Courtesy of Hedi Hudman
Juniors Eliana and Lily Hudman pose at a cross-country meet.
Having a sibling to wake up with, go to school with, eat dinner with, etc., can be annoying, but also a blessing. As siblings already spend so much time together, imagine them being in the same sport together throughout their high school career.
Junior Kayley Brekel and her little sister, freshman Rylie, are both Varsity and JV cheer captains, respectively. As such, they have similar outlooks and can relate to each other when it gets hard.
“She was a freshman captain with both returner captains, and I was a junior captain with all senior captains,” Kayley said. “Since we were the youngest on both of our teams, we went through the same thing with our leadership, but, at the end of the day, we had each other to figure it out and encourage each other to keep going.”
Being able to relate to each other through sports can be helpful during the season. Junior Chase Yancy and his brother, freshman Tyler, are both wrestlers. They diet together to make weight and break their fasts together when the season is over.
“We’ve been cutting weight all season, so we’re super skinny,” Chase said. “So, once state was over, we went to eat hibachi. The next day, we had donuts, and we just ate and ate to see who could gain the most weight again.”
While being on the same team means going on fun trips for meets and games, it can also come with disagreements from spending so much time together.
“We can tell just by looking at each other that we’re annoyed,” freshman Ryan Hance said about her older sister, sophomore Kamryn. “Usually she’ll push me and I’ll push her back. You know, just little sibling bickers.”
Playing your sport for the last time with your sibling can be bittersweet. Senior Arely Licerio and freshman Kimberly got the chance to play on the varsity soccer team together.
“Being on a team with her was definitely a special moment for me,” Arely said. “I wasn’t going to play again because it’s not my main sport, but I came back again for her, to support her. It would be my last chance.”
Being siblings comes with a special bond and connection that can never be replaced. This goes with the Hance sisters and their sport, wrestling.
“She always wants to wrestle, but she can’t because of her injury,” Ryan Hance said. “This year, when I went into JV districts and won, I did it for her. I had her in mind when I was wrestling.“
The football playoff game was an exciting and bittersweet moment as well. Not only for the football players, but for everyone on the sidelines. Rylie was bumped up to varsity just for the game and got the opportunity to cheer with her sister.
“I didn’t want it to be the last game of the season,” Kayley said. “Getting to hug Rylie at the end, I realized my junior season was over and her season was over. It was a very full-circle moment for me, even more so because she was there with me.”