This year’s varsity basketball team has a hidden gem for all the parents and fans watching: sibling rivalry. Senior Connor Van Kirk, and his sophomore brother Ryan Van Kirk are generally in at the same times during games, dominating the Patriots backcourt. As if one set of varsity brothers is not rare enough, 6’5 senior twins Aidan and Anton Hessler are taking over in the low post. Both brothers are highly competitive on and off the court and are extremely dedicated to the sport.
The Van Kirk brothers have been working on improving their games and chemistry since a young age because of their father, who played high school basketball. He shares the same passion for basketball as they do, but a father cannot force his kids to be great.
“Talent is not made overnight. It is worked on over years,” Connor Van Kirk said.
“I think talent runs in the family, our dad played in high school and my sister is a natural at basketball. We have also worked really hard to get where we are,” Ryan Van Kirk said.
Both brothers acknowledged the hard work and dedication it took to get to their current positions. The Van Kirk family does have a history of basketball talent. Ryan Van Kirk was asked about how he decided to join in on the family tradition.
“I got into basketball because of my older brother, seeing him play made me want to play and follow in his footsteps,” Ryan Van Kirk said.
The Van Kirk brothers’ chemistry out on the court is apparent to all fans, and both brothers agreed that they definitely have a sense of anticipating each other’s movements. Connor Van Kirk plays with intensity in the games and in practice. As the captain, Connor Van Kirk is a leader and it is his job to motivate his teammates if they are not performing, especially his brother.
“I would say I am some what more protective of Ryan. At times I would say I am harder on Ryan but I am also more encouraging at times. Just in general I care more about his performance I would say, I know Ryan’s time is coming,” Connor Van Kirk said.
The next set of brothers are the Hessler twins. Both Aidan and Anton Hessler play the same position and have incredible size, looming over the majority of their teammates and opponents. As twins, the rivalry between the two brothers is even more intense.
“Anton does like to say he gets more playing time than me but I get him back because I also play varsity baseball which he doesn’t,” Aidan Hessler said.
The competitive nature of the Hessler twins is apparent on and off the court. The constant time spent between Anton and Aidan Hessler helped develop the challenge to be better than the other.
“From playing one-on-one in the street to playing on the hardwood, to who plays better and who gets more playing time is always coming up. It is a natural part of our sibling rivalry,” Anton Hessler said.
At 6’5, it would seem that the Hessler twins would have some basketball in their blood.
“Talent does not run in the family, it is a miracle that we have made it this far,” Anton Hessler said.
“Anton and I did not have basketball come naturally to us. It took hard work after never making the Williamsburg Middle School basketball team,” Aidan Hessler said.
After wins, both sets of brothers agree that the energy in the house is definitely better and puts the entire family in a good mood. Basketball is a huge part of both these families’ lives and it is a treat for Patriot fans to watch the brothers out on the court. Hopefully the chemistry among the brothers will continue to propel the team to a successful season.
