Coach Tanasoiu gave an inspiring talk about how he motivates his tennis players, his back story, and other things revolving the job that he loves. I was struck by his passion for making his student-athletes manage their time and make “adversity their best friend.”

The coach’s passion combined with his insightful advice impacted me in such a way that I can take his talk and utilize it in multiple ways in my life. I left the talk feeling like I now was armed with advice to finish of the rest of the semester. In addition, I had a new perspective on how student-athletes are able to juggle a rigorous sports schedule with an equally demanding academic one. When the coach emphasized that every moment counts I realized that this really is true. When you graduate, it is an accumulation of small moments: taking that midterm, handing in that essay, completing that group project. All of these lengthy hours of reading and studying are what gets you to your end result.

The advice the coach gave us reminded me to appreciate where I am and to push through and make each moment truly count. Moreover, his passion showed me that it is important to approach things with resolve and zealousness, whatever the task may be. After all, adversity is a friend rather than a foe.