Courtesy of Rider Newswire
Tennis Walk-on Nets Advantage Through Mentors
In high school, Alex D'Amico was your average tennis player. He played a mix of singles and doubles, winning some matches, but also losing his share. He was not recruited to play tennis on a collegiate team, but he decided to walk onto Rider University's men's tennis team his freshman year.
“There were players who served 40 miles per hour faster than I did and were nearly a foot taller,” D'Amico, a junior Entrepreneurial Studies major, recalled. “But I suppose my coach saw something in me that made him feel I was not overmatched between the ears.”
Rider head tennis coach Ed Torres saw D'Amico's potential and worked him hard his freshman year, offering his expertise and constructive criticism along the way. Torres became his mentor and made him become a better player.
D'Amico, a second-year Andrew J. Rider Scholar, gave the student address during the Founder's Day program on Saturday, November 8, as part of Family Weekend on the Lawrenceville campus. While he recognized his fellow scholars for their achievements, he focused on the role of the mentor in a student's life as a person who pushes that individual to reach his or her potential.
“Our parents are our first mentors,” D'Amico told the standing-room-only audience inside the BLC Theater. “As we grow, it is important that we continue to have mentors in our lives who can continue to push us, challenge us to reach new heights ... to realize potential that we never knew we had.”
The Rider Scholar award, named for the founder and first president of the institution, honors the top one percent of sophomores, juniors and seniors from Rider's six colleges and schools.
Another mentor, Cassie Iacovelli, recently retired assistant dean for Campus Life, also saw potential within D'Amico for him to become leader. After D'Amico joined the Emerging Leaders Program, Iacovelli encouraged him to get involved. This past year she pushed him to run for Student Government Association treasurer.
“A mentor can sometimes see where your place is in the world far clearer than you can see it yourself,” D'Amico said. “Pushing a student past his boundaries, somewhere he does not know, but where he will thrive one day ? that is the role of a mentor.”
This is D'Amico's third year on the men's tennis team. Torres said D'Amico has improved immensely since joining the team, often impressing him with his attitude.
“He really had a desire to be on the team,” the coach said. “It was important to me to take him under my wing because he showed such interest and exuberance for the game.”
Torres said D'Amico stays dedicated and supports his teammates. “He's always watching on the sidelines and giving support to the team,” said Torres, who appreciates that kind of support.
While mentors recognized his potential, D'Amico also took initiative and seized opportunities to get involved when he walked on the tennis team and joined the Emerging Leaders Program.
“I got my foot in the door and my mentors helped me go even further,” he explained.
This year, in addition to his membership on the tennis team, D'Amico is treasurer of SGA, president of the Rider Chess Club, and an active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Despite all his academic and extracurricular commitments, D'Amico takes the time to mentor his peers. As an upperclassman in his fraternity, he sees himself as a leader, who sets a good example and also informs. He encouraged his fellow Andrew J. Rider Scholars to do the same.
“As Andrew J. Rider scholars, as leaders, it is our civic duty to be mentors to others. We simply have to pass on our knowledge to those younger than us,” D'Amico said. “Students who want to learn ? who want to be something great ? we can help them, and we must help them.”
