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By Christian Koskorelos
I was a walk on freshman from a small town in New Jersey. Here I was, in Boca Raton, practicing with players I have never seen before. There was, Ivan from Bulgaria, ‘The Wall’ somebody once called him from the crowd because he never missed. There was Fabio from Switzerland, the lefty, with the most amazing volleys and touch I have ever seen. Sasha played third, also from Switzerland and also a lefty. He never missed a ball. Brett from South Africa, the second youngest player on the team had amazing groudstrokes. Number five was the tallest on the team, a player by the name of Olbren, another Switzerland player with a huge serve and volley game, who never lost. And there was me. I played sixth singles and third doubles in a year I would never, ever, forget. We finished number three in the nation that year in Division II. Our team went everywhere that year, from Miami to Jacksonville for the Rolex Tournament to Missiouri for the national championship to Georgia where we had to play number one Lander. I had my fair share of losses, but, boy did I learn.
I remember the first day of practice in the sweltering heat. Coach had us running and sprinting. I remember the free racquets and the free bag and the free sneakers. I felt like a pro. I felt great, like the world was mine.
My first match at Lynn was a tough one at the Rolex Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida. The van ride was a long one from Boca to Jacksonville, so I had to bond with my teammates. As far as my tennis was concerned I had enough training but I just couldn’t do it, and I was out in the first round, as I still remember the score, 6-3, 6-1. But it was an awesome experience.
Without a doubt, Lynn University was an awesome experience. Here I was, a young tiny freshman from Leonia, NJ, a couple miles from the George Washington Bridge in New York City, in a school like Lynn in glitzy Boca Raton. After Jacksonville, we played one more match. We rested for the winter break and returned to battle the following year. Every practice and every match was hard work. Coach Perez was always there, always behind me, always giving me advice. I started to bond more with my teammates and we hit the road every week. One weekend we were in Miami, the other St. Petersburg, the other, Georgia. Practice was intense in the hot Florida sun, but my teammates helped me out when I needed them. I felt proud to be a ‘Fighting Knight’ wearing my Reebok warm up suit with my name on it. We were sponsored by Prince. I remember telling my friends of all the equipment and clothes I used to get. I remember losing, but I remember my wins as well, which were few. But I’ll never forget Springfield, Missiouri where we finished number three in the nation in Division II where I had my own chair umpire.
Ivan was ruling every match. He was on fire. Everybody was on fire. The top five never lost. I remember one match, a teammate screamed from the crowd, “Pink Floyd!” – everybody turned around because they didn’t get what he meant. Then he said, “The Wall!” indicating that he was a wall, that he never missed and Ivan literally never missed. He was a machine, the oldest guy on the team, with lots of experience. He was my idol. And Fabio ruled every match, with his fiery temper. His volleys were his passion, coming to net every chance he could. It was like a team full of pros and I happened to join them at the right time. Sasha had a temper too, but he managed to win his matches in three sets and Brett was super consistent. Olbren was the tall one, the serve and volleyer who always won in the clutch, as for me, I struggled. I needed to work harder in the hot Florida sun, day and night. Coach Perez helped me and so did the assistant coach from France, Patrick or “Frenchy” we used to call him. He was super nice and gave me advice during every match. They never doubted me. And that’s what coaching is all about.
When the plane landed after Missouri into Florida, I couldn’t believe the season was over. Coach gave me a pat on the back. The girls’ team won that year, I remember how happy coach was. It was a tough season for me as a freshman but I got through it. May 13, 1997 was the last day, a day I’ll never forget. It was the day I decided to leave Florida and stay closer to home, it would be a decision that would affect me for the rest of my life. In Florida, everything was done for me. I had the best teammates, we started to become closer during every match and coach Perez as well. Sometimes in life you make decisions worth regretting and not coming back was one of them. But it was a heck of a season. My overall record was not a good one, but I’ll remember moments like Ivan, hitting with Jana Novotna one practice session. And moments like in Georgia against number one team Lander. I’ll remember a famous (Laurence Fishburne) actor’s son came to one of my practices and a French girl named Myriam. I remember the time we all went to Key Biscayne to watch Rafter one night. And just like that, it was all over. Back to New Jersey where I saw the Empire State Building from up above. Then, it was then, that I knew I was home, forever.
Christian Koskorelos is a teaching pro based in North Jersey. He is also a freelance tennis journalist.
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Scoop Malinowski · March 5, 2011 at 11:48 pm
Excellent and interesting article, very enjoyable. Sounds like you had a very strong team, wonder if when you came back from FL you felt you were a much stronger player? Nice essay.
Dan Markowitz · March 6, 2011 at 3:49 am
I’m impressed. I saw the fifth and sixth guys for Lynn playing doubles and they were darn good. You had’ve been a strong player even with all the losses you suffered. Yes, sometimes we make decisions in retrospect that we regret. Did Coach Perez ever contact you–or any of your teammates–and try to talk you out of it?