Mitch McDaniels '10 Rising As Professional Tennis Player

1) What does the UNM tennis brand mean to me?
I think the most important things about UNM tennis is the culture and community. My first team practice at New Mexico we had a team meeting to go over what was required and expected. We all received a handout that went over the basics. On the first or second page, it gave a list of the three most important things for the program. The first was family, the second was academics and third was tennis. At first, I was surprised because I came to UNM to play tennis and it was third on the list. As Alan explained the reasoning it made more sense. But I think this simple list defines UNM Tennis at its core.

Family obviously means parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, etc... But we were also family for each other, we became brothers pretty quickly and we treated each other that way. Even if there were conflicts, we always had the best interest of each other at heart and we grew together as a team. Academics were always stressed to be of the utmost importance and that can be shown by the stellar record that the UNM Men's Tennis Team has had in the classroom. I think this is what makes UNM Tennis great, we have the reputation for being great fighters on court and a hard group to beat but we also know the importance of family and academics. So to me, UNM Tennis is a program is everything, the team not only excels on court but the culture is designed to help players grow as people and be successful in whatever they choose in life, we have a lot of prominent alumni who go on and are successful in their fields, I think that's a testament to what I said above.

2) How has your experience at UNM helped you prepare for life post-graduation? What are some of the best lessons learned while on the team?
My experiences as being a Lobo greatly prepared me for life post graduation. As a student-athlete, you learn how to be disciplined, organized, patient, prepared, professional, and the list goes on. I think the most important thing I learned was how to deal with adversity. Adversity is always there in life, its really about accepting it, then knowing how to adapt your every day process to overcome. Another big lesson I learned was to make the most of your current situation, we were so lucky to have great coaches, people and facilities. So for example, I remember during my junior year I became a bit jealous of the other players because I was out due to injury for most of the year. I was upset because I started the year at number two and after my injury, I never had a chance to play in the lineup. Instead of being happy for my teammates and doing what I could to help I was self-loathing and miserable because I wasn't competing. The team had to organize a meeting to finally get me in order, which at the time was tough but looking back made complete sense. The big lesson I took from this was to always do your best with your current situation in life. In this example I realized it wasn't all about me, there was a team that needed support and I could still contribute by pushing everyone in practice, being top in the fitness sessions, cheering for the guys during matches and so on. Even though I wasn't where I wanted to be there was still a role to be played for me in the teams success.

3) What is your fondest memory at UNM?
I don't think I can pinpoint one memory that was "the best." Some good tennis memories I have were clinching the win against San Diego State on senior day for James, Sammy and I. That led to being able to compete as a team at NCAAs my senior year and finishing the year inside the top 40 in the rankings, which was a great experience. However, the best memories come from being together as a team. On the weekends, hanging out at someone's house and having a good time. It might not be best to describe the exact happenings of these times but there are some very fond memories. I miss the camaraderie and friendship from those five years.

4) How did you end up at UNM, I know there is a unique story to your recruitment?
When I was a senior in high school I sent out many letters to lots schools trying to get a spot on a team somewhere, all to no avail. Finally, Alan reached out to me and decided to give me a walk-on spot, which meant I was not going to be on scholarship to begin with. He was the only coach to give me a chance to play. A little side note, when I watch my recruiting video I see why no one wanted me looking back now! But I think Alan saw through the funky technique and the awkwardly shaped body, he saw my quick progress in my junior career in my short time of competing and the desire to get better day in day out. UNM was a perfect fit for many reasons. I was quickly pushed and got my butt kicked by everyone on the team, it was an adjustment but great to be practicing at a high level every day. This was great because it made me get better quickly, learning from my teammates was always something I tried to focus on. The coaches, Bart Scott and Alan Dils, were super knowledgeable. The team had a great group of guys. I really liked Albuquerque because it reminded me of Tucson and honestly it was really a blessing to end up at UNM.

5) What is you current situation? What are your goals for this year?
I'm currently training at an academy in Beijing, China. My coach before college, Nick Caldwell, invited me to come out to China and train. Its kind of funny how it worked out. I was just going to go out there for a month or so to play futures but he offered to help me out with housing and training for the foreseeable future. He made me realize I was limited with my resources in America and now I have a really good training base with great coaches. We have a pro team put together here, there is Nick and me, then we have Lu Jia Jing who is 150 WTA and her coach, Oliver, who has worked with many top pros. Jing's sister, Lu, is also part of the team; she was top 500 WTA. She helps coach some other kids in the academy so everyone helps everyone. All in all, it's a great setup and its fun to be surrounded by like-minded people. I am still trying to find some potential sponsors to help with travel and equipment costs but that is a work in progress. Right now I am currently ranked just outside top 1000. My goal for this year is to win a pro title, however the ultimate goal is being able to perform at a consistent level that will allow me to break into the top 500 and start to push onto that next level where I am in main draw week in week out.

6) Who do I thank for my time at UNM?
First I have to thank Alan Dils and Bart Scott. They gave me a chance that no other coaches gave me. If they wouldn't have recruited me, I'm not sure I would have even played college tennis. My life would be completely different then it is right now. After them, I would thank all my teammates throughout the years. It was the brotherhood and companionship that really made the whole UNM tennis experience special. I really do think those five years will some of the best five years of my life. I would also thank the trainers throughout the years, the stringers, and the whole tennis community.

7) What's special about being a UNM Alumni?
I think there's a certain pride to being a UNM Alum. I hope I can get back for the Alumni match in early January as I really want to see my teammates and Alan, Loren and all the community. We will see on that on The biggest thing about being an alumni is knowing that you gave four or five years of your life to a program and gave it your all day in and day out. Whatever year you graduated you have that in common with the people before and after. This gives me a great feeling of accomplishment, but also, being a UNM Alumni means that you are still a big part of the community. I think it's the job of Alumni to give UNM a good name after graduation too, I still wear my UNM gear when I'm on tour to represent the Lobos. I really do miss the community at UNM and I hope to visit sometime in the near future. Thanks to all of you for your continued support. Go Lobos.

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