When teammates refer to themselves as "family," they usually are speaking figuratively. But when teammates Andrew and Mike Downing of the Virginia Men's Tennis team speak of themselves in this way, they mean it. They really are family -- brothers, in fact.
Being on the same team is nothing new for second-year Andrew Downing and fourth-year Mike Downing, both of Virginia Beach. The Downing brothers played tennis together in high school at the prestigious Norfolk Academy, and they were multi-year lettermen on their high school basketball team, too. And while being teammates through the years has been a source of interest, both for the brothers themselves and for those who have watched them, it is actually only half the story.
As their accomplishments suggest, these brothers have done more than merely play together -- they have succeeded together. Notably, they twice won the Virginia Prep League's No.1 doubles playing side-by-side in high school, and they both secured roster spots on Virginia's nationally-ranked and highly competitive men's tennis team.
This is not to say that things have always been easy or that having a brother as a teammate is not without its drawbacks.
"It's kind of hard having an [older] brother on the team," said younger brother Andrew. "I wouldn't say that I'm living in my brother's shadow, but he sort of set the stage [for me]."
But Andrew is quick to add that the benefits of having his brother and closest friend on the team outweigh the increased pressure of living up to lofty expectations.
"It's probably been a more beneficial thing than a negative thing," Andrew said. "Mike showed me the ropes [of the tennis team and college life], and he has a pretty laid back approach, so we never take things too seriously."
Mike Downing enthusiastically echoed his brother's sentiments, as if to flout the notion that close proximity invariably breeds conflict between brothers. In fact, Mike described his brother's presence on the team in nothing but positive terms.
"I can't really think of anything bad about having [Andrew] on the team," Mike said. "It's fun having a brother on the team, and it's nice having family close by. We've always been close, and now we're much closer."
Such sentimentalism has not quelled the competitive fires of the family duo, though. When asked if being brothers and teammates engendered a heightened sense of competitiveness, Mike responded that brotherly competition can sometimes be all-consuming and not necessarily confined to the tennis court. He went on to say that, in addition to playing tennis in an official capacity for the Cavaliers, the two brothers play basketball, baseball and golf together -- and not always as teammates.
As far as tennis goes, Andrew and Mike are far from diffident in their willingness to weigh each other's skills.
"Of course I'm going to say I'm the best player," Mike said.
Andrew, on the other hand, said he is of a fundamentally different opinion. He said by the time he and his brother Mike will have graduated from college, his tennis skills will be superior.
Upon meeting Andrew and Mike one might be tempted to attribute their forceful, yet ultimately tempered, competitiveness to the strength of their brotherly bond. The two seem to feed off each other's many successes and further push each other to the next level, as their winning records in doubles play this year shows.
Both brothers are hoping for breakout years in 2005. There may be reason for such optimism -- tennis and the University seem to be in the Downing family DNA. Andrew and Mike's mother, Cheri O'Donnell, played tennis for the Cavaliers from 1974 to 1978. Their younger sister, first-year Lauren Downing, and cousin Cathy Nimitz play varsity tennis for Virginia, too.
The Downing brothers and their Cavalier teammates play their next games in Blacksburg, Va., March 22 against in-state rival Virginia Tech. The next home game will be March 24 versus Wake Forest.
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