Adversity has hit everyone’s life in some way or another. It attacks us in our weakest spots and typically brings us to a crossroad; tap out or advance with resilience.
For Citrus College women’s basketball players Kyannie and Kaylene Brown, giving up was never an option – let alone a thought.
On April 23, 2015, life for the Browns changed forever when their grandfather Manuel Olvera died after a battle with gallbladder/bile duct cancer.
“He always pushed us to go hard every single day, and he taught both of us to never give up no matter how hard it got,” Kyannie Brown said.
Olvera had stomach pain for many months, and despite the entire family’s recommendation to go to the doctor, he declined.
“He didn’t want to because he said that he felt that if he had surgery he wasn’t going to wake up and he didn’t want to leave his grandkids alone, so after that, he dealt with the pain,” Kyannie Brown said.
One day the pain became so unbearable for Olvera that he decided it was time to seek help.
“It got really bad and it even caused him to fall on the floor, so that night we went to the hospital,” Kyannie Brown said.
Initially the doctors said he was OK, but upon further testing, they discovered a mass of cancer behind his gallbladder.
He was subsequently given six months to live.
The sisters were close to their grandfather since he lived with them at home and shared a close loving relationship with everyone in the family.
Manuel helped raise the Browns and was like a father figure their whole lives.
“He was really close to them so that was a big roadblock for Kyannie’s freshman year,” head coach of the Citrus College women’s basketball team Linnae Barber said. “He was like dad. They didn’t have their dad.”
Olvera passed away in the home they lived in together, headed by their single mother, Sylvia Olvera.
“It was hard because we watched him take his last breath like right in front of us and seeing that is kind of hard to forget sometimes,” Kyannie Brown said.
While the sad memories occasionally rise to the surface, they try to focus on the positive memories – how happy he was, how he liked to dance when he arrived home and how he shared a close knit bond with his granddaughters.
“I feel like sunflowers represent happiness,” Kyannie Brown said. “My grandpa was always a happy person. You never saw him down he was always like smiling, happy, dancing like as soon as he walked in the house.”
When they see a sunflower, they are reminded of their grandfather and the light he brought into everyone’s lives, not just their own.
The pair also gives Manuel Olvera due credit for assisting their mother raising them and their little sister Stephanie from infancy.
“My mom struggled and he played a big part in helping her out,” Kyannie Brown said.
“With everything,” Kaylene Brown added.
It was no simple task for Sylvia Olvera to raise her three daughters, she sacrificed a lot to make sure her daughters were OK.
Sometimes, Kaylene wasn’t even aware of how challenging the circumstances were for her mother.
“I knew we didn’t have a lot of money and all that stuff but I didn’t know it was like that bad,” Kaylene Brown said. “I still had a good childhood but it just wasn’t as good as other kids would have it when they would have two parents.”
Life was not always the simplest for the Browns, especially living in a single-parent household.
“My mom’s just a really strong person and I’m really blessed to have her in my life, because without her I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I just want to make her proud, that’s all,” Kyannie Brown said.
Sylvia Olvera has always done whatever she can to help her daughters succeed.
“My mom is just unbelievable. She does a lot especially being a single mom. Taking care of her three girls… that’s not easy, especially with us being in sports. Just for us to make it to a 5 a.m. practice we have to wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning,” Kaylene Brown said.
Hard work and dedication demonstrated by Sylvia Olvera throughout their lives has been motivation for them to keep going when times do get tough.
“It’s just unbelievable because if she’s able to do all of that and still keep waking up every morning and going every single day, non-stop, then there is no excuse for me not to push for her and push for myself,” Kaylene said.
The death of Manuel was a blow to the entire family but the sisters would not let their journey stop there.
BASKETBALL
Kyannie Brown started playing basketball her freshman year in high school —a rare feat for someone playing college athletics, especially to the success that she has.
The 5’10” sophomore earned Western States East conference MVP honors, conference player of the year award, 1st team all-conference honors and featured in a CCCWBCA Sophomore Showcase during the CCCAA State Basketball Championship weekend.
During the 2018-2019 campaign, Kyannie averaged 17.4 points per game along with 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6% from the field.
She started all but two games, and carried her team to 18-10 record and a postseason trip that finished in the first round when the Owls lost to Cerritos College.
Kyannie led the conference in scoring and finished third in rebounds per game.
Her defensive game improved from her first season as well, as she tallied an average of 1.4 blocks per game and 1.3 steals per game.
“I remember saying ‘I want to play college ball’ so it’s kinda crazy that I’m playing college ball right now,” Kyannie said.
Her talent and ability was no surprise to her current coach though.
Barber saw potential in Kyannie the moment she watched her play basketball for the first time.
“She just has a special gift, and so when I watched her play I’m like that girl is going to be something special,” Barber said. “She was one kid I really, really wanted.”
After the success to which Kyannie had, Kaylene quickly followed suit and started playing basketball though it was initially a surprise.
