When Coach Silviu Tanasoiu came to speak to the Rose Scholars at the Rose Café, I immediately noticed his presence and attitude about his talk. He started by explaining how honored he was to have been asked to speak to us and was eager to share his story along with advice. Coach Tanasoiu worked hard in Romania to get to the point where he is today. He explains that once he got the opportunity to play tennis, he committed his whole self to it. Tanasoiu stressed how vital his parents’ support was to his career and speaks about the sacrifices they made to help him move further. One anecdote he told us was about a time his dad sold his prized car in order to afford a plane ticket to play tennis at a well-known tournament in Miami, Florida. He thanks his parents for his position today and hopes to instill the same determination and motivation into his players.

As a Cornell student, academic life is difficult as is. I can’t imagine having to play a sport on top of all the extra curriculars and classes I’m currently involved this. This talk proved that college athletes really need to have strong time management skills in order to handle all different aspects of their schedule. I have friends who are involved in athletics here and they seem to run on a strict schedule to accommodate their practices and games while also maintaining their grades and staying healthy. We all could learn a lot from the life of an athlete, and Coach Tansoiu showed us a glimpse of that!

If I had to categorize the events that I have attended in order of most liked, this would make the top three easily. Who knew that tennis and the mindset behind it would be so personally relevant to me. Hearing Coach Tanasoiu speak about the challenges that each athlete faces on a daily basis made me realize how much respect I have for student athletes. It is really not easy, and the time commitment of attending an Ivy League University as well as being an athlete is a task that requires a strong and persistent mindset.

This is the kind of mindset that trains and helps a person reach their goals and accomplish their full potential. Being an athlete has much to teach a person about how to work for what they want, and about the true costs of sacrifice. One of the points that the Coach resonated with me most was that the mindset is everything. Without it, one cannot achieve. Part of having a successful mindset is to know how to manage your time. This is something that I think can always improve. In fact, I would say that it is one of the biggest keys to success. The ability to prioritize time is something that I took away from this event, and will apply with much more intensity in both my academics as well as in my personal life. The coach stated that not matter the talent, the students must understand that they are students and have to be willing to devote extensive parts of their time.

The coach also spoke about the recruiting process for athletes. I had no idea how difficult it was to recruit the right fit of athlete for Cornell. He stated that the attitude of the potential student is everything. Once, he saw an athlete who had impeccable talent, but absolute disrespect for his coach. He realized that if he had not respect for those who spent the time helping him reach his goals, then he would have no respect for his new teammates or for the coach.

I did not ever stop to think about all of the things that I could learn from the students around me who partake in sports. I knew that they were hardworking and had good time management, but I have realized that their challenges and struggles and their coping mechanisms could teach the rest of the student population a thing or two.

At the last Rose Café, Silviu Tanasoiu, coach of the men’s varsity tennis team at Cornell, discussed the challenges student athletes face in trying to balance academics with athletics.  He constantly emphasizes to players that being on the team is a huge privilege, after all there are only 48 players in the Ivy League and they are fortunate enough to be one of those 48.  He compared being on the varsity tennis team to trying to get a medical degree while serving in the military, a task that seems nearly impossible.  After hearing about the the practice schedule and game schedule that these players have to commit to, this comparison does not seem unreasonable.

I found Coach Tanasoiu’s own story about how he became a coach very compelling.  When he was very young, he was fascinated by people playing tennis at the local park and begged his father to let him play.  Once he started, it became the focus of his life.  He would even play in his apartment building, and ended up breaking his neighbor’s window 4 times!  He became a an excellent tennis player and was selected by his home country, Romania, to compete in the orange bowl in Miami.  His parents were so devoted to supporting his passion for tennis that they sold their one car to pay for his airplane ticket to the competition.  Along the way to becoming the Cornell tennis coach, he has had some incredible coaches and mentors himself, who helped him get to where he is today.

Coach Tanasoiu is always telling his team to be grateful for the opportunity to play, because it is something that very few people have.  He was a very inspiring person to listen to and has overcome many challenges himself, allowing him to empathize with students and motivate them to try their hardest every time they step on the court.

After attending Silviu Tanasoiu’s talk, I can definitely say I know way more about boys’ tennis and Cornell sports than I did before! I work for the Ivy League Digital Network filming sports game for broadcast on the internet so families can watch their kids play, so I felt like I knew a lot about our sports teams here, but I had no idea. But, I don’t personally interact with the players and at the moment we don’t film boys’ tennis.

Although the talk may have seemed more like a tennis information session, it gave me a window into the lives of the many athletes on campus. I feel like the athletes get a bad rap when it comes to academics here, but after hearing about all of the time and scheduling that goes in to do something that isn’t even required is remarkable. I can hardly handle my classes with few extra curricular activities, but they keep up with schoolwork while also having to schedule every little detail, down to when they’re allowed to snack. It was interesting to hear about their strong commitment, especially because I’ve never met anyone on the tennis team.

I also learned how small the tennis program is and how many benefits they get. There are hardly over 10 players on the team, and only some of them get to play in matches. Also, they get to Skype with top businessmen and alumni, and I can’t help but say I’m a little jealous of that, may I should join the boys’ tennis team! He stresses that his pupils make sure to appreciate every opportunity they get and to work hard with a goal in mind, which is why he gives them these outlets.

I think we can all learn from Coach Silviu in his commitment to structure, scheduling, and passion.

I was really excited for Coach Silviu Tanasoiu of the men’s tennis team to join us for the Rose Café since I have been playing tennis myself for over ten years. Although I only played in high school and did not continue in college, I still had trouble balancing tennis practice, games and weekend tournaments while being in school. Trying to complete everything to the best of your ability can get overwhelming and tiring. Coach Tanasoiu described some of his players as going through military training, preparing for medical school and playing on the team. I can barely get through pre-med classes myself so I cannot imagine how those students manage to do it! It was really great to hear how Coach Tanasoiu recognizes that student athletes have so much to deal with and it seems that he really cares about his athletes. One example of this was demonstrated when he reached out to a player’s mother who only spoke Russian trying to involve her in the process. He also really focuses on his players working effectively to balance school, athletics and a social life. I think a lot of students including myself can really learn a lot from the discussion of student athletes, even if we are not athletes ourselves. We should all strive to work effectively so that we have time to do things that we love and spend time with friends. I think this makes school a little less stressful and more enjoyable. When you look back on your college experiences years after, you don’t want to reflect on the times you spent staying up late because of procrastinating but rather the good times.

Last week, Coach Tanasoiu’s talk exposed me to the extraordinary commitment that student-athletes at Cornell face. Perhaps his most telling analogy was that his players are both training to be army rangers and studying to be doctors. How, one might ask, is Coach Tanasoiu able to keep his players motivated, healthy and productive in the face of such adversity? Coach Tanasoiu argued that the adversity that the players face– long days from the classroom to the court– in fact force the players to play, to study, and to live in the most efficient and productive ways possible. Time, he said, is our most valuable asset.

Thinking to my life as a student at Cornell, I have tried to apply Coach Tanasoiu’s advice, to be wary of time and to use time selectively. His talk was not only inspiring but awakening. I realized that I can achieve all my academic goals– all I have to do is push myself.

Last Week Wednesday I attended the Rose Café with guest speaker Silviu Tanasoiu. SIliviu Tanasoiu is the coach of the men’s varsity tennis team at Cornell. Coincidentally, that also makes him my coach as I am also a member of the tennis team. The topic of his talk was about motivating yourself to be the best that you can be. Being one of his players, I have heard Silviu give us (the tennis team) very similar lectures before. What I find most interesting about his talks is that he is able to make the topics relevant to every single aspect of your life. What I mean by this is that Silviu’s talk about striving to be the best can be applied to many different areas of life, not just specifically tennis or sports. For example, one of the things that Silviu talked about at the Café was the idea of staying positive. Whether it’s on the tennis court or inside the classroom, it is imperative to stay positive. Often, people become so focused on the outcome or the results of a situation that when they do not get the desired result, they let their emotions affect them in a negative way. Even if you do not get the result you desired, whether it’s a test score or a job interview, you have to stay positive and analyze the things you did well and things that you need to improve on. I really enjoyed listening to my coach speak at the Rose café. Obviously Silviu wants us to excel on the tennis court but I really respect him for wanting us to achieve in all aspects of life, not just tennis.

