Kristen King // Staff Writer
After finishing high school in Pickerington, Ohio, it was unsure whether or not Amari and Aajah Hawkins would continue their life’s journey together.
As fraternal twins, Amari and Aajah have spent the majority of their lives with and around each other. Sometimes, this can be a bit overwhelming and it proved to be so around the time they needed to make the decision on which college to attend.
“It was never our plan to stay together, but it kind of just ended up that way,” said Amari Hawkins. “We had our time where we really did not like each other around senior year and we felt like we didn’t want to be around each other for the next four.”
But like true sisters, Amari and Aajah worked out their issues and decided to come to FIU together in pursuit of an outstanding college career both academically and athletically.
They credit their work together through their passion for family and the sport of basketball.
This passion started off at a young age when their mother, Keisha Hawkins, introduced them to several different sports but ultimately settled with basketball. She had the girls play basketball with the boys because of the strength and durability of the men’s way of playing basketball.
“She wanted us to play with the boys because it was supposed to grow our toughness out on the court, said Aajah Hawkins. “Obviously, the perception of girls is that they’re weaker when it comes to playing and our mom didn’t want that as an excuse. We had to adapt to their game before playing our own.”
With this direction, Amari and Aajah have maintained this way of playing and have adapted it to FIU’s own way of basketball. Combining a bit of old and new school, the girls have captured career-highs as guards ever since they started playing for FIU during their freshman year.
In order to make sure they play the game like they are supposed to, the girls credit themselves with being each other’s biggest critics. But they do it in a way that does not compromise their family relationship.
“We know it’s out of love no matter what. We try not to take our criticisms too much to heart because it should be helping us more than anything,” said Amari Hawkins.
“I think I accept criticism more from her because I know she’s giving it in a loving way. She always has my best interest,” agreed Aajah Hawkins.
After practice, the twins work on these critiques during their own personal sessions, where they can point out and review what it is they did and did not do right on the court.
Even when they return home to Ohio, they work on their game with some of their biggest supporters. According to the girls, there are five of them: their mom, high school coach, uncle, grandfather and grandmother.
Each one of their supporters have seen the development of the girls throughout their basketball careers and ensure that they play to their fullest potential here at FIU. Aajah Hawkins said it was a “positive negative positive mentality where their supporters point out the best and worst in their game.”
For the girls, the bond they share with each other and their family here and at home makes it is easier to work together and understand the expectations they have for one another when they are playing.
“I feel like I know her movements better so I’m always looking out for her in my peripheral vision. I know when she is and isn’t playing to her fullest potential and I know what the reason may be so I try to keep her straight on her path,” said Amari Hawkins.
Looking forward to the upcoming season, Amari and Aajah have already set the goals they wish to accomplish for FIU’s Women’s basketball team.
“I want to add value to the team whether that just be me scoring a little more or getting rebounds,” Aajah Hawkins said. “I want to help Coach Malcolm get to where she wants to be like the great coach I know she can be.”
“I expect myself to get better and increase every aspect of my game. It could be my overall scoring or my jump shot precision, I just want to be better,” Amari Hawkins said. “Also, I want to increase my confidence because last year it wasn’t good but I feel like it’s building from myself and Coach Malcolm in general.”
In the future, while the girls do not see themselves playing basketball professionally, they are thankful for the experiences and relationships they have formed. Wherever they go, Amari and Aajah have built a family to guarantee that they are the best versions of themselves no matter the circumstance.
Family values has and always will be a part of the Hawkins Twins’ game, and they promise to show this on and off the court during the 2016-2017 season.
