Berger has Fitch basketball on the rise and a new outlook on life

Groton His life was enviable by any standard. Good job in the pharmaceutical industry. Coaching a little basketball on the side.

And then D.J. Berger's world changed, two life-altering events six months apart, proof that the guiding hand of the universe is benevolent, but counterintuitive sometimes.

Nov. 2017: Phone call from Fitch High athletic director Marc Romano, asking Berger if he'd able to take over the girls' basketball program one week before the season started. The program that had just gone 1-19. The program that hangs exactly zero banners inside the gym.

April, 2018: Laid off from Pfizer. Twenty years in the industry. Services no longer required. Nice way to come face-to-face with the rest of your life.

And so on their face, the proposition of a losing program and the reality of no paycheck forthcoming could prompt one to gulp Mylanta. Or Makers Mark. Turns out they're among the greatest blessings of Berger's life.

Now Berger, proud Fitch grad (class of 1994) pursues his teaching degree as he resurrects the basketball program. One win before he got there. Eight and counting at the moment, including a state tournament berth accomplished with Monday night's win at Putnam.

“I had my end of the year meeting with Marc after last season (two wins) and he said they wanted me back,” Berger was saying earlier

this week. “I didn't know if I could. I needed a job because of the layoff. They talked me into teaching. I'm in a Master's program at Avery Point now, taking classes in the summer, just finished my student teaching at Fitch and now I'm a long term sub here as I complete things.”

Then Berger paused and said, “I'm back home coaching these kids now and honestly, I feel like I'm where I belong for the first time in 20 years. I'm home again.”

Berger knew of no elixir for a program that had three wins in two years, other than the unspoken agony of constant effort. Team building, fundraisers, offseason work and the vagaries of making the sport popular for girls in a school where volleyball, softball and track all win. Good luck with that. “There's so much talent and athleticism in this school,” Berger said. “We need someone to build it from the ground up and make basketball interesting. It's always on the back burner.

“The first thing to teach was team. We weren't even worried about Xs and Os. Get them to enjoy doing things together. We did dinners. We went to UConn games as a team. We did 11 fundraisers in the offseason and bought new uniforms and warmups to change the old image.”

Success. The Falcons have eight wins. They're doing it mostly with freshmen and sophomores who like being around each other.

“I had come to see Fitch play in my eighth grade year with my travel team and it kind of scared me,” sophomore Alyssa Virtue said. “It wasn't what I thought it would be. It didn't seem like they were getting along very well. Now, we're with each other all the time. We're definitely becoming more of the talk around school. People are coming to see our games more. They see now much fun we're having.”

Berger spent six years as an assistant coach at Stonington, learning not just basketball, but everything else from Paulla Solar, a two-time state championship coach. Much of what Fitch is becoming bears Solar's fingerprints.

“I have a few mentors,” Berger said. “Paulla, Dave (Huber, a former head coach at Fitch), James (Childs, the former men's basketball coach at Avery Point) and (St. Bernard coach) Mike Nystrom. I talk to them a lot. But being in the gym with Paulla for six years was eye opening. I learned how to run a program as it relates to being part of the community.”

Fitch ended its regular season Wednesday with a loss to Waterford. Except that now there's a postseason. And the exciting hope and wonder of the future. To think it all happened because of a surprise phone call from Romano and fortuitous layoff from Pfizer. Who knew?

“I'm a Groton guy born and raised. I love my community,” Berger said. “As we move forward, we want the attitude here of wanting to play New London, NFA, Bacon, Stonington, East Lyme … all the good programs in our league. That's how you find what you're about.” This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro