Thomas Nelson '22 Recruiting Profile

My collegiate goals are to play either NCAA Division 1 or 2 and always have the opportunity to grow. I hope to go into civil engineering and am taking classes at my community classes that qualify me for almost every engineering program in the country. I believe that I am a good candidate for playing on a college team because of my dedication to the sport. I put in a substantial amount of work on and off the court, and have been told I'm very coachable and that I work hard. I work daily on conditioning with sprints, ladder drills, jump rope, and frequent workouts as well as yoga, running, and biking. I also work on the mental aspect of playing by using an app to try to improve my reaction time and my ability to make quick decisions. I try to practice visualization and the strategies in Tennis in the Zone - especially playing well under pressure.  To sum it all up, I enjoy doing anything that may help me on the court, and I'm a hard worker. 

On the tennis court, I never give up and always fight until the end. In my career, I have never defaulted on a match that I started.  I play every match in a tournament even if I'm playing on the back draw. As far as athletics go, I would say that being 6 foot 5 has really helped my game. My height has given me a long stride length making it easier to cover longer distances at a dead sprint and my weirdly long arms are great for reaching defensive shots. The best part of my game, though, is my serve. Being able to get 2 free points per game on my serve really helps my game and allows for shorter, easier matches. Finally, as for academics, school and good grades have always come easily for me. What sets me apart from other candidates is my dedication, work ethic, tennis skills, and high academics.