Imagine sharing your childhood with someone that knows you inside and out.
The same age, under the same roof with the same background.
Also imagine the pair also sharing a love of basketball, which includes countless one-on-one games, shooting contests and arguing over phantom fouls.
Then take it one step further, in that unique situation having two such instances in the same high school.
That is the case with the Baymans (pictured) and the Mendenhalls at Woodlan, a pair of boy-girl twins that tolerate each other (for the most part) but have a common bond with family and with hoops.
Addison and Aiden Bayman shared the court in their youth, playing on the same teams into middle school. Mitch and Kate Mendenhall played on those very same teams, with their father as the head coach. Together, the two sets of twins grew up around the game and grew close to their counterparts, sharing stories and experiences.
It was a common bond for us,” said Addison about her brother and hoops. “He may not have liked it, but we played on the same team together until we could get a team of girls started.
“We would always be outside playing one-on-one when we could as well. It’s always been us just making each other better.”
For both the Baymans and Mendenhalls, they did not ever have to call a friend to come over to play hoops. Most of the time, their twin was eager to hit the court as well.
For Mitch and Kate, that meant going out to the barn to get up some shots, something they still do on occasion. But siblings, even twins, can get on each other’s nerves.
“We never really got along when we were younger and that plays into basketball all the time,” Kate said. “When (we all played on a team) it helped improve my competitiveness. That would be part of the reason we never got along because we would try to one-up each other every chance we got.”
Mitch admits that his older sister (by one minute) got the best of him when they were younger. Now, both are physical forwards for the Warriors on the court. Perhaps some of that roughhousing as kids paid off?
“She has definitely made me better over the years,” Mitch said. “Even though she really goes after me a lot with the older sister stuff.”
Kate doubles down on that as much as she can.
“It’s all I have against him now,” Kate said. “I use it to my advantage and call him ‘little brother.’
“When he has games and does a good job on the court I stand up and say, ‘Way to go bubby!’ He of course hates it but as a sister it’s my job to annoy and bully him.”
For the Baymans, their relationship as twins and basketball players has brought them closer. While some brothers and sisters want nothing to do with one another as teenagers, Addison and Aiden are able to discuss hoops and bounce ideas and situations back and forth.
Addison also credits her brother for some of her confidence in her abilities, with her talents leading Woodlan in scoring at 11.9 ppg.
“He has always been the one to tell me to shoot or make the moves that I can make,” Addison said.
While the Mendenhalls have grown into the post role, the Baymans are guards. Addison kids her 5-foot-8 brother that he “left her behind” at all of 5-5. Despite that, the Baymans see a lot of commonalities in their games.
“Whether we like to admit it or not, I think we are the same person out on the floor as far as an overall court general goes,” Addison said. “We share similarities in leadership as well. We follow an honest path and it has gained us both a lot of respect from our teams.”
As the two sets of twins have navigated years of schooling and hoops, they have found friendship in each other, as well as an outlet to vent. The boys know what their sisters are putting them through and vice versa.
There is something comforting about having someone close that knows exactly what you’re going through when it comes to an annoying brother or sister.
“We are lucky to have brothers who tease us and give us a hard time,” Kate said.
With all four of them being seniors, this year is the last go around in high school for both the Baymans and the Mendenhalls. While both sets of twins are quick to talk about how their sibling gets on their nerves, they have always grown to appreciate what the other has meant to their childhood. There has always been someone there to listen, to support and to be a rebounder when the situation called for getting some shots up.
A bonus this year is the fact that both the girls and boys teams at Woodlan are in the think of the ACAC race. The girls stand alone with a 5-0 league record while the boys are tied with Bluffton at 2-0 in the league. Both teams are hoping to bring home ACAC Tournament championships next week. Both Warrior teams will host usual ACAC juggernaut Jay County on Tuesday, January 14 in the opening round of the tournament.
Regardless of the past (and sometimes current) disagreements and arguments, the Baymans and Mendenhalls have benefitted from each other. The twins have helped each other in numerous ways on the court and off. They likely will not realize just how much for years into the future.
But even today they know they have been lucky to have one another.
“In the end, we all support each other,” Kate said. “That’s why we are who we are today.”
Non-action photos of Addison and Aiden Bayman by Austin Maidment
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