For several Tyrone soccer families, the calendar has been very full this fall.

The Newlins, Chichesters, and Knarrs all have children playing on both the boys and girls varisty soccer teams. Add the Bennetts, who have two boys playing varisty, and Tyrone soccer was very much a family affair this season.

“If my count is correct, by the end of this week, I will have managed to make it to 36 soccer games [since September],” said Tyrone soccer mom Laura Newlin, “It has been a little bit exhausting, but incredibly rewarding and fun as well. It also means a lot of dinners on the run and living out of my car, but it’s worth it.”

Senior Connor Bennett and his brother, freshman Aiden Bennett are the only set of siblings who play on the same team.

Senior boys Noah Newlin and Elijah Knarr, and junior Evan Chichester have freshman siblings Olivia Newlin, Alice Knarr, and Sarah Chichester playing on the girl’s squad.

Together these four soccer families have brought a true family atmosphere to both teams this year.

The Bennetts are a compelling force on the backline of the boys’ team and are always shutting down the offensive plays of the opposers. Connor plays center back and combats the play in the middle. Aidan also plays on the backline, constantly stopping the play whenever he is in.

While some siblings can find it to be overly competitive and difficult to compete in the same sport, this is not the case for the Bennetts.

“It is fun having [Aidan] there with me, but it also can feel like I always have to do my best because I am trying to be a role model for him. He can also be annoying because he is my little brother and tries to get on my nerves from time to time. The best part is that my parents can go to one game and not have to split up between two since our games were on the same day when we were on separate teams,” said Connor Bennett, the older brother of the duo.

The rest of the soccer siblings all play on different teams.

The Chichesters are both starters on their respective squads, and each has made a big impact on their team’s defensive line.

As a center-back, Evan has been a stellar player for three years now and is reliable when it comes to stealing the ball from the attackers. Although Sarah is just a freshman, she holds her own against the rival varsity teams. As an outside back, she consistently shuts down the opposing attackers who try to run down the sidelines toward the net.

The Knarrs also share a position, as both are impactful players in the midfield, always helping to further the play.

Elijah plays center defensive midfield and has been trustworthy in that position since his freshman year. He has scored a couple of varsity goals and has had a countless number of assists. Alice typically plays right wing, and she consistently crosses the ball to the middle of the field. She dribbles through varsity players effortlessly, holding her own as a freshman player.

The Newlins are also a powerful force to reckon with but usually play on opposite ends of their team’s formation. Noah plays center defensive mid and always shuts down plays in the midfield. He also helps to transition from the defensive line to the offensive line by connecting passes left and right.

Olivia is mainly a forward and a midfielder, although she sometimes transitions into playing defensive mid. Olivia has had six goals so far this season, an impressive total for a freshman who doesn’t play forward exclusively. She is a very solid player, constantly being relied on to connect passes or take shots on goal.

While the experience of sharing a sport is great for the siblings, it does result in some logistical challenges for the parents.

Having two children on the field, sometimes at the same time in different places, it can be hard for parents to decide what games to attend.

“It’s super hard on the days that [the games] are the same day. We look at the schedules and try to make it to one, but then miss some of the next kid’s game,” said Elijah and Alice’s mom, Eneri Knarr.

“It makes us feel like we are choosing between kids and we feel guilty for not making all of them,” added Chris Knarr, their dad.

While it has been admittedly difficult to get to all the games this season, Laura Newlin said she has been thankful to be able to see both of her children play.

“It’s impossible to choose watching one team over another because I love watching both of my kids play. My work schedule allowed me to get out early enough to make every single game for both teams this season,” said Laura Newlin.

No matter its ups and downs, having both figurative and literal family aspects amongst the teams definitely scores for Tyrone’s soccer.