Grant "Boo" Vermeer and his younger sister Paige Vermeer were weaned on basketball.
Their parents both competed in high school and both Vermeer kids recall playing at an early age. In fact Grant remembers shooting at a plastic hoop when he was just a tyke.
A day after New Year's, Grant will be firing up shots in earnest when his Bellarmine Bells (10-0) host powerhouse Archbishop Mitty (6-3) at 7:30 p.m. in the West Catholic Athletic League opener for both teams.
Tweeted Grant the night before the game: "Can't sleep. I'm already so pumped for tomorrow. So happy I'm going into battle with the guys on my team. We've worked hard all year for this."
Grant, already committed for next school year to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. may have some butterflies against Mitty, but he won't be paralyzed by fear.
"I felt some pressure my sophomore year but I've played a lot since then and now I just have a lot of fun and get energy from the crowds," he said. "They don't make me nervous."
Paige, a sophomore at tiny Castilleja High of Palo Alto, is amazed at her brother's poise.
"I don't understand how he can be so confident, like on free throws when schools are singing and chanting," she said. "But I guess he just does what he needs to do to execute. The WCAL is amazing -- all of the spirit and the student sections chanting back and forth. It's something I don't experience in our league."
Paige, just a sophomore, plays in the relative anonymity of the West Bay -- Foothill Division. Castilleja is a school of just 240 girls and competes against other small schools like Mercy of San Francisco, Menlo and Sacred Heart Prep.
She's benefited by watching her brother.
"He's helped me immensely," she said. "He's such a great player that watching everything he does helps me so much. I watch what he does in certain situations and think how it could apply to my game."
Castilleja, hindered by the transfer of a key player and injury, is just 3-8, but Paige is averaging 8.9 points per game. She's also stellar in school, sporting a 3.8 grade point average.
Meantime, Grant is the star of the Bells -- a knockdown 3-point shooter who can ripple the nets no matter the defense or the wilting pressure of WCAL crowds. Off the court he's accomplished as well, boasting a 4.3 GPA.
Against Soquel, Grant scored 17 points to help the Bells secure a 54-52 victory against a stubborn Santa Cruz County rival.
"I've seen Vermeer play three times now," Soquel coach Stu Walters said. "Seems like a very physical, tough kid. He plays really hard. He killed us last year in the second half with a bunch of threes after we led at half."
Grant picked up his unusual nickname from his older brother Kyle who had difficulty as a child saying "brother" and had it come out "Boo" instead.
Said Grant: "It just kind of stuck. My mom heard him say it and she said 'Awesome, we'll call him 'Boo.'"
Grant attended middle school in the heart of St. Francis Lancer country but his father graduated from Bellarmine, so the brown and gold was not an option for the future Bell.
"I was always the odd man out because I always wanted Bellarmine to beat St. Francis," Grant said. "Those games meant bragging rights and were a lot of fun."
Now both Vermeers get to play in such games, even if Paige's contests aren't quite as frenzied as her brother's. No matter what the situation, the siblings seem to enjoy themselves on the court.
"I like the intensity and how fast-paced the game is," Paige said. "There's pressure, but it's a good kind of pressure. I think it's exhilarating. It's also a good outlet. You can throw your cares out because it's just you and your teammates working together."
