For Danielle Carriere, basketball has never been just a sport; it's been the heartbeat of her family. The new assistant coach for the McMaster Marauders women's basketball team grew up surrounded by the game, learning its rhythm, teamwork, and passion from the people closest to her.

"Both of my parents played in college, that's actually how they met, at Fanshawe," Carriere said with a smile. "I didn't actually start playing basketball until grade six. Before that, it was soccer and hockey for me. But once my sister and I started playing competitively, I fell in love with it."

That early start grew quickly into something special. Carriere's parents coached her and her siblings growing up, often piling into the car to travel to tournaments across Ontario and into the U.S. "We would do summer things, go down to the States and play in tournaments," she recalled. "It was just something we could all do as a family."

The Carriere household was full of athletes. Danielle has two sisters and a brother, all of whom carried their competitive drive into post-secondary athletics. Her older sister Nicole played both soccer and basketball at Fanshawe before joining the coaching staff there. Her younger sister Katelyn, Danielle's closest basketball companion, followed a nearly identical path through high school and college. Her younger brother Vincent, meanwhile, also picked up the family trade, playing basketball at Laurier.

"My older sister and I even played together in high school," Danielle said. "When we went to OFSAA, she was on the team too. My younger sister and I were only a year apart, so we did everything together; we even went to college together. My brother was five years younger, so he mostly just tagged along, but he played too. It's just always been around."

By the time Carriere was in high school, basketball had become her focus. She earned a spot on Team Ontario before her grade 10 year and competed at OFSAA all four years. The success, she says, was fueled by community. "Our high school (John Paul II) really supported us. The community created such a positive basketball environment, and it was always just so much fun."

That sense of connection and family made her next decision, where to play after high school, a complicated one.

The Carriere sisters had considered staying in Canada, but ultimately, the two wanted to explore something new. "We'd been playing against the same Ontario kids our whole lives," she explained. "We wanted to play somewhere different."

That opportunity came from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, where both sisters were recruited to help rebuild the program. "It all just kind of seemed right," she said. "We even had family ties there; my cousin had played hockey for the Saginaw Spirit, so it felt like a full-circle moment."

Carriere majored in French and minored in math and psychology, but even as she focused on academics, basketball remained a constant. When her collegiate career ended in 2016, she wasn't ready to walk away from the game, just to experience it from a new angle.

"I didn't see myself continuing to play professionally," she said. "Physically, I didn't think my body could handle it, and I wanted to start a career, but I couldn't leave basketball. I needed to be around it."

That pull led her to coaching. While completing teachers college at Western University, Carriere began helping with the Western women's basketball program. It was an eye-opening experience, challenging, given how recently she'd been a player herself, but deeply rewarding. "It was hard being so close to the game and trying to transition into coaching, but I loved it. I still wanted to be involved."

A year later, she joined her family on the Fanshawe College coaching staff, officially turning the Carriere household into a coaching dynasty. "It was great to be supported by my family in that journey," she said. "My dad ran the offense, my sister did defense, my mom handled strength and conditioning, and I focused on skill development. We all had our own niche; it meshed really well."

That dynamic, though occasionally spirited, worked because of how close the family was. "Most of the time it was great," Carriere said with a laugh. "Sometimes we'd be at the dinner table still debating something from practice, but in the end, we all share the same values. We're lucky that way."

The Carriere family's coaching legacy stretches back decades. Danielle's parents, who met as players at Fanshawe, began coaching the women's team together after graduating. They later paused to raise their family and coach their kids, before returning to the program in 2012 when Danielle and Katelyn left for the NCAA.

After seven years coaching at Fanshawe, Carriere found herself at another crossroads. When McMaster head coach Isabel Ormond reached out to her father to see if anyone in the family might be interested in joining her staff, Danielle's name came up immediately.

"It was a really tough decision," Carriere admitted. "Leaving my family, leaving Fanshawe, it was hard, but I've always considered coaching as a career, and this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Whether I continue with it long-term or not, it was something I needed to try."

Carriere, who had been teaching high school math full-time while coaching both junior girls' and boys' basketball teams, took a leave from teaching to focus on basketball full-time at McMaster. "Coaching is just teaching basketball, and teaching is just coaching," she said. "I love helping people learn, whether it's in the classroom or on the court."

Now, a few months into her first season with the Marauders, Carriere has embraced the new experience of working alongside Ormond and helping guide a talented but evolving roster. "It's been an adjustment," she said. "But it's really cool to be able to do just basketball and not have to worry about lesson plans or report cards. Being in the same space as Izzy, with her energy and knowledge, has been incredible. I've already learned so much."

Despite early-season injuries and growing pains, Carriere is optimistic about where the team is headed. "We've seen strides in the areas we want to improve on," she said. "It's all about continuing to build and peak at the right time. I'm excited to see where we can go."

From a kid who didn't pick up a basketball until grade six to coaching at one of Canada's premier programs, Carriere's journey has been rooted in the same thing that started it all: family and the love of the game.