Ken Roberts
Sports Writer
Every year senior athletes close out their sports careers, most of them to never play on a competitive, organized team again. They have had their moments, and now it’s time to leave that spotlight for the next set of athletes.
For many of these students, they leave behind brothers or sisters. The younger sibling has had time to talk to their older sibling and watch them perform. Does having a brother like Tim Matuszak, a three sport athlete who has received all-district honors in three sports, affect his younger brother Adam, just a freshman who is starting to develop his own high school career?
If you are Lisa Brocard’s freshman sister Sara, do you have to be as good as your sister to feel good about yourself.
Surprisingly, the four freshmen that I talked to didn’t feel any sense of pressure, only admiration for what their older sister or brother had done.
“I just look at what Donny has achieved and I want to be like that,” said freshman Michelle Cliver about her older brother. “I kind of push myself, but not to be better than him. I admire how he keeps his cool about things.”
As is often the case, if one sibling is competitive in nature, so is the other. As it turns out, they are also very supportive. Donny Cliver, who was an all-state quarterback and kicker, offers his sister whatever advice he can, though he admits that he can’t really help her with volleyball.
Mostly his advice extends to how to deal with teammates.
“I tell her not to be afraid to step up and be a leader to bring the team together,” said Donny, who emphasizes that he wants her to have fun first. “Work hard in practice. You don’t want to be a talker and not back it up on the field.”
Michelle is grateful for the advice, whether it’s about skills or dealing with teammates.
“He gives advice all the time, and I ask all the time,” said Michelle.
Sometimes, however, the personalities of the two siblings are different. Freshman Erica Snow considers herself to be much more competitive than her laid back senior sister, Megan. Erica competes in several sports while Megan has confined herself to long distance running in track and cross country.
“Megan isn’t the competitive type; I am,” said Erica, “but we help each other out a lot.”
Megan agrees.
“We don’t talk about sports that much,” stated Megan. “We have more things in common than sports.”
But if Megan would offer any advice to Erica it would be persevere through difficult times.
“Even if it gets tough, have a good attitude about it,” said Megan. “Even if you have a slump, it will get better.”
And Megan’s endurance has not gone unnoticed by Erica.
“Hard work has really paid off for her,” Erica emphasized. “It’s taught me that you don’t have to be naturally gifted and talented. If you work hard enough, you will get good at it.
Tim and Adam Matuszak don’t always talk directly about sports either, even though both set high goals.
“He doesn’t feel comfortable yet coming to me for advice,” said Tim, “but I’m always there for it.”
As far as Adam is concerned, he is getting all the advice he needs indirectly.
“I get my advice from him by watching him,” stated Adam. “I see the name he’s made for himself. I look up to him and I want to be that way too.”
Tim’s advice might surprise Adam a little bit because it isn’t just about sports.
“Worry more about your schoolwork now than athletics,” Tim believes. “It might not seem like a big deal now because it might seem like school is never going to end for you.”
But he still feels sports has something to offer beyond the competition.
“Get as involved as you can if it’s relly what you want to do,” Tim said. “Sports teach you more than just how to be competitive.”
Like Erica Snow, Adam has different sports interests than Tim. His first love is basketball, the one sport that hopes to excel at the most, but he has also chosen golf, something Tim did not participate in. The same is true for Sara Brocard. While she does play volleyball like her sister
Lisa, her main sport is softball and she is also out for basketball.
“That way I don’t have to live up to what she can do,” declared Sara. “I can make up my own boundaries.”
Sara respects the way Lisa has handled herself with poise over her career.
“She keeps it together all the time,” said Sara, “and balances everything like school and sports.”
Lisa has always been goal-driven. At the age of 13, she began to post her athletic goals on her mirror to look at every day.
“It’s not a to-do list,” she said. “It’s just to remind me of something to strive for, something to accomplish sooner or later.”
Though they are slightly competitive, more in a playful way, there are still some times that Lisa can impart advice to her sister.
“On a good day, I can talk to her,” said Lisa. “I tell her not to get discouraged. She definitely has the skill and she has three more years ahead.”
In all four cases, there seems to be a strong bond. It makes the passing of the torch much easier to do.