In a small community like Sedona, to have siblings play sports at the same time is commonplace.

Multiple brother and sister pairs played together for the Sedona Red Rock High School Scorpions this year. One was the brother-sister duo of Kai and Sofia Zimmerman, who played No. 1 singles for the Scorpions boys and girls tennis teams, respectively, from start to finish in 2018, including this year’s Division III state tournament.

“I think it’s really neat. I think they get along really well and they feed off each other. Kai hits a good, hard ball where Sofia can practice,” Scorpions girls coach Claudette Laliberte said. “It’s unique, but it’s sweet also.”

Kai said he began playing when he was about 10 years old. During the summer before his freshman year, he began to work with Scorpions boys coach Phil Kovac, when he started to take things more seriously.

“Once I was about to go into high school, and I knew the high school had a team, I started learning more about it and we met Phil, and we found out that he did summer programs with kids,” Kai said. “He started hitting with me a couple days and it just kept leading on to more because I really noticed a huge difference right off the bat.”

Sofia said she started at 8 or 9, and with Kovac about a year after Kai, when she was entering her seventh grade year. Like many younger siblings taking up a sport, seeing Kai play made her want to play, too.

“I wanted to play tennis because I saw how good Kai was as a freshman and it kind of inspired me. I wanted it to be brother-sister on the same team,” Sofia said.

Since then, the two have been nearly inseparable when it comes to the game. If one is out on the court practicing, the other is surely nearby. If one is playing a match, the other is playing or watching on.

Kai is more consistent and has more shots than Sofia. Sofia has a good forehand and backhand, but can improve on her footwork, Kovac said. While not at first, both are competitive.

“Being brother and sister — [Sofia] has a mind of her own, but she does pick up on things Kai does. They’re pretty close,” Kovac said. “… I can’t say she looks like she wants to overcome him in records; I don’t see that in her. She’s her own person, she really is.

“If you look at them when they strike a ball, you’ll see Kai’s backhand is completely different than hers. Her forehand is smoother …. What rubs off on her is Kai hates to lose. Period.”

Sibling rivalries are common, especially in sports. Kai, a junior, established himself as the team’s No. 1 as a sophomore. The older brother to Sofia, a freshman, Kai has been playing, and at a more competitive level, for longer. At practice on the weekends, they will hit together — some trash talk included — but without getting too intense.

Asked about the last time they faced off, Kai was quick to claim victory.

“I mean, it’s getting pretty close now, 9 [to] 11 was the score,” Sofia quipped.

With age comes experience. Kai tries to teach Sofia the things he had to learn the hard way. They tease each other over wins and losses, but Kai lends a helping hand when possible.

“I try to help her out whenever I can. It’s good, it’s really cool because as a freshman I only played No. 3, but I can easily see the same challenges I had, I see them in her, and now knowing what it’s really all about,” Kai said. “Now that I’ve gotten over them I feel like it’s a lot easier, because I had nobody like that when I was a freshman to guide me through it.”

Like many younger siblings would, Sofia takes the words of wisdom somewhat begrudgingly.

“I listen to him even though sometimes it annoys me when I feel like he’s trying to boss me around, but overall it does help, his advice, and sometimes I ignore it and then I realize after my match, ‘Yeah, I really need to work on my consistency and being mentally in the game and not being nervous and stuff,’” Sofia said.

Kai finished this season with an 11-3 record. Sofia, who had never really competed at a high level before high school, went 6-8 during a season of learning against the opposing schools’ best. After a first-round bye at state, Kai won his second round match before losing in the third round.

Sofia also jumped past the first round on a free pass at state, but lost in the second round.

Being the younger sibling and new to the high school, she has had to deal with some of the typical rites of passage. But she brought up one thing she can hold over Kai, perhaps a benefit of starting younger: She was the Scorpions’ No. 1 as a freshman, and he was not.

“Kai is known around the high school and around the tennis team, and I’ve had teachers call me ‘Kai’s little sister’ and I’ve always been like, ‘No, I want to have my own name, and I’m not just going to be behind him,’” Sofia said. “That’s why I was so happy that I got to play No. 1 this year, because as a freshman Kai played No. 3, so I’m not in his shadow, and starting out as a freshman I’m getting up there.”

Their high school season is over, but the Zimmerman siblings will be back out on the court soon enough. They will play in some summer tournaments, and come next spring will look to be the sibling duo at the top of the boys and girls tennis squads one last time.