Sibling rivalries are a fun time to relax, watch sports, root for your respected sports team and get into some banter with your family.
In my family, the sibling rivalry runs deep. While I attend Ferris State, my younger sister and cousin are sophomores at Grand Valley State University. Both are always quick to remind me whenever Grand Valley beats Ferris in any sport with playful remarks like “You guys might just want to forfeit the season now!” or “I don’t think you guys will ever beat us again!”
On game days when Grand Valley and Ferris State verse each other, my parents try to remain neutral, wearing a Grand Valley hoodie and a Ferris hat or vice versa. My parents even bought cornhole boards for both teams during the tailgates. During the matchups, we celebrate in each others’ faces, rallying for our respective teams. This often leads to an animated debate over whose university is superior.
My parents have had the opportunity to visit both Ferris and Grand Valley to attend the Anchor Bone classic football game at each of the school’s stadiums. Regardless of the outcome of the game, they come for my sister and me, and they often mention how proud they are of us no matter what school we attend. Tailgates have brought a new life to the rivalry filled with family, food and football, which also includes all of us giving our predictions on who will win and by how much. This also leads to playful banter on past scores and plays from years before.
Our rivalry has also been passed down to my younger brother and cousins. They are often brought to the games with my parents and have chosen sides on which team they want to win and where they want to go to college when they grow up. My sister and cousin will buy merch from Grand Valley for them to wear on game days, and I buy my brother and cousin Ferris merch so they can represent the Bulldogs with me.
My father likes to instigate fights between my sister and me, often telling us who he thinks will win. He watches us debate whether we think he is right or wrong, giving him some entertainment on game day.
My mom stays neutral during the game, refusing to answer who she thinks is going to win and stating that she is just happy the family can get together for a weekend and hang out.
Our sibling rivalry has changed our family life for the better, deepening our bond with each other. Through competition, we’ve forged a bond that transcends school pride proving that love can thrive in the most divided of households.