Sherrie Barnes

Park Ranger/Attorney/Licensed Esthetician/ Business owner of Divine Nourishment Natural SkincareTennis Coach/Author/Photographer

Born 1971 in Decatur, Gergia. Graduated from Southside Highschool 1989 (now Maynard Jackson High School)

Tennis /Basketball
Age 8 started playing tennis and basketball
Age 12 first ALTA Junior Team Tennis Championship with East Lake Junior
Tennis team
Age 12 Started playing USTA Junior tournaments. Won several tournaments and
some State Championships

Age 15 started coaching tennis through the tutelage of my Coaches Ernie Peterson
and Norman Wilkerson
At Age 16, 17 was MVP Southside High Tennis team 2 years
High School Basketball
At age 16 and 17 MVP Southside High School
Age 16, and 17 selected for the AAU Basketball team
Age 17 was selected for the AAU Senior All Star Girls Team/Graduated Southside
Comprehensive High School with honors/Also voted best All Around of by my
senior class ( Go figure)lol…
FAMU Basketball
Age 17 attended FAMU on a Basketball Scholarship
NWSAC Basketball Conference Champions 1991-1992
Age 17 was ranked in the Top 10 ranked Georgia Junior Girls 18 and Under (1989)
At the age became a member of Florida A & M University Tennis team (1989-
1993). Was on Scholarship 1991-1993.
Age 19 Led FAMU tennis team to a M.E.A.C Championship and lettered in sports
of Tennis and Basketball
Age 22 resumed Coaching tennis with various program and at different facilities.
Age 22 Junior Program at Jake Gaither Park
Age 25 Tennis Professional Coach at Forest Meadows Tennis Center
Age 37 NJTL Coach and Speaker
Age 2009 USTA Atlanta Youth Tennis Education Foundation (AYTEF) Junior
Tennis Program Coach 10 years (Atlanta)
Age 37 started Coaches’ free and paid lessons for youth for 15 (Still doing that)
Age 41 American Tennis Association (ATA) National Championships)
Ladies Doubles Champion 2013; Ages of 39, 40, 42, and 43 Mixed Doubles
Champions, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
Age 42 2014 City League Champions Fort Lauderdale

Age of 42 Played in three USTA Nationals: Tucson, Arizona Women’s (4.5 )18 and
Over, Palms Springs, California Women’s 4.5(40 and Over) Maui, Hawaii Mixed
Doubles 9.0 (40 and Over)
Age 43 2015 ALTA AA2 Mixed Doubles City
Age 48 2021 ALTA Ladies AA3 City Champions
Age 51 Speaker at the Atlanta Open Kids Diversity Program (See Pics)
PLEASE see article below:
Sherrie Barnes: Winning the Trifecta to USTA League Nationals Tennis
By Barbara Eisner Bayer, USTA Florida Region 8 (North Gold Coast) columnist

Sherrie Barnes (left) and Cheryl Hicks toasting to their 4.5 dominance.
Most people only dream about going to USTA League Nationals. Once. But for trial attorney
Sherrie Barnes, the hard-hitting Atlanta native from Dillon Tennis Center in Oakland Park, her
dreams are coming true, not once, not twice...but three times in one year! Because as
wonderful as the facility's women's 4.5 40, 18, and mixed doubles 9.0 teams are, they share one
secret to their successes -- Sherrie Barnes.
"It's like winning life's lottery," said Sherrie, who feared her competitive career was over when
she suffered a knee injury a few years back. Boy was she wrong!
Sherrie's tennis talents were discovered early. After playing in the juniors, she attended Florida
A&M University on a tennis and basketball scholarship. Only one other person in school history
received the same kudos -- her inspiration -- a woman by the name of Althea Gibson.

"When I was coming up as a junior," said Sherrie, "there weren't a lot of blacks in tennis, and I
experienced some racism. But Althea's challenges were 100 times harder than mine. If she could
do it, I could do it."
And do it she did.
Sherrie and her partner, Cheryl Hicks, had only a week between the USTA Nationals in Tucson,
Arizona, and Indian Wells, California. -- so they planned a road trip.
"We called ourselves Thelma and Louise," joked Sherrie, adding, "I'm the one with the gun."
(She was referring to the speeding ball that flies off her rifle-like racquet, of course.) According
to Cheryl, the two are a perfect partnership -- Sherrie crushes the ball from the baseline, and
Cheryl puts them away at the net. They overcame challenges including winning two 10-point
tiebreaks, and running out of gas -- but nothing deterred them as they dropped only one match
at both USTA National events combined.
Sherrie learned tennis from her dad -- so it was a special moment when her parents, Gene and
Jannie Barnes, saw her play at nationals. She had help financing her trip from her old friend and
former mixed doubles partner from Atlanta, Amp Myers, a past 5.0 national winner. Although
Sherrie's teams didn't finish first, she still has one more chance, when her 9.0 mixed doubles
team heads to Hawaii April 2014.
"Hawaii...are you kidding me?" she says. "Three nationals in one year is surreal...it's a blessing
and a gift." And all who have had Sherrie on their team feel she's a blessing and a gift, as well.

Law and other Achievements
Age 23 Received a full scholarship to FSU College of Law. Attended school with
Attorney Benjamin Crump, Esq. He was 2 years ahead of me and very good friend
and colleague.
At 26 Graduated law school and passed Florida Bar first time and admitted to the
Florida Bar (April 15, 1998)
Age 29 Started own law firm Barnes & James, LLC later to be Barnes &
Associates
Age 31 Became an Adjunct Professor for the Criminal Justice Department at
Florida A&M University.
Age 33 Was admitted to practice law in the Florida Federal Middle District
October 2003; Age 24 admitted to practice law the Florida Federal Northern
District March 2004

Age 33 Became President of the Tallahassee Barrister’s Association 2005-2006
(Black Lawyer’s Association)
Age 34 Became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Age 34 Charter Member of the 100 Black Women of Tallahassee
Age 35 Got married
Age 36 Federal Agents raided my home, arrested my husband for all kinds of
crimes. Chiiiillllle…These were federal agents I had worked with on previous
cases. I was half naked when they raided the house…
Age 39 Closed law practice and moved to Fort Lauderdale.
Age 40 Became the first Supervisor of the Juvenile Criminal Division of Office of
Criminal Conflict and Regional Counsel 4 th District
Age 41 Got divorced.
Age 41 Started the Black History Bootcamp program and activity workbook for
some of the kids in Juvenile Court as a part of the Diversion program.
Collaborated the Broward County Florida Urban League the second year of the
program.
Age 41 Was cast in a Domino’s Pizza commercial as a principal Actor. As a result,
I was invited to join Screen Actor Guild (SAG).
Age 42 Moved back home to help take care of my ailing and aging parents. Turned
out be a 9-year journey with my Dad that passed away last year on Mother’s Day.
Still caregiving for my Mom.
Age 43 Was hired by the Trial Lawyers of Florida, LLC as the Personal Injury
Division Supervisor (Remote position unless I had conduct a trial).
Age 44 Created my skincare line Divine Nourishment Natural Skincare
Age 47 Enrolled into Beaver Beauty Academy
Age 48 Graduated from Beaver Beauty Academy Salutorian of the class
Age 51 Became a Licensed Esthetician
Age 52 Became Park Ranger for Dekalb County in the Park Naturalist Division.
Age 52 publishing my book entitled “My Conversation with the Devil at