THE CREATIVE ATHLETE

Issue 32 -- What About Brothers and Sisters?

Sports can either bring brothers and sisters together or drive them apart. There are many examples of families where everyone participates and helps each other. Examples:

• Justin and Troy Dumais are the two oldest of five divers in their family. They are just a year apart in school and have often competed against each other. At the 1995 Olympic Festival, Justin finished fourth and Troy sixth in the 10-meter platform competition. At the 1997 National Championships, Troy finished first and Justin second in 3-meter springboard, and together they placed third in 3-meter springboard synchronized. Troy also won the 1-meter title and placed second on the platform (Justin was fifth). In 1998 Troy again won the 3-meter title and was third on the 1-meter. Justin won the 3-meter springboard synchronized diving competition with partner, Kevin McMahon, and was fourth on the 10-meter springboard.

Observed Justin, "... I think the both of us drive each other to be better. I think that's how we've gotten so good." (1)

• Bonnie Blair, five-time Olympic gold medal winning speedskater, was affectionately known as "America's kid sister" because she got highly visible support from her older brothers and sisters. Out of family of six kids, five speedskated and won national championships. According to her sister Suzy, "We all have experienced [speedskating] ... we all know what Bonnie is going through ..." (2)
  
  
• Kim, Elaina, and Bev Oden have all been members of the U.S. Olympic women's volleyball team -- Kim on the 1988 team, Kim and Elaina on the 1992 team, and Elaina and Bev on the 1996 team. Kim helped Elaina who then helped Bev. "Kim was always my model. I tried to do things like she did 'em. I still consult Kim all the time," said Elaina. (3)
  
  
• Rudy Galindo, 1996 U.S. men's national figure skating champion and world bronze medalist, was supported by his sister Laura, a figure skater who joined Ice Follies to earn money for him. "It's $100 a week or something I made. And then I would just give it to Dad for Rudy's skating. Rudy never asked. My dad never asked. [It was] something I wanted to do." (4)
  
  
• Ty and Koy Detmer both played high school football (though at different schools) for their father and coach, Sonny. Ty grew up playing quarterback, but Koy, six years younger, was hesitant at first. "He was used to playing with Ty's friends, who were older, and didn't feel comfortable telling people what to do as a quarterback, even though he could play it like crazy," said Sonny.

"So I let him quit. If I'd made him stay with it, for him and his particular case, it wouldn't have been good. I don't think Koy would have gone back out there the next year if I'd made him do that." (5)

By sixth grade, Koy was playing quarterback. In high school he surpassed his older brother's record, becoming the leading passer in the history of Texas Class 5A football.

Ty went on to play for Brigham Young University and was the 1990 Heisman trophy winner; Koy played for the University of Colorado and was the 1996 Big 12 Conference quarterback. Ty was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1992 snd Koy by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997 (where Ty was playing at the time).

• Oregon University cross-country runner Annie Ebiner is the youngest in a family with eight brothers and seven sisters. Twelve of the 15 ran track in high school. A sister, Kathleen, competed in two national cross-country meets, and a brother, Matt, qualified for the 1988 and 1992 Olympic marathon trials.

Annie originally was not interested in running. She preferred baseball, softball, and basketball. But when she was a high school freshman, she took up the sport to spend more time with her sister Elizabeth, who was a senior. "I really enjoyed the camaraderie between Elizabeth and me. It was great spending a couple of hours a day with her, and we really became close that year."

Before long, Annie was outdoing her sister. "Even as a freshman, she was better than I was," said Elizabeth. "It was kind of funny having her always run ahead of me in races, but I was always very proud of her. I knew that big things were ahead for her." As a sophomore, Annie won the first of two state Division III cross-country titles. In 1996 she also won the California state high school 1,600 meter title and ran one of the year's fastest miles by a U.S. high school girl.

Said Annie, "I've learned to really appreciate all of my family support. A lot of my teammates have no one to come out and support them, and I always have someone. I'm very lucky." (6)

• Shannon Sharpe and his older brother Sterling both became pro football players. Said Shannon, "We played together. We fought together. My father died at a very young age. My grandfather died at a very young age. So Sterling took over the role of being the dominant male figure in my life. He always has been." (7)

"The two people who influenced me the most, good or bad, are Sterling and my grandmother. Everything I know about being a man, about football, everything I know about sports, pretty much in life, is because of those two people." (8)

Shannon followed Sterling through high school football. "I wore the same uniform number. I taped up my sleeves, wore my socks low, played the same position. I wanted to be my brother." (9)

Sterling earned a full scholarship to the University of South Carolina, but Shannon could not follow him there. "When I didn't score 700 in the SAT coming out of high school, I was ready to go to the military. I wasn't going to be able to go to an NCAA Division I school and play.

