Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Loving both worlds

Fomsgaard makes adjustment to new country, team play

At the beginning of the year, UA freshman tennis player Siri Fomsgaard stepped off a plane from Denmark, nervous about her first trip to America. Knowing little English, the first person to greet her was Arizona head coach Brad Dancer.

"I really wanted to establish a good relationship with her," Dancer said.

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Fomsgaard was first introduced to tennis at the age of eight while watching her father's pick-up tennis matches.

She immediately wanted to play the game, and ever since her first match, Fomsgaard fell in love with tennis.

In Copenhagen, though, sports aren't affiliated with schools. Therefore, if athletes want to continue their careers, they must sign with a private club.

At such clubs, private lessons and matches are offered to the club's students until the student is 17 years old. The lessons are funded by the students' families, though, and the opportunity is extremely limited.

After turning 18, Fomsgaard was too old for club play, which ended her tennis career in Denmark.

Wanting to stay in school and continue her tennis career, Fomsgaard's only option was to go to school in the United States.

"I wanted the best of both worlds," Fomsgaard said. "They go hand in hand."

Arizona provided an easy choice for Fomsgaard, as she was impressed with Tucson's beautiful weather, athletic director Jim Livengood and the Pacific 10 Conference's strength as one of the top tennis conferences in the nation.

The transition to team tennis was difficult, though, for Fomsgaard as she joined the UA team.

Having played tennis independently her entire life, the team concept was a new challenge for her to grasp. Traveling, practicing and playing together, Fomsgaard was introduced to the aspects of playing and participating with a team.

"Being on a team is really different, usually (tennis) is an individual sport," Fomsgaard said.

One of the main differences for Fomsgaard was practice.

As opposed to the private clubs, Fomsgaard is able to practice against different players every day at UA, which is an extremely different setting for foreigners, especially those used to club tennis.

The practice intensity was also a shock to Fomsgaard, who was used to practicing four to five hours a week at her club in Denmark. The three hour daily practices at UA involved more devotion to the sport than what Fomsgaard experienced in Europe.

However, the team and Fomsgaard each made efforts at the beginning of the season to not allow her language barrier to be a factor in the overall team chemistry.

"She didn't know too much English," sophomore Laresa Marino said. "So we talked to her a lot and tried to help her out."

"She seemed very nice and always talked to us at the start of the season," senior Vanessa Abel said.

With most of the team living together and everyone helping her, Fomsgaard is now enjoying the team concept.

Team dinners and frequent team runs have provided Fomsgaard and the team a chance to grow close to each other, helping Fomsgaard understand the importance of unity on the team throughout the season.

"Everyone's really nice and intelligent," she said. "I'm pretty good friends with all of them."

The relationship between Fomsgaard and Dancer has also helped.

"Working with the game and taking it seriously, his individual basis is really good," said Fomsgaard of Dancer.

"She's really likable, has a neat personality and a pleasure to be around day-in and day-out," Dancer said.

Dancer has been a steady influence on Fomsgaard, as he has offered her a challenge every time she steps onto the court, making sure Fomsgaard stays aggressive.

"In play, practice, effort and focus, (tennis) is not easy," Fomsgaard said.

With the tough workouts and strong attitude, Fomsgaard has been improving her game ever since she began playing with the Wildcats, something the team recognizes by her hard work.

"She's gotten better and better with her work ethic," Dancer said.

Her season took a turn for the worst, though, last Thursday, as UA doctors declared Fomsgaard ineligible to play in the team's weekend matches against Stanford and California due to a heart condition.

After the team left for California with out her, Fomsgaard waited in a cardiologists office for four and a half hours for an appointment, waiting to get cleared to play.

With her clearance, Fomsgaard took the next flight out of Tucson and was able to play against Stanford on Saturday.

"She's persistent. It showed us a lot how bad she wanted to play," Dancer said.

To say the least, Fomsgaard has come a long way.