Views: 0
After transferring from Arizona State following his freshman season, junior Filipe Costa has made an affect in Athens. From launching a web based tennis academy to main UGA’s Scholar-Athlete Advisory Committee, Costa balances 4 tutorial packages, a Division I schedule and a rising media presence. As Georgia heads into the NCAA males’s tennis event, Costa’s journey affords a glimpse into the evolving position of student-athletes.
These questions and solutions have been edited for readability.
Q: The staff is coming off a disappointing loss in opposition to Oklahoma within the SEC event. Are you able to undergo a number of of the belongings you noticed and what you assume went unsuitable?
A: We actually wished them. We have been struggling in doubles that day. One of many issues we’re engaged on these subsequent few weeks is simply actually taking extra dangers. We have to be extra aggressive. We have to be extra proactive, and we’re reacting an excessive amount of to what different individuals are doing. Success doesn’t come to those that wait. Possibly good issues do, however profitable doesn’t. So that you’ve obtained to exit and take it from them.
I feel one of many largest themes is we actually need to exit and take the match and steal it from the opponent’s palms. It doesn’t matter if it’s already on their racket. That’s what Dawgs have at all times finished. Battle by way of, claw by way of and chunk it away.
Q: How are you guys making ready for the upcoming NCAA males’s tennis event?
A: Georgia has at all times carried out at NCAA tournaments. We’ve 42 SEC championships and eight NCAA championships. In the event you look again at Manny Diaz’s (former males’s tennis head coach) profession, 50% of his profession, he made the ultimate 4, and 75% of his profession, he made the elite eight. Realizing the success of what Georgia has finished earlier than, our preparation is completely brutal grinding, getting in the most effective bodily form potential. It’s not to ensure we maintain the postseason. We all know we’ve gotten this far earlier than. Let’s make one last heating push to see what we will do in Might.
Q: As you talked about, Manny Diaz retired on the finish of final season following a 42-year profession teaching Georgia males’s tennis. How did the staff modify to the distinction in management?
A: The primary staff dinner we had after we all got here again for the autumn, we stated to the blokes, let’s place our full religion and confidence understanding it’s only a first-year head coach and we’re used to a 42nd-year head coach. We are able to’t evaluate and create expectations for anybody to stay as much as the best coach of all time. Jamie (Hunt) is doing an incredible job. We’ve to belief his system. We need to assist him succeed as a lot as he desires us to succeed with him. We’re permitting him to run issues in his method, and our job is to observe.
Q: I do know you’re from Brazil, and earlier this week, it was introduced that Gustavo Almeida of Brazil simply signed on to UGA’s males’s tennis staff. What do you anticipate to see from him, in addition to the opposite incoming freshmen, subsequent season?
A: I’m tremendous excited for subsequent season. We’re going to have a brand-new staff. A variety of guys are leaving, and with the brand new NCAA litigation, we’ve roster limits now. The blokes which are coming in, Noah Johnson (incoming freshman) and Gustavo, are very shut mates. So, you’ve obtained two mates coming in who play doubles collectively. Each of them are already bleeding purple and black. Noah has visited 10 instances, and he hasn’t even began college. I feel it will likely be excellent to have a a lot smaller staff, simply recent faces which are very motivated to actually make one thing occur.
Q: What do you assume the affect of recruiting worldwide athletes will likely be on collegiate tennis, not simply at UGA however nationwide?
A: Tennis is essentially the most worldwide sport by a big margin in school athletics. One of many largest issues that it does is that whereas recruiting for soccer, competitors is throughout the U.S, the competitors for tennis is now worldwide. What you’re seeing is that, together with the brand new adjustments in NIL (title, picture and likeness), school tennis and the professional degree are more and more related. It’s actually solely within the U.S. that school tennis is at this degree. With these new NIL guidelines, the extent is simply going to date that school and professional are virtually changing into synonymous.
Q: I noticed that you just’ve lately began a number of social media accounts for “Costa Tennis Academy.” How is that have with content material creation, and what have you ever completed to date?
