Rider University athletics has become a family affair – and this rarity among NCAA Division I programs has gained national attention.

Eleven pairs of siblings play on 13 varsity teams. Ten sets of siblings play on the same team with their brother or sister. Three sets are twins playing on the same team. Two sisters compete on different teams.

“The New York Times” considered the growing number of siblings in the athletics program unusual enough that it ran a half page feature entitled “At Rider, the Big Picture Is a Family Portrait” in the sports section of its December 25 issue. The paper also ran a four-column wide photo of University Photographer Peter Borg’s image of the various sets of siblings in uniform. (That photo is featured in this article.)

“What strikes me most about the siblings we have playing on our teams is that in almost every case, we are talking about accomplished student athletes,” said Don Harnum, director of athletics.

“We have two sets of brothers (Jason and Ryan Thompson, and Harris and Patrick Mansell) on the men’s basketball team. Jason, Ryan and Harris are starters, account for about 40 points per game, and Jason has just surpassed 1,000 points for his career. Pat is redshirting this year, but we anticipate he will be an impact player for the Broncs next season,” Harnum added. “Brandon and Priscilla Modrov on the men’s and women’s swimming teams were named outstanding men’s and women’s swimmers at the 2006 MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) Championships.

“This year T.J. Morrison is ranked 13th nationally among 197-pound wrestlers. Rob, his brother, is a freshman in the program. Their father, Tim ’83, is a former All-American wrestler and a member of the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame. The point is the various sets of siblings we have are making important contributions to their teams,” Harnum said.

“I think the fact that younger siblings have followed their older brothers or sisters to Rider and that most are impact players is a tribute to the job our coaches are doing,” Harnum noted. “If Rider is the right fit for one family member, then often times it is a great fit for another as well.”

Not surprisingly, many sibling athletes find Rider’s family atmosphere and the close-knit nature of their teams, as well as small class sizes and personal contact with professors to their liking.

Erin and Lauren Mahar, twin sisters on the women’s soccer team, express this perspective well.

“I chose Rider because of the family atmosphere on the campus and the team,” Erin said. “I loved the small classes and how everything was on a more personal level than larger universities.”

Lauren added, “I decided to come to Rider because of the smaller, more comfortable atmosphere. Rider was my number one choice because it had my major [elementary education/psychology, same as her sister], and I always had my heart set on playing Division I soccer.”

Others find the extracurricular activities important. Brandon Modrov, a senior marketing major, participates in the College of Business Administration’s DAARSTOC skill-building program. His sister, Priscilla, majors in accounting, finance and global business. She is an honors business student and involved in the Baccalaureate Honors Program.

Elizabeth and Rebecca Clatch, twins on the women’s track and field team, are accounting majors and are currently working as interns at Ernst & Young in Rider’s new accounting co-op program.

Some say they have found a home away from home. Most are 30 minutes to two hours driving time from the Lawrenceville campus. Parents frequently attend games or meets. Grandparents, other relatives and friends sometimes create a small entourage.

It all adds up to a family affair.

Click here for a list of the sets of siblings on the various varsity teams.

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