Coach Silviu Tanasoiu’s talk was by far the semester’s most motivational Rose Cafe. I have always had great respect for the student-athletes at Cornell, and was particularly struck when Coach Tanasoiu described his tennis players as working towards a medical degree while also going through military training. Most of all, what I took away from this Rose Cafe was the importance of pausing amidst our chaotic Cornell schedules to be grateful. Coach Tanasoiu began his talk by expressing his gratitude to coach tennis at Cornell, and he told us how he often reminds his players to be thankful for the educational and athletic opportunities that the school provides. Even though it is easy to get caught in the stress of prelims, I think we should all take Coach Tanasoiu’s advice and stop to remember how lucky we are.

Tennis Coach Silviu Tanasoiu came to speak to us at the most recent Rose Scholars Café. Through his talk, he spoke a lot about sports and university and how the two went together. As a student athlete, I related to this talk and all he said. While he was specifically talking about tennis and his experiences, I recognized my own experiences in running and life here at Cornell in those stories as well. I understood the 7 hour drives on the weekend to compete, only to come back and be up doing homework all night. Or the scheduling the days perfectly so that everything fits in around practices. In addition, he talked about the recruiting process and how that all worked for tennis. It reminded me of my own recruitment process and the reasons that I chose to come to Cornell. Although being a student athlete may be really busy, I do enjoy it and appreciate the opportunity I have here at Cornell. His speech reminded me of that and I appreciated it, since it is so easy to lose sight of that.
One story he told was of a player he was recruiting and his mother. He talked about how the mother of the athlete only spoke Russian, so he had no way of communicating with her. But he eventually wrote a letter to get into contact with her, and he thinks that’s how the student ended up at Cornell. In the process of sports, the people who support us are often times lost in the shuffle. But with out the support of the parents and family members, I know I would not be where I am today. To see a coach recognize and appreciate this was amazing. All around, I enjoyed his talk about the combination of athletics and university.

Hearing Coach Tanasoiu speak was inspiring. He had a great passion for the students that he coached and wanted to see them exceed not only on the tennis courts but also in the classroom. He understood the amount of stress that students here face and he also understood the effects of the added stress of tennis that goes along with this. He believed that hard work can help people to accomplish their goals. I was very inspired by his demonstration of passion. You could tell how passionate he was by his discussion of the sport and how they choose which students to recruit. It is also wonderful that he has not forgotten his humble beginnings.

I have always wondered what the schedule of a student athlete looks like. From what Coach Tanasoiu told us, it is extremely structured but still includes time to study, practice, go to class and have free time. I do not think that I personally would be able to balance being an athlete with being a student here at Cornell so I applaud those who can. This was one of my favorite Rose Cafes so far. I learned quite a bit of information but I also gained a new perspective on the lives of student athletes.

Silvio Tanasoiu, Head Coach of Men’s Tennis at Cornell, led a discussion around a subject matter that was atypical when compared to previous ones on the life of a student athlete. Granted, I will not be experiencing such a life in the foreseeable future but it is interesting to see how students balance their workloads, both academic and extracurricular, in this case being sports. Athletics is an important part of our lives and I hold great admiration for those who pursue such a path, particularly during college, because of how difficult and time-consuming it can be. Coach Tanasoiu didn’t mince words when he said that the schedule of a student athlete is incredibly packed and full. Time management, as one would imagine, is very crucial to a student athlete because he or she must be able to fulfill academic commitments and still perform at the highest level in the sports they are involved in. The US’ system of collegiate athletics is quite unique in that it allows athletes to have access to higher education and not really derail them from the path to competitive sports. This of course, as mentioned before, has the disadvantage of having very rigorous schedules and regimes to fully harness the potential of those individuals, but I would imagine the payoff is immense.

The support structure and the interest the coaching staff and athletic department take into the lives of each student athlete is remarkable and says a lot about the dedication and passion individuals have working in that industry. Coach Tanasoiu remarked how difficult it is to recruit top class talent to become student athletes and why wouldn’t he? Aside from misconceptions from foreigners about getting education precluding development into a professional athlete, it is an immense amount of time and effort one has to put into to balance both academics and athletics. Thus it becomes very hard to convince athletes to go through college athletics, a field that is already very competitive in recruiting, so it is fascinating the lengths Coach Tanasoiu goes to in order to recruit those athletes. In one of the stories he was tellings us about athletes he recruited, he went through the effort of writing a letter in Russian to a player’s mother, who incidentally was quite supportive and key in the development of her child becoming a world class tennis player. His mother typically was never included in the conversation of recruiting her son because she didn’t speak English, unlike her husband and child. Thus, when Coach Tanasoiu went above and beyond, unlike recruiters from fellow Ivy Leagues, the player accepted because of his mother’s approval. It is small things like this that makes me appreciate the dedication of Coach Tanasoiu. This guy gets student athletes at the very core: their struggles, hardships and the need for support.

Developing student athletes takes effort from both the player and the coach. It is taxing, tiring oneself out from playing a physically strenuous match, traveling 10 hours back to campus and also completing very complicated homework and questions. However, handwork and inspiration allows these individuals to flourish, picking up key skills that allow them succeed in life because of whatever they have learned and experienced in time management, athletics and academics. It has been a pleasure listening to Coach Tanasoiu and allowing me to view an unadulterated view of student athletics. If you had a chance, would you become a student athlete?

Last week’s talk about the tennis team at Cornell was very abnormal for the Rose Cafe series. Whereas most events cover the person’s work in research or their academic interests, this talk covered Cornell’s tennis team, recruitment, and the organisation of college tennis. I thought it was very interesting to hear the differences in outlook of athletic careers in the United States versus the rest of the world. Silviu Tanasoiu mentioned that the American system of collegiate athletics is the most developed in the world, giving athletes an opportunity at higher education that is not seen in other countries. I can imagine it would be difficult to convince international players to attend a university for four years while delaying their opportunities for professional tennis; however, I am sure this task is not as difficult when the education you are promising is from an Ivy League school. According to the head coach, it seems that this is the case, as the team seems to have no shortage of international students. As an extension of the difficulties of recruiting international athletes, the process of finding worthy tennis players in other countries must be incredibly difficult (and Silviu Tanasoiu mentions that they look almost every day for updates on athletes from around the world). It seems so incredible that, with all of the tennis players in the world, the different teams can manage to pick such a small group of athletes to develop the “right” team. Overall, it was very interesting to hear this inside perspective of something that I would have never thought about otherwise.

Silviu Tanasoiu’s talk at last week’s Rose cafe had an unexpected message outside of tennis.

One story he told that had a deeper meaning than just the tale he recounted was the one about recruiting a player whose mother only spoke Russian. A recruit was deciding between Princeton and Cornell, and Coach Tanasoiu ultimately got him to change his mind to Cornell because Silviu was the only coach to reach out to his mother in Russian, which made her feel part of the process. Not only does the story speak to Silviu’s character as a person and coach, but it demonstrates an important broader message that is to leave no stone unturned in order to achieve what one wants. Each potential recruit is so valuable considering how small, but widespread the supply of players is, so Tanasoiu must do everything he possibly can to get a player to come to Cornell. The careful persistence that tennis coaches and Tanasoiu in particular have for finding and getting the right athletes for their programs is astonishing. The coach showed that persistence and prudence are important qualities for finding tennis players, but they are important for any pursuit.

Another aspect of Silviu’s talk that can be taken outside of the context of tennis is his honest belief in the value of education for athletes. A lot of coaches spew the rhetoric of producing scholar-athletes where scholar comes first in the name because school is more important than sports. I don’t believe a word of it. They just want the best athletes, which is perfectly fine, but don’t lie to my face. Silviu on the other hand I feel is more sincere when he speaks about the importance of education because the players he selects come from such a sparse and specialized pool. The top tennis players in the world often go pro without going to college, so it is very difficult to convince one of them to come to college instead of living his dream. This predicament means that Coach Tanasoiu has to make the benefits of a Cornell education a hard sell. Silviu must truly believe and convey that education is paramount, because if he didn’t, the players he tries to recruit would never move across the world to delay a professional career they’ve probably been dreaming of since they were young.

