For The Tribune
Basketball is a family sport at Trinity Lutheran High School this winter, especially when it comes to the Goeckers.
There are four Goeckers on the rosters.
Jodi and Tyler are sister and brother, and A.J. and Emma are brother and sister.
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Jodi and Emma played on the girls team, and A.J. and Tyler are on the boys team.
Jodi is a senior, A.J. is a junior, Emma is a sophomore, and Tyler is a freshman.
They are first cousins as their fathers, Chad and Max, are brothers.
They carpool as much as they can, Jodi and Tyler, and A.J. and Emma, to school but the boys and girls usually have different practice times.
“It’s fun,” Jodi said. “I always cheer them on. I’m at every boys game to watch them play together because those two play great together, and me and Emma being on the same team is nice having a cousin, and having family on the team you can always go to them, and we support each other.”
Jodi, who started at point guard for the Cougars, said there is competition at reunions.
“Whether it be like card games, or board games, “(being competitive) is everywhere,” Jodi said.
Jodi and A.J. also ran cross-country together for two years, and A.J. and Emma were on the track teams last spring. Jodi plays softball in the spring where her father, Chad, is head coach.
“At Immanuel, we all ran cross-country together, except for Tyler,” Jodi said.
A.J, who leads the Cougars in scoring, said, “We’re all really close, so it’s nice to have some more people to talk to. It helps make getting to and from practice a lot easier.
Emma said, “It’s always nice to have someone to constantly lean on when you need help during basketball, and it’s always fun to watch the two boys play together.”
The two families live opposite directions from Seymour. “For reunions we meet half-way,” Emma said.
Jodi and Emma helped the Cougars win the West Washington Sectional and advance to the regional championship this past weekend.
Tyler goes to watch his relatives play and likes playing with his cousin.
“I can go watch the girls play, and they come and support me, too,” Tyler said. “It’s really nice to have A.J. on the team. I look up to him as a role model, and I try to follow in his footsteps, and bring the intensity he brings to practice and games.
“It’s really nice. It will be fun to play with him one more year and then he goes off to college, and I hope to continue what he does and follow in his footsteps.”
A.J. and Tyler have started several games together.
“We bond really well together,” A.J. said. “Our friendships are really good.”
There are two sets of twins on winter sport teams, Matt and Tayler Garland are on the Brownstown Central basketball team, and Dillon and Dalton Polley are on the Seymour swim team.
Basketball coaches at Brownstown Central, Crothersville and Trinity Lutheran have siblings on basketball teams at their school.
There also are cheerleaders and managers that are siblings to players and coaches of winter teams.
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Winter sports immediate family relations:
Brownstown Central
David and Katherine Benter (father-daughter)
Lee Ann and Seth Borden (mother-son)
Matt and Tayler Garland (brother-sister, twins)
Crothersville
Logan and Tayler Brewer (brother-sister)
Kevin and Piper Hensley (father-daughter)
Bobby and Maddie Riley (father-daughter)
Medora
No siblings
Seymour
Eddie and Endia Louden (brother-sister)
Alan and Alyssa Perry (brother-sister)
Maddie and Lance Roark (sister-brother)
Avery and Alli DeHart (sisters)
Alexa and Audri Mckinney (sisters)
Amelita and Marcequi Vasquez (sisters)
Luke and Katie Turner (brother-sister)
Daniel and Elizabeth Hartman (brother-sister)
Dalton and Dillon Polley (brothers, twins)
Trinity Lutheran
Tyler and Jodi Goecker (brother-sister)
A.J. and Emma Goecker (brother-sister)
Jacob and Josh Rowe (brothers)
Rachel and Hannah Sabotin (sisters)
Mike and Emilee Lang (father-daughter)
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