Debbie took her skills and relentless pursuit of excellence in sports to St. John the Baptist HS where she helped lead the basketball, softball, volleyball and badminton programs to multiple Long Island titles. Named the outstanding athlete for the NSCHSAA and High School All American in 1976-77 Debbie was selected to St. John the Baptists Hall of Fame in its inaugural year in 2009. When she entered SJB in 1973 the school had no basketball or softball uniforms for girls, very little gym time and when they did practice, it was in half a gym. By the time she graduated in 1977, SJB was a power in multiple sports, had uniforms for all teams and had comparable practice time to the boys programs. Her mother Delores was instrumental in helping bring about this change at SJB.

“Growing up as a female athlete in the 70’s I had to fight to get on to pretty much every ball field or basketball court. I was labeled a ‘tomboy’ and made fun of by both boys and girls my age because I was so different – but the guys in my neighborhood who embraced me as an equal and my family gave me the training and background to persevere beyond the ignorance of others” stated Brajevich. “In a way the people that told me I couldn’t do this or that because I was a girl helped make me mentally tougher.”

After her record setting career at SJB she went on to St. John’s University, a top 20 national program, where her record setting continued. In her four years at SJU she was a three time NY State AIAW selection, the only SJU player to do so and led them to a #12 ranking nationally. The “Express” as the St. John’s women were known, averaged 21 wins per year during her tenure at the point and Debbie is currently the 3rd all time career assist leader, 7th in steals, 11th in field goal percentage and amazingly, 12th in blocked shots – no easy feat for a 5’5" point guard.

Along with her basketball accomplishments Debbie also was one of the premier softball players in the country, winning three national titles (ASA, USSSA), selected as a first team All American three times and elected into the Long Island ASA Softball Hall of Fame and the NY State USSSA Hall of fame.

So, it was only fitting that a person that had such accomplishments on the courts and fields of Long Island would give her services to other young aspiring athletes. Debbie founded the first AAU program for girls on Long Island – the Silver Bullets. Her program started with one team in 1990 and has grown to what is now the Aim High Youth Organization which hosts four programs – Silver Bullets AAU, NY Elite AAU based in Queens, Silver Bullets Softball and Metro Sports. Her programs have sent over 250 basketball and softball players onto the collegiate ranks and have reached thousands of young girls in the Metro NY area. The Metro Classic, New York’s best pre-season high school event for boys and girls was just one of several events created by Debbie that enhanced the basketball experience in the region.

Debbie started coaching basketball for her St. Anne’s CYO program when she was 15 and has never stopped since. She has turned around three high school programs that were winless the year before she took them over - SJB in 1990, Kellenberg in 1996 and Bishop Loughlin in 2007. She capped the transformation of Kellenberg with a state and federation title in 2001 (Class D). Debbie also coached in the Big East, a four year assistant to Joe Mullaney at St. John’s University and the past two years for one of the most well known and respected coaches in men’s and women’s basketball, Joe Pellicane at Dowling College. Her coaching travels brought her all over the country and the world. It was coach Pellicane who encouraged her to apply for the position at North Babylon, his own alma mater and where he retired from after 30 years of teaching.

“I have coached at several high schools and colleges during my 35 years in coaching and after speaking with Coach Pellicane about the North Babylon position I came to a decision that if selected, it would be my final scholastic/collegiate coaching position. North Babylon was the right school at the right time in my life and it is my intention to finish my career at North Babylon” said Brajevich, who replaces a successful coach in Mike Petre who will coach at East Islip HS this year.

Coach Petre states, “I call Debbie a friend and when I heard she got the job I contacted her to wish her the best of luck and to tell her there were some special kids there that I really loved and will miss.”

Brajevich agreed with Coach Petre stating “Mike did a great job at North Babylon and I am just happy to take over from a coach that had the kids going in the right direction – they work very hard and that is a tribute to the time and effort put into the program by Mike.”

Debbie laughs when you mention the pressure of being successful in her first season. She thinks about all the trails she blazed and the adversity she faced in her life. “I love basketball and my passion is as strong today as it was when I first started playing. There is no pressure when you are doing something you love to do. I know what beats in the heart of my players because I too was just like them so many years ago. I am excited to work with such talented and dedicated young women and I look forward to working with the North Babylon community in continuing the excellence of their girls’ basketball program.”