Williams sisters had to try playing for Dad at Neuqua Valley
Morgan and Brittany Williams always were members of the the Neuqua Valley basketball family.
They tagged along to their dad Mike's practices since the school opened its doors. Played on youth Sunday league teams at Neuqua going back to the fourth gade. Were teammates on the Illinois Wildcats summer league travel team.
"They had more Neuqua colors in their closet than their own school," Mike said.
That bond between the twins and their dad's team was always long-distance come school year. For three years the girls attended Plainfield South. Mike watched their games from the stands, the girls were his "biggest critics" at the Neuqua games they made. Morgan and Brittany missed Big Brother/Big Sister night at Neuqua. Didn't make the team's summer trip to Oregon.
That changed this year. The girls chose to come to Neuqua. No bitter mention of losing seasons or coaching changes in Plainfield. They just wanted to play for dad.
"It's our last year. We figured it was a great opportunity," Morgan said, "and we might as well take it."
The decision was not an easy one. The girls' mom, Sheri, a teacher in the Plainfield school district, had them write down the pros and cons of the move. Missing their friends. No more Friday night football games in Plainfield. How they could handle dad as coach.
On the plus side there was the benefit of Neuqua's strong academics. Practically speaking, with older brother Justin playing at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater the travel schedule just got a lot less hectic.
"I'd miss 30 to 40 percent of their games before," Mike said. "Here, we hardly have to miss anything. As a father and coach I want them to play for me. It's an honor."
Sheri set down strict ground rules. No. 1, no talking about basketball in the car or once they get home (the girls break that rule occasionally when they are alone - after all, they are twins).
That mandate was put to the test a week ago, when three livid Williams suggested popping in a little game film after a bad loss to Hinsdale Central.
"She said, 'No, we're going to watch a movie,' " Mike said. "It couldn't get over soon enough."
Sheri may be the daughter of former Waubonsie Valley AD Dick Kerner, but juggling basketball for breakfast, lunch and dinner is a little hard to digest.
Grandma and Grandpa tend to sympathize with the girls from the stands when coach Williams has criticism for Morgan or Brittany. An absolute for Mike is to treat his daughters no differently than any other player. The girls may both be starting guards, but they had to earn their spot.
"The beauty of it is people say, 'We wouldn't be able to tell that those two girls are your daughters if we were just in the stands watching,'" Mike said. "They've probably seen a different side of me."
"In the beginning it was tough," Brittany said, "because I thought of him as my dad. At times I felt like I was being picked on. But then Morgan and I talked about it and I realized that everybody was treated equally."
No doubt, having a twin sister by your side makes the adjustment easier. The two girls have played basketball together since Jordan Jammer in the family basement, are in every class together at Neuqua (they never were at Plainfield South) and hope to play collegiately together next year.
Also smoothing things over are friendships forged over the years with Neuqua teammates like senior Danielle Carroll.
"We adjusted well," Morgan said.
Mike sees the girls spending time in the hallways with freshman players, showing an enthusiastic attitude, a caring for younger kids, emulating everything he wants in a team. That makes for a proud coach. As a dad, it's even better.
"It (the move) was a tough decision for all of us," he said, "but in our hearts it was the right decision. If we hadn't done it we would have looked back and thought, 'Oh boy, I wish we would have."