Jennies Duo Carrying On Family Traditions

Mar 10, 2006, 00:22

Dave Kopp

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- In any walk of life, the concept of tradition is powerful. It is a thread which ties generations together and links the present with the past.

At Central Missouri State, family and basketball traditions combine to form powerful bonds. Two members of the Jennies' basketball team - junior guard Meagan Fromm and sophomore guard Lindsey Maple - are following in the footsteps of their fathers, who played for the Mules.

Kevin Fromm scored 1,127 points in two seasons (1980-82) at CMSU. (CMSU file photo)

"It kind of brings back old memories," said Kevin Fromm (1980-82), who is 15th on the Mules' career scoring list with 1,127 points. "We had a few more people who used to come to our games. We packed them in, but they're starting to turn it around now. They've got both the women's and men's programs going, so I think it's going to get back to what it used to be."

"It's neat coming back," added Doug Maple (1971-73). "It's totally different, though, because we were in Garrison Gym. It's not like I played in the same gym and it doesn't have many similarities. But it's kind of neat to see (Lindsey) back at the old alma mater because I go back and see a lot of people I knew back then."

Having basketball-playing dads has its advantages and, both women say, disadvantages. Kevin coached Meagan through her eighth grade year.

Meagan Fromm (Photo by Dave Kopp)

"I don't remember what grade I was in, but I was running down the floor and I wasn't watching where the ball was behind me," Meagan recalled. "He took the ball from the point guard and threw it at me and hit me in the back of the head and knocked me over. That's how hard he was. If I'd be sitting on the bench and I wasn't doing well, he would pinch my legs and tell me to wake up. He's a lot more mellow now.

"Every year, he gets a little easier on me. He's getting older and life isn't really as bad as it seems. If I miss two free throws, it used to be hell to pay, but now he's like 'Hang in there.' I think he remembers how hard it was and he's a lot easier on me than he was in high school."

Lindsey Maple also grew up with basketball, attending Doug's boys' basketball practices at Knob Noster High School. While Doug never officially coached his daughter, she absorbed plenty and went on to become a two-time All-State performer.

Lindsey Maple (Photo by Dave Kopp)

"It wasn't as much him telling me what to do," said Lindsey. "I was in the gym every single time he had practice. It was just watching him coach, watching how he handled kids, watching how the kids took him. You learn a lot from that. That's probably the most I learned from him, just going to his practices.

"He had a passion for the sport. He loved it more than anyone I know, especially now. He didn't even have to say anything. Just seeing how much he loved it and how he loved kids, I just followed in his footsteps. I'm the same way."

When it came time to choose a college, both women noted they had positive feelings about CMSU in addition to whatever ties they may have had with the school through their fathers.

"There was always a little push to come here because I have four sets grandparents and my parents live 10 miles away," said Lindsey. "My parents always wanted me to come here, but it wasn't like I had to come here. It was my decision. I could have done what I wanted."

"He was a big influence of why I play basketball, but he wasn't as big an influence (in choosing CMSU) as you'd think," added Meagan. "I came to basketball camps here since eighth grade and I always liked the campus. I like it that he played here too because that was fun, but I got offered the scholarship, I liked the school and that's mainly why I came."

When they watch their daughters play, both men see similarities in their own games, but there are plenty of differences.

Doug Maple's official Mules' basketball photo (1972)

"(Lindsey) is playing point guard now, but she's more of a two guard mentality where I was a pure point guard," said Doug, who played two seasons with current Mules' coach Kim Anderson at Sedalia Smith-Cotton High School. "I was not the shooter in high school. I had Kim Anderson to play with. I didn't have to shoot it much because I had him to throw it into and some other individuals."

"They say (Meagan) can't play any defense and that's her big hold up, but I think she's not too bad at defense," Kevin said. "She's definitely got the scorer's mentality which I always had. There wasn't a shot I didn't like. I see some of myself. She's got a nice, smooth shot and she's got a lot of similarities that I had."

Jennies head coach Dave Slifer noted that having players whose parents have college playing experience is a positive. When those parents also have ties to the school, it's even better.

"You've got to recruit talent, but your job as the coach is to mold all the individuals into a team," Slifer explained. "That's an ongoing process that's different every day and every day presents new challenges. Usually, coaches' kids, or in this case, players' kids, have been through it before, so they definitely have an advantage. Whenever your parents have gone through what you're going through, they have a realistic expectation of what's going on in a program and they're able to help their kids more than people who have never been through it before."

The coach added he hopes to be able to keep finding players with the same kinds of connections.

"It is an important factor," he said. "It started when I was at Mount Mercy (Iowa) College. It's a school that has a lot of that going on. Parents would go there and then their kids would go there. We were fortunate that Iowa had good high school basketball and we were able to get some of those second generation kids from Iowa.

"With the rich tradition at Central Missouri and the great players and some of the great teams they've had in the past, they'll probably have some pretty talented offspring themselves. I'm looking forward to the point where I can get the second generation."