Becoming a College Tennis Player: My First Months in the US
How I Adapted to College Life and the Demands of College Tennis
Meet Linn Goerdes, college tennis player from Germany, now competing at the University of North Georgia. Linn earned her tennis scholarship through impressive achievements on the court, including multiple national tournaments wins in Germany. With training experience in both Germany and Spain, plus participation in international WTA tournaments, she’s bringing serious skills to her college tennis career while majoring in pre-medicine.
In this article, Goerdes tells us about her first months in the United States. Moving to a new country is always full of adventures and new challenges. Discover more about her transition to college tennis and her advice for other athletes.
When I signed my contract and made the decision to study in the US, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Of course, I’ve seen all those videos and pictures on social media, and it all looked so impressive. But what is it actually like to live and study as a college tennis player?
Adapting to College Life in the United States
My first few days in the US were a culture shock. Everything here is so different, in a good way! I felt like a little kid who got brought to Disneyland. Everything was new and exciting!
The time difference hits you, especially in the first days when you realize that you’re actually gone from home. You may want to chat with your family or friends, but they may be sleeping when you are free.
My teammates made the transition so much easier for me. They helped me adjust to all the changes and get used to the lifestyle here in the US. Although tennis in Europe is an individual sport, here in college tennis, players are part of a team.
In the team, we are all very close, and we also hang out a lot with the men’s tennis team. So, there are always at least 10 people who I could ask for help if I need something. We are like a family!
Academics as a College Tennis Player
College isn’t just about tennis, we’re here to study, too. I’m majoring in pre-medicine, which is definitely a challenge as a college tennis player. I take seven classes per semester, and balancing that with training isn’t easy until you get used to it.
Luckily, we have academic advisors, tutors and academic success coaches to support us. All these services are free since they are included in the sports scholarship package. For me, they were essential to succeed in all my classes and a huge help in keeping me motivated.
A New Training Style
The first practices were super hard because of the different coaching style here in the US. We played plenty of doubles drills, which are very unusual in Europe. When I came here, I thought I was good at playing doubles, but I definitely got proven wrong!
The way we learn and play doubles here is like playing chess. Every move and strategy have to be communicated before the point, and you know exactly where to move and where to hit at each moment of the game.
It took me a while to understand that concept, but now I love it! It is so fun to not only play tennis physically but also with your mind.
First Time Competing in College Tennis
When I arrived in the Fall semester, I had a lot of free time since I was only taking 4 classes and tennis wasn’t very demanding.
College tennis is a Spring sport, so you compete mainly between the months of January and May. During the Fall, you focus more on practicing and individual matches that are great for building individual rankings and gaining match experience.
The Spring Semester is a whole different story. As a college tennis player, I have matches almost every other day, which means lots of travelling and physical strain.
We travel through many states and see so much of the country. Unlike Europe, traveling from state to state here takes 5–6 hours or more. Therefore, we fly a lot, especially if we have championships and the matches are far away.
Luckily, we have amazing athletic trainers who travel with us. They make sure our bodies are healthy and ready. They help treat injuries and, just as importantly, prevent them. We can see them any time of the day, which is really nice when we have a busy schedule.
Since I am attending the University of North Georgia, which is currently ranked #3 in the nation, we are able to play in National Championships and invitational tournaments. Based on that, we have a pretty tough practice schedule in order to keep up with our ranking. We train about 3 hours a day and have lifting sessions at 6 AM four times a week. Everyone gets a personalized lifting workout to make sure we can all improve on our own tempo. We also do a lot of conditioning to be able to last longer.
The Importance of Team Spirit in College Tennis
Of course, all of that I wouldn’t have been able to manage without my team. Because of all the emotions and hard work, we all go through together, we’re connected to each other in a special way. We’re all away from home, having the same struggles and same goals.
The biggest rule in college is “you don’t succeed and work for yourself anymore, all you do is for and with your team.” Once I understood that, it all became easier. All the pressure fell off my shoulders because I knew I had my people who would carry my back on days I couldn’t do it myself.
On game days, the atmosphere is essential to win. The louder you are on court, the better. I used to be very quiet on court, but since I have been here, I can’t perform at my 100% without pushing and screaming for myself and my team. It took me a while to get to that point but now I see the reason behind it.
Goerdes’ Advice for Other Athletes
I can say that college tennis is a whole different world compared to national tournaments in Europe. Here you learn to appreciate your teammates and everything you achieve together. It teaches you how to be by yourself and how to be independent and successful as a person.
I am so thankful for all my teammates, coaches and people who helped me go through all the tough times and showed me what it meant to be a college athlete. There is so much more behind it than just playing your sport and doing good in classes.
I recommend everyone to have this experience! I would do it all over again. Without college, I wouldn’t be who I am today!
Want to Get a Sports Scholarship in the United States?
Goerdes is one of thousands of international athletes who attend American universities every year. If you want to experience life as a college tennis player in the United States, Keystone Sports is here to help make it a reality.
Our team will assist you throughout your entire college tennis recruiting journey. Simply complete our free evaluation (takes just 2 minutes!) and one of our agents will contact you.
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