THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502240192
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
THE MILLER SISTERS - Amber, 12, and Amanda, 10 - are a couple of blonde-haired, All-American girls.
They are good students and well-rounded kids. They play soccer, tennis - their father is the head pro at the Princess Anne Country Club - and basketball.
And they always seem to sport those winning smiles.
But like any other kids their age, there are sometimes problems between them.
``We don't get along well,'' Amanda admitted, with a sheepish smile.
Ah, sibling rivalry. Isn't it nice to know some institutions remain strong?
So in an effort to cool things down, their mother, Gale, thought it would be a good idea to have her two older daughters play some recreation league basketball.
You know, to work their differences out sibling-to-sibling - a sort of one-on-one family therapy.
Miller took Amber and Amanda to Alanton Elementary School to sign them up for the pre-teen girls basketball league that plays there every Saturday.
``Want to put them on the same team?'' asked the person in charge of registration.
Gale Miller thought about it and quickly responded with a definite ``no.'' She thought it would add to the competitive furor between Amanda and Amber. So the two were assigned to different teams.
The Great Neck Heels won the services of Amber, while Amanda went to the Great Neck Hornets. What could possibly go wrong with the two sibling rivals paired with other teammates?
Try 52-2. That was the score when the Hornets played the Heels. The Heels, and Amber, scored the 52. The other girls got one bucket. Sibling rivalry was the only thing that wasn't settled in this one.
In six games, the high-powered Heels have burned the nets for 207 points for an average of 41 a game.
In six games, the Hornets are still looking to break the 20-point mark. They did reach one milestone in their climb up the hoops ladder. After being held scoreless in their first two games, the Hornets stung their third opponent for a bucket - two points.
Hornet coach Kevin Morse - who knows a motivational opportunity when he sees one - seized the moment. The Hornets were treated to Slurpees after their ice-breaking score.
``The Slurpee offer is now up to 10 points,'' said Morse. ``You can't stand still in this kind of situation. Someone's always gaining on you.''
Seriously, though, Morse said that he tells the girls the score doesn't count as much as enjoying the game and learning how to play.
Which is, of course, the best lesson they could ever learn.
``Most of them are first-year players,'' said the patient coach. ``There's no pressure on them to win.''
However, there was pressure on the coach to visit the neighborhood 7-Eleven store and the half-court press he employed would likely bring enough results for a trip to Slurpee City.
So, despite the effort of a well-intentioned mother, fuel has been added to the Amber-Amanda fire.
And as two little All-American girls, they probably wouldn't have it any other way. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
The at-home rivalry of the Miller sisters, Amber, 12, left, and
Amanda, 10, has now spilled over to the basketball court, where
Amber's team is having the better of it.
by CNB