ORANGE COVE – The Orange Cove boys have a unique family bond on their team. In this case, that bond was created by head coach Juan Sanchez, whose love of basketball spread to his brothers and extends far beyond the court.
For the Sanchez brothers the game means a lot more to them than just wins and losses. Juan, Ricardo, Diego and Alonzo use the game to strengthen their relationship, all while learning about success and life at the same time.
After all of the time spent together, the Sanchez’s family bond has become, in some ways, impenetrable. All four brothers have been close, but with the interesting dynamic of Juan and Ricardo coaching Diego and Alonzo, their connection has become stronger than expected.
“When we play together, there’s some sort of connection that’s inexplicable, we just kind of click,” said Ricardo, the second oldest brother, about his family’s growing bond. “It’s bigger than basketball with us, especially with this group of kids here.”
Diego, a senior, and Alonzo, a freshman, have experienced the best of both worlds with their brothers as coaches. Quiet and soft spoken, both Diego and Alonzo cherish the same family bond to the sport fostered by their older brothers.
“We all share and love the sport, that’s about it,” said Diego about his family’s connection to the game. “So, that’s something we can connect with.”
For Juan, the oldest of the four, this all started when he was 8-years-old and his father purchased a basketball court. And from that early age, when he picked up the ball and gathered his brothers for games on the street with the other kids in the neighborhood, the love of basketball was created.
Juan said he and his brothers played every day, channeling their competitive sibling rivalry into games of passion. These intense games soon developed into a mutual love for the sport. And that love, fostered by Juan, became an obsession for his younger brothers.
“He started our family off playing at an early age, so we all just followed him,” said Ricardo. “So, just kind of that experience with him, leading us through the basketball games, getting us into that.”
Juan took his love of basketball to Orange Cove High, where he played from 2011 to 2015. Ricardo followed closely behind him. After their playing days were finished, both returned as coaches, with Diego and Alonzo waiting in the wings.
“I started coaching the year after I finished playing, so it’s always been something I wanted to be a part of,” Juan said about his desire to coach. “I don’t ever see myself stop playing or coaching them. We’re always going to be a basketball family.”
The game of life
Juan has taken great pride in watching his family’s bond extend beyond the court. Like any older, protective brother, he wants what’s best for his younger brothers. He also is proud of the example his family has set for the rest of the community.
And in this community, where a day in the orchards is a way of life, Juan said he simply wants a better life for his younger brothers. This unique family bond that has spread to the rest of the team also serves as a bridge of inspiration for other family members in the community.
“It’s a way for us to find success in something that the community can kind of revolve around,” said Juan about his family’s influence on the community. “It’s a good way to give people another thing to talk about in Orange Cove other than all the people that are working in the fields.”
Basketball helped Juan build a solid foundation for his life. And he takes immense pride in watching the impact it has made on his brother’s lives. And with Diego and Alonzo aiming for bigger and better aspirations, that makes Juan truly proud, as a brother and a coach.
“In general, basketball has just helped me build a foundation for how I wanted to live my life,” said Juan about the lifelong impact of the game. “I take more pride in (Diego and Alonzo) becoming young men. And that makes me more proud than any of the successes we’ve had on or off the basketball court.”
