By Malika Andrews |
The athletes on the men’s tennis team have always come from a mix of countries. As the team aims to build on last season’s success, they welcome eight new players to join the four athletes returning to the court.
This year, athletes are joining the team from France and Germany. These players are not only being challenged by a rigorous training schedule, they are also learning a new language in a new country.
The Pilots hosted Seattle University in the Fall Scramble this past weekend. The team finished the tournament 9-6 in singles and 8-4 in doubles matches. Among those competing was senior and newly appointed captain Reid deLaubenfels.
DeLaubenfels is excited for the opportunity and diversity the new teammates bring.
“There is no team that is ranked in the country that is even half Americans,” deLaubenfels said. “It is such an international sport.”
With partner Mathieu Garcia, deLaubenfels finished with a record of 8 and 7 in doubles play.
Having spent his freshman year at Fresno State as one of two Americans and playing tennis in Europe last summer, deLaubenfels is no stranger to playing on diverse teams.
DeLaubenfels said the team makes adjustments to their everyday routine in order to address language barriers that arise. In particular, brothers Mathieu and Pierre Garcia, were very new to English when they arrived at UP.
Senior Steffen Dierauf, playing in his fifth year of eligibility, came to the tennis team from Munich, Germany. Although he is mostly fluent, he still finds English to be challenging at times.
“There are always words missing, I can’t express everything I want to, but I think it is getting even better for me,” Dierauf said. “I think when you talk a lot and listen a lot, you improve.”
Head Coach Aaron Gross recognizes that deLaubenfels and his senior peers will be imperative to improving the team’s communication and their overall success.
“I am looking for them to make sure the young guys don’t get lost in the shuffle,” Gross said. “Not a father figure, but someone that really understands that this a person who has committed their life to a point that they have traveled from their family across the world to come here.”
With the seniors paving the way, Coach Gross is optimistic about the season.
“I have a very good feeling, but until we see them compete it’s hard to know,” Coach Gross said.
In the past, the tennis team has been predominantly foreign. But what made this year even more challenging is the amount of teaching that is occurring within the team. Coach Gross has had to make several adjustments to his coaching style in order to accommodate the differences in language comprehension.
“In a year these guys will all know the same tennis language. Right now we have to make sure we are speaking slowly enough,” Gross said. “It just seems like in international education they use more proper English and we use slang.”
Despite these challenges, Coach Gross is confident of his players’ ability. He anticipates that by this time next year, his team will be back at the top.
Malika Andrews is a sports reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at andrewsm17@up.edu or on Twitter @malika_andrews.
