Playing a sport in college can be a unique and challenging experience, but when you have a sibling there with you and another that’s been there before, the challenge becomes much easier to manage.
Ryan and Shannon Hart are two of nine children from the Hart family and are both currently attending Keene State College. Ryan is a senior and Shannon a first-year. The Harts are naturally competitive, according to Ryan.
“My dad was a good lacrosse player,” Ryan said. “My mom played field hockey, basketball and tennis. She was a really good, top-ten tennis player her senior year in college,” he said.
Ryan is a senior and plays for the Owls’ men’s lacrosse team. His sister Shannon, a first-year at KSC, plays for the women’s soccer team.
Kyle Bailey / Photo Editor
Shannon said the competitive nature in their family starts at a young age.
“I’m in a dance class right now, and they all started out with dance. We all started out with sports,” Shannon said.
The oldest of the Hart siblings, Ian, graduated from KSC in 2013. Ian was also a member of the men’s lacrosse team.
“Getting to play two years at Keene with my brother Ryan is something I cherish because not many people get to do that,” Ian said.
Ian also commented on the competitive nature between siblings, “When you’re the oldest, you never want to lose to your younger siblings, even if it’s just a game of knockout or whatever. And what younger sibling doesn’t want to beat their older sibling?”
Competitiveness aside, both Shannon and Ryan said they enjoy being able to cheer each other on in their respective sports.
“Being able to go to her games is fun,” Ryan said. “Lacrosse is in the spring, soccer is in the fall. So it’s nice to go, it’s fun to go watch.”
Shannon also mentioned how much she enjoys supporting Ryan and her other siblings. “I’m always at his games,” Shannon said. “When I played soccer this year they were all there.”
The transition to college athletics, or college in general, can be a tough one. Shannon and Ryan said they each got some useful advice from their older siblings on how to be prepared for the move from high school to college. Shannon mentioned how her older brothers told her that stepping up her work ethic would contribute to her success at the college level.
Similarly, Ryan said that Ian tried to prepare him for the difference in the pace of the game, as college lacrosse is much faster than high school lacrosse.
“I was able to watch him play before I came here. I kind of picked up some things, then he helped me a lot, obviously,” Ryan said, in regards to learning from his older brother Ian.
Ian also said how he tried to tell his younger siblings that a sport will take up a lot of time, so they should make sure that they give it their all. When each of the Hart siblings were asked a question about why they pursued a college athletic career, Ryan, Shannon and Ian all answered very similarly. However, Ian put it best.
“When you love a sport, like I do lacrosse, you want to keep playing as long as you can,” Ian said. “And when you have that competitive nature, you’re always looking to push yourself to that next level.”
Ed Messer can be contacted at emesser@kscequinox.com