“I wasn’t into sports really,” Kaylene said. “I was into music and I wanted to be in choir and sing.”
She decided to try out and join the squad during her own sophomore year at Montebello High School to begin her own journey with basketball while discovering her own identity.
CITRUS
After their initial years of development at Montebello High School together, and after the death of Manuel, Kyannie played basketball at Citrus first.
Kyannie said being separated from Kaylene was weird, but admitted that she enjoyed being able to take a step back and watch her little sister develop – something she had not had the opportunity of experiencing.
“It was cool because I got to see her grow up,” Kyannie said. “I was here (Citrus) all the time so I didn’t get to see much, but when I would go see her play I could see her improvements and stuff like that.”
Kaylene also thought the transition was tough without the normalcy of her older sister by her side.
“It was weird not being able to see her every day, but I just didn’t like the team I was on,” Kaylene said. “We just didn’t connect. It was hard to not play with someone I’m used to playing and we know what we like.”
While being separated from any sibling can be a challenge independence provides a pathway for personal growth.
“It also helped me be more independent and by not having to depend on (Kyannie), I was able to grow out of my shell and not always have her behind me,” Kaylene said.
As most strong recruits do, Kyannie had several offers to play college basketball.
Kyannies decision to attend Citrus was simple – the coaching staff was unmatched.
“There’s not really many coaches out there like (Barber), because for her it’s more than basketball,” Kyannie said. “It’s not just doing drills everyday she actually teaches you life skills that are going to help you find your own path and career in life. It’s just really cool discover yourself and you’re more than just an athlete.”
Barber said she was actively involved in Kyannie’s recruiting and played a vital role in that decision from the star forward to attend Barber’s program at Citrus.
Kyannie was coming to Citrus one way or another.
“I recruited her heavy and I went to all of her games. I tried not to skip a beat. I saw not just potential in her basketball wise, but her as a young lady. She’s outgoing, she has a great personality and I do believe that this program has changed her life – to be true to who she is,” Barber said.
Barber is a hands-on coach who likes to get the opportunity to learn about her players beyond basketball.
The opportunity with Kyannie came when Barber and her were paired together at a fundraising event for the basketball program.
Engaging in a normal encounter with one of her newer players, Barber had asked Kyannie a few questions about her personal life and her family.
Those questions would essentially turn out to be life-changing words for Kyannie to hear as it prompted her to deal with something she had not yet in her life.
FATHER
“I had asked her about her father and, you know, I like to know my players,” Barber said.
“She cried and she was very upset with me, and I was like, ‘why is she upset with me?’ you know…But he wasn’t in the picture.”
The Brown sisters, up to this point, had an insincere relationship with their father, Kenneth Brown.
While the relationship wasn’t to the level of estranged, it was difficult for the daughters to be engaged.
They usually saw each other a couple times a year.
“We talked to him, but it was just awkward,” Kyannie said.
The Browns would see him a couple times a year but insisted the relationship wasn’t consistent and at times superficial.
The only father figure that was a constant in their lives died with cancer a few years ago, and she was struggling with her lack of relationship with Kenneth.
“I wanted a relationship with him, but I was just upset because he wasn’t really around,” Kyannie said.
Barber seized the opportunity to help one of her players grow as she learned more about her story as the season progressed.
“She had a very rough year with me her freshman year,” Barber said. “I was just breaking her down mentally and physically because I knew she’s really that good.”
Barber said she felt as if the issues with Kenneth were holding Kyannie back, but knew it needed to come on Kyannie’s own terms to deal with the situation.
“I left it alone with (Kyannie) as I knew she was very upset and I told her, ‘Whenever you’re ready to have a relationship, you will,’” Barber said.
Kaylene finished high school and made her way to Citrus to join her sister on the hardwood and in the classroom.
Barber was initially surprised that Kaylene came though.
“For Kaylene I didn’t think she wanted to come here,” Barber said. “They take the bus, they take the train and they figure it out. So for me I’m like she probably won’t come because of the commute, but then she said she’s coming and I was excited because I feel like she has a special type of a talent.”
Not only did Barber see her developing on the court.
The head coach noticed Kaylene’s potential to grow both emotionally and personally.
It was Kaylene who wanted to deal with the struggling relationship with Kenneth first.
“In the summertime when Kaylene came, she spoke to me and said ‘I want a relationship with my father,’” Barber said.
Kaylene decided to get out of her shell as a younger sibling, and go get what she wanted – a relationship with dad.
“I didn’t have a connection with him, but I wanted one,” Kaylene said.
Barber had a conversation with Kaylene that ignited a fire within her. She told Kaylene to go after the things in life that she wanted when she is ready.
“I said ‘go get your dad, you meet with your dad and when she’s (Kyannie’s) ready she will be but if you’re ready and you want that you go get your dad,” Barber said.
