Coaches encourage players to excel in the classroom
Chris Davila
Section: Sports
"We talk to our teachers and ask about test dates before we go on the road and play," German sophomore John DeVosa said. "We try to complete everything, manage our work and stay in close contact with our teachers."
But if one of the players does get behind and is having trouble, they don't have to go far for help.
"If one of us is struggling, like us foreigners, we can usually just go to one of the other
- see tennis page 9 -
players for help, usually one of the American players," DeVosa said.
Coach Peterson stresses good grades to his players because of his knowledge that in order for them to fulfill their dreams of one day playing at a NCAA Division I university, they must show they are capable of maintaining good grades while also playing tennis.
"Keeping our GPA up is important to us because other schools are always looking to make sure we are responsible by showing we can do that and play tennis," DeVosa said.
Staying on top of their workload also helps some of the players perform better on the court.
"If you're doing your work and you're getting everything done it helps you stay focused because you don't have to worry about if you have to study or do homework while trying to play," Ukrainian sophomore Mariya Slupska said.
The men and women will both resume play in February ranked in the nation number one and two respectively by ITATennis.com. But after a somewhat disappointing fall season, Peterson acknowledges that his teams won't be handed a championship because of their rankings.
"We'll have a shot at the championship, but we've still got work to do," Peterson said.
But if one of the players does get behind and is having trouble, they don't have to go far for help.
"If one of us is struggling, like us foreigners, we can usually just go to one of the other
- see tennis page 9 -
players for help, usually one of the American players," DeVosa said.
Coach Peterson stresses good grades to his players because of his knowledge that in order for them to fulfill their dreams of one day playing at a NCAA Division I university, they must show they are capable of maintaining good grades while also playing tennis.
"Keeping our GPA up is important to us because other schools are always looking to make sure we are responsible by showing we can do that and play tennis," DeVosa said.
Staying on top of their workload also helps some of the players perform better on the court.
"If you're doing your work and you're getting everything done it helps you stay focused because you don't have to worry about if you have to study or do homework while trying to play," Ukrainian sophomore Mariya Slupska said.
The men and women will both resume play in February ranked in the nation number one and two respectively by ITATennis.com. But after a somewhat disappointing fall season, Peterson acknowledges that his teams won't be handed a championship because of their rankings.
"We'll have a shot at the championship, but we've still got work to do," Peterson said.
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