30 More Wins for Crescenta Valley’s Dan Berry

The softball team has clear a goal: 30 more wins for .

Berry needed about 30 more wins before reaching his career goal of 600 wins this October, CVHS senior Allison Lacey told Montrose Patch.

“It’s not real that he’s actually gone,” Allison said. “This season is for him so that kind of helps. We’re playing for him.”

Berry died in October, suffering two seizures inside the coaches’ office, later going into cardiac arrest. Paramedics treated him at the school then rushed him to , where he later died.

Berry created the Falcon softball program, winning 20 CIF titles and CIF Southern Section championship, according to the Glendale News-Press.

Allison played softball with Berry since she started in his varsity softball program as a freshman. The team made a couple of posters for the family, she said. Teammate Grace Poole designed an outline of Berry’s face with the names of his players.

The girls’ team ordered patches to add to their white and blue uniforms, Allison said.

Berry had plenty of corny jokes and a humor that can't be forgotten, Allison said.

“He would everyday make at least five corny jokes to make everybody laugh,” she said. He kept a light mood on the field for the most part.”

Berry left behind a successful softball program for players in La Crescenta and Montrose, Mercer told Montrose Patch. His players are now coaches, including Mercer, who .

“I think the one thing that sticks with any player who plays with [Berry] is his passion and his love to be there, his love for the sport,” former Falcon softball player Molly Mercer told Patch.

“There’s no question I think in anybody in this community,” Mercer said. “He loved softball, loved athletes and loved to work with softball players.”

Becoming Great Players

Players improved the most under his leadership and became great players during high school, Mercer said.

“There’s a lot of kind of heartbreak I think, a lot of tears, but I do know that [his players] have shared memories and were able to laugh about him,” Mercer said. “He was a jokester. He left with his players remembering him in a really good way.” 

remembers Berry giving her support--and a nickname she wasn’t always crazy about.

“I've played for a lot of coaches during my softball career, and I would have to say Coach Berry was one of the first coaches that really understood me as a player,” Beshear said in an email with Montrose Patch. “The second I walked onto campus he trusted his gut and whole heartedly believed in my talent.” 

Berry stuck Beshear in shortstop as a freshman, surrounded in a field full of fourth year senior softball players, she said.

“Coach Berry would just stand there in the dugout and give me that smile and wink of, ‘You’re going to be OK, you’re going to do great,'” Beshear said. “At times he did call me princess, and though it embarrassed me back then, now that I’m older I understand why he at times called me by that nickname, it was giving me confidence, it gave me some emotional security that a young 15-year-old needed at the time.

“I was always considered an emotional player, but Coach Berry was one of the few who knew how to work with it,” Beshear said. “I didn’t really have a father figure around at that time, so coach really stepped in and took an active role in teaching me the game of softball.”

Berry’s success came from his care for the players, she said.

“Coach Berry has been the success that he is at CV not only because he understands the game of softball or not even because he’s passionate about the game,” Beshear said “He’s so successful because he cares about his players. He knows how to bring the best out of them and he does it - well during my time in the early 90’s - without screaming and yelling, but with a smile.” 

Anyone interested in adding photos or video to the Berry family tribute for the coach can email media to jennylou1992@hotmail.com.