One day, Kaylene took the advice and did it.
RECONNECTION
Kaylene reached out to Kenneth and they went on a summer trip together, expressing their feelings and being together in a happy moment of rejuvenation.
Upon her return, the sisters together asked Kenneth if they could go on a father/daughter breakfast.
“We planned that we would talk about how we actually felt about him not being around and what it was like for us not having him around in our lives,” Kaylene said.
They all agreed to have breakfast.
Kenneth took the opportunity to share his feelings and understanding of their family dynamics as well.
“He said he did want a relationship with us, but he didn’t know if we wanted one with him,” Kaylene said.
Over the years they hadn’t seen each other that often as certain obligations held them all from being able to spend quality together.
Whether it was a choir concert or a basketball game the sisters were busy a lot growing up.
“Once in a while he would randomly text us, and then we couldn’t go,” Kaylene said.
The loss of connection and relationship was almost a miscommunication between everyone.
“At the end of the day, we both wanted a relationship,” Kyannie said.
The breakfast resulted in tears and hugs between the trio and the decision to remain in each other’s lives from then on.
Ever since then, Kenneth has been in their life, exchanging text messages often and even attending Citrus College basketball games to watch his daughters on occasion.
“She walked with her mom and father sophomore night,” Barber said. “I just think that is amazing.”
After they reconnected with their dad, Barber said she was excited to see Kaylene do something on her own and with independence.
“It was exciting because it came from little sis,” Barber said. “She contacted dad, they went on a summer trip and ever since then he has been a part of the picture and he has been at a lot of our games. And it’s nothing bad, it’s just that when siblings are around, you get shy and you shy away, and of course she looks up to her older sister.”
Kaylene was impressed with herself and proud that she didn’t wait for anyone else’s OK to go after what she felt was necessary in her life.
“It makes me feel like I have my own voice and like I am not a follower,” Kaylene said. “I do what I want when I want and nobody is going to tell me what I can and cannot do.”
Kaylene has also seen an emotional change in her life for the better.
“I just feel more appreciative, and I’m just, like, happy, because I did it and I stepped up and I went out to get what I wanted and I didnt wait for anyone else’s approval and I got what I wanted,” Kaylene said.
Kyannie expressed how instrumental Barber was in her overcoming her obstacles and challenges that she faced, especially the death of Manuel.
“I’m really grateful for coach B. She’s played a huge role in my life,” Kyannie said. “She helped me face certain things like the relationship with my dad, accepting that my grandpa passed away, and she has given me a lot of confidence within myself. If it wasn’t for her then I wouldn’t be performing the way I am right now. I appreciate her so much.”
In addition to grieving and accepting life on the terms she was dealt, the reconnection with Kenneth no longer leaves her feeling constrained and she plays with a free mind on the court now.
Reconnecting with her dad has provided Kyannie with a new surge of emotion and an energy on the court she wasn’t used to.
While the season ended in the first round of the playoffs in an 11-point loss to Cerritos College, Kyannie is proud of her efforts she has given as she laid it all out on the court.
“I know when I sign my scholarship papers, everything I’ve been through is going to be worth it,” Kyannie said.
Junior College transfers can be a timely matter and typically the recruitment runs into the late Spring.
While Kyannie is not sure where she will transfer next year to continue her journey with basketball, her coach has confidence she can take her talents anywhere she wants to in life if she tries.
“Kyannie is something special,” Barber said. “She just started playing in the ninth grade, and I do believe that she can continue to play even after college, if she wanted to play overseas or something. The girl has a special gift and I know she will utilize it. She’s going to get a very good offer that she worked for.”
Barber cannot wait to see what Kaylene can accomplish on her own next season as well.
“I had a conversation with Kaylene about when her older sister leaves how much she is gonna grow,” Barber said. “I told her I’m excited for her growth, and ever since then she’s been on her own agenda, and I like it.”
Kaylene has a bright future ahead of her next season, and it remains to be seen how she can handle the test without her sister by her side.
Barber said that it was difficult for Kaylene to get minutes this season because she plays the same position as Kyannie – forward.
With the numbers Kyannie was putting up and the award winning season she was having, it was hard for Barber to justify putting Kaylene in the game.
“I told her she didn’t play a lot this season” Barber said. “I mean she couldn’t because Kyannie is very good and it’s very hard to come in for her sister.”
With just three freshman returning next season, Kaylene will need to up her game and hit the gym hard in the offseason.
“It’s going to be really cool because it’s going to be my moment to shine and not be behind anyone else,” Kaylene said. “It’s gonna be like my moment and my time, my sophomore year and my team next year. I need to show what I can do.”
For the Brown sisters, basketball and a perfect family life has not always been a constant in their lives, but their resiliency both together and apart as sisters, has remained continuous.
“I am happy for both of them,” Barber said. “I am happy they are in my program. They have grown separately and together and I’m just so proud of both of them.”