"My brother told me to try Savannah (Ga.) State. I listened to him, and it was the turning point in my life." (10)

In 1988 Sterling was a Packers first round draft pick, the seventh player selected overall. He became the Packers all-time leading receiver and was selected for five straight Pro Bowls.

In 1990 Shannon was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round of the draft, the 192nd player overall. "Sterling really prepared me for training camp. He said that you might not get a whole lot of looks, but when you do get an opportunity to go in there, make sure you do everything you're supposed to do. Go out there and make plays, and that's pretty much what I did." (11) Shannon has been picked for six straight Pro Bowls.

Sterling's football career was cut short in 1994 by a serious spinal injury. He now works as an ESPN analyst. "It wasn't meant for me to be in uniform. I asked God for one year in this league. I got seven. I stole six years." (12)

After the injury, the brothers' roles shifted. Said Sterling, "Shannon became the father figure in our family." (13) When Shannon earned a 1998 Super Bowl ring with the Broncos, he said he planned to give it to Sterling because now he plays for both of them.

• Phil and Steve Mahre are twin brothers who came from family of nine kids. They skied together in three Olympics: 1976, 1980, and 1984. Said Phil, "Throughout our careers we worked very, very well with one another, both in training and in competition. I think that a lot of my success has to be credited to my brother. Had he not been there, I don't think I would have pushed as hard."

Their biggest success came in 1984, when Phil won the Olympic gold medal in slalom and Steve the silver. Explained Steve, "... I ran the course before Phil. I called him on the walkie-talkie after my run to tell him that the course was a mess, chunking up with some bad snow. Sure enough, he visualized all my feedback, nailed each of those spots, and had a magnificent run. And then he did the same for me. We were each other's eyes and ears and sixth sense on the course." (14)

In families where one sibling takes on the role of star athlete, relationships can remain strong when everyone feels they are working toward a common goal. Examples:

• Chainey Umphrey, a member of the U.S. men's gymnastics team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, has five brothers and sisters who shared in his success. Said his sister Frances, "We feel like when Chainey made it to the Olympics, we did, too. We're up there on the high bar with him. We're out on the floor. Words can't explain how strong that bond is. We feel like we all had a little something to do with him being there." (15)
  
  
• Another gymnast, Jaycie Phelps (a member of the 1996 gold-medal winning team in Atlanta), has a brother, Dennis, whose life was affected by her training. The family moved from their hometown in Greenfield, Indiana to Phoenix, Arizona when her coach suggested she get advanced training. When that didn't work out, Jaycie and her mother moved to Cincinnati, Ohio so Jaycie could train with another coach. Her father and Dennis moved back to Greenfield.

All these moves occurred while Dennis was in high school. Said their father, "He's sacrificed more than anybody." But getting Jaycie to the Olympics was a reward for Dennis. "Not too many families have this chance," he noted. (16)

Sometimes brothers and sisters even become part of the business. Tennis player Tracy Austin's brother became her agent. Baseball player George Brett's brother handled his financial affairs. Tennis player Andre Agassi's brother became his manager and traveled to matches with him. Golfer Davis Love III's brother became his caddie.

Of course, not all sibling relationships go smoothly. Problems can arise when all the family's resources (money, time, and attention) go to the athlete and the other children feel neglected. Examples:

• When figure skater Tiffany Chin (1985 U.S. national champion and 1985 and 1986 world bronze medalist) was training, her sister had to give up a promising musical career. There wasn't enough money to pay for both Tiffany's skating lessons and her sister's piano lessons.
  
  
• In search of better coaching, gymnast Jennie Thompson (1993 Junior National Champion) and her mother Samm moved from their home in Texas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her brother and father stayed behind. Said Samm, "I'm missing a tremendous part of Matthew's life. He's the one who gets it the worst. Matthew has given up more than anybody in the family." Often no one was around to watch him play his sport, football.

When asked if these sacrifices would be worth it if his sister made the Olympic team, Matthew said, "No, not really." (17) As it turned out, Jennie narrowly missed qualifying for the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, but she did go to the 1997 World Championships.

 

1 USA Today, July 27, 1995.
2 USA Weekend, January 31-February 2, 1992.
3 Nando.net, Scripps Howard News Service, May 20, 1996.
4 "Primetime Live," ABC, March 20, 1996.
5 The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 11, 1997.
6 Los Angeles Times, May 16, 1996.
7 The Denver Post, June 4, 1998.
8 Chicago Daily Herald, January 24, 1998.
9 Sport, January 1998.
10 The Arizona Republic, January 22, 1998.
11 Chicago Daily Herald, January 24, 1998.
12 The Denver Post, June 4, 1998.
13 Sport, January, 1998.
14 Steven Ungerleider. Quest for Success. Waco, Texas: WRS Publishing, 1995.
15 Nando.net, Scripps-McClatchy Western Service, July 20, 1996.
16 The Atlanta Journal, July 23, 1996.
17 The Dallas Morning News, October 15, 1995.

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