INDIANAPOLIS — Everybody has pride in where they are from. Where you grew up and crafted lifelong memories will always hold a special place in your heart. That's certainly the case for the new head coach of Cardinal Ritter boys soccer — and his sidekick.
Gus Esterline is just 24 years old. A Cardinal Ritter soccer alum, he knew he wanted to end up the head coach one day. Maybe not this soon, though.
"I always wanted to come back because it was such a great experience. I love being around Ritter again," Gus said. "I think it's a lot different for me because I didn't just take any other coaching job. I got to come back to where I played and where I went to school."
He didn't come alone, either.
Gus brought his identical twin brother, Eli, along with him as his assistant coach.
"This was kind of thought out before I even got the job. Like, 'You know, it would be really cool one day if we could go back and both take over Ritter,' and here we are," Gus smiled. "We've done everything together since we were kids. I was asked in my interview, 'Do you guys think you're going to argue?' No, we don't argue. We just talk about it at home. We work well together."
"It's always fun working with him. We've worked together for 24 years, whether it be as a teammate, student, a brother or a coach. Not just that we're brothers, but we're best friends," Eli said. "We have all the same friends, we do everything together, went to college together, went to high school together. You could easily pass us off as one another if you had to. It's been amazing."
From semistate and state tournament appearances as players at Ritter to playing at Wittenberg University together to now coaching their alma mater together, it's clear these two love soccer, Cardinal Ritter and each other.
Surely there's some mix-ups with identical twins leading the program, right? There are varying answers, depending on who you ask.
"Oh yeah, I get called Eli like five times a day," Gus laughed.
"When I was younger, I did, but now that I'm older, I can tell them apart," senior captain Ryan Siener said.
Gus and Eli are thrilled to be back leading this program together, much to the delight of all involved.
"They did a great job. They were fantastic as players. They were leaders to begin with when they were playing," Cardinal Ritter Athletic Director Dave Scott said. "And in the back of your mind, you start to think, 'Can this guy fit the mold of being a head coach?' It was an instant and immediate, 'Yes, they both can.'"
"The kids really feel a connection to them. It's not even like a coach and a player. It's like we're a big family," Siener said. "They stay after if we need it. They make sure we have everything we need, and it's awesome."
"I'm here to win games," Gus said. "I'm not just here to be the coach and be a figurehead. I really want to win games at this school. I think giving these guys a good experience is more so what I'm looking for than getting wins under my belt."
The Esterline twins are leading Ritter soccer with beaming pride for their alma mater. The Raiders are 2-1 on the young season and are looking for more.
Keep an eye out on their success — and be sure not to mix them up.