A: The story of Costa Tennis Academy is that I had 5 knee surgical procedures rising up, and I’ve an lack of ability to place a racket down. So then, once I couldn’t play, I coached. I by no means taught for cash; I genuinely loved educating. I had a fortunate childhood the place I moved all over the world loads. Brazil, Chile, Arizona, England and now Georgia. I had lots of completely different coaches, which suggests I discovered lots of other ways on methods to clarify and educate tennis. Costa Tennis Academy is me standing on the shoulders of the giants that I discovered from and placing that information on the market.
Hastily, I got here to varsity, I used to be wholesome, and I not had time to show. So, I used to be like, you already know what? Let me make a video. I’ve a few issues I really feel like I cracked the code in, by way of educating tennis that a lot of different folks don’t know. Lengthy story brief, we’re 300 movies later with over 60,000 followers throughout a number of platforms and thousands and thousands of individuals every month partaking with what we’re placing out. I create all of the concepts, write all of the scripts, movie all of the movies and edit all of the content material.
Q: How do you discover time to steadiness being a Division I athlete, Costa Tennis Academy and being a pupil as effectively?
A: Time administration is the artwork of not complicated motion with progress. Lots of people can transfer, and so they’ll really get nowhere. However in the event you can at all times progress in each motion that you just do, you’ll be very environment friendly with what you do. One of the best recommendation I may give for time administration is that schedules create effectivity. On my cellphone, my days are deliberate out by the minute. Whether or not it’s class, observe, lunch, or dinner that’s all in my schedule. In the event you make a every day to-do record, you’ll be able to take a look at stuff, however in the event you schedule issues out by the hour, or finally by the minute, you will get far more finished than you ever understand. You make time by changing into so environment friendly with each minute that finally issues develop into so process-oriented that you should end what you’re doing now if you wish to do the subsequent factor.
One in all my strengths has at all times been time effectivity. I’m at present pursuing 4 levels: finance, actual property, a certificates in legislation, a certificates in entrepreneurship, and being an athlete. I’m additionally president of the Scholar Athletic Advisory Committee.
Q: What was the method like changing into president of the Scholar Athletic Advisory Committee, and the way has that have been to date?
A: I used to be beneficial for it in my first yr right here. I really like the Georgia expertise. I really like the truth that I get to be concerned on this tradition of excellence, and I need to advance that in each manner potential to maintain it on a path ahead. So, this yr, I ran for the presidency and obtained elected by the members. By serving as president, I did lots of work attempting to attach with Greek life and fan engagement. That’s why you see this yr, tennis matches have been later within the day after they have been on a weekday. It’s laborious to return out to a match at two, however good to return out to a match at six. We made positive we have been selling the matches appropriately and focused particular markets to have a little bit extra traction and a better conversion charge. Individuals don’t know what school tennis is like, so you must goal folks particularly. The rationale folks love particular sports activities is due to their heroes. Georgia itself is a hero. We need to put that G on the entrance and heart of every part we do. We belief that what we do will create retention; it’s simply getting folks to return finally.
Q: What are your private objectives, not just for the remainder of this season but additionally for subsequent yr?
A: Final yr, we performed within the NCAA event in opposition to Arizona State, my former college. Hastily, I used to be thrown within the lineup, taking part in in opposition to the man who primarily was my substitute (at Arizona State). I managed to win that match. To me, that being the final ever NCAA event for Manny, I accomplished school tennis. Going by way of 5 surgical procedures and profitable a giant match for Manny, who took a shot on me after probably not understanding who I used to be, meant every part.
Exterior of that, I nonetheless have massive hopes and goals for this staff. I need to make run with them by way of these first two rounds. If we will make a Candy 16 run, that’d be an unbelievable achievement. Subsequent yr, with this brand-new staff, I need to give these guys a style of what I had once I first got here in, one other SEC Championship. We’ve 42 of them; it’s one thing we’re used to. I had recommendation one time that your angle is like your breath, you don’t need unhealthy breath, and also you don’t need a unhealthy angle. So, regardless of the purpose is, long-term or short-term. I put in God’s palms. All these little issues, I attempt to do with the most effective angle, dedication, and enthusiasm as a result of perhaps at some point somebody will see that and so they’ll entrust me to one thing larger.
Brad Jimenez is a pupil within the undergraduate sports activities media certification program on the College of Georgia’s Carmical Sports activities Media Institute.
