Q & A With Men's Tennis Player Joseph McWilliams
2/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 22, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Joseph McWilliams brought tennis talent to MSU after winning the Illinois state championship his senior season in high school. He was All-Conference and All-State the three years he participated in prep tennis, (2000, `01 and `03) while missing the 2002 season to compete in international and national tournaments. As a freshman, he finished the season with 20 wins, good for third on the team.
Q: How did you first become interested in tennis?
A: When I was little, I would go to the tennis club and sit in the nursery and watch my mother play. I naturally was curious and wanted to try tennis.
Q: What's one thing you've learned from the coaching staff here at MSU that has made you a better player?
A: I've learned that working hard in anything you do will aid in your success. Never be satisfied; keep striving for better things.
Q: Do you prefer playing doubles, singles, or do you not have a preference? Why?
A: I definitely prefer singles. My "baseliner" game style suits a better singles player than doubles. I do enjoy playing doubles, but I have a lot of room for improvement.
Q: What is one characteristic a successful tennis player has to have and why?
A: One characteristic that I believe is a MUST to be a successful tennis player is competitiveness. One must have a true passion and desire to win, no matter what the situation. I believe that a successful person, not just tennis player, must overcome any obstacle in his or her way to achieve their goals. The will to win must be evident for success in tennis.
Q: What is it about the book "Green Eggs & Ham" that makes it your favorite?
A: Just because the color Green is used basically. Being an MSU Spartan, I figured a book about green eggs and ham could correctly illustrate how much I love being a Spartan, and how much I love the Green and White.
Q: After such a successful first season, are your expectations pretty high for this season?
A: I've always had high expectations for myself. Growing up, my mother always seemed to place an extremely high importance on working hard in everything, and to be a good person. That being said, I never try to be satisfied with what I've accomplished. I just look at what has played a positive or negative role in my tennis, and then work to build on the positives or right the wrongs.
Q: What is your most memorable experience at MSU at this point in your career?
A: I have had a lot of memorable experiences so far in my MSU career. It's hard to say which one is MOST memorable, but our match against Vanderbilt last year was very memorable. Having the opportunity to play and beat a top-10 team can't be explained in words. The effort and courage shown that Sunday afternoon by our team was extremely pleasing. Not tennis related, another experience I find very memorable is the year living in the dorms. Meeting a lot of new friends, a particular girl, and just the overall "dorm life" was very memorable.
Q: Do you prefer playing on indoor tennis courts or outdoor courts?
A: I prefer to play on outdoor courts. Being outside, the weather can play a big role and I like the different elements that can affect a match such as the wind, sun and heat. I think I have a good game style that can adjust better to all the elements.
Q: What is the biggest challenge you faced adjusting to college tennis after playing on both the high school and national level?
A: There were a lot of large challenges with the adjustment. One is the switch from competing individually to competing for a team. Another challenge is the expectations that are placed on a student-athlete. Tennis became more of a full-time job than a sport - mandatory practices, positive representation of the university, getting good grades, etc. These are all expectations a student-athlete works with on an everyday basis. Lastly, one of the absolute biggest challenges I've been faced with being in college was the separation from my long time coach Jack Sharpe. He devotes all of his time to coaching tennis and indirectly has greatly influenced my life in many ways. Jack not only teaches great lessons on the court, but great lessons off the court as well. The opportunity to work and talk with him can not be replaced.
Players Mentioned