Coach Tanasoiu’s persistence and sincerity are admirable traits in a person. Although he just spoke about tennis, Silviu implicitly revealed attributes that all people should aspire to have.

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?

Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure to listen to Tennis Coach Silviu Tanasoiu discuss about his motivation and passion for playing and coaching tennis.  It was great to connect with someone who understands how tough it is to be a Cornellian student trying to balance academics with sports and social life.  He believes playing a varsity sport and keeping up with classes is similar to “pursuing a medical degree while doing military service”.  That is why he values time management and the adversity to excel.

Another lesson that he taught is to not get caught up with the outcomes.  This is the exact same advice my parents give me when I give it my all either during a fencing tournament or taking a hard midterm.  Being aware of what you can and cannot control is important for success because it is a waste of time worrying what you can’t do or what has happened in the past.

Overall, I enjoyed the coach’s stories to motivate students and tennis players and the strong relationships created as a coach.  Coach Tanasoiu is the motivator and the support group his tennis students need.  He believes that everything is a team effort and that your friends and family are the best support group to have at Cornell.

I found Tennis Coach Silviu Tanasoiu’s discussion on pursuing athletic success during college very accessible, as I’m sure the other non-athlete students at the Rose cafe did as well. Coach Tanasoiu was likely aware that most of his audience would not be Cornell athletes, as his topics were applicable to time-consuming extra-curricular activities besides athletics. Regardless, his discussion  specifically about tennis and his experiences was interesting to hear, as a non-athlete.

What I found most appealing about the coach’s discussion, was how he described the passion involved in being a student athlete. Being a student athlete pursuing a career in professional athletics is not an easy task, and Coach Tanasoiu conveyed the difficulties well. Hearing his perspective as a coach, I felt the desire to experience such a drive as he did. I hope that I could come to become as passionate about my academic life.

Last Wednesday at Rose Cafe, Silviu Tanasoiu, the Savitt-Weiss Head Coach of Men’s Tennis, came to talk to us about motivation on and off the playing field. Coach Tanasoiu emphasizes that being a student-athlete is a privilege very little have, and that the key to success is being very intentional with time, juggling practice, academics, and traveling each week. I was surprised to hear that the US is one of the only countries where it is normal to pursue higher education while aspiring for professional tennis. More commonly, the idea of going to school while playing tennis is foreign, as an education is seen as a deterrent to time focusing on tennis.

Although Tanasoiu’s discussion was focused on the challenges facing men’s tennis players, I found that his points were very applicable lessons for life in general. Make adversity is your best friend- because no matter where one is in life, one will always face it, so it is better to be thankful and take it as an opportunity to grow. Don’t get caught up in outcomes, because they inevitably will disappoint you every once in a while. And always be grateful: it is easy to get caught up with small things/stresses of daily life, and forget about the people who sacrificed their love and time to help you. Overall, I found Coach Tanasoiu’s talk very inspiring, and his advice echoes many qualities that I strive for.

Last Wednesday, I attended the Rose Café Series talk given by Silviu Tanasoiu, Savitt-Weiss Head Coach of Men’s Tennis. It was clear from the way that Coach Tanasoiu spoke, just how much passion he has for the game of tennis and the men’s team here at Cornell. I was humbled by the sacrifices that he and his family made to advance his tennis career. So often do we forget the efforts of those around us who offer their support and give so readily with only the expectation of our own personal achievement, and ask for nothing else in return.

Although I am not a student athlete at Cornell, there were many points that Coach Tanasoiu raised that resonated with me. The first being the notions of intentionality and making effective use of time. I would agree that at any given point in one’s life, time is among the most precious commodities that a person possesses. How we choose to spend our time is so important. Given all of the things that have happened in my life recently and in the world around me, I believe that people tend to get trapped in the idea of how they think others want them to spend their time. At the end of the day, it only matters that you are comfortable with the decisions that you made and how you decided to allocate your time. If what you chose to participate in at the moment was important to you, then it was important.

Another point that I really liked was that of stepping up to every challenge and turning every adversity into a moment of learning. I agree with Coach Tanasoiu that there is very little that is in our control. Being able to take the reins on what we do have a handle on, is what we should strive for and can make all the difference. It is easy to feel stuck, as if one is simply banging their head against the wall. Complaining about obstacles is a lot easier than facing them head on. But, the former will not get a person very far, only the latter will. I can only imagine the tight schedules that the team must follow. It is admirable that they make time for their studies, traveling, and routine practices and matches because we are all human and these are things that come with rehearsal, they are not readily acquired skills.

A third thought that I connected with was that of finding a good fit and giving back. It seems that Coach Tanasoiu and the entire men’s tennis coaching team and support network care very deeply about recruiting players who will thrive at Cornell based on their character, as well as their tennis performance. I think that this is a key lesson to apply to any area of life – sport, work, family, etc. Adding on to the concept of intentionality, is being true to oneself and to the people around you. When all parties can be honest with each other and themselves, it makes it easier for like minds to come together and acknowledge both their similarities and differences to work better as a team. This ties back into being grateful and never taking any opportunities for granted. It sounds like the men’s tennis team also has strong alumni ties. I felt that I learned a great deal even within the one hour that Coach Tanasoiu came to speak about the team and the life lessons that the game of tennis has taught him. I am sure that being on the team provides countless invaluable life lessons for which members are grateful for.

Coach Tanasoiu continues to dedicate his time and efforts to inspiring the men on the team better players and better people. It seems that he, himself, is also constantly learning. I can only hope to be in a future profession that is so reciprocal and gratifying. To me, Coach Tanasoiu’s work deserves the highest ranking title.

It was wonderful to hear Couch Tanasoiu speak at last week’s café. Although his talk was advertised as being mostly about tennis, he made it relevant even to people like myself, who know nothing about the sport. His points about managing time and dealing with adversity were particularly applicable to all Cornellians. I also appreciated that Coach Tanasoiu feels his players need to recognize how unique their opportunities are. He emphasized how few people get to play tennis in the Ivy League by saying that it’s more likely that a person would win the lottery, which I thought was very powerful.

His description of the recruitment process for Cornell Tennis was also fascinating. I knew that coaches spend a lot of time tracking players, but I had no idea how much goes into bringing quality players to Cornell. I liked that Coach Tanasoiu values attitude and personality fit over pure talent, and I appreciated his story about how he reached out to a mother who had been overlooked throughout the recruitment of her son. He seemed to be not only passionate about his sport and his team, but also impressively honest and humble, and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to learn from him.

In all honesty, I wasn’t too excited to go to last week’s Rose café after I heard that the speaker would be the Cornell tennis coach. Sports are just not my thing; I’ve never played on a sports team before in my life, so I thought it would be hard for me to relate to Coach Tanasoiu’s talk. However, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The coach’s talk was actually very relatable and inspiring in many ways, such as when he told the story about his dad selling his car in order to pay for his son’s plane ticket to play in a tennis tournament. This made me feel grateful for all the sacrifices my own parents have made for me to go to such an expensive school.
Although I loved Coach Tanasoiu’s talk, one thing I felt was lacking was a discussion on how important it is to take care of yourself, mentally and physically. While it is important to plan out your time in order to get all your work done, I think it’s also important to prioritize your own health over anything else. Following a strict schedule isn’t good if you’re wearing yourself out and feeling overwhelmed. Despite the stability that most student athletes have, there must be times where they are feeling depressed or exhausted, and in these cases I think it’s really important for them to take care of themselves first by taking a nap or simply taking a break and relaxing. Even if it means breaking their strict schedule! This applies to all students, not just student athletes; sometimes you just need to skip a class or get a lower grade on an assignment for the sake of your mental health. This school is full of perfectionists, and I think it’s important to spread the message that a low grade does not mean you’re stupid or a failure!

I have always been very fond of watching professional tennis. I keep with with all the seasonal matches, follow the rankings of the top players, and actively look out for new players to support. Since I’ve always been a spectator of tennis, I’ve never actually realized how much time and dedication goes behind playing each match. In addition to staying physically fit, the players have to be emotionally stable before each and every game, and that support only comes from the environment in which they are training. Therefore, the people they they surround themselves with both inside and outside the world of tennis plays a prominent role in their success.  Silviu Tanasoiu, the coach of Cornell’s men tennis team, explained to us how his players stay physically and emotionally sound during the training season and learn to balance the sport with their academic and social responsibilities.

