THOMASTON — There are a lot of twins in the world, however when you live in coastal Maine you do not see many twins around. But to sports fans everywhere in the Midcoast there are The Twins, at Oceanside High School. 

The Twins, as they are better known, are Jillian and Kelsey Brooks, daughters of Mark and Jody Brooks.

Jillian, who is the oldest by four hours, and Kelsey have been thrilling fans of soccer, basketball and lacrosse for years with their never give up attitude and their contagious smile. If you see one of these two girls on a field or court competing, you can tell by the smile on their faces while they are playing hard, they are having the time of their lives. 

Both of the girls have had breakout seasons recently and unexpectedly in different sports. Jillian plays basketball and after some injuries last season Jillian was put to the test on the varsity team as a sophomore and just exploded into one of the top defenders in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference. 

This soccer season Kelsey was rewarded for her years of hard work and dedication to the sport by winning one of the top awards for high school athlete’s as she was named the KVAC Class B girls soccer player of the year. An award that makes that big smile on Kelsey’s face even bigger.

“It has to be the best accomplishment I've ever had,” said Kelsey Brooks. “Thinking of all the hard work I've put into soccer, it was a great reassurance I'm not wasting my time on getting better. But I have to give lots of credit to my coaches this year, they never let me give up, they had great pep talks, and they never let me fall short of what they knew I could do, they kept pushing me. It's a pleasure to think of all the coaches around the KVAC thought of me, I'm not going to let up and I'm ready for another great year next year.”

Both of the girls are juniors at Oceanside. They have two sisters, Haley and Erika. 

When asked do you two work jobs? The answers give hope that the younger generation is learning the important things in life. Kelsey works at the Brooks Trap Mill in the summer as well as babysitting. She does not play a winter sport so; she works in the Mill some then as well. Jillian works at the Slipway Restaurant in Thomaston and in the mill during the summer. During the school year they do not work, they concentrate on their academics and athletics. They both feel very fortunate that they have the luxury of not working during the school year. They have friends that can’t play sports because they have to work to help out the family and they feel bad for those kids. 

“It allows us to focus on school and sports and it’s good not worrying about money and stuff,” said Kelsey. 

Recently the Pen Bay Pilot interviewed the Brooks Twins and asked them some questions about life, school, sports and being twins. I think the one question all of us think about identical twins is do they every mess with people and change their identity? Well while Kelsey says she would love to she can’t get Jillian to do it. They said they never have done it, but I would think this might just be enough to put them over the top and pull a prank on someone. 

PBP: What sports do you play and do you have a favorite and why? 

Jillian: I play soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. I actually have two favorites, for two different reasons. Soccer is great when it comes to the competitiveness, the coaching staff, and the sport itself. But I feel that I am better skill wise at lacrosse so it is more enjoyable to just relax and play.

Kelsey: I play soccer, lacrosse, and I snowboard some in the winter. It's hard to choose because lacrosse is a fun, laid back sport I enjoy a lot. But competitively I enjoy soccer the most, and have since I can remember.

PBP: Jillian, Last season you came off the bench early in the basketball season and just got better with every game. Was that a confidence thing? Skills thing? Was it just getting a chance to play?

Jillian: I feel that when our team got in desperate need of someone to step up and become a substitute that wouldn't let the play drop off, it was a huge challenge. I worked very hard to improve on everything, but it was evident that defense was my strength and that is just what we needed for the Lincoln Academy game. After that game, I realized this is now going to be an every game thing, especially with Emily and Caitlin unable to play. My nerves became less of a problem as more games went by knowing what it was going to be like. I'm excited for this season and to see how it goes.

PBP: Kelsey, This season you exploded on the soccer field regardless of where you were playing. For you, what brought that on, what was different for you this year from any other year?

Kelsey: Thinking of it being my second to last year playing Oceanside soccer made me want keep giving my all, and for the seniors I wanted it to be a good year for them. Also all the coaches are extremely supportive and keep pushing me. Coach Townsend and I have had lots of little talks about how he wants me to get the best experience, and providing me with guidance on how to excel. Yes, I had a good season, but it wasn't only for me, it was for the players around me, my teammates, my coaches. Since they worked so hard, I didn't want to let any of them down, and I tried my hardest not to.

PBP: Have you girls thought about college yet, where you want to go and what you want to do?

Jillian: Being a junior in high school I should probably know what I want to do with my life, but I have yet to pick a career I wish to peruse. Although, I do know that I will be attending college after high school.

Kelsey: I'm not set on a career or a college yet, but I know I want to attend.

PBP: Do most of the people you come in contact with most everyday know the difference immediately between the two of you? And do you get addressed as each other a lot?

