What does professional figure skating have to do with the 2005 Penn women's tennis team?
The answer to this question lies in the history of the partnership between Michelle Mitchell and Julia Koulbitskaya, who have been teaming up as one of Penn's three doubles teams.
Maybe the pair's interesting background can account for their chemistry on the court. Oddly enough, both Koulbitskaya and Mitchell are the daughters of professional figure skaters.
Sue and Don Mitchell, both former members of the Ice Capades, began training their first child early.
"They had me figure skating as soon as I could walk," Mitchell said.
However, by the age of six, Mitchell had decided that skating was not in her future. With steady encouragement from her parents, she continued her athletic pursuits in a variety of different sports. She ultimately chose to focus on tennis.
Koulbitskaya was born in Moscow to Mariana Koulbitskaya and Alexander Esman, both also professional skaters.
Due to lack of ice availability growing up in Russia, Julia Koulbitskaya made use of her athletic prowess in other venues, dedicating her efforts toward tennis.
Both Koulbitskaya and Mitchell spent time growing up in New York, but they did not cross paths until they both ended up at the Heritage Tennis Academy on Hilton Head Island, S. C., during their junior year of high school.
The pair actually faced off against each other in a final-round doubles match at a 2003 international tennis tournament held in Bolivia.
"It was one of the most interesting places to play," Koulbitskaya said, counting the tournament as one of her best international experiences -- even though Mitchell prevailed in the match.
The girls learned of their parents' shared histories, only to realize that they actually had many mutual friends from the skating world. Both sets of parents are now in the coaching phase of their careers.
Mitchell's parents now own their own coaching company. The Koulbitskayas and Mitchells travel often and see each other at various junior skating events, where they have become friendly.
Both girls consider it an advantage to have come from athletic families. Although their parents expect a great deal out of them, having personally competed at a high level of athletic competition, they are more understanding of the nature of such competition and always have good advice.
Both agree that having their parents as a base of support gives them a sense of confidence not every athlete can entertain.
Mitchell's father, Don, is very confident in his daughter's ability to excel. After coaching for many years, he and his wife knew the type of support they needed to give their daughter. They never wanted to pressure her like many parents do these days.
"We didn't want her to feel like we were living vicariously through her," the elder Mitchell said. "We already had our moment in the sun. We always wanted it to be her thing."
"I'm lucky, because my parents both know what its like to compete at a high level," Michelle Mitchell added.
Koulbitskaya and Mitchell were pleasantly surprised to learn they would be teammates at Penn, and they enjoy the familiarity of playing together.
In their short time at Penn, these freshmen have already made an important impact on the Quakers in the No. 1 doubles position, as well as in their respective singles positions.
They have never stopped trying to meet the challenges that coach Michael Dowd has set for them, putting aside many of the hardships of transitioning into college life.
"These girls have a ton of experience," Dowd said.
Mitchell was ranked No. 1 in the nation by the United States Tennis Association at age 14, while Koulbitskaya steadily made her way into the rankings situating herself in the top 20.
In addition to being counted among the best in the United States, the two players had very strong individual international backgrounds coming into Penn.
Dowd is extremely excited about the potential of these two athletes. As freshmen, with their college careers just beginning, Koulbitskaya and Mitchell have already made solid contributions to the team in starting positions.
"Julia and Michelle have a great work ethic and are a huge asset to the team," Dowd said.
