BAKER — Long blonde hair and cheerful smiles aren’t Ashley and Jessica Black's only similarities.
Whatever the season may be, the sisters are on the court — or the field — for one of Baker School’s athletic teams.
In the fall, they play volleyball; from there, they take their sister act to basketball; and they end the year on the diamond with the softball team.
Soon, the tandem will become a solo act. Ashley, a senior, will graduate and leave Jessica, a sophomore, to carry on the family legacy that began with their father, Eric, a multi-sport Baker athlete during the 1980s.
'SHE'S ALWAYS GOT MY BACK'
Perhaps all the years of playing ball together have drawn these siblings closer to each other. At times, they finish each other’s sentences with a quick smile and laugh.
"She can be frustrating,” Ashley said, “but it’s good. I’ve enjoyed it, because not a lot of people can say they got to play with their little sister."
Jessica said having her sister on the team always makes her more comfortable.
“I know no matter what happens, Ashley will always be there for me,” she said. “I know if I do anything wrong Ashley will pick me up.”
The feeling is mutual, Ashley said.
“She’s someone I can always go to when I have problems, and I know she won’t tell anyone else about them,” Ashley said. "She’s always got my back."
TWO FOR T-BALL
So, how did it all begin?
Well, T-ball was the first sport the sisters played before they started elementary school.
“I’ve been playing since I was 4," Ashley said.
And she’s been playing with Jessica almost as long.
“It was like we were always on the same team together,” Jessica said.
Baker and basketball have been synonymous for years with a Saturday league for elementary school children, and that’s where the Black sisters got their start on the hardwood.
Volleyball was the last sport they picked up, and Ashley, being the oldest, was the first to play the game at their dad's suggestion.
“Volleyball — who would have thought I’d love it when I tried out in the seventh grade?” Ashley said.
Soon, Jessica followed Ashley’s lead.
“It looked like she was having fun, so I thought I’d try it, too,” Jessica said.
While Ashley says volleyball is now her favorite sport, Jessica isn’t ready to say she likes one more than the other.
“I enjoy different parts of each sport, but I don’t know that I have a favorite,” she said.
WHAT MAKES BAKER 'BAKER'
By February, when Baker softball Coach John Carlisle gets the Black sisters, they’ve already put in five months' work playing volleyball and basketball.
“Softball season ends in April or May, and then I don’t see them again until February," Carlisle said. "I see them in the hallways and stuff like that, but I give them a hard time like, ‘Where have y’all been?’”
All kidding aside, dedication to several sports is what makes Baker "Baker," Carlisle said.
"Athletes here need to be playing multiple sports as much as they can, and they do," he said. "I’m just happy that they continue to come out here in February when basketball season is over with and I get them for a couple of months. It’s been a joy.”
Now, the sisters' time together at Baker is running out. Ashley plans on signing a volleyball scholarship this spring. Soon, she’ll leave Jessica behind.
They will always share their Gator days, but it won't be the same, Jessica said.
“I’ll miss having someone I can look up to,” she said. “She’s always been there for me."
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sister Act — these Baker Gators have played ball together most of their lives