As anyone with brothers or sisters can attest, sibling rivalry almost always plays into the family dynamic. It is not unusual to find siblings participating in similar activities from childhood through high school, especially when it comes to athletics.
But for the McCooeys, senior Sean McCooey and freshman Meghan, the similarities go further than high school. Both compete as starting members of the men's and women's tennis teams at Tufts, with Sean as a tri-captain of the men's squad and Meghan as the starting No. 2 singles player for the women. Both are also engineering students.
The two learned the game of tennis from their parents, and both began developing their skills from a young age.
"Our parents sort of played, and we actually have a court at our house, so they started us early," Meghan said.
"They had us playing right when we could start," Sean said. "Both of us took to it pretty well in the beginning, so we stuck with it and continued on. We started off with lessons right away to get all the fundamentals down early and before we could develop bad habits."
Sean began playing at age four while Meghan first took the court at five. While both credited their parents with giving the initial push toward tennis, neither parent played seriously.
"Our dad played in high school, where we both went to high school at Mount St. Charles [Academy] in Rhode Island, and our mom never played competitively but got into it," Sean said. "They just played recreationally, and on-and-off through the years they've both done leagues and stuff."
"They weren't big on tennis; they played for fun so they figured 'Hey, we'll try our kids at it'," Meghan added. "We played other sports, too."
In addition to tennis, Sean participated in soccer, basketball, baseball and golf, along with recreational snowboarding. Meghan also took on the role of the multi-sport athlete, competing in soccer and softball, with skiing on the side. Once high school rolled around though, tennis became the primary focus.
Both secured singles roster spots as freshman, with Sean starting at No. 2 as a freshman then as No. 1 his remaining years. Meghan competed from the top singles slot all four years at Mount St. Charles. While the McCooeys enjoyed individual success by rapidly becoming the best singles players for their teams, the boys' and girls' squads saw distinctly different results.
"Our team was really strong," said Meghan, whose team won three state titles during her four years, and lost in the finals the only year without a ring. "My freshman year we had six really solid players. So when we all came out, four of us made the varsity team freshman year, and we had an incredible season and we won the state the title. We were really solid and deep."
"[My team] was just not as good as hers," Sean said. "My freshman year we went to the semifinals in the state tournament, and then after that it was kind of downhill. The competition was good in the league, and there were a few good players in the league, but as far as within the team there wasn't too much competition."
When the time came for Sean to start looking at colleges, tennis proved a major factor.
"I think tennis definitely played into my decision," he said. "My final decision was between Tufts and Lafayette, and I visited both schools, did an overnight with someone on the tennis team, saw the team play, [and] talked to the coaches."
Like many Tufts athletes, Sean applied Early Decision, Round II, and says he has no regrets.
"I've been happy with my choice," he said. "I'm close to home, the team has been great, the parents can come up and see matches and stuff."
Meghan also found herself somewhat undecided initially about where to attend school.
"I originally crossed Tufts off the list because I didn't want to follow in my brother's footsteps; I wanted to do my own thing and go to my own school," she said. "But when it came down to it I decided I wanted engineering. Lehigh was another one that I looked at, but the Boston location was great, and the coach seemed really great, and I met the girls on the team and they seemed really fun. All those factors combined made Tufts the best choice for me.
"Sean being here was just a bonus," Meghan added, drawing a chuckle from her brother.
When asked how much sibling rivalry affected their relationship, both played down its influence. Meghan had attempted several times to get her brother on court to hit with her during their high school years, with little success.
"I never wanted to play," Sean said. "I would just get frustrated that I was out there, which is not nice or good but that's just how I was, and I don't know why. I should have been out there helping her, but it didn't work out like that."
And now, with both siblings in Medford, Tufts tennis has become something of a family affair.
"[Our parents] love it," Meghan said. "My mom has come to so many matches. We have a little brother too who's been up here a lot, so he already knows the school pretty well."
The youngest McCooey is Ryan, and is following the family tradition and will play as a freshman for the boy's tennis squad at Mount St. Charles in the spring. Is there another McCooey in Tufts' future?
"You never know," Meghan said.
