Basketball Ties The Sheldon Family Together
12/13/2023 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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ATHENS, Ohio — Sophomore Ajay Sheldon and his sister Jacy (Dublin, Ohio) have forged their own paths through basketball with the help of their family.
The two didn't really have a choice when it came to basketball because it was a big part of their lives from the start. Their father, Duane, was a coach at Heidelberg and his alma mater Baldwin Wallace when they were younger. Ajay remembers stepping off the bus from elementary school and immediately jumping into his dad's truck to head to practices.
At first, Ajay and Jacy just messed around to pass the time. Jacy ran ladders with her dad's Yellow Jackets during warm ups and after a while, she realized there was something special about the way she could glide through the drills.
"I don't want to say it was forced, but I kind of just fell in love with it. So be it," Jacy said. "Once I actually started to realize I liked basketball as much as I did, then that's when I started kind of developing my game was his help."
Ajay wasn't immune to the basketball bug, either. It didn't take him long to have the same realization as his sister after growing up around the sport.
"I'm lucky that I loved it," Ajay said.
The two started to take basketball more seriously once they reached middle school. They'd seen the benefits of hard work first-hand at basketball with their father and volleyball with their mother, Laura. They knew they needed to buckle down if they wanted sports to be in their future.
"Growing up, we used to play a lot. I don't think I won until I was 16 (years old), and we probably started playing when I was (5 years old)," Ajay said. "I don't think we've played since. She's kind of like 'Whatever' every time I bring it up. She's like, 'You're one for 500?' I can't really do anything about that. So it's just is what it is."
Once the two got older, they traded the pavement for on-court training sessions. Their shared competitiveness created an intense environment as they worked on ball-handling and shooting, but it was all out of love. They wanted each other to succeed no matter what.
Sometimes that meant spending long weekends away from home. Jacy went with one parent to one tournament and Ajay with the other to a different one. The recent Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship actually marked the first time in years the two played a tournament in the same location.
"That started with my dad's games. We would travel with him a lot on his team bus and go watch them play. Then as we got older, the roles can be reversed. We wouldn't be home on weekends. My brother would go to like separate places so my parents would have to split up sometimes. But a lot of travel definitely on the weekends and for the holidays, too," Jacy said.
Games where their whole family was in attendance meant more than a showcase in a random town. That was something they both considered when choosing where to play at the next level. They wanted to be close to home so that their family, especially their younger sister Emmy, would be around.
Family is the primary source of motivation for the Sheldon siblings.
"Our mom is so supportive and hardworking as well. I think we get our work ethic from (our parents.) Obviously, me and Ajay from a young age have pushed each other really hard and we're probably too competitive at times," Jacy said. "We just always wanted to to win beat each other. Then Emmy, when she came into our lives, it's probably had the most impact just on how we look at life and then our work ethic as well. Me and Ajay have this opportunity that she doesn't, so I think we don't take that for granted and it's just pushed us to work harder."
The youngest Sheldon sibling may not be shooting 3-pointers, but she has an impact on the court regardless. Emmy is the Bobcats' and the Buckeyes' No. 1 fan. She has developed a relationship with both teams, and even has pregame handshakes with the Buckeyes.
Although Emmy is the newest to the sport, she's taken a quick liking to it. She's learned a lot by watching her siblings' games the past few years. It's not uncommon to hear her voice above the crowd sending encouragement to her brother and sister, or yelling at an official.
"It's the best. It's a a boost of energy, joy, everything just having her around," Ajay said.
Dec. 5 marked the first time the Buckeyes and Bobcats faced off in the Sheldon's hometown. It'll was different for the Sheldons, but their loyalties — especially Emmy's — were with the Buckeyes that time since Ajay wasn't on the court.
It's not common that families with multiple Division I athletes get to stay within a close radius of each other. It's not something the Sheldons take for granted, either. Each time they get to spend time together is special, whether it be at a game, an event for Emmy or over a home-cooked meal.
As much as the Sheldons love basketball, they love each other more.
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