The men's tennis team's season is in full swing. The Big Green (7-2) swept two home games against Boston University and Fairleigh Dickinson University this weekend, winning both by 7-0 margins. With spring season on the horizon, I sat down to chat with Bryan Song '11. Song did not make the team as a freshman, and took three consecutive off-terms in a bid to improve his game. He returned during his sophomore year and made the team as a walk-on. Disclaimer: Song insisted on conducting the interview in the third person in order to emphasize the importance of the team as a unified whole.
The team has had a pretty successful winter season. What have you guys done well and not done well?
BS: Well, B. Song thinks that Chris Drake, the new head coach, is the man. He has really worked tirelessly to turn the program around. It was already on the upswing from last year, but now it's really turning around. B. Song believes that we work harder, we fight harder. While we may not be as talented in terms of five-star recruits here and there, we will grind you down. In terms of areas of improvement, I would say that if we stay the course right now, we will be an incredibly tough team to beat.
Right now you're not starting. I'm sure your goal is to get back into the lineup. What do you think you have to do to get back to that level by the time conference play starts in the spring?
BS: Personally, B. Song needs to become a better attacker. B. Song's game is based around speed and guile, finesse, tenacity, I would say. If B. Song was going to hurt people more, he would have to start attacking, playing a little bit more aggressively and pressure more guys. So long as he can execute this type of gameplay, he should be tough to beat. Hopefully push his teammates to either play better in the lineup or push them out and take the spot.
So I heard you took some terms off away from Dartmouth to work on your game. Could you talk a bit about that?
BS: During B. Song's freshman year, he did not make the team originally. In the Fall, he tried to walk on and was not good enough for the team at the time so he decided to take the Winter and Spring and Summer off consecutively. Basically started over and got considerably better and joined the team sophomore Fall. He does not regret it at all.
During your time off from Dartmouth, what were you doing exactly?
BS: B. Song had a connection with a pretty good [Division I] school in his hometown, the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His coach was the assistant coach of that team. At the time they had 11 players, so to even it out to 12, B. Song was invited out to hit. He basically became a practicing member of that team and managed to hit at least three hours a day with them. He also hit with 18 and 17-year-olds in the neighborhood at least two hours a day. So B. Song would say he was hitting at least five hours a day. In addition, he lifted weights and did conditioning. It was pretty serious business.
Which aspect of your game would you say improved the most?
BS: I would say, B. Song would say, everything
Wait, do you really want me to write this in third person?
BS: Yeah, you have to write it in third person. Physically, everything got much better. But the biggest improvement was in the mental aspect of it over those months. Not only was B. Song practicing so hard, but he would play in tournaments in and around the southern section. In those times, he would travel alone to the tournaments. He would book the hotel room, register for the tournament and drive alone. The longest drive was probably 10 hours to Maryland, but that sort of journeyman attitude made him not take anything for granted. B. Song became scrappier and a harder fighter.
What kind of tournaments did you play in?
BS: B. Song played [the Boys 16 & 18 National Tennis Championships at Kalamazoo College]. It's the biggest one and the winner gets a wild card into the U.S. Open. He played in the National Clay Courts that one's not nearly as big. B. Song played a few professional events, but didn't win any money.
What has all your experience taught you and how did it impact your time at Dartmouth?
BS: B. Song's attitude regarding tennis and school is something like this: The two kind of support each other in an organic way. If B. Song's playing tennis well, he does school better. By the same token, if he's doing badly in one, he'll need the other to make up for it. For example, B. Song might have a terrible weekend playing tennis. He'll say, "At least I'm alright at school." B. Song would submit that on occasion the two have piled up on top of each other, but almost all Dartmouth students deal with that kind of situation.
