How would you categorize the past season?
JC: I think that the spring season was a time of really good growth for the team and showed how well we came together. We also continued to improve throughout the season. We had a tough first match in the Ivies but I think qualifying for the NCAAs for the first time in our history was a really good ending for the season. It seems like everything came together incredibly well.
What do you love most about team tennis?
JC: Team tennis is so different from any form of tennis I played growing up. As a team, we share both the wins and losses, and being able to play for one another is such a different dynamic. For me, it changed the game in such a positive way. It provides more incentive to both play hard and represent Dartmouth well. My teammates and I get along incredibly well and it also takes away some of the pressures that come with such an individual sports.
How did you first get into playing tennis?
JC: I first started playing tennis when I was around nine years old. My family had just joined a club, and I started playing with one of my friends. After a couple of lessons, I realized I really liked it. I started competing at the age of 10 consistently in national events, and by the time I was 15 I started playing international junior tournaments around the world. When I was 17, I started playing as an amateur in professional level tournaments.
How does it feel not having practice with the rest of the team during this summer?
JC: I still have practice with my fellow teammate Taylor Ng ’17 with our coach. It’s really nice because I feel like I’ve been making progress on individual aspects of my game, but its definitely a different atmosphere without the rest of the team.
What’s the biggest difficulty associated with being a student athlete?
JC: Time management is honestly the biggest challenge of being a student athlete. Dartmouth is fantastic because professors are very understanding as long as you’re proactive. It’s sometimes difficult from a social perspective, but being part of a team more than makes up for it, because they’re going through the same thing and can provide support. We all face similar situations, and we help with dealing with any pressures that come up with being a student athlete.
What are your goals for the upcoming season and the incoming recruit?
JC: We’re all really excited for Allison Chuang, our new recruit from the Class of 2019. Given our success last season, we’re really looking to build on that. We already have a more difficult schedule coming up, which should provide us with more practice and exposure to new teams. I think we’ve proven that we can match up well with some of the best teams in the country, and taking advantage of those opportunities would be really great for team. Of course, our main goal every year is to win the Ivy League title.
