Basketball is thick as blood

Snowdon and Rhiwan Williams are a brother and sister who play varsity basketball for Saratoga Middle High School.

The Williams family has a passion for basketball and has an interesting journey that has led them to where they are today.

Snowdon is a freshman playing for Saratoga Panthers and Rhiwan is a junior playing for the Saratoga Lady Panthers For the Williams, there is more to their basketball family background than their competitive nature. It all started with their father, mother, and their older siblings who got both of them to compete in sports.

“Growing up, our parents and older siblings did all the sports because that was available to us,” Rhiwan said. “Our dad grew up in a small town in Texas and was able to see great competition and saw basketball at a different level and he got coached by a legendary coach. He loves to share his love of basketball and sports with us and he also teaches and encourages us to work hard and know that there is a higher level. Our mom did all the sports as well but she played basketball in a different town in Texas.”

Snowdon said his Dad is a great storyteller when it comes to sports. The great stories his dad has told Snowdon have inspired him to compete in sports,

“I always like hearing the stories of my parents, especially my dad telling me about basketball,” Snowdon said. “He talks about the cool moments he had in basketball and the people he competed against and it always made me excited to play out on the court,”.

Both Williams have played in sports since they were little kids. As brother and sister they always give each other moral support. They talk about a game they either won or lost and share ideas on how they can get better. They said their dad also helps out when talking about a game they played in.

“Our dad is always involved in everything we do,” Rhiwan said. “He always talks about the specifics with us. I would be sitting there listening to the conversations just making comments on things we saw but most importantly building each other up and controlling the things we can control. “

Rhiwan and Snowdon admire each other’s work ethics both in school and in sports.

They say they both work hard to set the right example for others to follow.

“I feel that Snowdon always gets a lot of pressure and there are a lot of high expectations expected from him,” Rhiwan said. “He always figures out how to do things so you ask him to do something you do not have to tell him how he just figures it out on his own. He has that self-discipline that I admire the most about him”.

Snowdon said he admires how hard his sister works and demonstrates a great attitude in everything she does. He said that not only does Rhiwan have a good work ethic in sports but in every aspect of life.

“It’s great that Rhiwan works hard in basketball but also works hard in every aspect of life,” Snowdon said. “She always encourages me to do the best that I can and I will always thank her for that.”

Both brother and sister said they had a great childhood when it came to competing against each other. They agreed it was the most fun time of their life playing a game to see who was better.

“When we were younger it was super fun to compete against each other,” Snowdon said. “It was all about having fun but also trying to make each other better.”

Rhiwa said that not only did she have fun competing against her brother but they also had fun trying to beat their older siblings in sports or at any game.

“We both had fun playing against our older siblings and our friends,” Rhiwan said. “It’s not so much now but that’s where it all started. There is not much competition because Snowdon is better than me but now I can look up to him as a good example and see if I can play more like him.”

Rhiwan and Showdon have a strong bond together. They always give each other advice to make each other better. They are grateful to have such a supportive family in everything they do.

“Our family is so supportive of each other and we cheer each other on,” Rhiwan said. “Sometimes Snowdon says things on his mind and he is honest about what he says. Just his little comments give me confidence. Sometimes when I doubted myself he would say come on you can do this thing you got this. Then I would ask how to do it. He would say just do it and give it your best. Just him believing in my conference helps me a lot.”

“The best advice Rhiwan has given me is that there are a lot of things I can not control,” Snowdon said. “As long as I don’t get frustrated and do the best that I possibly can, everything will work out for you.”

Rhiwan and Snowdon said that they do not have any plans to play basketball in college. Rhiwan wants to focus on going to a good school and getting an education. Although Rhiwan said she will always love sports, she just wants to focus on different things in life.

Snowdon said he will always love to play basketball even though he has no plans in the future to compete once he graduates. He does have plans to play pick-up basketball for fun in college. Basketball will always have a place in the Williams family’s heart but education is their number one focus and it’s the example they want to set for the next generation of their family.