Two siblings playing a sport together on the same team is a rare thing. When it is two sports, especially on the varsity level, it is not often seen. But this year at Lincoln East there is a prime example: The Adams sisters. Morgan (Mo) Adams, senior, and Madison (Maddie) Adams, sophomore, are two sisters who get to share the pleasures and challenges of playing softball and track together.
The two have been playing softball for as long as they can remember and this year they finally get to do that together. Maddie Adams is the youngest sibling, Morgan Adams is the middle child, and their oldest sibling, Quinton Adams, graduated from Lincoln East last year and is now playing football at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“It is intimidating being related to and playing after not only one, but two older siblings, but I use what they know and I learn from them… they help me grow and make me stronger,” Maddie Adams said.
Head softball coach Lance Kingery has experienced what it’s like to see these siblings play together.
“You can tell they love one another. They truly do care a lot about each other. [They are] each other’s biggest fan [and are] both really dynamic softball players; and the one (Madison, sophomore) is just getting started,” Kingery said.
The two sisters spend a lot of time together, which allows them to see all the hard work the other puts in.
“Knowing what the other person goes through to get to the success that they’re having. It’s just amazing to see… Even though she’s hit 17 home runs, every single one is exciting,” Maddie Adams said.
Morgan is committed to play Division 1 softball at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida. She currently holds the school record for the number of homeruns in one season, smashing her own record from last year, and is just 1 away from the Class A state record of 22. Coach Kingery went on to describe some of the inevitable challenges of playing behind siblings, especially one of such talent like Morgan.
“Mo’s a hard act to follow. I’m gonna argue that she’s one of the best 5 players in the state of Nebraska right now. When you’re her little sister, and you’re on her team, people who see the name on the lineup expect you to be the same (if they don’t know you). Well, she’s different. But she’s very, very good,” Kingery said.
Being compared to is never easy, especially if a sibling is involved. For Madison, it doesn’t faze her, and when it does she handles it with maturity and knows that her sister always has her back.
“Growing up we were always compared to each other, it can be hard…it is intimidating following her act. I just try to do the best I can and be the best player I can be…focus on doing what I can do well. I am a different person and player…I can always count on her,” Madison Adams said.
Coach Kingery is able to see them as two individuals.
“She doesn’t have to be the same person. She is the best Maddie Adams that she can be, and that is a pretty darn good Maddie Adams…she’s going to have to carve out her own name, knowing full well that Morgan has her back,” Kingery said.
Oftentimes with siblings, there is a high level of competitiveness. For Mo and Maddie Adams, this couldn’t be a better representation of their dynamic. In the 2020-2021 track season, the two were known for going back and forth, beating each other from meet to meet.
“You always want to beat the other one, but at the end of the day we don’t really care. We will always go home and be happy and love each other, despite what happens on the field,” Morgan Adams said.