Eli and Peyton Manning. Venus and Serena Williams. Pau and Marc Gasol. All are siblings who have played one another in their respective sport. Sibling rivalries have been known to bring out the more competitive side in people. Whether it is in Little League or the Big Show, siblings are always fun to watch compete.
Archie Manning, the father of current NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton, says he cheers them on in every game, and luckily, the two brothers rarely play each other.
In an interview with ESPN’s Rick Reilly, the Manning brothers have admitted to sharing a little information with each other.
“Yeah, [we’d exchange information] except if we’re playing each other,” Peyton said. “But we’ll share tidbits about who the other one is playing. Especially if they’re playing somebody in the AFC West [Peyton’s division]. I’ll give him all he wants.”
Brotherly love is important for sibling athletes, whether it is the NFL or a high school football team. For instance, Taylor and Ryan Schaeffer both play on the Saints varsity football team. The Schaeffer brothers, who are both starting linebackers, use the exceeding amount of time together for motivation.
“[I use Taylor as motivation] all the time,” Ryan said. “I am always striving to be better than him.”
Taylor goes on to say that having built in competition helps him bring his best everyday.
“I always make sure I beat him every time we go against each other.” When asked which brother is the better athlete, Taylor boasts, “Of course I’m the better athlete! I’m older, faster and stronger!”
Football is not the only sport that boasts a set of sibling teammates. Alex and Tedi Beemer are both varsity soccer players. The sisters agree that when they first became teammates, it was a bit unusual. After a while, they became accustomed to playing alongside each other.
“She’s a lot harder on me than the rest of our teammates,” Tedi said.
Alex goes on to say that having a sibling on your team can be distracting at times.
“I (sometimes) get irritated with her more easily than my other teammates,” she said.
One of Tedi’s favorite memories of playing with Alex was when the Saints took on Bishop Moore.
“We were down by two goals and winning in overtime with only three defenders,” Tedi said. “Definitely the most rewarding game I’ve ever played!”
The Saints’ cross country team was recently ranked third in the nation in the small schools division. This is thanks to Sam and Jesse Millson, who have helped lead the runners for the past few seasons. The brothers both love having one another on the same team because they use each other for motivation and support.
“I definitely use Jesse’s presence on the team as motivation to get better,” Sam said. “I know that if we are having a tough workout and I’m not sure if I can go any faster, all I have to do is look to my side and see him right next to me to be able to push through the pain and keep going. He even has yelled at me in races before if I start to slow down”
In individual sports, especially running, the athletes are always compared to one another.
“Jesse and I have both always been at the same level when it comes to running. Typically one of us will beat the other in one race, but then the other will win the next one,” said Sam. “We always do the same training in and out of school, get the same amount of sleep, and eat the same meals, so we have always stayed neck and neck in high school running.”
Jesse has a similar standpoint but has an idea as to who has the slight edge.
“My whole life I’ve been striving to be as good as him in all things,” Jesse said. “I guess you could say he has been better at (certain) things as I chase after him.”
Jim and John Harbaugh are two NFL head coaches whose teams happened to play each other in last year’s Super Bowl. Before John’s Ravens defeated Jim’s 49ers, the brothers’ mother spoke to the media about choosing sides for the game.
“You watch the game completely emotionless,” she said. “You watch it completely void of any feelings you have for anybody”.
Sports or not, siblings are always compared to each other. Neither sibling wants to be defeated by the other, whether they are playing together or competing against each other. As seen, these six athletes use the comparison, not as determination to beat their sibling, but as motivation to get better and ultimately help lead their team to a state championship.
