The girls have long been fascinated by Daddy's basketball trophies. They like to ask him questions about basketball and talk to him about playing. It wasn't a big surprise when the brunette twin tried out (and made) the basketball team last year.
She really enjoyed playing. She liked being on the team. She liked the team rituals, like dressing up for away games and wearing her uniform to school for home games. Last summer she participated in two basketball camps.
It shouldn't have been a surprise, then, when the blond twin decided to try out this year. She hadn't expressed any interest in basketball until she participated in a basketball camp last summer. She had a passing interest and decided to try out.
They both made the team. The brunette twin knew she was going to make the team because she was on it last year and improved her skills last summer. The blond twin stressed about each try-out level as if she was waiting to win an Academy Award. Really, she wanted it badly.
I could say she wanted it badly because she liked basketball so much, but that's not really true. The blond twin is so competitive that she really hates to lose in any way. Not making the team would have been the same as losing for her.
They have been practicing for days now, both in school and after school. They have teammates meet them at the basketball courts to practice shooting. It's so much fun to watch them develop their skills, and their personal competition. They might be twins, but they are also competing for playing time. I really like how they want to outdo each other, even as they are supporting each other.
Too many evenings we tell them that they have to stop talking about basketball at dinner. We ask them if anything else happened at school. They stare blankly and then go back to talking about basketball practice.
Their first game is soon. Given that the team only won 1 game last year, we're not thinking about college scholarships. We are thinking that playing on the basketball team is a great way for them to grow and have fun, and that's enough.