After their last class on warm fall evenings, Colgate University students flock to the tennis courts to let off steam, get moving and socialize with friends. During the winter months, students journey down the snowy campus to enjoy late night practices. Across seasons, no matter the weather, enthusiasm for Colgate Club Tennis persists.
Senior Zach Amendola is one of six co-captains of Club Tennis. An experienced player, Amendola explained what drew him to Club Tennis.
“I have been playing tennis for as long as I can remember,” Amendola shared. “I knew I wanted to try to play at Colgate if possible. Club Tennis has been the perfect avenue to compete at a high level against other schools in New York while also building camaraderie with other members of the school who enjoy tennis at practices.”
Amendola spoke about the rewards and responsibilities of his position.
“I get to meet so many different people in the school that I wouldn’t have met otherwise,” Amendola said. “My main responsibilities as co-captain include scheduling practices and matches, ordering equipment for the club, organizing transportation and facility times and anything else that may be needed to keep the club running smoothly.”
Junior Flora Lingafelter, another co-captain of the team, highlighted how Club Tennis creates an opportunity for members to connect with new faces on campus.
“It’s a super rewarding leadership role, as there are so many awesome people involved with the club,” Lingafelter explained. “I think we are one of the biggest clubs on campus, so I love that it brings together people from all across campus and multiple grades. I’ve met lots of new people through Club Tennis that I wouldn’t have otherwise met.”
Senior and Co-Captain Anya Sokolowski commented on the excitement of socializing with people outside your day-to-day bubble.
“I really enjoy getting to meet new people on the team every year. Especially now that I’m a senior, it has been great to get to know people of different class years and majors,” Sokolowksi shared. “I am proud of the way that the club has grown and changed over the last few years. It is great to see how many people still trek through the snow and make time in their busy schedules every week to join us.”
Club Tennis balances competition and commitment with having fun and meeting friends. This flexibility allows students to choose how much time and energy they put into the team. Lingafelter and Sokolowski emphasized the friendly and open atmosphere.
“I would say the atmosphere is super welcoming and very casual; we accept people of all levels to show up and play whenever. There is no time commitment at all, although we do play against other schools occasionally for those who want a more competitive environment. It’s really open and flexible for people who want all different kinds of things out of it,” Lingafelter said.
“Anyone is welcome to join the team, even if they’ve never picked up a racket,” Sokolowski said. “We also do our best to make sure that everyone who wants to play in our competitive tournaments is able to participate. We have some members who never miss a practice, and some members who come a couple times a semester, and we love that our team can guarantee this flexibility for our members. Our goal is for tennis to be fun and for the team environment to provide a sense of community for all members equally.”
Club Tennis meets at Sanford Field House several times a week. Reach out to the captains with any questions and follow them on Instagram (@colgate_club_tennis) to stay informed.
