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BOB PUTNAMHer father is now a college coach, but both of Nicole Ryan's parents played while in college. Nicole, one of the top guards in the state, is playing in the semifinals for the Tornadoes.
CLEARWATER - Basketball has always been the center of affection for JoAnn and Tim Ryan. They met in elementary school and played the game through college.
So it was only natural that their daughter, Nicole, would gravitate toward the sport, even though they encouraged her to participate in others too.
Nicole started playing T-ball and soccer when she was 5. But once she grabbed a basketball, nothing else came close.
"I'm glad that she made that decision," JoAnn Ryan said. "Basketball is my favorite sport to watch."
Nicole honed her skills night and day. When her mother went to the grocery store, Nicole brought a basketball and dribbled down the aisles. At the dinner table, Nicole used one hand to shovel down food and the other to bounce a ball.
Even after darkness fell and her mother called her to come inside, Nicole stayed out at a nearby park, shooting and dribbling.
"Nicole has just been so serious about sports," her father said. "She'd always be out there working harder than everybody. She's a very determined girl."
It is that type of determination that has helped Nicole, a junior at Clearwater High School, develop into one of the top guards in the state.
Tonight, her skills will be tested to lead her team in the Class 5A semifinals when the Clearwater Tornadoes play the Fort Walton Beach Vikings at the Lakeland Center at 8:30. If they win, they'll play the Plant/Fort Walton Beach winner in the final Friday night at 7.
"This is a great opportunity for us to do something special," Nicole said.
Cheering Nicole on tonight will be her mother, her older brother, Tim, amd younger sister, Veronica.
But there will be one noticeable absentee. Nicole's father can't make the trip.
A first-year head coach at Central Florida Community College, Tim Ryan led his team to the state tournament, which starts tonight in Marianna.
"I know he's trying everything he can to be there," Nicole said. "He even thought of flying. But if he can't make it, that's okay. I know that he's happy where he is at. So am I."
Nicole connected with her dad through basketball. She always loved what her father loved, and she was good at it, too. Wherever dad went, Nicole went - to shoot-arounds, to practices, to games. Nicole has forever been on the floor or in the stands, watching, experimenting, dreaming.
Their bond became even tighter when Nicole participated in the Elks Hoop Shoot, a national free throw shooting contest, and finished 11th in the nation five years ago.
"That was something that really helped us grow because we traveled together and worked on different aspects of her game," Tim Ryan said. "Basketball is something that we have in common, but I don't think that's what has dominated our relationship. We try to talk about other things."
Since taking the head coaching job, Tim Ryan has lived in Ocala.
"I don't know what we're going to do with the family," he said. "I'd like the family to stay in Clearwater and let my daughter finish her senior year at the same school. But that's something to think about down the road. Right now, we're both focused on basketball and trying to help our teams win."
IF YOU GO WHAT: Class 5A semifinal Clearwater (27-2) vs. Fort Walton Beach (20-6) WHEN/WHERE Tonight at 8:30; the Lakeland Center. GETTING THERE: Interstate 4 east to Exit 31 (Kathleen Road). Turn right on Kathleen Road and continue to Sikes Boulevard. Bear right at the yield sign and turn right at the second traffic light (Lime Street). The Lakeland Center is on the right. ADMISSION: $7 for the evening session, which includes both 5A semifinals (Clearwater and Fort Walton Beach play at 8:30). Parking is $5.