What are your thoughts on the women's tennis team's 2019-20 season ending the way it did?
"We had a very good start to the season with a 13-4 start and really if we were just 2-3% better in the few matches that we lost, we could have won all of those. I think we were going to have a great SEC season and post season. We were actually doing quite well and we had not even come close to hitting on all cylinders in my opinion. We oftentimes talk about controlling the things that we can control, that is one of our go to talks on game days. Unfortunately, the season coming to an abrupt end is something that we cannot control. Everyone needs to enjoy this time with their friends and family. I always try to find the positives in tough situations and circumstances and I feel that we can all put things in a greater perspective when we are all dealing with this together at all levels; locally, nationally and globally. I am treasuring my time with my daughter, Natalie. It is kind of nice to not be worried or thinking about the season and just being able to focus all of my attention on her. That is not always easy when we are in the middle of a grueling SEC season."
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What did you tell your team?
"Being told that we are not allowed to compete is very difficult news to take when you consider all the time, effort, sacrifices and demands that are put on our student-athletes. Having said that, it really makes us all take a step back and put things into perspective. It is always better to err on the side of caution when we are talking about human life and everyone's physical and mental wellness, which is obviously is far more important at times like these. I also told the team that we cannot live in fear. We need everyone to follow the guidelines that are set forth for us, but we all must find ways to keep our minds and our bodies healthy and stay busy as much as we can."
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What are you missing the most?
"For me and I believe our team would say the same, is missing out on the competition. Being able to compete at the highest of levels in the SEC is a thrill ride. There are lots of ups and downs, but the competition will be greatly missed. I have always embraced the challenge of the bouncing back. Our teams always seem to thrive and take off towards the end of the season and not being able to face those challenges and the thrill of the ride is definitely a challenge in itself."
"We had a very good start to the season with a 13-4 start and really if we were just 2-3% better in the few matches that we lost, we could have won all of those. I think we were going to have a great SEC season and post season. We were actually doing quite well and we had not even come close to hitting on all cylinders in my opinion. We oftentimes talk about controlling the things that we can control, that is one of our go to talks on game days. Unfortunately, the season coming to an abrupt end is something that we cannot control. Everyone needs to enjoy this time with their friends and family. I always try to find the positives in tough situations and circumstances and I feel that we can all put things in a greater perspective when we are all dealing with this together at all levels; locally, nationally and globally. I am treasuring my time with my daughter, Natalie. It is kind of nice to not be worried or thinking about the season and just being able to focus all of my attention on her. That is not always easy when we are in the middle of a grueling SEC season."
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What did you tell your team?
"Being told that we are not allowed to compete is very difficult news to take when you consider all the time, effort, sacrifices and demands that are put on our student-athletes. Having said that, it really makes us all take a step back and put things into perspective. It is always better to err on the side of caution when we are talking about human life and everyone's physical and mental wellness, which is obviously is far more important at times like these. I also told the team that we cannot live in fear. We need everyone to follow the guidelines that are set forth for us, but we all must find ways to keep our minds and our bodies healthy and stay busy as much as we can."
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What are you missing the most?
"For me and I believe our team would say the same, is missing out on the competition. Being able to compete at the highest of levels in the SEC is a thrill ride. There are lots of ups and downs, but the competition will be greatly missed. I have always embraced the challenge of the bouncing back. Our teams always seem to thrive and take off towards the end of the season and not being able to face those challenges and the thrill of the ride is definitely a challenge in itself."