“I’m
definitely the more competitive,” said Brennen DuCharme.
“No way!” quipped
his identical twin Braden.
These are
the things most 16-year-old twins argue about, but Braden and Brennen DuCharme
are far from your typical twins.
The DuCharme
brothers are representing the United States at the U-18 Men’s Softball World
Cup, but this is definitely not the first time a DuCharme has donned the red,
white and blue at this level.
Their older
brother Bryce appeared in the 2014 and 2016 editions, which gave Braden and
Brennen an indication of the standard required to play at this level.
“We went down to Michigan to watch Bryce play in 2016,” Brennen said.
“It’s
pretty cool to have the experience our family does with softball, we’re lucky
to have that firsthand knowledge.”
That
experience continues with Dan (pictured), Bryce, Brennen and Braden’s father
who played in the 1985 Junior Men’s Softball World Cup in Fargo, North Dakota.
It doesn’t
stop there, as Dan’s father – LaVerne DuCharme – coached the US team in 1989
and 1993.
“My father
got me started in the game,” Dan said.
“He was a wonderful
mentor and also coached my brother John in that 1989 World Cup.
“He passed
away a few years ago, but would definitely be here supporting Brennen and Braden.”
As far as identical
twins go, Braden and Brennen have had their challenges, but are yet to make the
most of their alikeness.
“There’s
definitely been some screw-ups, but it’s not a big deal,” Braden said.
“Sometimes
people talk to me thinking it’s Braden. It can be frustrating, but I understand,”
Brennen added.
“We haven’t
tried the twin swap thing. Yet.”
Despite
being the youngest members of the US team, the twins have no fears sharing the
diamond with older and more experienced kids.
“It’s good
to be able to get that experience of playing here,” Brennen said.
“We’ll
build off that and get some tips and tricks from the older kids.”
“We play in
a men’s team in summer and fall league, so we’re used to playing with guys
older and more experienced than us,” Braden added.
Playing
softball at this level is hard, but having three generations of experience and
your identical twin in the dugout makes things a little more comfortable.
The
level-headed young men are holding their own at this level, but like most 16-year-old
boys, struggle with some domestic tasks.
“I’d say
Braden is definitely messier, neither of us make our beds though,” Brennan
said.
“No arguments
from me,” a smiling Braden replied.