The Cornell men’s tennis team have players from all over the world who are the best in their region. Coming from all walks of life, these players not only bring their best game to Cornell, but they also bring in their different cultures. Ultimately, what binds all the players together is their passion for the game and their commitment to their academics. Coach Tanasoiu mentioned that young tennis players aiming to play professionally in the future are averse to going to college in the fear that it will interfere with their training. I believe that getting a degree from college allows the players to secure a backup plan in their career if they do not get the chance to play professionally. By going to university, athletes realize how much the world has to offer outside of tennis which can help them realize their true potential. Education is the key to finding out what one’s interested in and good at, so that they can expand their education into a full fledged career. However, for athletes the path might not be as clear from the beginning, as they are equally committed to their sport as they are to their academics.  Nevertheless, they should have the opportunity to explore the world beyond their sport and a university education gives them just the right amount of studies to balance with their training.

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.

Last Wednesday, I attended the café talk by Silviu Tanasoiu who coaches the men’s tennis team here at Cornell. He talked about his experiences both as a player and as a coach and I could see how passionate he was about the sport and about the players on the team. Coach Tanasoiu explained the lengthy recruitment process in which potential athletes are scouted from all across the world, making a very diverse tennis team. In his search to find the very best players, it is also important to find the best people because that shapes what kind of teammate and player the athlete will be. He talked about how he once spent nearly a whole year recruiting a prospective student but in the end decided that this student would not be a good fit for the team because of his attitude towards the sport and those around him. Despite the fact that he was a good player, his attitude would make him a bad fit for the team. I was impressed by how the athletes dealt with balancing their heavy academic workload with their tennis schedule. They have to be extremely dedicated to the sport and to their field of interest to maintain that rigorous schedule. What I took away from this talk was that success comes with hard work and a good attitude. In the future, I will apply what he said about time management to my own life as that’s something I struggle with.

Last Wednesday I attended the weekly Rose Cafe and had the opportunity to hear Silviu Tanasoiu speak. He is the Varsity Tennis coach here at Cornell and it was fascinating to hear what he had to say even though I don’t have much of an interest in sports. Coach Tanasoiu had a lot of advice to give us about taking charge of our own lives and becoming more responsible for our futures. He grew up in Romania with a family who didn’t have much but made a lot of sacrifices to help Coach Tanasoiu be successful and make a life for himself in America playing tennis. It made me reflect on the sacrifices that my own parents had made to send me to Cornell.

What I found most interesting during this talk was the Coach’s advice about time management especially. He described the hectic schedules that his tennis players currently have. Balancing schoolwork with being an athlete is an incredible feat that is oftentimes unrecognized. I can’t imagine having to do all of my homework and worry about prelims, while also having practice and tournaments for a sports team. This talk definitely made me much more appreciative of the lifestyles that athletes at Cornell lead, especially given the amount of stress that everyone was under in the midst of midterms. It also gave me the motivation to stay more on top of my own school work, and I’m really happy that I decided to attend this talk.

This Past wednesday I attended a talk by the head of the men’s tennis team, coach Silviu Tanasoiu. His talk was very interesting because he spoke more than just about tennis, and spoke about the students and the recruitment process. He talked about his recruiting of a russian tennis player, which was the most interesting story for me. In short, he explained how the student was between two schools, but chose Cornell because he reached out to the mother, who spoke Russian. This example was really neat because it highlighted a few key points. He discussed that honesty is the most important process when recruiting. He said getting to know the person is very important. And getting to know the family, their coach, and their background can make the difference in getting someone to come to the program.

It was really neat to learn about the amount of effort that goes into recruiting students. The coaches care more than just about winning, they care about developing the students as a whole. As a result, i am very impressed with the discussion.

Coach Tanasoiu’s talk about his coaching philosophy was in some ways nostalgic for me.  I suspect that many people who have ever played a sport will feel the same way, the reason being is that there’s a very particular wisdom that only really good athletic coaches seem to capture–and Coach Tanasoiu absolutely has it.  The way that he talks and the passion that he displays about making people better is inspiring to me.  When I was growing up, one of my greatest influences were the football coaches that I had.  Pretty much more than anybody else, these men had a profound impact on essential characteristics.  When they would talk, I recall a distinct excitement in hearing what they had to say.  Coach Tanasoiu had the same effect in his short time with us.

The particular point he made that I like the most is about being very “intentional” with using time; I highlight intentional because I think it to be a great choice of word.  Too many of us let hours slip by with nothing good to come of them.  Just think of what we could get done if we put those wasted hours to a purpose–we could accomplish a lot more.

Last Wednesday I attended the Rose Café event featuring coach Silviu Tanasoiu and I thought that it was very eye opening and informative. I learned that one of the main ways that coach Tanasoiu motivates his athletes is by constantly reminding them that there are very few tennis players in in the world and it is therefore a privilege to be playing in the Ivy League. I learned that at the beginning of every semester the tennis players design a schedule that includes all their academic time including studying, sport time, and free time. In order for the athlete to be successful both in the classroom and in the court he must follow that schedule religiously. I was really amazed at how much stuff goes into the schedule and thought it was really amazing that the gpa for the team is a 3.6.

I thought that recruiting was perhaps the most interesting part of the talk. Coach Tanasoiu said that he always tries to look at the athletic ability and character of a potential recruit.  He then gave an example of how he had his eyes on an athlete for a couple of months but when he went to check out the athlete’s performance at a tournament he noticed that he screamed at his coach. Coach Tanasoiu then said that after that he eliminated that athlete from his recruit list because he thought “If that student screams at the person that is with him in every moment of a competition giving him support, what makes me think that he is not going to do the same with me?” I thought it was interesting how sometimes potential recruits from other countries are not interested in going to college because they plan on going straight to playing professionally. I then learned that the US is the only country that offers students the ability to play a sport at varsity level in college.

Overall, I thought that the talk was great and I learned a lot about the recruiting process and just how much effort goes into balancing academics with sport time.

Last week at the Rose café, our speaker was Varsity Tennis coach Silviu Tanasoiu. Being a sports fan, I was very excited when I heard that he was coming to rose house to speak. Two of the more interesting parts of Coach Tanasoiu’s discussion was centered on the recruiting of athletes all around the world and the balance between academics and athletics that his athletes have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. I was not aware of this but the recruiting for college tennis players appears to be more competitive than the other major college sports (basketball, football, etc.). In basketball and football there is a wider talent pool of athletes for coaches to choose from. In tennis, as Coach Tanasoiu explained, there are only a handful of players from around the world that are considered to be part of the upper eschelon in terms of talent, many of whom are foreign. What makes it more difficult to recruit is that many of these foreign players want to go pro and it takes a lot of convincing to get them to attend college in the U.S. These players want to come to Ivy league schools because if they are going to pass on making hundreds of thousands of dollars (sometimes even more) they want the best education they can get. This leads to the next interesting aspect of Coach Tanasoiu’s talk about how being a college athlete is essentially going to medical school and military school at the same time. The joke at many other colleges that have superior football or basketball teams is that the players are paid and that either don’t have to go to class or are enrolled in bs classes (cough, cough, Alabama, cough, cough North Carolina). Many of the student athletes on the Cornell tennis team are actually studying to become engineers. However, I do not know if they are being paid (probably not).

Coach Silviu Tanasoiu, in my opinion, is the epitome of what a college coach should be. He is passionate about what he does, he supports his players and he encourages them on and off the court. The story about when he wrote a letter to a recruit’s mom and how he had it translated to Russian so that she could read it shows who Coach Tanasoiu is as a person and how it translates into his coaching.

I found Silviu Tanasoiu’s story incredibly inspiring.   He grew up in an apartment in Romania and it sounded like he didn’t have much growing up.  One anecdote that stood out was when he was invited to Florida to participate in a tennis tournament for the Romanian team; however, his ticket to the US was not subsidized.  As a result, his father ended up selling the family’s car so Silviu could buy a plane ticket to the US and play at the highest level.

