Siblings: You can't live with them and you can't live without them. Your rivalry with that pesty brother or sister began at toddler age when you bickered over toys and may even persist today at college, decades later.
And this rivalry might even be compounded if you and your brother are the same age and also attend the same college.
But some siblings here at the University have overcome this contention by competing together on some of the most intense collegiate sports teams in the country.
Cross country and track team members Justin and Brian Wood never even considered going to different schools. Fraternal twins, the Wood brothers have run on the same track and cross country teams since their freshman year in high school.
"We've been best friends all our lives," said fourth-year College student Justin Wood with a genuinely endearing smile. "It's fun to have someone who is part of the family around, especially so far from home."
The similarity of the appearance of these twins, who came to the University all the way from Grass Valley, Calif., stops with the long and lean physique of a runner. Justin's short brown hair contrasts sharply with Brian's longer, wavy shag. But though these twins look nothing alike, their similar personalities made transferring to the University from Northern Arizona University two years ago relatively easy.
"My brother is more content wherever he is," Justin said. "He didn't really care one way or the other about transferring, so he kind of agreed to go wherever. When I got in touch with the coaches it was an all-or-nothing type deal."
Justin Mullen, a second-year College student on the lacrosse team, had a similar experience with regard to a sibling when selecting schools. Of all the schools that were recruiting the Annapolis, Md. native, the University succeeded because of a secret weapon - his older brother, Jamison.
"Having Jamison on the team was definitely something that helped me choose this school," said Mullen with a reminiscent grin on his face. "I'd never had the opportunity to play on the same team with him before."
The Mullen brothers played attack together on the lacrosse team for one season before the elder brother graduated in May. Their season together was mostly filled with success and benevolence. But the contrast between the superb offense of the men's lacrosse's 1999 national championship team and its weakened offense in the 2001 season created the only unrest between the brothers.
"Our offense was not so good last year, and that is what we both play," Mullen said. "That was the only negative aspect."
Although these siblings do not encompass the bratty bickering some associate with sibling rivalry, tension does surface on occasion.
"We used to not be able to run together because we'd start racing," Brian Wood said. "We got over that, but outside running, we are still really competitive."
And that tension explodes when they get to the touchy topic of athletic superiority.
"I wouldn't admit he is better and he wouldn't admit that I'm better," Mullen said of his brother with a shrug of his shoulders.
In a sport like cross country where the team members are ranked according to speed, the strongest runner becomes obvious. But the Wood brothers remained diplomatic.
"We'll both be top seven, it's hard to say who will be higher," Justin said.
Brian, maintaining a modest look, retorted, "He's been doing better."
"It goes back and forth depending on injury and sickness," Justin settled.
The Wood brothers prefer the track season in the spring because this polite deference becomes non-existent. They branch out a bit: Brian to the steeplechase and Justin to the 10,000 meters. This alleviates any tension the brothers might feel during track meets.
Rather than forcing these siblings to compete against each other in competitive match-ups, being on the same athletic team seems more conducive to sibling comraderie than rivalry.
Mullen believes playing lacrosse with his brother helped strengthen his own technical playing skills.
"Jamison had a lot of help and experience to share with me," Mullen said. "I think he enjoyed being able to help me."
And as the Mullen brothers got better, the Wood brothers got closer.
"We became a lot closer because we talk the whole time as we run 15 miles a day," Justin Wood said.
Brian agrees that the long runs have strengthened their relationship.
"We used to fight a lot more," Brian said. "We haven't really fought in a long time - we get more space now."
The Mullen brothers too grew together as their surroundings at the University became one and the same.
"We became much closer in the year we played together," Mullen said. "We weren't that close in high school, but we are much closer now."
Playing anything with a sibling is hard enough, let alone competing in collegiate sports. But what are the chances of two people from the same family making the same team? According to the experts, the chances are high.
"Siblings genetically and environmentally inherit the same talents and skills," said Psychology Prof. Denise Newman.
Thus, the parents of the Wood and Mullen siblings most likely had more to do with their children winding up on the same University sports team than did the athletes themselves.
Justin Wood said that although he and his brother were both natural runners growing up, his parents never urged them to compete in the same sport.
"Our parents always tried to stress that we were each better at different sports," Justin said. "It worked out well."
Parents of non-twins may have different goals and problems to deal with - mainly the younger-child-gets-more-attention syndrome.
But the Mullen brothers' parents overcame that affliction.
"They allowed both of us to do whatever we wanted to," Mullen said. "They didn't push us into anything. Our dad played lacrosse in college, so that was obviously a major influence."
For most athletes who play on University athletic teams with a sibling, rivalry familiar to all brothers and sisters fades as one gets older and becomes more competitive.
As Justin Wood said, "This has been the best experience of my life. It has been all positive"
Read More
How study abroad taught me to stop studying
By Grace Scott | 2 days agoTurns out, it took attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world for me to realize there's more to life than studying.
Collyn Clark reflects on Space Workforce 2030, building an inclusive space industry
By Carly Stender | 3 days agoClark said programs such as the SWF 2030 internship can serve as launch pads for a career in the aerospace industry.
The White Spot: an iconic diner etched in student nightlife
By Alexa Graham | 5 days agoThe White Spot is a timeless diner for Charlottesville residents and students looking for a greasy spoon infused with University spirit.
