The 17-year-old Albany athlete has had to balance her love for both basketball and netball as she advances through their pathways.
Faced with a tough decision, Berry make the Under 18 basketball team and Netball WA’s Fever in Time program and knew the large commitments meant she needed to pick between the sports.
“The decision was very hard, but I’m glad I made the choice I did,” Berry said.
“The thing that was splitting me was the fact I had friends on the basketball team and knew what I was doing. On the other hand, netball was something new and cool, so I went with that.”
Following her success in Fever in Time program, Berry made it into the WA 17/U State Team who competed in the Netball National Championships in April.
She said playing in the National Championships was nerve wracking but once she started playing, she really enjoyed the experience.
“It was hard because I had only made like a third of the trainings, so I didn’t know the girls very well. They were a great bunch of girls, and we meshed together really quickly.”
As a regional athlete, Berry’s schedule was very different to her metro teammates.
“We had a discussion with Head Coach Guy Keane to see how it would work, and he was pretty flexible,” she said.
“He said I could do my two gym sessions down in Albany and then come up once a week to train with the team.”
Along with a packed training schedule, Berry is also keeping up with her ATAR studies in her final years of school.
Berry’s mum, Kym Quartermaine, said they have to be a very organised unit.
“We were very organised, very structured and her recovery is important,” she said.
All of Berry’s hard work was rewarded when she was named the 17/U State Team MVP at the Jill McIntosh Awards.
“I was so surprised, when they called my name, I was like ok, I guess I better stand up,” she said.
“The first thing that came out of my mouth was I’m just a country kid.”
Berry is assisted in her endeavours thanks to the Department of Cultural Industries, Tourism and Sport (formerly Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries).
They are able to provide a subsidy for athletes selected in the Fever in Time program and National Championships. She is also supported with the Regional Academy of Sport funding which provides assistance for medical, strength and conditioning, nutrition, equipment and general support needs.
Ms Quartermaine said that with the amount of travel they do, every little bit helps.
“We spend probably 25 out of 52 weekends in Perth, so we’re doing half a year away from home, so it helps with accommodation and travel.”
To cap off what has been a sensational year so far for Berry, her NNC performance earnt the young star a spot in the Australian 17/U side.
Berry dreams one day of playing for West Coast Fever, like her idol Sunday Aryang, and credits Albany Netball Association and all of her coaches and mentors along the way for getting her where she is today.
