By Alexa Willrich, Staff Reporter
In a house with two sisters playing together on the same soccer team, getting ready for practice is a flurry of jerseys, cleats and equipment.
Junior Keira Kemmerley and her sister, sophomore Kate Kemmerley, both play for the girls’ varsity soccer team. Keira normally plays either striker or center midfield, while Kate is always a striker.
Both girls have played for many clubs, including FC Delco, also known as Continental, and both currently play for Penn Fusion.
The sisters have had a close bond since they were kids and have continued to stay close throughout their high school years. As they rarely get the chance to play on a team together, this gives them a unique opportunity to play with a teammate with whom they share a special bond.
“It’s just nice to have someone at all times that you know you can go to and talk to and play with. She gets how I want to play, and I get how she wants to play. So it’s nice to know someone closely on the field,” Kate Kemmerley said.
As sisters, arguments inevitably start, but the two try to keep those arguments separate from the team, not letting them affect how they play. Playing together has had some positives for the team as the two know each other better than most teammates do.
“We don’t need as much communication between each other as much as I probably would need with another person. It’s actually nice because I’ve seen her play so much, and I understand how she does play; whereas, maybe some other people aren’t as comfortable with that kind of stuff. I can pretty much tell what she’s going to do by her body positioning and everything,” Keira Kemmerley said.
This year, both sisters have excelled, scoring 38 goals combined and contributing 19 assists for the team. Their bond benefits not only themselves, but the rest of the team as well.
“There is this sister-sister knowledge on the field,” said girls varsity head coach Deane Mariotti. “I think that it created something pretty special.”
Alexa Willrich can be reached at [email protected].
