Students who play a sport may look up to professional athletes in that sport who are able to play at an elite level, but some may be inspired by a group of people even closer to them: their own family. 

Students with older siblings or parents who played a certain sport may feel more inclined to participate in that sport or to start earlier, driving strong performances. With the encouragement of family members, or perhaps just the knowledge of past or current familial skill in a sport, students with a familial connection to a sport may be motivated to do well in their sport.

For example, Aryaman Lahoti, a junior and varsity tennis player, was partially influenced by his family members having played tennis to play it as well. His brother Aarnav graduated from St. Mark’s in 2024 as the captain of the tennis team.

“My whole family plays tennis: my mom, my dad, my brother, they all play tennis. It’s integral to our lifestyle, and they really inspired me to play as well,” Lahoti said.

Playing the same sports can serve as a bonding experience for siblings and the family as a whole. Overall, having similar experiences through playing the same sport can tighten family bonds.

“Tennis definitely serves as a bonding experience for my family,“ Lahoti said.