For many high school athletes, earning a spot on a college team is the main goal of their entire careers. Collegiate athletics are of- ten seen as a pinnacle of success for serious young athletes and can be a focal point in their self-motivation. However, for some athletes like myself, the reality of collegiate athletics can be very different than the dream.

Coming into college, I was so excited to finally be a part of a team. During my junior tennis career, it was normal, expected, and frankly necessary to be focused and caring only about yourself when competing. It was routinely taught that losing your focus even slightly was a sign of weak- ness, and that it would be more challenging to give it your all when playing against a friend as opposed to a stranger. This mentality is all too common among tennis players who are entering college and may be competing as part of a team for the first time.

As an incoming first-year, my expectations were that I would be part of a tight-knit team with teammates who I would quickly become very close friends with. It was a little surprising when I learned the reality that there will always be people who you are close to and others who you will simply be friendly acquaintances with, even when you are striving for a goal of shared success.
I also expected that tennis would simply be another part of my life at Oberlin, since I would be playing Division III tennis. How- ever, I learned early on that tennis, much like my classes, would become something that my en- tire world revolved around. That realization was hard to handle at first, but I’ve grown to appreci- ate it. Without tennis, I wouldn’t have so many other opportunities that I’ve been afforded at Oberlin. I also wouldn’t be able to say I’m part of a team that has grown much closer together in the last year, despite half our team being made up of first-years.

Last week, when the team went to the Cleveland Open, an ATP Challenger tour event, I got to in- terview Joshua Sheehy, a former collegiate and now professional doubles player. Sheehy competed for Abilene Christian University and graduated with a degree in accounting and finance.

I asked Sheehy what he valued the most about his time as a college tennis player and the lessons he learned from his experience.

“I loved college because it gave me a good sense of time management and it kind of forced me to really think about what I was doing with every moment of my time,” Sheehy said. “It was nice being part of a team. I knowthat’s not as applicable anymore as a professional, but it’s still nice to have that atmosphere that’s a little different — also, from a tennis sense, just being able to play so much tennis there and have a coach there all the time and have all the resources that college had.”

Being able to receive high-quality coaching every day is a bless- ing that I had grown accustomed to and that helped me forget how challenging it is to find good coaching outside of college. When I went home for Winter Term, I was only able to train with my coach twice a week due to our conflicting schedules. At Oberlin, I get to benefit from coaching 4–5 days a week as well as during my matches. The team also gets to work with a person- al trainer who has undoubtedly helped me tremendously in be- coming faster and stronger over the last few months.

College athletes get to make the most of resources that are unavailable to so many other athletes, including some professionals.

“I would just say that college tennis is a great avenue,” Sheehy said. “You’re going to play loads of matches, you have guys that are pulling you for practice every single day. Just having all the re- sources right there, it’s tougher to find those in the pros than you think. It’s a little lonely out there on the pro tour, having to do it by yourself.”

My perspective on college tennis has certainly changed throughout my time at Oberlin, but I have grown to appreciate just how special the opportunity is. Without tennis, I have no idea what kind of person I would be today, and it’s all thanks to the structure and support of college tennis that I get to continue playing the sport that has been a part of my life for the last 15 years.