Last modified: Saturday, July 5, 2008 1:04 AM EDT New Dover-Sherborn girls' basketball coach Missy Traversi (Photo by Martin Gavin) Traversi accepts Dover-Sherborn hoop job BY MARK FARINELLA / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF ATTLEBORO - Things move quickly in Missy Traversi's world. The former Bishop Feehan High School and University of Maine basketball standout, who never lets moss grow beneath her feet, only a few weeks ago was pondering her future and thinking out loud that college coaching might be an option for a few years down the road. But she also decided to interview for the vacant girls' basketball coaching post at Dover-Sherborn Regional High School because, as she said, it would be good to go through the interviewing process. It must have been very good. Traversi accepted the position, and will be leading the Raiders into Tri-Valley League battle next season. It won't be an easy job. The Tri-Valley, of which Norton High is a member, is highly regarded in the state's girls' basketball circles - a result of the long-time dominance of Westwood from the advent of Title IX in the 1970s to the start of the new millennium, to the more recent emergence of the programs at Holliston, Hopkinton and Medway into regional prominence. "It presents a tremendous challenge," Traversi said earlier this week, "but I think all coaches would agree that overcoming adversity with hard work, teamwork and smart execution makes each win that much more special. The TVL has a reputation as an excellent women's basketball league and I think Dover-Sherborn can be a part of that reputation in the future. "Our goal will be to compete with those great programs and be regarded among them," she said. Coaching is not a new experience for the former three-sport Shamrock, who played professional basketball in Sweden for the past two years. Two years ago, during the break between pro seasons overseas, Traversi coached the Brookline High School girls' basketball team for one season. "When I was at Brookline, I enjoyed being with the girls," the 5-foot-7 point guard said. "It was a challenge in terms of game preparation and game-to-game knowledge and execution. But I missed playing and ultimately I wanted to get back to that. I still had the fire in the belly, so to speak." This past fall, she was not only the starting point guard and leading scorer for her pro team in Jämtland, Sweden, but added the title of player-coach at midseason. "I was in charge of all the scouting reports, breaking down film, putting together the travel plans as well as organizing practices," she said. "It was a challenge, between the language barrier and having more work to do." Accepting the Dover-Sherborn post signals an apparent end to Traversi's playing career, which included multiple trips to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament and a tryout with the Chicago Sky of the WNBA. "It's one of the hardest things I've had to do," Traversi said, "especially when, for so long, playing the game of basketball has shaped my life. However, I feel comfortable knowing I've accomplished all that I could on the court. "For me, transitioning to coaching allows me to remain close to the game, be in a competitive atmosphere night in and night out in the winter, and most importantly, pass on my knowledge and passion for the game to the next generation of young women," she said. The challenge is readily apparent. Dover-Sherborn is the second-smallest school in the 10-school Tri-Valley League, both in total enrollment (580 in grades 9-12) and female enrollment (295). The Raiders went to the MIAA Division 4 state final in 2001-02, but a slight enrollment bump pushed D-S back up to Division 3, where it will remain through the 2008-09 season. In the alignments that were set in 2005, Dover-Sherborn was the second-smallest school in the division, just two students larger than Ursuline Academy at the time. Five of the TVL schools compete in Division 3 in the tournament, four in Division 2, and only one, Millis (177 girls) competes in Division 4. Traversi said she senses a great deal of support will come from the communities if they are convinced that she's in it for the long run. "Simply, I wanted to build a championship program in a close-knit community where I could envision myself remaining for many years," said Traversi, who now lives in Franklin. "Dover-Sherborn is just that place, and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it. The school places a great emphasis on academic excellence and the chance to coach driven student-athletes with the support of a die-hard booster club are the foundation upon which we can build success." Traversi succeeds Kim Benzan as coach. The Raiders finished 10-11 last year, losing to eventual Division 3-South finalist Cardinal Spellman in the first round of the tournament, 53-34. The new job comes at a whirlwind time for Traversi, as she is about to kick off her basketball camp season with the "Missy Traversi Elite Basketball Camp" next week. She has a total of four weeks scheduled, two at Bishop Feehan and one apiece at the Attleboro and Seekonk YMCAs. "I began my elite training a couple of years ago," Traversi said. "I started out doing private lessons in the area and in Boston, and gradually I started building my business. I started doing group sessions, and this past year, I did my first summer basketball camp. "We had 25 to 30 girls at the Attleboro YMCA's outdoor facility in Norton, and we had a blast," she said. In a landscape virtually littered with summer basketball camps, Traversi said her camp serves a specific niche by focusing upon athletes who are serious about improving their skills and playing at a high level. "I want kids to be excited about taking their game to the next level, especially young ladies," she said. "I want kids who have a passion for the game of basketball, like myself, and I want them to come to me with that intensity, with that fire, and spend five days with me so they can learn about my path, and what it took for me to get to where I am." The Feehan camps (July 7-11, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., grades 4-9; Aug. 4-8, grades 2-5) and the Seekonk YMCA camp (Aug. 11-15, ages 7-16) are for girls only, while the Attleboro YMCA camp (July 14-18, ages 7-16) is open to boys and girls. Traversi is also planning "boot camp" sessions in Wrentham this fall at the Wrentham Developmental Center. More information can be obtained from Traversi by e-mail at missyat5@gmail.com or by telephone at 774-254-1018. "I think that they'll be happy and they'll leave with smiles on their faces because they had a good time, and also because they received elite training," she said. MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.ning.com.