By Kim J. Harmon

It is just a fact of life that most of the people in the grandstand at a high school basketball game are family members of the players … not just casual fans looking to catch a little basketball and have some fun.

Not so for the Steinebrey family of Newtown.

At just about every Newtown High School girls’ basketball home game, the Steinebrey family – that‘s Rachel and Jeff with their sons Nate (7) and Jake (4) – can be seen in their usual seats behind the far baseline, in the stands generally taken over by students.

The Steinebrey’s have been coming to games for three years now, ever since Nate was in Biddy Basketball. Nate was getting his initial instruction in Dr James Naismith’s grand game by players like Julie Iwanicki, Kelly Haines and Tori Filler and when the girls invited the family to games, they gladly took them up on the offer.

This is not without a little bit of pathos, though.

There are a few loyalty issues that Rachel – the former Rachel Stadler – has to deal with as she cheers for the Newtown girls. See, some 20 years ago Rachel played on the same team with Masuk High School girls’ basketball legend Ann O’Doy … under coaching legend Dave Strong.

No one said this was easy.