Last Wednesday, I went to Coach Tanasoiu’s lecture about persistence, motivation, and determination in the realm of tennis. As an avid player myself (I’ve been playing for the last 12 years), I understand how incredibly taxing a match can be (not just physically, but also–and probably more so–mentally). It is exhausting when a match ends in a third set tiebreaker, knowing that you have fought so hard for over 2 hours, only to either win or lose with a 2 point margin. As fun as tennis is, it can also be incredibly stressful. And I’m sure this goes for every sport.

What Coach Tanasoiu spoke about that really struck me, though, was the fact that the intensity on the court can be paralleled by the intensity in the classroom. The men and women on our varsity tennis team are students too–they sit through classes, have prelims, and study just like the rest of us. However, on top of all that, they dedicate 5 hours each day to tennis (even more on weekends). How they do it is beyond me, but I think we can all learn a heavy lesson in time management from our athletes. Coach Tanasoiu explained how he prepares his players to juggle all their responsibilities: intense, in-detail, rigid scheduling. These players have time for sleep, food, socializing, academics, and sports because they prioritize their time and work effectively. Apparently the team’s GPA is somewhere around a 3.6 (WOW!) They don’t make excuses because they know what they need to get done.

The other thing I really think is important to mention from last Wednesday’s talk is the fact that Coach Tanasoiu is perhaps the most humble individual I have ever met. He has accomplished so much in the course of his life and I think it is unbelievable that he can credit so many other people for his success. In a sense, it is reassuring. Coach Tanasoiu began with nothing more than a dream and he persisted through the obstacles with which he was faced to fulfill it–who is to say that we cannot do the same?