Mom coaches three daughters on same team

COLLINGSWOOD, N.J. - February 1, 2013

Senior guard Ellie O'Neill gets the chance to play with her sisters, sophomore twins Meghan and Molly, but the family ties don't stop there.

It just so happens their coach is also their mom.

"They grew up around me coaching basketball. I mean, when they were born, they were in chairs in this gym," said Nancy O'Neill.

So, this long season when they could all play together is a dream years in the making. Of course, having mom as the coach can cause some problems.

"You don't want people saying you just play because you're the coach's daughter. That's one of the hardest parts," said Molly.

"We're yelled at more. If I'm slacking off the same as somebody else she's going to call me out first," said Meghan.

"When I'm in here I'm your coach, I'm not your mom. And I would say 90 percent of the time that works," said Nancy.

The other 10 percent? Well, it's not like they get grounded for throwing the ball away, but...

"When I was a freshman and I was playing it was kind of hard to separate it, and I was like 'Why are you yelling at me?'" said Ellie.

"One of them responded to me as daughter during a game and I was like "I am NOT your mother here You say you wouldn't speak to another coach like that, you will NOT talk to me like that," said Nancy.

It's a fine line to walk, and Nancy has many more years of it. She has two more daughters to coach: 6th grader Bobbi and 5th grader Lulu.

In all, five girls who will have the privilege of playing for "Coach Mom."

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