I am glad that I went to last week’s Rose Cafe that featured Cornell men’s tennis coach, Silviu Tanasoiu. During the Cafe, Coach Tanasoiu spoke about the process of recruiting players, his relationship with players as both coach and mentor, and the story of one tennis player. Before hearing him speak, I had never really considered how instrumental varsity sports coaches are in the lives of players. It seems like the tennis players have a lot of added support and guidance, beyond guidance in the sport, by being part of the team.
Additionally, Coach Tanasoiu shared his perspective on student-athlete life at Cornell by discussing the story of Bernardo, a tennis player who entered Cornell and faced some initial academic setbacks but ultimately ended his college career with many accomplishments. This story of “transformation,” as the coach described it, emphasized that persistence and hard work are critical for overcoming challenges. Though this message is simple and straightforward, I enjoyed hearing this story especially at this point in the semester.
I also attended this Rose Cafe and I think that it was an especially inspiring story to hear. I was also reminded of the importance of persistence and hard work. It is sometimes the simple and straightforward advice that is most important!
This sounded like an extremely inspiring Rose Cafe, especially at a school where every turn seems to be filled with obstacles.