Brothers adapt to life in the States

Adapting to college life can be a strenuous task for any incoming freshman, especially those arriving from outside of the United States to attend college here at N.C. State. That is exactly what British twins Dave and Matt Thomson have experienced their freshmen year on the men’s tennis team, except they have had a strong sibling bond to rely on, making the transition from England to Raleigh a bit more stress-free.

“The thought of being on my own was a bit daunting,” Dave said. “Having my brother Matt here has definitely made adjusting to college life easier because we’re experiencing the same sort of things and the fact that we’re British twins makes us stand out a bit.”

The Thomson brothers hail from Hatfield, Hertfordshire in England and have been playing tennis with and against each other since they were five years old.

“When we were young, we hated losing to each other,” Matt said. “But it’s made both of us train and compete harder, which has helped us become better players in the end.”

The transition from England to Raleigh has seemed to have little effect on Dave in particular. He has played lights out so far his freshman year, going 6-1 in singles this past fall. He is off to yet another fast start in the spring season, already amassing a singles record of 6-0.

“[Dave’s] a fierce competitor,” coach Jon Choboy said. “He really does not want to lose a single point when he’s out there competing.”

Competing is one thing Matt would love to do, but he has been forced to deal with an elbow injury that has held him out of action since August.

“I was really looking forward to the opportunity to play here and getting started right away,” Matt said. “It’s been a bit of a pain having to sit out and watch everyone else compete when I can’t. It’s taken a lot of patience and I’ve tried to keep a positive attitude towards the rehab and not get too depressed about it.”

Both Matt and Dave admitted to having little familiarity with tennis on the college level here in the United Sates prior to joining the Wolfpack. They did not know which college tennis programs were traditional powerhouses and which programs were not.

“In England, tennis is much more of an individual sport because it’s only you out there on the court,” Matt said. “Here in America, there is much more of a team aspect. The atmosphere here is a lot louder and more competitive but I really enjoy it.”

The Thomson brothers are part of a men’s tennis team that is helping bring a new culture to Wolfpack tennis. The Pack has a 5-1 team record so far in the spring season and has attained a ranking of No. 46 in the nation.

“As long as we keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard, I think we can do good things this year,” Dave said.

The Wolfpack will look to improve on it’s strong start to the season as it heads to Columbia, S.C. on Tuesday to square-off against the No. 45 South Carolina Gamecocks, a rivalry dating back to 1956.

“This team has the potential to be a pretty darn good team,” Choboy said. “They play for each other, not just themselves. They don’t want to let the person next to them down, which has been a vital part in our team’s success this year.”