The sacrifice his parents made for him and his own determination to become the best was incredibly motivating.  It made me reminisce about the sacrifices that my own parents made for my brother and I to go to boarding school and then Cornell.  Upon further introspection, I realized that – like Silviu – my parents’ sacrifices have been one of my primary sources of motivation/encouragement.  Oftentimes when I’m stuck on an assignment or feel overwhelmed, I think about what my parents have done for me and find the strength to study an extra hour, run an extra mile, or even wake up early to seize the day.

I’m going to be honest and say that I didn’t decide to go to Cafe this week because I was interested in the topic. I decided to go because the time was convenient and I wanted to fit another event in before Spring Break. I thought the talk would focus exclusively on tennis players, and at best would stretch out to encompass all student athletes, which isn’t really something I can relate to or want to learn about. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Coach Tanasoiu’s advice, and found it to be applicable to not only tennis players or students, but to everyone, in all aspects of their lives.

Coach Tanasoiu essentially told us to take control of our lives, and be very deliberate with our actions. He reminded us that we cant let expectations overwhelm us, and that it is our responsibility to put a little effort in every day to make ourselves better. Perhaps the most important part of Coach Tanasoiu’s motivational speech was the part about time management. He talked about the crazy schedule the tennis team has, and how they have to use their time very precisely and exactly. They aren’t allowed to use lack of time as an excuse, and must learn how to manage their time effectively. This is something that I think everyone should learn, not just student athletes. The advice that Coach Tanasoiu gives his players is definitely sound, and should be followed by everyone.

I have some friends and fellow bio majors on varsity teams here at Cornell. Some of them are also pre-med. How they do it all, I had never understood. For me, this talk help clarify how they do it.

It was really nice to see how passionate coach Tanasoiu was about his players, his sport, and school. I enjoyed hearing him go on about his upbringing and how he got to Cornell. It helped me understand the passion he has for tennis. It led him to Cornell. Here, he cultivated a strong connection to the student athletes and to academia. Seeing how much he cared about his job and his sport made it really clear that his coaching both pushes and supports the students in athletics and study. He also mentioned the adversity that the students face, and that they learn to “make adversity their best friend.” The challenges they face because of these two demanding roles pushes them to overcome hurdle after hurdle and become better and better.

So when I wonder how they do it, my perspective of “it” is likely monstrous in comparison to the perspective of a student athlete juggling sports AND school. Especially when you have someone like coach Tanasoiu as well as others helping you along the way. What is incredible to me is that the average GPA of the team is apparently a 3.60. That really struck me, and I think that it is telling of the value of what the coach had to say.

In the end, I both regretted my slow decline in sports and came to understand and really appreciate what my athlete peers face and accomplish.

In the midst of midterm craze right before spring break, Rose House invited a special guest to the rose café series. Silviu Tanasoiu is the Savitt-Weiss Head Coach of Men’s Tennis at Cornell. I was initially interested because I used to play on the tennis team in high school. During his talk, coach Tanasoiu reminded us of some of the most important things to remember as students.

I was first surprised that there are only 6 spots for the Cornell Men’s Tennis. This means that there are only 48 current Ivy League players in the world. I’m sure the players know that this is a very unique opportunity and they should be proud of holding their spots. Additionally, coach Tanasoiu stated that the chances for becoming successful is a sum of small details such as warmups and attitudes during practices. Similar to other occupations and life challenges, we do not suddenly become the world’s best tennis player after a single event. It takes many enduring practices and time management to arrive at the point.

The talk made me realize once again that it must be extremely challenging to be an athlete in college, as you are trying to juggle practices, tournaments, course work, exams, social life, etc. Although the players may be very tired from practices and weekends are unavailable because of matches, their tasks do not disappear at the end of the day. As students in college, it is crucial to be organized with a structured schedule and staying in control. But it’s also important to always be grateful and be nice to yourself. Do not fall in the trap of expectations. In sum, the talk was very motivational and reminded everyone to respect others and themselves as well.

What started at first as a presentation on student athletes at Cornell (with a focus on the Tennis team) became osmotically a coaching on life lessons punctuated by small dozes of refreshing and de-stressing daily reminders on how to find balance for a healthy work ethic into one’s schedule. Oftentimes, as students at an elite university, we find ourselves pressed on time to complete projects and essays etc., easily losing ourselves in the details of polishing the current assignment on hand and neglecting our long-term goals in the end. Coach Tanasoiu energetically reminds us the very importance that a little effort everyday can build into high-end long-term performance. The moment that we lose the routine of practice, we lose the rhythm of our success. Coach Tanasoiu notes that it is a responsibility and a privilege to be part of a team that also asks its players to be “extremely intentional with their time” and to be “aware of what you can and cannot control.” I think this is sound advice that we all need to constantly tell ourselves. I remember the stigma freshman year around students who slept a proper amount of hours and an almost exclusive pride projected by those who stormed through a few all-nighters per week—like a select club of members trying to outdo the others with the least amount of sleep. But the question really lies in what do you do with your time? How do all the 5, 10, or 20 minute breaks of lounging and chatting compensate for hard work when they only create more work in the end (and not to mention kill brain cells and weaken the immune system). Ever since this talk, I have been trying everyday to remind myself to be grateful, humble, and nice to myself.

I think Coach Tanasoiu’s Rose Café is one of my favorites of all the ones I have attended so far. As a former high school tennis player, I was intrigued to hear about the Cornell Tennis team, and Coach Tanasiou did not disappoint. His passion for tennis and for coaching was evident in the way he spoke about every aspect of his job, exemplified in his repeated statement that he couldn’t believe he was actually getting paid to coach. I was really inspired by his story of growing up playing tennis in Romania and the sacrifices he and his family made that have shaped who he is as a person. It was really motivating to hear to how he brought those aspects of his character to his tennis coaching. In the way he described his team and coaching philosophy it sounded like he really cared about all aspects of the players, not just their results, but also their character, the way they carry themselves, and their attitude towards those who have helped them such as their coach or parents.

Additionally, Coach Tanasiou’s talk served as a reminder me of just how hard student-athletes work, as he described it, “like being in the military and getting a medical degree.” It is easy fall into stereotyping athletes as people who do not focus on school and put sports above all else. Listening to Coach Tanasiou talk about the athletes’ rigorous schedule, difficult majors, and ability to succeed, however, it was clear that this stereotype is unfounded, especially in college.

When deciding whether to attend this Rose Café, I was definitely on the fence about going, but now, I am just really grateful for having had the opportunity to listen to such an inspiring and motivating person as Coach Tanasiou.

For last week’s Becker-Rose Café, Coach Silviu Tanasoiu of Cornell’s Varsity Men’s Tennis Team gave a talk concerning the lives of athletes at an Ivy League university. Not only do these individuals have to balance a workload with respect to their majors, but they also have to wake up at 6:30 in the morning for practice before going to class, followed by another practice and homework. Coach Silviu also highlighted the difficulty of being an Ivy League athlete. In the whole world, there are 48 Ivy League players, meaning that there’s a higher chance that you’d win the lottery than to represent one of the Ivy Leagues. He has also mentioned that there are currently six tennis players competing against each other to represent Cornell.

After talking about the logistics of the Ivy League sports circle, Coach Silviu brought up points that dealt with personal issues, and it was eye-opening to see things from a completely different perspective. When Cornell recruits, Cornell aims to attract the best players and they are often international players. The issue with international players are that they’re often grounded in their decision of playing their sport at the professional level and do not realize the value of an education. In fact, in most countries, many players think that education hinders their progress towards professionalism to some extent, and Coach Silviu reaches out to the player’s entire family to let them know that Cornell is there to enrich their lives with an educational experience as well as offering them an opportunity into one of the most selective sports leagues in the United States.

Since some of these players do not have the academic background and preparation like many of us do, it was refreshing to see that coaches as well as professors (such as Rose House’s Professor Blalock) are there to help these players overcome these deficits. In fact, sports players are not only boggled down by their practice routines, but they have classes and studying to do just like the rest of us. I feel that I’ve come to know a little more about the Cornell community and having a friend who plays varsity baseball at Cornell, I think it’s only now I realize how much tougher school is for him.

Coach Silviu stressed the importance of personal values and it’s great to see that Cornell has such supporting advisors that only wants the best for our students.

