This week I got to sit down with men's tennis player Michael Jacobs '13 to discuss life, tennis and the team's upcoming season.
This coming week, the team is going down to the College of William and Mary for a tournament. What are you most looking forward to?
MJ: I'm really excited to compete against these tough teams. W&M is always strong, [the University of] Iowa's a tough Big Ten team, and [George Washington University] is no joke either. We've been working hard in the offseason, and it'll be a good measure of where we stack up in terms of fitness, skills and confidence. We've been putting in long hours in the offseason and worked hard over winter break. This will be our first real test, so I'm pumped to take to the court and see where the team is at.
As an upperclassman, you've been around the block a time or two. What do you think of the new freshmen on the team?
MJ: The freshmen are great. They bring a lot to the table. They're a good mix of swagger, solid work ethic and international charm, not to mention great tennis players. Definitely better than the '14 class, if we compare the guys holistically with personalities included. They're really going to help this team win some matches this year. It's exciting.
What's the best perk of playing on the tennis team?
MJ: Occasionally, DJ [Dave Jones, women's assistant coach] will give us a free "Dartmouth dampener." It's this little thing you put in your racquet to stop vibrations in the strings. It's a pretty cool little piece of rubber and there's nothing more rewarding than getting one after a grueling three-hour practice.
What are your goals for the season?
MJ: Each year I've been here we've improved from the season before. Last year, we got third place in the Ivies, our best result in many years. The team is craving an Ivy championship. We want to have the opportunity to compete at NCAAs. That's the ultimate goal this year and every year. We're doing everything we can to get to that point, and I think we have a great shot this year.
I hear you and some of your other teammates are all living together off-campus. How has that been?
MJ: An absolute blast. All the guys on the team are best friends, so it's great to have a place where we can all hang out together outside the frats, even if our house is literally about to cave in. One downside so far, though, has been this one kid who occasionally sleeps in the house on weekdays. I won't name names but he sleeps a lot and he's from Cincinnati. He steals my food without telling me. Incredibly annoying.
I know this is kind of random, but what would you rather fight if you had to a lion or a landshark?
MJ: Thanks for that, Cox. I've gone over this scenario several times in my head, and I've decided my best bet would be the landshark. I'd be too nimble and light on my feet for the shark to contain me.
So I hear through the grapevine that the team has a nickname for Coach Chris Drake?
MJ: Yes we do. We call him the "Dragon." He works us into the ground, beats us in practice matches (he used to play professionally) and has a sixth sense for when some of the guys have been out too late the night before. This year is "The Year of the Dragon," so we're hoping that translates to the tennis court as well.
The team's first home match is Feb. 4 against Stony Brook University, another tough team. Do you have anything to say to your fans in anticipation of this event?
MJ: To the five of you tennis fans out there, it should be a good one. And who knows, maybe we'll be giving out some free Dartmouth dampeners.