Jillian: Rarely do people know the difference between us right off. It's always a 50/50 chance as everyone says. But the more we see people, the more they can tell us apart. Many people call me Kelsey and I used to correct them every time but now I sometimes let it go or just say my name and go on with the conversation.

Kelsey: Lots of people have to do a double take when we are together, then they look at us and ask. That happens almost every time we are together. Lots of people, even ones who have known us for awhile.

PBP: As you both have gotten older, have you found things that maybe one of you loves, but the other does not at all like it. Food, clothing, etc., how close and how far apart are you two when it comes to these things?

Jillian: We are actually pretty similar when it comes to everyday life like, we have the same friends, play the same sports (other than basketball), and share the same hobbies. The only thing would be, I'm a bit of a picky eater and Kelsey is not.

Kelsey: We have lots of similar things we enjoy like sports, hangout with the same friends, etc. I would have to say Jillian is a pickier eater, she doesn't like seafood, trying new things, cheeseburgers, etc. We mostly have the same clothes but in different colors, yet we refuse to let each other borrow things. 

PBP: Who is the most influential person in your life so far?

Jillian: The most influential person in my life so far would be Coach Townsend. Having known him since I was five and watching him coach my older sisters has been such a privilege. And now being able to play for him for the past three years has been a great pleasure and I'm looking forward to have a very successful senior year with him as my coach. He has taught me so much, about more than just the game, and has inspired me to do my best all the time and to never give up. The great influence he has on my life has not only made me a better soccer player, but also a better person in general.

Kelsey: I would have to say Coach Townsend and my dad are very influential to me. My dad is extremely supportive, making dinner before a big game, getting up early to make up a nice breakfast game day, sending good luck texts, and supporting me on the sidelines as much as possible. He is extremely successful with his business, putting up with a family full of girls, coaching us since we were little, and being a cheerleader for each and everyone of us.

Coach, he is an incredible man, from watching him coach my sisters, to coaching me since I can remember, I couldn't wait to play for him. He, as much as my dad, is successful with a business and a family, and I know he is just as supportive with his family as my dad is. He has influenced me to be a better soccer player, and person. With all his motivational speeches, they hit everyone listening in the right spot. Yes, he may yell a lot, but all this players know it's for the better. He'll be the first to admit he does, but it's because he knows we can do better than we are, etc.

The twins do have a couple of things different, but much is the same. They both listed psychology as their favorite subject in school and they both listed their favorite car as a Jeep. And they both listen to a little bit of everything in music. Food and color is different, Jillian is homemade macaroni and cheese for food and her favorite color is blue. For Kelsey, her favorite food is her grandmother's Finnish pancakes and her favorite color is lavender.

PBP: The girls were both asked what concerned them about school. What was on their minds a lot.

Jillian: Sometimes in school people get bullied. People try to make it sound like a joke or something, but they are bullying and trying to make someone else feel bad about themselves. I wonder how they would feel if someone did that to them. I think about this a lot. 

Kelsey: I think about what is going on in school, the gossip, what’s new. There is always gossip and new things, I think about game day, what can I do better, how can I help the team. 

According to both girls they said they think the bullying problem at Oceanside is getting better. All the talks about it has made more people aware and that know it is wrong. They both said they still see it, but not as much as in previous years. Kelsey said she thinks the worst thing is everyone is behind a screen and they believe that they can say whatever they want because you do not have to use your real name. There is a lot of bullying going on in cyberspace today and both girls were concerned about this. 

One of the funniest things was Kelsey talking about how Jillian does not want to be with her, doesn’t wish to go to the same college.

“Jillian always says Kelsey can go wherever she want’s, but I’m not going,” said Kelsey. “Jillian is more like doesn’t want to be twins, doesn’t want to be with me. I’m more willing to dress up as twins and she will not do that. She just never wants to be with me.”

And Jillian’s response was just as good.

“I feel like space would be good,” said Jillian. “Sometimes when we are apart for two days Kelsey is like I missed you so much and I’m like yes a couple more days would be good. We have spent our whole lives together and it’s good to get away."

Both of the girls said that most of their friends come from sports. Kelsey said she gets very attached to her teammates, she is with them everyday in school and practice or games, dinners, etc. 

That is what athletics should be doing, creating friendships, learning to be part of a team, growing as a person. For the Twins, sports, school, good home life, along with their pleasant, contagious attitude makes life good. If you are not sure about who the Twins are, just go to a game they are competing in and when you see that little blonde girl runs through an opponent to steal the ball or create such havoc on the floor she causes turnover after turnover, if she is smiling while she does it, you have just witnessed the Twins!