Coach Tanasoiu shared some incredible insights into the lives of student athletes. Being friends with some student athletes on campus, I got to understand their lives better with the Coach’s talk about particularly tennis team. He first emphasized about how time management is crucial when you have to practice for hour in the early morning before class, attend class, and do another 3-hour practice in the afternoon in middle of all the studying that needs to get done. His reminder to the team about how privileged they are for representing the university motivates the team to always be focused on the team expectations. A great piece of advice that he tells his team is that adversity is your best friend, which is so true in that your obstacles in life whether it is competing among teammates for playing positions or interviewing for jobs is what pushes you to perform at your best level. Moving stories that he shared about his personal life dealt with the importance of relationships in particular the support of parents and coach. In his life, his parents sold a car to make sure he got the opportunity to fly from his town in Romania to Miami for the Orange Bowl competition. He was extremely grateful for all the help of his various coaches in taking care of him throughout his path all the way to now Men’s Varsity tennis coach at Cornell. The recruiting focuses on these relationships when trying to help the player make a decision between multiple university offers. He talked about how they are recruiting one of the best Russian tennis players next year because they had talked to not only to the father, sister, and coach but they also included the mother, which other universities did not do. Coach Tanasoiu shared the interesting aspects of recruiting. When they look for players for the team, they make sure he has great work ethic for improving in the sport and has a good academic potential. Since the team is so international, some of the players are on the pathway of heading to possibly play professionally and they feel that college tennis will put them off that path. However, Coach Tanasoiu feels that America is one of the few countries that allow people to further their education and play sport at one of the highest levels. Overall, it was a pleasure hearing Coach Tanasoiu talk.

In the Rose-Becker Cafe this Wednesday, the head coach of Cornell’s Varsity men’s tennis team gave a talk about what it means to be a student athlete in college, particularly at an Ivy League college, and more specifically at Cornell. There were five main points that he presented, and though I wasn’t able to stay the entire hour and hear him expand on each of those five, they all made a lot of sense and seemed extremely transferrable to other aspects of life, not just collegiate-level athletics.

The first thing that Coach Silviu discussed was the privilege of being a student athlete at Cornell. “There are 48 Ivy League tennis players out of seven billion people worldwide,” I remember him saying. “There’s a higher chance of winning the lottery in every country than there is becoming an Ivy League tennis player. This statistic not only shocked me but really forced me to take a moment to stop and reflect on how lucky we all are. I mean, yeah only six of us at Cornell play for the men’s tennis team, but another similar privilege can be applied to us: out of tens of thousands of applicants, each of us was hand-picked to attend such a prestigious institution as ours, an honor that is sure to help us reap many benefits in the future.

The second point discussed was the responsibility that comes with that privilege. At one point, Coach Silviu compared being a student athlete at Cornell to getting a medical degree while also trying to complete military school. What a comparison, I remember thinking, but then again, that’s probably an accurate assessment. Although it doesn’t even seem like much, being in 18 credits and working 6-8 hours a week already stresses me out enough as it is; I couldn’t imagine adding to my schedule 6:00 AM workouts and weekend games/matches out of state. By being at Cornell and enduring the workload that we do, we’re all inevitably sacrificing something, but this point specifically gave me a new appreciation for those who do all that and then some.

This point tied in really well the third and fourth ones: the adversity faced as a student athlete is something that needs to be turned into a good thing: “‘Turn adversity into your best friend,’ I always tell my players. It’s through adversity that one has the chance to explore how far they can go, how far they can push themselves. It’s important to be thankful for this because it’s part of what makes you who you are.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. And (once again applying it to my own life), I found myself thinking about how I often remind myself when I’m basically sinking in schoolwork that it’s all going to pay off eventually. Even though it may stink at the moment, it’s going to give me an awesome foundation for my future and better prepare me for both my career and my adult life. This point was a nice, and well-timed, reminder of this.

And lastly, Coach Silviu brought up relationships, and used a personal anecdote to drive the point home. Growing up in Romania, he didn’t have the opportunities that many athletes are afforded here, but when an amazing one presented itself (the opportunity to play in Miami), his parents made the ultimate sacrifice of selling their car in order to buy him a round-trip ticket. This point was also extremely well-timed in that it prompted me to remember just how much my parents have done to get me where I am today as well as how much they’ve encouraged me through everything, highs and lows alike. And just as I was getting super homesick, too…

Clearly, even though I was only able to attend half of this cafe series, I learned A LOT from tennis/life coach Silviu Tanasoiu, and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to hear him speak.

As a huge tennis fan and member of the club tennis team, I was very excited for the Rose Café talk from men’s varsity tennis coach Silviu Tanasolu. Coach Tanasolu is a fantastic tennis player and coach, so getting an insight as to how he manages his team was an amazing opportunity. Something that struck me from his talk was how well the varsity athletes manage their time. With 2-3 practices a day and travel on the weekend, it is often difficult to maintain academics with this busy schedule. However, Coach Tanasolu, the assistant coach, and the academic advisors (including our own house professor Garrick!) help the team to complete both their academic requirements and their intense tennis training.

The recruitment aspect of his talk stuck out to me as well. I had considered playing college tennis at several lower ranking Division I colleges and Division II colleges, so I have experienced the recruiting process first hand. Hearing about the recruitment process from the other side was extremely interesting, especially from a coach of one of the top tennis schools in the country. Coach Tanasolu seems to focus largely on character when recruiting a player, as it is important to have a player who will fit in well with the team. Often, many of the players recruited for Cornell have no experience playing in a team environment, as most of their competitions are individual. Coach Tanasolu also pays attention to how the players treat their junior coaches, as this will often reflect how they will treat him at the college level. It is important to have players that will respect their coach and do what is best for the team, so character is very important when selecting players to recruit.

This week, the guest at Rose Scholars was Silviu Tanasolu, the coach of Cornell’s mens varsity tennis team.  At the beginning of the talk, he asked us how much we knew about tennis and varsity sports — most of us didn’t know much about the subject except for the varsity hockey team.  But that fortunately wouldn’t be a roadblock in appreciating the talk.

The talk followed five topics: the privilege of being a varsity athlete, the responsibility that goes along with it, the adversity of it, how to make that adversity useful, and how important relationships are.  He first spoke to us about the privilege: there are only 8 ivy league varsity tennis teams, each with only 6 players on it.  That means that only 48 people in the entire world get to play varsity tennis in the ivy league each year.  There is a better chance to win the lottery than there is to play ivy league varsity tennis.  This was a pretty clear view of how much privilege being a varsity tennis player here has.

Then he spoke about how much responsibility goes with that privilege.  The players have to be extremely intentional with their time.  I was amazed when I was told how many things athletes have on their plate, these tennis players specifically.  Each player has to wake up for early morning practice, then have time to eat and shower before their classes for the day.  Factoring in time to eat, time to study, and more practice time, these athletes have incredibly full schedules that they need to keep up with.  Coach Tanasolu mentioned that he is constantly aware of how difficult it is to balance this type of schedule, and he told us that he tries to remind the players to be grateful for this challenge, because it will help them so much in the future.

This tied into the adversity that Coach Tanasolu mentioned often in this talk.  He continued to push the point that the adversity that the players face lets them explore how far they can go, and to help them develop as a player, a student, and as a person overall.  I thought this was a very nice way to put it, and I think that the better that I keep track of my time, the better I will do.   These topics are not just important for athletes, they are important for everyone balancing time.

Some things that interested me were how international the team is, and how much time goes into recruiting these players.  I did not realize that Cornell actively recruited for varsity athletes, since I knew that the athletes here don’t get full ride athletic scholarships to go here, they have to get in on their own academic merit, like everyone else.  But I learned at this talk that our tennis players are actively recruited, with Cornellians traveling all over the world to get them to want to come here.  It was also interesting to me, but not as surprising, that so many people in other countries would value playing professional tennis over furthering their education.

I thought this talk was very interesting and I felt that I learned some valuable things from it.  I wish I could attend the tennis game on Saturday, but since I cannot attend, I’ll just send the team my good wishes from far away.  Go big red!

Last evening, I had a wonderful time at the Rose Café series. I enjoyed Cornell’s Head Tennis coach Silviu Tanasoiu’s talk about the necessary personal qualities and sacrifices to succeed in college athletics. These traits and actions are not only applicable in sports, but also in other aspects of our lives.

