Beyond the Court: Mason and Mattheu Morrow
07/04/2019
Twin brothers, Mattheu and Mason lean on their AAU team after losing their father. Their mom, Michele Morrow, is baffled by their resiliency and support of the Orlando Dream.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Imagine losing your father, and what your first reaction would be. Most would want to be left alone to grieve in peace, but not the Morrow brothers, Mason and Mattheu. The night they lost their father to gallbladder cancer, the twins were asked a simple question by their mother, Michele Morrow, “You guys ready to go home?” What came next shocked their mom, both brothers answered adamantly, “No, we want to go to practice.”
Ms. Morrow clearly remembered it was a Tuesday night, because Mason and Mattheu’s AAU basketball team held practice on Tuesday and Thursday night’s.
Losing a parent is a tough pill to swallow for anyone, but for the 12 year old brothers that pill could not be tougher than their character. A characteristic passed down by their late father. “He taught them to never give up; to keep fighting. He fought. He went through hell and back for two months to try to stay alive.” stated Ms. Morrow.
Getting back on the court around their teammates played a major role in the healing process for the boys. Ms. Morrow found this important for a couple of reasons stating, “I think for a number of reasons it was very important. Number one, it kept their minds off of things, and number two, they’re part of a team. I’ve always instilled in my kids, you know. We don’t miss practice. My kids missed one tournament, and it was only one day of the tournament for their father’s celebration of life. That is the only thing they’ve ever missed since joining this AAU team.”
There aren’t many positives that can be taken from losing a parent, but Mason and Mattheu are not your run of the mill 12 year olds. They personify toughness and resiliency in the face of adversity.
“I try to make it a positive thing with them, and so do they. Each one of them were allowed a gift. I told them think of something you want that you all can take with you. One wanted these $200 basketball shoes, he said ‘I want daddy on the court with me every time I play.’” said Ms. Morrow.
Sports are often defined as a microcosm of life, and the twins’ basketball team is no different.
Ms. Morrow states “You’re a family, not just a team. You know, you’re with these people all the time. You’re playing with them, you’re in hotels with them and you’re practicing with them. You’re living and dying with these people. I think that has helped them. They’ve made some very good friendships. The team was very supportive of them. It just really kind of kept their minds off of what was going on.”
Grown-ups never too old to learn, even if it’s from a child, let alone your own.
When asked what she took from watching her boys handle the passing of their dad the way they did, Ms. Morrow stated “I just think it’s their pure resiliency. My children didn’t miss one day of school.
“On Sunday I said ‘What do you guys think about school?’ and they said ‘We don’t want to sit home and cry, we want to go be with our friends and be around people.’ They chose the upper path even as 12 year olds. The easy way out would be to sit home and just feel sorry for yourself and cry. My kids chose. This is a family tragedy, but we have to make the best of our lives that we can.
As a former division one athlete herself, Ms. Morrow knows all about honor and commitment, and that’s what she wants to instill in her boys even in the face of tragedy. “I have instilled in them that we’ve committed to a team. It’s our commitment, you follow through; you finish.”
Mason and Mattheu already stated they were not willing to cry and feel sorry for themselves, so, the only thing left to do is play ball. Ms. Morrow, the self-proclaimed “embarrassing parent” at games, gives her son’s one last way to honor their father before every game, “Go play for your dad.”
Ms. Morrow clearly remembered it was a Tuesday night, because Mason and Mattheu’s AAU basketball team held practice on Tuesday and Thursday night’s.
Losing a parent is a tough pill to swallow for anyone, but for the 12 year old brothers that pill could not be tougher than their character. A characteristic passed down by their late father. “He taught them to never give up; to keep fighting. He fought. He went through hell and back for two months to try to stay alive.” stated Ms. Morrow.
Getting back on the court around their teammates played a major role in the healing process for the boys. Ms. Morrow found this important for a couple of reasons stating, “I think for a number of reasons it was very important. Number one, it kept their minds off of things, and number two, they’re part of a team. I’ve always instilled in my kids, you know. We don’t miss practice. My kids missed one tournament, and it was only one day of the tournament for their father’s celebration of life. That is the only thing they’ve ever missed since joining this AAU team.”
There aren’t many positives that can be taken from losing a parent, but Mason and Mattheu are not your run of the mill 12 year olds. They personify toughness and resiliency in the face of adversity.
“I try to make it a positive thing with them, and so do they. Each one of them were allowed a gift. I told them think of something you want that you all can take with you. One wanted these $200 basketball shoes, he said ‘I want daddy on the court with me every time I play.’” said Ms. Morrow.
Sports are often defined as a microcosm of life, and the twins’ basketball team is no different.
Ms. Morrow states “You’re a family, not just a team. You know, you’re with these people all the time. You’re playing with them, you’re in hotels with them and you’re practicing with them. You’re living and dying with these people. I think that has helped them. They’ve made some very good friendships. The team was very supportive of them. It just really kind of kept their minds off of what was going on.”
Grown-ups never too old to learn, even if it’s from a child, let alone your own.
When asked what she took from watching her boys handle the passing of their dad the way they did, Ms. Morrow stated “I just think it’s their pure resiliency. My children didn’t miss one day of school.
“On Sunday I said ‘What do you guys think about school?’ and they said ‘We don’t want to sit home and cry, we want to go be with our friends and be around people.’ They chose the upper path even as 12 year olds. The easy way out would be to sit home and just feel sorry for yourself and cry. My kids chose. This is a family tragedy, but we have to make the best of our lives that we can.
As a former division one athlete herself, Ms. Morrow knows all about honor and commitment, and that’s what she wants to instill in her boys even in the face of tragedy. “I have instilled in them that we’ve committed to a team. It’s our commitment, you follow through; you finish.”
Mason and Mattheu already stated they were not willing to cry and feel sorry for themselves, so, the only thing left to do is play ball. Ms. Morrow, the self-proclaimed “embarrassing parent” at games, gives her son’s one last way to honor their father before every game, “Go play for your dad.”
