Many parents around the state of Texas will follow their athletes to the UIL State Tennis Tournament Thursday and Friday in College Station, but not many of them will be driving the bus.

However, parents of three area athletes who will be competing at state will be doing just that, as they are also high school tennis coaches. Vernon’s Sarah Castleberry and B.T. White qualified for state in Class 4A Mixed Doubles, and Sarah’s mother, Carrie Castleberry is the head coach of the VHS tennis team, while B.T.’s father, Brett White, is an assistant coach.

Crowell’s Seth Bearden and Colby Carroll qualified for state in Class 1A Boys Doubles, and Seth’s mother, Stephanie Bearden, is the tennis head coach at Crowell.

For Carrie and Stephanie, coaching their own child has been a new experience, although Stephanie is really the only rookie since Sarah is a sophomore and Carrie coached her last year. For Brett, coaching his own children is almost routine since B.T. is his youngest and, going to the state tournament has almost become common place for the Whites. Brett’s middle child, Jobee, advanced to the state tournament all four years in high school and last year she was the Class A Girls Singles champion when Brett was at Northside.

“Jobee won state last year largely in part to B.T. working with her. Murphy, our oldest daughter, went to regionals at Celina with the aid of Jobee helping her,” Brett said. “Tennis has made us closer as a family.”

Having his dad as his coach is nothing new to B.T., as Brett always took the time to be his coach in a variety of sports as he was growing up.

“I really enjoy having my dad as my coach,” the freshman said. “He has really coached me at everything my whole life. He is the reason why I am where I am as an athlete today. My dad has always expected me to work hard and to do my best. I don’t really feel any added pressure with him as my coach. I’m used to him coaching me and I have always really liked him being my coach and my dad at the same time.”

Being an assistant tennis coach is something new for Brett, but he has enjoyed it because it has given him a little more time to be a parent. But, at the same time, he knows that on the court, he is a coach first.

“The best advice I was ever given was by Todd Dodge when I was at Southlake Carroll,” Brett said. “He told me, ‘Kids deserve to have a coach and a parent, and we need to know when to turn one off and the other on.’ I do my best to know when to flip that switch.”

Brett must be doing a pretty good job at flipping that switch, because B.T. is thrilled to have his dad as his coach.

“It makes going to state a lot cooler,” B.T. said. “I’m more comfortable with him coaching me than with anyone else. Even though I’m a freshman going to state was something my family and I expected because my sister went to state four straight years. I’m really glad that I could make it five straight!”

Carrie Castleberry served for several years as an assistant coach to longtime Vernon tennis head coach Ruben Vargas. Carrie stepped away from coaching when her children were younger, but when Vargas retired in 2016, Carrie accepted the head coach position. Her first year as the head coach was also Sarah’s freshman year.

“I was very excited to coach Sarah and looked forward to the opportunity,” Carrie explained. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but the reality has, at times, been harder than I thought it would be. For me, it is very hard to separate the parent/coach thing. I know what Sarah is capable of, her talent and potential, and when I think she isn’t giving that I am hard on her. In all honesty, too hard at times, but I have gotten better at that this year.”

Last year was a year of adjustment for Sarah. She was adjusting to being in high school, being on the varsity tennis team and having her mother as her coach.

“It has its advantages and disadvantages,” Sarah said of having her mother as her coach. “My mom has always had high expectations for me and sometimes it’s difficult to live up to them, but her consistently pushing me to meet those goals has definitely turned me into a better tennis player, as well as a better person.”

Sometimes being the “parent” allows the “coach” to tell it like it is without pulling any punches.

“She’s not scared to tell me how it is because she’s my mom as well as my coach,” Sarah said. “It’s very difficult to separate her from being a parent as well as my coach, but I actually do love that she is both because I feel like I have more of a voice in tennis matters, because we can talk about them at home as well.”

While it may seem strange, being the tennis coach has, at times, kept Carrie from actually being able to watch Sarah play.

“The hard part has been sometimes I just wish I could be the parent in the stands,” Carrie said. “Her dad is, and he is the good guy most of the time. I don’t get to just watch her. There have been some tournaments this spring that I didn’t get to watch her play due to playing at different sites and coaching my other players.”

Both mother and daughter are excited about advancing to the state tournament. Sarah is actually following in her mother’s footsteps, as Carrie qualified for the state tournament in 1991 and won the Class 4A Girls Doubles Championship.

“When I was an assistant coach we took a lot of kids to state, but this is the first year as a head coach for any of my players to make it to state. For Sarah to be one of them just makes this very special in so many ways,” Carrie explained.

Sarah  is very excited to be going to state. “It is something I have wanted to achieve for as long as I can remember,” she said. “Last season I think I had a chance to go, so going into this season I knew what to do differently and I came in much more determined.”

Although on the tennis courts Carrie is Sarah’s coach, there are times the teen can relate to every other player on the courts.

“One thing that always makes me laugh is no matter how loud everyone else is being, during a match I can always hear her cheering and shouting above everyone else,” Sarah said. “I think I’m very lucky to have this experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! There is no one else I would rather have coaching me at state than the one who knows me best.”

Carrie is also treasuring the experience this year. “It is a blessing to be able to be a part of this, but I try really hard to leave it at the courts,” she said. “At the end of the day, Sarah is my daughter. Sports are great, but not the ultimate thing. I want her to know she is loved no matter what and despite the hard losses the sun will come up the next day.”

Like Sarah, Seth is also following in his mother’s footsteps, as Stephanie qualified for state back in 1994.

“During this year’s regional tournament at South Plains College, we were warming up for the semifinals and I showed Seth the court I qualified for state tennis on in 1994, and he went over and kissed the court for good luck. I guess it worked,” Stephanie said.

“I knew someday I would coach Seth, but it seems that day came way too quickly,” she continued. “I also knew it would be hard to coach Seth because he is very head strong and competitive, like me, which causes lots of friction between us. But, on the other hand, that’s what makes him the great competitor he is.”

Seth readily admits to voicing his opinion during conversations on the court.

“Having my mom coach me is stressful, because she holds me to a higher standard,” he said. “However, it is way easier for me to argue with her on the court because she is my mom. I think it is really cool that both my mom and I have made it to state in tennis. I was really surprised to make it to state my freshman year, and I’m really excited about getting to play with my partner, Colby Carroll.”

The Crowell freshman is actually doing double-duty at state, as he also qualified for the Class A State Golf Tournament. Seth, who has already verbally committed to attend Texas Tech, will play golf Monday and Tuesday before hitting the court on Thursday.

“It doesn’t matter if Seth is playing golf or playing tennis, it’s tough for me because I live shot to shot,” Stephanie said. “I just want him to succeed and I know he wants it just as much as I do.”

Parents don't have to be coaches to know that nervous feeling. But when coaching your kids all the way to the state stage has made this a winning week for the Whites, Beardens and Castleberrys, no matter what the scoreboard in College Station says this week.

Kathy McClellan writes two sports columns each month for the Times Record News.