I have always admired college athletes for their time management skills; not only do they have classes and activities like non-athletes, but they also have daily training and games against other university teams. Because of their high-intensity workouts, athletes need more sleep than non-athletes. Tanasoiu emphasized the importance of being intentional with time, a habit essential for success. I think that their ability to prioritize is extremely valuable not only on the game field, but also in the professional world.

Tanasoiu’s stress on embracing adversity also resonated with me. He said that athletes “make it their friends”. They not only face adversity in order to receive a spot on the team, but they also face it within the team, against other teams, and in the classroom and beyond. I think this is great advice because it is impossible to live without adversity or failure. What he said reminded me of J.K. Rowling’s Harvard commencement speech, during which she said, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which you fail by default.” Tanasoiu talked about the adversity and sacrificed he faced as a teenager when he was given a chance to compete in a tennis tournament in Miami. Having grown up in a blue-collar family, he could not afford the round-trip flight from Bucharest, Romania. His father sold their car to purchase the ticket.

Overall, I found Tanasoiu’s speech extremely inspirational. He was engaging, down-to-earth, and humble about his accomplishments. I will try harder to improve my time management skills and resilience so that I can reach my full potential!

Last night, I attended the first Rose Café I’ve been to this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in–maybe a canned motivational speech, maybe discussion about tennis that I would barely be able to follow. But Silviu Tanasoiu proved me wrong. Firstly, he had an air of humbleness, yet self confidence about him that made me really listen to his story instead of writing him off as a typical coach. His appreciation of the sacrifices that his family and coaches have made for him made him stand out as a speaker, especially when he talked about how honored he was to be speaking last night. I feel like almost all the motivational speakers I’ve ever heard talk a lot about their own hard work and only mention a little about the sacrifices that people have made for them to get there, and Silviu clearly has not forgotten his blessings which made the overall talk all the more fascinating to listen to.

He discussed how adversity breeds success and how the student athletes must be strong of mind as well as of body if they want to be successful. They must follow their schedules religiously and ensure that they don’t focus on the outcomes, whether those relate to prelims or matches. I have so much respect for student athletes–they work so hard and have many more responsibilities than many college students, and they still manage to get everything done. That kind of work ethic is really inspiring to hear about, and it was clear that Silviu is truly proud of his team for being of strong character as well as great athletes.

I think the idea of not focusing on outcomes is definitely a motto that I try to live by. I had a mentor when I was younger who always reminded me that often, things happen in a way that will protect us from other possible outcomes. She always told me that anything we encounter can be a lesson, and everyone we encounter in life will teach us something. That tied in strongly to what Silviu talked about yesterday about how adversity breeds success–it’s definitely tough, but if we can keep in mind during the bad times these lessons, then we can definitely overcome those obstacles and succeed.

Yesterday evening I had the privilege of sitting in a talk given by the Cornell’s Tennis Head Coach. It was really humbling and incredibly inspiring to hear of the adversity the speaker strived through. Coach Tanasoiu imparted two pieces of advice that he had realized over the years:

1. Be intentional.

2. Fight Adversity.

Ironically enough, I’m unintentionally sitting in bed at five in the morning contemplating life, unable to sleep. As my Mechanical Synthesis class revealed early on in the semester, I am a Myers Briggs -P, which stands for perceiving. It also happens to be synonymous with “questionable time management skills.” As a student involved in many different activities of all shapes and sizes, I’m busy, all the time. However, as a -P, I find myself  working to perfection, ignoring time constraints, until I have everything just right. A rigid schedule is impossible for me. I work to deadlines, and when I’m not working, I’m taking on more tasks to work on.

It was awe inspiring to hear about a student athlete’s schedule and the rigidly intentional schedule they must have in order to be successful. A student athlete not only has to compete to be a good student, but also to play. A student athlete must follow a very strict lifestyle and schedule in order to make all of their deadlines successfully.

While most of us non-athletes are just impressed by student athletes’ athletic abilities, Coach Tanasoiu’s talk brought another one of their merits that isn’t commonly talked about to light: their inhuman ability to juggle two jobs at once. Or as the coach put it, their ability to get a medical degree while working in the military. It’s extremely admirable and I hope that someday I will be able to fight adversity and accomplish more in the mere 24 hours we have every day.

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.

I’m not a professional athlete, but that doesn’t mean I would be opposed to hearing an inspirational Rocky Balboa-esque speech that sends chills down my spine. In fact, although it is often associated with sports, “motivation” has no boundaries. Anyone can be motivated to do anything in any field. Thus, I looked forward to hearing Silviu Tanasoiu, head coach of Cornell men’s tennis, deliver a jaw-dropping speech that would leave me… speechless. Did he do it? Well, that wasn’t exactly the reaction I had. Does that mean I went in with high expectations and left disappointed? Absolutely not. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I left thinking to myself, “The guys on the tennis team should be grateful to have a coach like that.”

Coach Tanasoiu told us about what it takes to thrive not only as an athlete and student, but also as a person in general. First, time is our most valuable asset. The life of a student athlete can be extremely demanding and rigorous. One must be able to strike a balance between academia and practice/play. The only way to do this is by being wise with how we use and spend our time. Second, adversity is your best friend. It is through challenges that we learn what our limits are. As a result, we can improve and possibly even overcome our limits. This would enable us to reach our maximum potential. Third, the relationships we have with others (e.g., teammates, family, etc.) is critical in all aspects of our life. If a recruit consistently screams at their coach, it will seriously effect their prospective value. Coach Tanasoiu mentioned that he would do his best to communicate with a potential recruit’s family members in order to fully evaluate the new prospect. I thought this was very admirable, as it shows care and concern for those who made the recruit into the individual they are.

“Be nice to yourself.” This is what an Olympic gold medalist told the coach’s team. I feel like this is some advice that I could really use myself sometimes. Throughout the whole event, Coach Tanasoiu consistently used the word “grateful.” He reminds his team to be grateful for being able to play at an Ivy League institution, given how extremely competitive it is. He was grateful when his dad sold his own car so that he could leave Romania and play tennis in the U.S. He remains grateful for being able to be in the position that he’s in now. In fact, he can’t even believe that he gets paid to do what he loves. So, no, Coach Tanasoiu did not comes across as Rocky Balboa (i.e., in your face, very passionate, etc.) during this particular evening. I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if he personifies him in front of his own team.

Tonight we had the privilege of hearing Coach Silviu Tanasoiu, the head coach of the Cornell men’s varsity tennis team, give a talk. My little sister is an avid tennis player, so I was extremely to hear Coach Tanasoiu’s perspective on life as part of an Ivy League varsity tennis team. I’ve always known that varsity athletes are incredibly busy, but I had no idea to what extent. Coach Tanasoiu described being a student athlete as “getting a medical degree and doing military service at the same time.” Student athletes often have two practices a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They spend most of their weekends traveling to compete. On top of that, they have to juggle classes and extracurriculars like everybody else. Hearing this made me appreciate just how hard student athletes have to work.

Coach Tanasoiu also shared a number of valuable lessons that apply not just on the tennis court, but in everyday life. He spoke about the importance of being grateful to the people who help you, sharing the example of when his parents sold the family car so they could afford a plane ticket for him to compete at a prestigious tennis tournament. Coach Tanasoiu also told us that he once dropped a high school player he had been recruiting for eight months, simply because the player was disrespectful to his coach. Hearing this reminded me of how grateful I am for all the support I have received from my family, teachers, and mentors.

Finally, I also found it very interesting when Coach Tanasoiu spoke about how the coaches pay attention to everything the players do, from the way they warm up at practice to how they compete at tournaments. He said that deciding which players earn the six coveted playing spots often boils down to little moments. This showed me that people are always watching, even when you don’t realize it, so it is important to always put your best foot forward in everything that you do.

This week, we had the privilege of listening to Coach Tanasoiu at our Rose Cafe series. Coach Tanasoiu embodies the characteristics of a great and effective leader and mentor. What makes him such an inspiring and motivating leader?

