Soccer moms typically drive a mini van and cart kids around to practices and games. Sara Palin even compared hockey moms to a pit bull but with lip stick, however no one ever hears about basketball moms. Mrs. Debbie Johnson, a bus driver for MISD and mother of six, supports her children and their passion for basketball.

    “She hasn’t complained not even once, because she doesn’t mind running after us all the time.” oldest son Terry Franklin said. “She likes to see us happy and doing what we love to do; so she will do what ever it takes.”

    Of her six children four enjoy playing ball. The second oldest senior Terry Franklin, along with the fourth oldest sophomore Derry Franklin, play for the varsity boys’ team, junior Terrica Franklin, plays for the varsity girls’ team, and fifth child first grader Kerry Franklin, has the dream to play for the YMCA in the future.

    “It was a really big struggle to try and get them all to every event,” Mrs. Johnson said, “so I normally tired to get them into the same programs that went hand in hand. With them all three being on varsity, it was much easier because they were pretty much on the same schedule.”

    The YMCA sports program first introduced basketball to this family as the mother coached their teams, and although Terry loves basketball so much, he will attend Okalahoma University on a football scholarship. However, his talents do not stop there. He has passed all he learned onto his brother during their one-on-one competitions.

    “Derry will become a better player than I ever was because he didn’t have to learn skills the hard way like I did,” Terry said. “I taught him everything he knows and with all my knowledge and everything he picks up along the way there is no doubt.”

    Debbie’s attempt to attend every game each child plays in, will need much more travel time and gas once her oldest son, Terry, leaves for Oklahoma State.

    “My kids are awesome,” Mrs. Johnson said. “Over the past three years many things came their way but they always managed to overcome it and do what they needed to do to get where they are at now.”