Whenever Michael Sowers got home from school growing up, he knew it wouldn’t be long before he was in his backyard with his younger brothers, Andrew and Nick. Every time they got together, it was a war of attrition.

The spring meant two-on-one or two-on-two mini lacrosse games alongside close friend Brett Rama on a field spray painted by Sowers’ father, Dave. The fall was for physical football battles, while the winter meant Sowers and Andrew were duking it out in one-on-one basketball clashes.

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The lacrosse games obviously brought Sowers the most joy. No matter the circumstance, he said the games always ended in some sort of fight. As brothers, they were naturally tough on each other, but it’s not lost on Sowers the influence his family had on him.

“To get to where I’m at, it really does take a village, and I think that’s especially true in my case,” Sowers said. “I am where I am because of the people around me, and I think that my gift was that I loved the game and I had a passion for it, but it was the people around me I think that really got me here.”

Sowers was shaped by his family during their time together in Dresher, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. His brothers helped him develop a competitive edge and toughness that he’s shown at every level of lacrosse, while Dave was his first lacrosse coach. His mother, Liz, usually dealt with the aftermath of her sons’ conflicts and was always a constant hub of support.

Each of them has seen Sowers grow from an undersized kid who didn’t have to be asked to hit the wall, into one of the best lacrosse players of his era.

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This season, Sowers led the league in points (51) — becoming the fourth player in PLL history to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists — and is a finalist for the Jim Brown Most Valuable Player award alongside teammate CJ Kirst. On Sunday, Sowers can put his name in headlines once again if he helps the Philadelphia Waterdogs win their second PLL championship. (Their matchup with the Denver Outlaws faces off at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC.)

The Sowers brother showdowns are less frequent now, but they’re not extinct. If they’re ever at Dave’s house, Sowers and Andrew don’t shy away from playing one-on-one basketball against each other in the driveway.

Once the dust settles, they’ll hang out and watch a movie or discuss the latest Philadelphia sports news, whether it’d be LeBron James signing with the 76ers or the Waterdogs’ ambitions for the season. It’s a constant cycle of sports that hasn’t stopped for over two decades.

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Yet, as they’ve gotten older the conversations have gotten deeper, with Andrew not hesitating to seek Sowers’ guidance with life advice and vice versa.

“Mike has helped me so much with just becoming the person I am today,” Andrew said. “It’s more than just lacrosse, at least for me. I always go to him for business advice, life advice, and I really couldn’t ask for much of a better bigger brother because he’s always there for me when I need it.”

Sowers said he is where he is because of Andrew and Nick, and as the oldest, he felt a responsibility to take care of his brothers. Although, as they’ve matured, Sowers doesn’t see a hierarchy; the three of them are best friends.

They’ve supported him every step of his lacrosse career, starting when he tormented defenders at Upper Dublin High School to his collegiate career at Duke and Princeton and now his pro career.

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Sowers was always uber-talented and it was easy for him to fall in love with lacrosse. Much of his youth was spent in locker rooms or coach’s offices, due to Dave coaching at Hatboro Horsham High School. Sowers rode the team bus and often jetted to the back to talk with Duncan Swezey, a future All-American at Notre Dame. Players like Swezey gave Sowers the blueprint of what it took to play at a high level, while breaking down X’s and O’s provided him with a strong lacrosse IQ.

DOES HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF? 🏆

Michael Sowers took home PLL Championship MVP in 2022 and he’s back looking to help lead the @PLLWaterdogs to another PLL Championship. 👀 pic.twitter.com/WeKQJSdeHl

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) September 14, 2026

“He wants to be the best,” Dave said. “He doesn’t want to just play in the game. He wants to dominate it. He wants to be the best for his teammates.”

Despite Sowers’ lacrosse acumen, Dave wanted to ensure his son didn’t burn out. During all of football and most of basketball season, Dave didn’t allow Sowers to touch his lacrosse stick.

When Sowers picked it back up, Dave still had his ground rules. He banned his son from throwing behind-the-back passes in high school and emphasized that he needed to be proficient with both hands — which Sowers clearly took to heart.

Nowadays, Dave’s advice is less frequent, but still available. Recently, he told Sowers to shoot more when the goalie’s not expecting and implored him not to be a lunatic in front of the cage, something Liz agrees with.

“I do become like this different person [when Sowers plays],” Liz said. “At times it can be stressful, but I think over the years, I learned to trust that he’s where he is because of hard work, and whatever comes, he will deal with it.”

Sowers’ siblings are less stressed when it comes to his sometimes rash decisions, often cheering him on rabidly in the stands. For Andrew, nothing will top seeing Sowers win the 2022 PLL Championship with the Waterdogs.

In the aftermath of the final buzzer, Andrew marauded onto the field and was tackled by a security officer. Somehow he escaped and embraced his brother amid his championship celebrations.

Despite Andrew’s outlandish decision, the gesture showed the passion Sowers’ brothers have for him. And if Sowers comes out on top with the Waterdogs this weekend, his family will be squarely on his mind.

“You play for those people that have invested in you, and that is your family,” Sowers said. “When you have success, like, you hope that they find that they feel peace of that success because they are the reason that you’re having it.”