The tennis coach, Silviu Tanasoiu recently came to Rose hall to speak on his life with tennis and his experience as a coach. His childhood began in Romania where he took played tennis from a small age, played at a junior league, and competed during college. One thing that stood out for me about his teenage years, was the fact that his dad sold the family’s car so that Tanasoiu could buy a plane ticket from Romania to Miami. Tanasoiu needed this ticket so that he could compete in a junior’s tournament in Miami that he had the great acceptance of being qualified for. Hearing about this scenario brought things around full circle, when he discussed the need for adversity on the court and in our lives’. This type of adversity showed him the extent of his parents’ love for him, that they were willing to sell their car to see their son compete for his ultimate dream.

Adversity, life mentioned above, is a way to push people to strive for their best and also bring out new heights in people, as Tanasoiu explains. He also strives to bring people that can not only handle adversity, but people who strive for success on and off the court, whether it be in an academic setting or during a tennis match. When recruiting, he tries to determine who will be the right fit for the Cornell men’s tennis team. Obviously he cannot get an actual genuine analysis of the person without pending years around a person, but he tries by getting to know each person in the life of the recruit. Everyone who is involved in the recruits life, from the coach to the mom, has an influence on the decision he makes about playing tennis for a specific school. It is also important to get to know these people and see these recruits in different settings so that they you get a picture of what their overall character is like. Tanasoiu wants people who will uplift the team, not be disrespectful towards the opportunity to play college tennis at Cornell.

Overall I really enjoyed the experience and hope to watch the men’s team compete in the future.