1. He is humble and always grateful. Coach Tanasoiu grew up in a Romania to a working-class family. When he made it into a very selective tennis competition that was to be held in Miami, FL, his family had to work very, very hard (including selling their family car) to get the money necessary to buy him round trip tickets from Romania to Florida. Thus, Coach Tanasoiu does not take his success for granted, he is always very grateful, very thankful to his family, friends, mentors, and generous sponsors that helped him get to where he is now. It is very important that a leader is humble. When a leader is humble, he/she comes to notice how each and every person he/she encounters is talented, unique, and has something special to offer the team. This brings us to the second point, he really, really respects his team. 
2. Coach Tanasoiu respects and loves his team. What really stood out through out his entire talk was how grateful Coach Tanasoiu felt to be able to work with such talented tennis players, and such unique, intelligent students. You can tell that Coach Tanasoiu loves his team! It is very important for a leader to love and respect his team, because this helps the leader also be loved and respected by his/her team. 
3. Coach Tanasoiu is very dedicated to selecting players who would fit well into the team culture. He talked about how he would talk with the players’ family, teammates, and coach for months. He would fly into various cities to observe potential players play at different settings, and stress levels. He dedicates so much time to really get to know each individual player in order to select the players who would thrive in Cornell’s tennis program. An important part of leadership is to select the right people, people who would thrive in the culture, who would work well with the rest of the team. 

Okay, can we take a second to acknowledge how genuinely nice tennis coach Silviu Tanasoiu was?  Throughout his talk I found myself thinking, “wow this guy seems so nice”, “I wish he was my coach”, and “he is really passionate about tennis”.  His talk covered several key aspects of his coaching that truthfully relate to more than just tennis.  He talked about what a privilege it was for the players on the team to be playing, how “low” their chances were of playing here, how important time management was for them, and how he of them to be grateful and intentional with their time.  He talked of the importance of adversity and how his players were competing on a daily basis, how they can’t pick and choose responsibility, and how he asks to not focus on the outcomes but instead to focus on the tiny details that are in front of you and that you can change.  Finally, he talked about the importance of relationships and being grateful for all the people who made sacrifices to help us get where we are.

I think these lessons relate to more than just tennis and sports in general.  They are lessons we can all relate to as students at Cornell working toward our future.  We are so fortunate to be here getting a good education and getting set up for our future and we are here because of the many people who helped us get here.  Be it our parents, coaches, teachers, and many others, there are so many people who have affected and aided our paths that we should be thankful for.  We are constantly competing with others for better grades, internships, and jobs.  There is a lot we can learn from the lessons taught by our University tennis coach.

Tonight I had the pleasure of listening to Tennis Coach Silviu Tanasoiu talk about the privilege of being a student athlete, the responsibility of participating in a varsity sport, the adversity, how adversity should be your best friend, and the relationships that form.

Coach Tanasoiu tries to remind to players often that they are in a position of privilege. They are fulfilling a spot of only 48 players in the entire world that competes in the Ivy League. He also recognizes the challenges of balancing academics and athletics.

Student athletes face the same difficulties that everyday students face, such as taking challenging classes, balancing workloads, and meeting deadlines, all while adding another daily responsibility to their schedule. Not only are varsity sports time consuming, they are physically demanding. An athlete goes the extra mile by committing to their team and representing their school.

He spoke about how the adversity that varsity athletes face should not be avoided but should be embraced. Through adversity you have a chance to explore how far you can go.

A statement that resonated with me was, “Don’t be too hard on yourself when facing adversity.” Coach Tanasoiu advises to not get caught up in the outcomes, but instead focus on the details that you have control of.

When you are focused on the outcome and you attach your worth to the outcome, you will find yourself very resistant to trying new things and putting forth your best effort. When you define your worth by your performance rather than your effort, you stop yourself dead at the starting gate.

When your sense of worth is attached to the effort you make and putting forth your very best, then the process itself becomes exciting and rewarding, regardless of the outcome. In fact, people who define themselves through effort rather than outcomes do not think much about the outcome. While they have goals, and they certainly want to achieve their goals, they are not focused in the future on the goal. Instead, they are in the present moment, putting forth full effort in their desire to be all they can be.

Listening to Coach Tanasoiu speak about his passion of excellence, tennis, and development of his players was an honor and his advice was pertinent to life on and off the court.

This week at the Rose Cafe we had the privilege of listening to Silviu Tanassoiu, the coach of Cornell Men’s Varsity Tennis Team talk about his career and how he motivates his team to thrive. Coach Tanassoiu spoke about “nourishing the perspectives” of his players, who have a lot on their plates as student athletes at an Ivy League university. Silviu’s pearls of wisdom as a player and coach seem to be directly applicable to all of us and he made many important points that can help us thrive in our student lives as well.

“Be grateful” – there are 48 ivy league men’s tennis players but there are billions of people in the world. Coach Tanassoiu constantly reminds his players to be thankful that they are here: they get to play tennis and go to such an amazing university. While most of us are not variety athletes, we are indeed very lucky to to attend such a prestigious college and have so many opportunities to learn and develop both intellectually and overall as individuals. Reminding ourselves of this certainly helps to maintain a positive outlook.

“Be intentional with your time” – Time is one of our most previous commodities, so we have to be sure to spend it wisely. Varsity tennis athletes have their entire schedule mapped out for them – including practices, class time, study time for each class, and of course breaks for meals. Only through very strict time management can you accomplish all the tasks you need to do during Cornell everyday life.

“Be nice to yourself” – We are all constantly confronted with expectations – our parents’, professors’, family’s, expectations of us regarding many different aspects of our lives. However, we must remember to be nice to ourselves and focus on the things we are able to control. Results and outcomes do not fall in that category. Adversity is the way we grow and discover all that we can do but we must remember not to beat ourselves up along the way.

Given Coach Tanavsoiu’s amazing record both as a player and as Cornell’s coach, his words and methods seem to be tried and true and I hope to apply these principles in my life as a Cornell student going forwards!

On Wednesday night I attended the Rose Cafe to hear the career of the great tennis coach. He is originally from Romania and started playing tennis at a very young age. He came to Cornell in October 2011 as a guest coach.

The coach  started out talking about hard working and how to be very intentional with your time. I was very inspired by his point and how to balance different responsibilities. He went on to talking about looking for people excited for excellence and tennis. He also said that the school tennis team  is in fact supported by the alumni network.

Going on from there, he also mentioned that it is important to be nice yourself. He also touched on the importance of relationships and how he makes sure that he knows everyone on the team from top to bottom. I was very impressed by how international his team is. He mentioned this are people from Romania, Ecuador, Australia and one guy from England who is coming in the next year.

I am not in varsity team. But I once was in varsity selection for women rowing team. I learned through the process that a women rower trains as least two to four hours everyday and sometimes they start 5am in the morning. I was very impressed that those people could succeed in a very demanding schedule with a heavy academic workload. I was very inspired by their work-ethic and drive.

I think this talk is very inspiring and I learned more about sport spirit than tennis  itself. He lets me believe that athlete are very admirable people.

How hard is it to play professional tennis in college? In short, really hard! In Rose-Becker Cafe on March 23rd, Cornell Tennis Team Head Coach Silviu Tanasoiu gave us a talk on his experience coaching Cornell’s Tennis Team. The first thing he told us was that playing professional tennis in college is hands down difficult–it is like being in the military while attending in college. Why so? Besides hours and hours of practices, and numerous back and forth trips to tournaments, student athletes have to also deal with rigorous academic workloads. Coach Tanasoiu mentioned that many students had their eyes on playing professional tennis only. As a result, many students who were interested in professional tennis find the idea going to college very foreign. However, perhaps one’s enthusiasm for their own interests can help overcome all these adversities that ones may face. For example, Coach Tanasoiu put it as amazing for someone to pay him in playing tennis. He really enjoyed what he is doing with tennis. He found that being to participate in a college tennis program like the one in Cornell encourages student athletes to try their best in playing tennis and pursuing higher education. Personally, I am not good at sport and I cannot imagine how intense doing professional college sport. Sports require practices and it can exhaust an individual so much. I have always thought that athletes have to go through many intense trainings and will not not have time to attend school. However, this talk from Coach Silviu shows me that there are motivated individual who are able to handle both. As long as we have the passion for it, we should go for what we do and there are definitely resources to support you to strive for your dream.