Reinhardt brothers leave a legacy at Princeton

Princeton High School has had its share of families with at least four boys playing varsity sports for the Tigers over the years.

The Howard brothers had a 14-year run of Tigers from 1956-71 starting with Bill from the class of 1960 followed by Bob (’62), Corby (’64), Tim (’68) and Jim (’70). Their dad, Bill, was a former PHS basketball coach.

The Robbins’ clan sent six boys through the doors of PHS from 1977 through 1991 with Tom and Tony (’79), Scott (’83), Doug (’85), Jeff (’87) and Jimmy (’91).

The Wahlgren boys crossed over with the Robbins boys from 1983-94 with Erick (’86), Kai (’88), Kipp (’90) and Kristian (’94) winning three wrestling state championships and one in pole vault state title between them.

Another era of brothers has come to a close with the graduation of Jordan Reinhardt this spring. There’s been a Reinhardt boy playing sports at PHS since 2013, including Jake (’16), Josh (’18) and Jamie (’21).

Newman basketball coach Ray Sharp always joked with the Reinhardts that he was glad to finally see the last brother graduate.

The calendar for their mom, Tina, is going to look a lot cleaner in the future.

“It’s just going to be really strange not having a ballgame or a schedule that’s non stop,” she said. “And having Jordan here by himself for a couple years. It’s so weird to think how we did it when they were all going.”

Tina said there was never an offseason in the Reinhardt household with the boys playing soccer, golf, football, basketball and baseball at one point. She has no idea how many games the boys played in.

“Wished I would have kept track. I think it would shock us if we sat down and tried to figure it out,” she said.

Tina’s license plate reads “4 JR boys,” which was made before Jordan was born. When he came along, dad John “got booted” off the plate, she said.

The funny thing, it wasn’t supposed to turn out “4 JR boys.” Jordan was supposed to be a girl.

“We had a 3D ultrasound because of my age and they told me it was a girl,” Tina said. “Everybody else was so shocked and worried how I felt. It was kind of comical. I was like, ‘Why expect anything different?’”

The family prepared a “very beautiful purple room” to welcome the expected baby sister home, and “my mom and sister had it painted before we came home because they boys were mortified they were going to have a purple room,” Tina said.

“We didn’t find out what any of the kids were. But we thought, if it’s a girl, we better prepare for a girl. That’s the only reason why we found out.”

When he was younger, Jordan didn’t like hearing how he was supposed to be a girl, “now he just rolls with it,” Tina said.

Jordan said he kind of liked being the youngest.

“It was nice being around all the older boys and getting to learn the things they did,” he said. “I did get picked on quite a bit by all my brothers and even their friends but looking back at it I feel like it taught me a lot of things.

“I have always looked up to all them. They were the best role models I could have ever asked for. I felt a little pressure at some points but ever since a young age I got to practice and learn with my brothers so that gave me the confidence to trust myself in whatever I do.”

Tina Reinhardt, who jokes she learned how to box out in her kitchen, said her boys were always active, playing anything they could do, and were always very competitive, especially between the oldest, Jake, and youngest, Jordan.

“I would take all four to the doctor for annual checkups and they were always going after it and of course, picking on Jordan,” she said.

Tina said the doctor forewarned the oldest boys that their baby brother was going to be the tallest, and he was right.

While the boys’ dad was a standout in his own right at PHS, a member of the Tigers’ 1986 regional champions in basketball, they didn’t get all their athletic genes from him. Their mom played basketball, softball and ran hurdles at Abingdon.

“I tried to remind them of that. I also twirled the baton and they made fun of that,” she said.