How Collegiate Club Tennis Enhanced
My Experience at USC

As a USC graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2024 and a Master of Science in Finance in 2025, I often find myself reflecting on my college experience and what made my time at USC so positive. One of the first things that comes to mind is my involvement with the USC club tennis team. Once I joined, my teammates quickly became some of my best friends in college. That connection grew naturally as we spent time together several times a week at practice and traveled to Tennis On Campus tournaments on weekends.

I’ve been playing tennis since I was five years old, and my favorite part of the sport has always been being part of a team. Continuing that team environment was extremely important as I began my college career. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what club tennis at USC and other universities would look like. I assumed my competitive playing days were behind me and that club tennis would be mostly recreational. I quickly learned I was completely mistaken. More than 400 colleges and universities across the country participate in USTA’s Tennis On Campus program.

Throughout the school year, USTA’s Tennis On Campus major tournament lineup consists of Invitationals, Sectionals, and Nationals. Fall Invitationals are held in 2-3 locations across the country, where the winner of each invitational earns an early bid to Nationals held in the spring. Sectionals are held across most USTA sections in the spring and offer a certain number of Nationals bids based on how far your team advances in the tournament. Finally, Nationals is held at the end of the spring semester, where 64 teams compete for the Tennis On Campus National Title.

Like many young tennis players, competing at the Division I level was once a dream of mine. As I progressed through middle and high school, I realized that varsity college tennis was not the right path for me. I truly admire the athletes who are able to continue to invest so much time and effort into the sport throughout college, but I knew I wanted a more balanced college experience. College club tennis allowed me to do exactly that. I could pursue my academic and personal interests while still practicing two to three times a week and competing on weekends. Those tournament travel weekends were some of my favorite college memories, and the balance helped me avoid burnout while still staying connected to the sport I love.

Another major difference between Tennis On Campus and varsity tennis is the absence of a coach for most club tennis teams. At USC, our club tennis team is completely student-run and significantly student-funded, with some help from the university. Because of this unique dynamic, there are more challenges that come with being part of a club tennis team versus a varsity team in college. In the absence of a coaching staff, we elected student leaders among our team every year to help our team run smoothly. Our Executive Board consisted of positions like President, Captain, Vice President, Treasurer, and more. These positions took on different logistical responsibilities to ensure everything was taken care of, allowing the rest of our teammates to focus on having fun and competing at our tournaments and practices. Additionally, with the lack of major funding from the university, we collected dues from our players and raised money through various fundraising efforts to cover the cost of entry fees, accommodations, flights, etc., when traveling to tournaments.

During my last two years of undergrad, I served as President of our club tennis team. Such a prominent leadership position came with a lot of responsibility, which helped me become a better leader, teammate, and friend. One of the biggest challenges that came with holding a position on our Executive Board was finding a balance between being a leader and remaining a good peer and teammate. I often struggled to be the strong leader I wanted to be while also being a friend to the teammates I was leading. As an E-Board, we always made a valiant effort to ensure our entire team’s voices and perspectives were heard. But when our team was divided on an issue, it came down to the Executive Board to make the final call. Sometimes, when faced with these tough decisions, I wished we had a coach or faculty presence. However, it was an important lesson for us leaders to learn that our decisions wouldn’t always be well-received by the entire team. Although a leadership position within our team came with some challenges, it taught me so much about myself and my leadership style and abilities. 

Unlike varsity tennis, Tennis on Campus teams are coed, which creates the unique opportunity to compete in mixed doubles. In fact, mixed doubles often becomes one of the most important matches in a team dual match. It can be the turning point between winning or losing against a given team, no matter how the previous matches had gone. Before joining USC club tennis, I had had no experience playing in mixed doubles competitively. I had grown up playing in academies and clinics with girls and boys, but had never competed in any mixed doubles tournaments. I learned so much about mixed doubles and the different dynamics at play on court. As an advanced tennis player, I was surprised that I was able to learn about and compete in a category of tennis that was mostly unfamiliar to me. It soon became my favorite match to play.

Despite the apparent differences between Tennis On Campus and varsity tennis, the major similarity they share is the most important in my mind: being part of a team. Although I was never able to reach the level of competitiveness to be a D1 varsity athlete, I am so grateful for USTA’s Tennis On Campus program for allowing me to continue competing on a team throughout my college career. My experience at USC truly would not have been the same without my teammates. Moreover, being part of a team, whether at the varsity level or Tennis On Campus level, came with similar team dynamics. One of my favorite aspects of being on a tennis team is the shared interest in the sport and the desire to compete and win, while also having so many personal differences. My club tennis team consisted of players with different backgrounds, experiences, majors, etc. Without club tennis bringing us all together, there’s a high chance I never would’ve met many of my teammates throughout my college career. Bringing together a tight-knit community of tennis players who have some similarities but also many differences is a beautiful thing that I’m very lucky to have experienced in college.

Similar to the dynamics present on a varsity tennis team, USTA’s Tennis On Campus program is fairly competitive, with many teams across the nation aiming to compete and win the National Championship every year. Out of the 400+ teams that compete within Tennis On Campus, only 64 receive a bid to compete at Nationals. In 2024, I’m proud to say that USC’s club tennis team finished second place in the country. Our team brought so much energy and excitement to Nationals that year, and it’s truly a weekend I will never forget.

With such a great experience on my club tennis team, I am looking ahead to how I can continue to compete in the sport that has always been such a huge part of my life. One of the ways I have been staying involved in competition is by joining an Adult League in whatever city I end up in. Throughout my time on the collegiate club team, I was also involved in two Adult Mixed Doubles Leagues that I was connected to because of some of my club tennis teammates. I found USTA’s Adult Leagues a great way to continue competing. I also stay connected to my club tennis teammates beyond college to continue hitting with them whenever I can.

My involvement with the USC club tennis team stands out as one of my most memorable and enriching college experiences. The friendships I made, the exciting competitions, and the balance it brought to my college life are truly irreplaceable. The invaluable lessons in leadership, teamwork, and personal growth will stay with me throughout the rest of my tennis career and beyond.