I always knew I would play tennis in college; I was simply too addicted to not bring it to another level. You can imagine how delighted I was when I heard that, despite my grades and SAT scores having been just under par, I was admitted into Ramapo to play tennis.
It was an eye-opener for me to go from number one on my high school team to just make it out of the top six at Rampo. I was on the team, but I couldn’t participate in matches.
An eye-opener for sure, and to be completely honest, I thought about quitting. I am not one for quitting things, but I found it foolish that I was traveling so much, which in turn hurt my grades, and I was only participating in exhibition matches that did not count for the team’s record. As a senior looking back on my four years of Ramapo tennis, I wish I could go back and shake freshman Miles’ hand for not quitting.
Playing a sport in college certainly has its cons. Matches, specifically away matches, are all-day affairs, and practices are not only time consuming, but also exhausting. After a long match or multiple hours of practice, I just want to go back to my dorm and pass out. However, that 10-page paper does not type itself. Matches also conflict with class times, so missing classes and playing catch up for most of the semester quickly becomes the norm. In the end, it is completely worth it, and it is an experience that I would urge everyone to try if they are talented and/or have an interest in a particular sport.
I have been all around New Jersey because of away matches, and even other states like New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Traveling is always done by van, which is probably the reason why my team has bonded so much over the years; there’s nothing quite like a four-hour trip by Rama-van to bring people closer together.
My team and I, both guys and girls, have become a unit, a squad of people who I deeply care about and look to each other first when it comes to “turning up.” I am proud that I have given four years of sweat, tears and persistence to Ramapo tennis, but as the weeks progress, I know that saying goodbye to this program will become more difficult.
After winning our match today, the men’s team is now in the GNAC championship this Saturday, a huge finale that will be hosted on our courts. This will be my final match of my collegiate career, my final mark on Ramapo men’s Tennis. We will put all our hard work and dedication on the court, and play to the best of our abilities. It is going to a tough fight, but there is no one else that I’d rather fight with. I love my team.
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mmurphy2@ramapo.edu
