Trick-Shooting Twin Students, Social Media Sensations, Connect With More Than Dunks
This summer, Jake and Pete Randall have had their feet in two worlds.
The St. Louis twins 鈥 both soon to be seniors and both studying finance and economics at 射精视频 鈥 are helping work in the fields on a farm south of Kansas City at Boys Grow during the day, part of a summer聽internship program at the Bishop Sullivan Center.
The organization gives young boys experience as part of a working farm, and each year they produce, market and sell a packaged food item showcasing the produce they raise 鈥 in the past, it鈥檚 been ketchup, barbecue sauce, avocado hot sauce, and salad dressing.
Asked about their own previous experience with the agricultural lifestyle, Jake is extremely honest.
鈥淲e are not farmers by any means,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e had no idea about any of that stuff, but it is kind of cool to learn about farming and the techniques and why drip irrigation is important.鈥
鈥淭he Randall Twins,鈥 as they鈥檙e known on and , are better known for viral videos combining their skills on the basketball court with a healthy dose of humor.
That formula has garnered millions of views and a spotlight from some influential sources in the realm of social media 鈥斅爌opular sports site Bleacher Report showcased one of the twins鈥 recent videos on their social media pages, and ESPN has also shown the Randall twins some love. Each video serves as its own setup and punchline 鈥 in the post shared by Bleacher Report, the twins don Heelys shoes (equipped with wheels) to simulate the awkward, sometimes frustrating glitches in NBA basketball video games. The result was very silly, but with a helping of truth in it 鈥 in other words, shareable comedic gold.
By building up their social media audience and networking, the twins鈥櫬爒ideo savvy聽have given them new opportunities 鈥 invites to judge the dunk contest at a Kansas City-St. Louis all-star basketball showcase and to be special guests at the opening of the new Nike store on the Country Club Plaza, as well potential sponsorships in the future.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got some big stuff in the works,鈥 Jake said.
Despite that penchant for nailing tone and content for a broad audience, the twins said becoming social media stars was never necessarily the plan. They loved basketball, and had hoped to play in college. It didn鈥檛 work out, but it did give them an idea.
鈥淲e got into professional dunking,鈥 Jake said. 鈥淎nd that led to making videos. Rather than just wow someone with our ability, we figured we can use the skills to make people laugh.鈥
Once they know what they want to do, the twins said filming the videos only takes a few minutes.
鈥淭he hardest part of the whole process is the idea,鈥 Pete said. 鈥淔or us to get on ESPN, it鈥檚 got to be funny and to have something that people can relate to.鈥
In past videos, they鈥檝e poked fun at elaborate pre-free-throw routines, the differences between the way basketball is played now and in the past, and other aspects of the game, all showcasing the twins鈥 talent. Those videos have caught the eye of millions. They certainly haven鈥檛 gone unnoticed on the Boys Grow farm.
鈥淥ur biggest video got 20 million views and we were working when that blew up,鈥 Pete said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 another guy who works out here who played basketball and he saw it and showed to everyone else.鈥
Soon, the boys at the farm were also watching the twins鈥 videos, and both Pete and Jake said they embraced the opportunity to connect with the boys around them.
鈥淲e try to use this as a way to be good role models,鈥 Pete said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something we鈥檝e worked really hard for and it鈥檚 kind of cool to be able to relate to them through sports.鈥
The relationships they鈥檝e built are on display on a typical day at Boys Grow 鈥 the crew passes the time by talking about any number of topics. The boys rib the Randall twins about finally having to do some work now that the cameras are clicking.
In that and many other ways, everyday work at Boys Grow could almost not be more different from their last internship. After their sophomore year, Jake said they spent the summer with a financial services firm. It was a great fit with their majors, but not so much with their personalities.
鈥淲e basically cold-called people,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he whole time we were in a cubicle, with a routine. We hated that lifestyle. Now we鈥檙e out here every day with these guys, where maybe we can help them a little as they turn into outstanding young men.鈥
The opportunity almost didn鈥檛 happen 鈥 Jake said as the two were looking through options for the Bishop Sullivan Center internship, he was initially drawn to anything business-related. His brother was the one who saw the farm and talked him into it.
鈥淭hey had the option to select programs that you wanted to be a part of, and I just kind of thought Boys Grow sounded like something I鈥檇 want to do,鈥 Pete said.
They met with Phil Smith, the coordinator of the internship program at Bishop Sullivan, who Jake said told them they would be a great fit for Boys Grow.
Taking the chance has worked out great, Jake said. The twins鈥 drive to take something they are passionate about and turn it into an entrepreneurial venture has more than a little in common with the lessons being taught at Boys Grow. And they said they鈥檙e happy to be sharing a summer internship experience that, for them, has cultivated more than crops.
鈥淲hat we like most is working with the boys,鈥 Jake said. 鈥淏uilding those relationships is really what makes Boys Grow great.鈥