LYNN — With tryouts for the 2023-24 basketball season underway across the state of Massachusetts, coaches are getting their first look at its players in the new year.

This is especially exciting for Lynn English’s Sydney Brennan, who is entering her first year as head coach with the Bulldogs.

Brennan, a former assistant at Masconomet and Bishop Fenwick was also a part of Fenwick’s 2016 state champion team as a player. All of these are experiences that she credits for her development as a coach, and where she grew her love for the game.

“In high school, I was blessed to have a coach who was extremely committed to being a good coach, and who really turned me into the player I became,” Brennan said. “So for that, I give so much credit.”

That commitment Brennan has experienced over her years is exactly what she forms her coaching philosophy around.

“Commitment is a huge part of my philosophy,” she said. “I was a part of a program where the players were committed, coaches were committed…the whole program was really all together and I think in high school that’s really cool to see.”

Commitment seems to be Brennan’s biggest coaching pillar, and she also strives to have the hardest-working team on the court at all times.

“[My philosophy] is also just effort,” she said. “It’s not always about being the best player on the team, but being the best that you can be.”

Brennan first got to see the team in action during the team’s summer league games, and she noticed that the team’s captain, Jaeleigh Perry, was immediately making waves on and off the court.

“[Jaeleigh] has been exceptional from the start,” Brennan said. “She was really a key factor in getting the girls to come and play in the summer league…she’s been able to encourage and help the underclassmen as well…she is a great person to have that already knows the ropes.”

However, it’s not just Perry that has impressed so far. It’s been the competitive nature of the entire team that has Brennan excited.

“A positive that I’ve seen from the girls is that they’re competitive with each other,” she said. “A big motto for me is that you should practice how you play, so I’m excited that they’re going to be competitive in practice.”

This competitive nature already has Brennan setting the bar high for her first season as head coach, as the team already has its eyes set on the Division I state tournament.

“Our goal is to make it to the playoffs,” Brennan said. “So having them come in with that competitive nature early on is just going to help us in the long run.”

When it comes to Lynn basketball, the bar is automatically set high for its teams, and the competitive nature that the city provides is a large part of the reason Brennan accepted her new position.

“Seeing how many tournaments that Lynn hosts for all its [high school] sports, and seeing that they do so many things for the community to compete against one another was definitely something that drew me to [the job].”

Of course, winning basketball is the main goal for the Bulldogs girls basketball team, but Brennan also looks to share her love of the game with her players and support the growth of Lynn English girls basketball.

“I want the Lynn English basketball program to be fun. I want the girls to enjoy the sport of basketball, I want them to love the sport of basketball because I’ve always loved the sport,” Brennan said.

“I’m looking forward to just being a coach to these girls and building the program. I have a great support staff by my side and I’m honestly super excited.”