Principal Franklyn Bush is the man in charge in the bustling hallways of Lawrence Central High School. On the soccer field, he’s just “Dad,” cheering from the stands as his twin sons, Bryce and Trevor, navigate their sophomore season.
This unique trinity of roles — principal, father, and supporter — creates a dynamic as enriching as it is complex, a story where family, education and athletics are seamlessly intertwined.
“A lot of pride and a lot of mixed emotions,” Franklyn said of watching his sons represent the school he leads. “Not only are they student-athletes at Lawrence Central, they’re my kids … It’s a huge blessing and it’s fun to watch them.”
For the 16-year-old brothers, having their father, the principal, as their most prominent fan brings a unique sense of motivation and support.
“When he watches us, it brings a sense of him also being a role model to us,” Bryce said. “It’s just different having him … He gives us a lot of resources and stuff we wouldn’t have been able to have without him being our father and principal.”
That proximity fosters a deep bond between the brothers on and off the field. Having a built-in teammate for life has been a cornerstone of their development.
“It’s a really good experience always having your brother … a good teammate and a good person around,” Trevor said. “Good chemistry, good bonding — just always having someone there for you.”
The Twin Tandem
Bryce echoed his twin brother’s sentiments, describing their connection as “unbreakable.”
“We’ve done everything these past 16 years of our life together,” Bryce said. “On the field, it continues … we communicate, we give each other details on how we can grow … and I feel like we just continue to push each other every day to get better.”
Navigating the blurred lines between “Principal Bush” and “Dad” requires intentionality. Franklyn emphasizes consistency and fairness as his guiding tenets, ensuring his sons receive the same opportunities and expectations as every other student in the building.
“Our care and our focus and our effort for all of our students … has really made the situation for me really easy,” Franklyn explained. “I feel like our students and our families feel the love, attention and appreciation across the board.”
The life lessons cultivated on the field naturally run over to the family dinner table, often with a mix of seriousness and satire led by their mother, Amy Bush.
“Our family has a big sense of humor,” Franklyn said with a laugh. The conversations, however, quickly pivot to core values.
An unbiased ideology
“We talk about goals … how to be a good member of the community, always helping out the community and how we can improve our daily life and others’ lives better,” Bryce said.
A common misconception the family is quick to dispel is that anything is handed to the boys because of their last name. They argue the opposite is true; the expectation to excel and the weight of the spotlight demand even more discipline and hard work.
“Everyone just thinks it’s easier … thinking everything is just given to you,” Trevor said. “They don’t really understand it’s still the same, if not more. However, it is better having people around you that support you.”
Bryce feels the perception adds a motivating pressure.
“I honestly think it’s somewhat a little bit harder because people always have that chip, saying ‘I have the easy road’ or whatever,” Bryce said. “It makes me work harder.”
Franklyn underscored that what people see on game day results from immense, unseen effort.
“They don’t see the hard work that goes on behind the scenes,” Franklyn said, listing early morning workouts, required reading and academic excellence as non-negotiable parts of their regimen. “There’s a lot of things behind closed doors that I have required of them.”
Life lessons and looking ahead
When asked about the core values they will carry beyond soccer, the brothers pointed to the ethos their father instills.
“Hard work is definitely a big one,” Bryce said. “Family is another one; showing love, giving back, spending quality time. That is what is important.”
For Trevor, the lesson is about authenticity and focus.
“Stick to your own path,” Trevor said. “You can miss out on some things, but just be yourself and just keep working hard.”
As Franklyn watches his sons grow from the soccer field to the school halls, his pride extends far beyond what others may realize. He is proud of their “commitment to their school community and academic excellence.”
“They’re taking some dual credit courses, AP courses … and just putting themselves into situations where they may not be the smartest in the room and they have to really push themselves,” Franklyn said. “They are becoming well-rounded young men who are very confident in who they are and know where they want to be.”
In the Bush family, the soccer field is more than a place of competition; it is a training ground for life, where a principal who is also a dad coaches his sons — and the students in his care — toward a winning future.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Facebook and TikTok @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
