MyTennisLessons caught up with rising junior at Appalachian State University Mackenzie LaSure about her experience playing Division I college tennis. Among other things, we were curious as to what advice Mackenzie had for players with aspirations of reaching the collegiate level. Mackenzie played primarily no. 2 singles and no. 1 doubles in App State’s lineup this past year. As a high school player she won state championships in North Carolina her junior and senior year.
Do you recall your first tennis lesson? If you can, describe to us what that was like.
My first tennis lesson is a little hazy (It was about 12 years ago!), but I remember being slightly intimidated by my coach at the time because he towered over me at 6 feet 8 inches and constructed my strokes accordingly. Now I laugh at the thought of being intimidated by him because we are good friends now and joke often about the ups and downs of my tennis career. My first lesson, to answer this question, was a lot of tips whirling around in my head at once. I, being the perfectionist I am, tried my hardest to complete every challenge thrown at me.
When did you realize you had a deep passion for tennis?
I definitely realized my deep passion for tennis when I had to choose between soccer and tennis going into middle school. Unable to keep up with the demands of playing both sports competitively, I had to weigh out the differences and realized that I loved tennis and could see myself pursuing the sport for the rest of my life.
At what point did you realize that you were capable of playing tennis at the college level? Did it change how you went about practicing?
I probably realized that I was capable of playing tennis at the college level as I was entering high school. I was playing well and winning lots of matches in high school and in junior tournaments and it just felt natural. I always knew I wanted to play competitively at a university, and despite the fact that there were definitely times in which I wanted to quit, I undoubtedly knew I wouldn’t be able to do that. If anyone asked me from high school on if I planned on playing in college I immediately answered “Yes, without a doubt!” This over time and closer to my college entrance definitely changed the way I went about practicing. I have always believed in practicing like you play and giving practice your all in order to reach your full potential in competition, so I put that into perspective once I realized I could play in college.
What has been the most meaningful match in your tennis career and why?
My most meaningful match was probably the first time I won state. It sounds cliche, but it was a major achievement for me and I felt extremely proud that all my hard work had paid off. Surrounded by my family, coach, and friends, I have never felt more proud on the tennis court!
What advice would you give a junior player in order to prepare him or herself for the college level?
My advice to a junior tennis player hoping to reach the college level is to not give up even when you lose sight of what’s ahead. It’s easy to be frustrated with endless tournaments and time taken away from weekends with friends or just hanging out after school. But those endless hours, days, weeks and months pay off in the long run — I promise! College tennis is an amazing experience that you don’t want to miss out on. You may often feel like there’s no point in all the traveling and countless matches you play in junior tennis, but once you get recruited and enter college you will realize that being a part of a team at that level definitely means something. That’s another thing — recruitment. Don’t be afraid to go out and contact coaches yourself. Don’t think they’re all going to swarm to you, no matter how good you may be. They have a million different prospects they are looking at, so be sure to put yourself out there!!
What do you enjoy most and what would you change when it comes to playing college tennis? (I’m guessing early mornings…)
What I enjoy most about college tennis is probably its competitive team aspect. You aren’t just competing for you and you alone anymore — you have a team that you are playing with, a school you are representing and finally a purpose to your play! (I also love all the cool gear you get!) Something I would change is definitely the early mornings, but I am lucky and often don’t have early morning workouts; there are still weekends and even weekdays where you have to wake up pretty early for matches and that’s not a lot of fun. But again, you are with your team and you are all suffering through it together!
What was your most memorable moment on the court, either collegiate or otherwise?
My most memorable moment on the court in college would probably be when I won my first college singles tennis match my sophomore year. Although it wasn’t a tough match, it was a major obstacle for me because my freshman year was a huge struggle in the forehand and mental department, so it showed my drive and ability to overcome my lack of confidence and prove to myself that I could really compete at the level to which I had reached.
