Sibling rivalry was in full force at the Ames High School and Forker tennis courts during the weekend.

The Connell family of six has been competing in the Iowa Games for more than 10 years.

The Connells are from Eldora, only an hour from Ames. Tom and Karen Connell are the parents of four boys. Joe (25), Matt (22), Andrew (20) and Tim (18) all played tennis in high school.

Three years ago the Iowa Games saw a family showdown between brothers Joe and Matt when they faced each other in the individual finals, with Matt winning the gold medal. Karen said all of her sons enjoy playing one another.

“They are very competitive with each other,” Karen said. “They enjoy the competition on the court but love to play against each other.”

Tom said the competitive spirit comes out when family members play each other, but there are never any hard feelings.

“They are very competitive, but after it’s over there is no bad blood,” Tom said.

“It is anything else that brothers would do. They want to win, but afterwards, nobody throws rackets at each other.”

Tom said the family plays tennis together whenever possible.

“During good weather, they get out and play each other all the time,” Tom said. “It is very good for family bonding.”

Karen said that it’s hard to watch her boys play against one another. Since she is the family manager, she just keeps busy watching her husband and sons play.

“Tennis is a friendly family competition. There is a lot of sibling rivalry, which makes it fun,” Karen said.

“It’s hard for me to watch them play each other because I don’t know who to cheer for. I can’t pick one or the other. They are all very good athletes and enjoy the game of tennis.”

The athletic family has excelled in a wide variety of sports.

“Matt is a senior at Wartburg College and is a member of the tennis team,” Karen said.

“Andrew played baseball at Ellsworth Community College but is transferring to UNI in the fall. Tim will be a freshman at Central College and will play quarterback on the football team in the fall.”

Both Tom and Karen said tennis is a great sport for the whole family.

“You can enjoy [tennis] at any age,” Karen said. “We started our kids when they were old enough to hold a racket, around three to four years old.”

She also said the Iowa Games are great for everyone.

“There are some senior citizens who also enjoy these Iowa Games,” Karen said. “[The Iowa Games] helps keep people in shape.”

Tom, who has played tennis since high school, said he got to see firsthand what his boys have achieved on the tennis court.

“I taught Joe when he was in junior high,” Tom said.

“While the boys were in high school, the tennis coach in Eldora retired from teaching, and Eldora was going to drop the tennis program. So I went and got my coaching authorization and became the tennis coach.”

Karen said Tom was proud of the medal he earned in the 45-and-over age group.

“He was walking around and showing off his hardware,” Karen said.

Matt said tennis gives the family a common ground to relax and hang out together. He said the family’s competitiveness helps get the family together.

“We pretty much play all sports together, with tennis being one of the sports. We have taken up golf lately, but tennis is much cheaper,” Matt said.

“We play football every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Any sport we do, we go out and play together.”