the court. Once the game is over, they return to just being a brother and a sister who support one another in their endeavors.
When the duo played basketball in high school, they said their parents would have to split up going to the games, because they would usually be playing at the same time at different locations. Their parents would take turns with who rooted for Berry-Rogers at English and who would be at Berry’s game supporting the Classical Rams.
The family still has two teams in one household, but as coaches they said they are able to work together by debriefing one another on what both of their teams did well and what they could have done better.
The siblings said that coaching for the teams they used to play for is a great feeling that brings back many memories and excitement.
“Whether you’re a player or a coach, you still get that same feeling, the same jittery and nervous feeling,” said Berry-Rogers.
Berry, 31, said she misses playing for Classical and sometimes gets the urge to go on the court and play again, so she makes sure to tell her players to cherish every moment on that team.
“You don’t want to take it for granted,” Berry said. “Not everyone gets the same opportunity.”
Although the COVID-19 pandemic only allotted about four weeks for the basketball season this year, the siblings said they made the most of it and encouraged their players to do the same.
Now that they’re older, they acknowledge and appreciate the positive effects that basketball had on them.
Berry-Rogers said the sport had a big impact on him growing up. He credits basketball for putting him on the right path and distancing him from hanging around with the wrong crowd.
“I would say basketball was that outlet,” he said. “It allowed me to meet new people from all over, people I would have never thought I would meet.”
With basketball comes a lot of travel, even if it’s just to neighboring towns. The duo said this allowed them to branch out of their comfort zones and mature, while allowing them to build bonds with new people and experience diversity.
“Sometimes when you’re stuck in the same area in the city of Lynn, you never really know what’s outside of it,” Berry-Rogers said. “I think basketball provided me that opportunity to see different places.”
They both still play basketball in women’s and men’s leagues and said their love for the game will never end.
It was their commitment that inspired them to go beyond just coaching at the city’s high schools. Berry-Rogers started his own fitness and basketball program, known as “The Warehouse.” He said this began a few years ago when he coached the boys junior varsity basketball team at Lynn English and a lot of the players were getting pulled up to the varsity team.
When asked where these players came from, he would say “The Warehouse” — an allusion to the junior varsity team’s strength in “manufacturing the players by building them up with the right pieces to give them the chance to move up to the next level.”
Berry-Rogers said that he wanted to provide training and coaching to all players, which is why he expanded his offerings to the community’s athletes to include both mental and physical conditioning.
“It’s more of building a player’s mentality, rather than physical ability, and teaching them how to become mentally tough,” he said. “We’re able to provide them with those key components to not just make them physically tough, but now their mentality is good so they know how to get through adversity.”
The siblings use “The Warehouse” to connect with young athletes and provide a support system through sports. The program hosts basketball camps in the summer and a series of daily workouts that provide positive reinforcement to participants. The siblings refer to “The Warehouse” as a family.
“To me and my sister, family is what’s important,” Berry-Rogers said. “That’s the support that you need when you’re going through tough times. That’s kind of how it all came together.”
The duo said they want to push and inspire young athletes to work toward the next level in whatever it is they are doing, which is something they said their parents always did for them.
The siblings lost their mother, Lillian, in 2018, but Berry said she would be so proud of their accomplishments and their coaching.
“She would be amazed — but not surprised — of how far we’ve come in our lives today,” Berry said, “and how much further we are going to go.”
Allysha Dunnigan can be reached at [email protected].