Many spring sports parents have to make decisions on which events they are going to attend each day: especially if they have a son on one team and a daughter on another.
Seymour’s softball team is more of a family affair, as there are three pairs of sisters on the roster, including a set of twins.
On top of that, all three assistant coaches have daughters on the team.
Camryn and Kendrick Sterling are freshmen twins, and their father, Jason is an assistant coach. Jozie and Matte Nicholson are on the team and their mother, Zabrina, is the junior varsity coach.
The other set of sisters are the Klebers, Paige and Stephanni. Their father, Jason, isn’t a member of the coaching staff. However, he grilled the hamburgers and hot dogs at a game earlier this week and his heavily involved in the softball community. At that same game, Matt Nicholson, Zabrina’s husband, handled the scoreboard duties.
The other assistant coach is Ben Stewart, and his daughter, Sydney, is a member of the team.
“I think it’s a good experience,” Camryn Sterling said of having a sister on the team and dad as assistant coach. “We talk about softball a lot at home. Softball is a big part in our lives. I really like to have them here with me. My dad played slow pitch softball. He’s really taught us a lot.”
Kendrick said she also like having a sister on the team.
“It’s nice playing together, and I like my dad as a coach. He’s taught us a lot along the way,” she said. “We’ve played in tournaments all across the country. We went to one of the biggest tournaments in the Midwest two years ago, called Laser Nation, and we won that. It was in Columbus, Ohio.”
Paige Kleber, the only senior among the group said, “It’s nice knowing I have someone there, no matter what, Stephanni is with me, and it’s always fun because we know each-other better than anyone else knows us.”
Stephanni said, “It’s nice because we’ve been winning a lot and it’s nice to have my sister around because we hang out and it’s the only time we actually talk.”
She said softball receives a lot of attention at home, and she will play on the Thunder fastpitch team from Seymour this summer, which is headed by their father.
Jozie Nicholson said she was 9-years-old when she began playing softball.
“I’ve played travel ball for about six years,” she said. “It’s helped a lot because it helps me prepare for throughout the year instead of just playing during the spring.”
She said the family talks about softball a lot at home, and she has enjoyed playing for her mother.
“I’ve played since I was about 8,” Matte said. “I like that (Zabrina and Jozie) know what’s going on, so when we talk about it, it’s easier. Also, I like the free rides from practice. I’m two years younger than (Jozie), but we both play for the same (Thunder) organization.”
There are two other sets of twins in spring sports in the county.
Erin and Emily Singleton are on the Brownstown Central softball team, and Katelyn and Emma Schepman are on the Trinity Lutheran track and field team.
Jeremy Richey is head baseball coach at Seymour, and his brother, Justin, is an assistant coach.
Monte Ault is head softball coach at Brownstown Central and his daughter, Kirsten Ault Beavers is an assistant coach, and Carl Bowman is head boys track coach at Crothersville and his son, Marc, is an assistant coach.
Paul Borden, and his son, Cole, are assistant coaches with the Brownstown baseball team.
Other parents coaching their sons and/or daughters are Brownstown Central’s Shannon Barger (baseball) and Derrick Koch (track); Seymour’s Spencer Sunbury (track) and Johnnie Spivey (track); Trinity’s Sherry Schult (tennis), Orlando Munoz (softball), Herb Goss (softball) and Jennifer Hildreth (track).
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There are many family connections between players and coaches in Jackson County this spring.
Brownstown Central
Paul, Seth, Cole Borden (father-son-son)
Shannon, Clayton Barger (father-son)
Monte Ault, Kirsten Ault Beavers (father-daughter)
Derrick, Nathan, Emily Koch (father-son-daughter)
Erin, Emily Singleton (twins)
Jalen, Kiernan Tiemeyer (brothers)
Abbie, Austin Reynolds (sister-brother)
Olivia, Hannah Hackman (sisters)
Luke, Addie Shelton (brother-sister)
Crothersville
Makayla, Zach Helt (sister-brother)
Kennadi, Kiarra Lakins (sisters)
Carl, Marc Bowman (father-son)
Seymour
Johnnie, Kaylee Spivey (father-daughter)
Spencer, Makenna, Lillian Sunbury (father-daughter-daughter)
Zabrina, Jozie, Matte Nicholson (mother-daughter-daughter)
Jason, Camryn, Kendrick Sterling (father-twin daughters)
Ben, Sydney Stewart (father-daughter)
Jeremy, Justin Richey (brothers)
Paige, Stephanni Kleber (sisters)
Andrew, Peyton Levine (brother-sister)
Kaleigh, Micah Maschino (sisters)
Evie, Mattlyn Kegeris (sisters)
Alex, Brady Westfall (brothers)
Leo, John Polbito (brothers)
Todd, Makenna Fee (brother-sister)
Dulce, Giselle Gaytan (sisters)
Brett, R.J., Brandon Kleber (sister-brother-brother)
Lauren, Andrew Knieriem (sister-brother)
Will, Harrison Cottrill (brothers)
Abby, Sam Schmidt (sister-brother)
Mallory, Garrett Minton (sister-brother)
Takumi, Ami Nishiwaki (brother-sister)
Trinity Lutheran
Sherry, Abby Schult, (mother-daughter)
Orlando, Genesis Munoz (father-daughter)
Herb, Kamzi Gross (father-daughter)
Jennifer, Abby Hildreth (mother-daughter)
Evan, Ean Hunt (brothers)
Chris, Jake Mau (brothers)
Mya, Sadie Nay (sisters)
Katelyn, Emma Schepman (twins)
A.J., Emma Goecker (brother-sister)
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