Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Tennis Writing New Chapter
8/18/2015 3:28:00 PM | Men's Tennis
By Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Jeremy Wurtzman finally got a chance to breathe this summer.
The last nine months have been action-packed for Wurtzman and his men's tennis team. After being hired in December, Wurtzman coached the Hoosiers to a 17-10 season that nearly earned Indiana a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
During the grind of the season, Wurtzman said he felt on top of his new team just months into his tenure. But reflecting, he's realized just how much of last season was a blur.
"You felt like you were a part of it, but when you're only a month or two in and you've played eight or nine incredibly competitive matches, you realize you didn't always know what was going on," Wurtzman said. "I didn't really know the individuals that well. Now, I feel like I have a good feel. I feel like we're still learning, but we're really starting to build the culture."
That culture, Wurtzman said, is based around competitiveness, hard work, accountability and teamwork.
"They're just words, but they're going to be what these student athletes need to live every single day," Wurtzman said.
So far, the change has earned positive reviews from the players.
Senior Elliott Yee described the summer as "one of the best" he's been a part of. He said he benefited from being able to split time at home and in Bloomington doing a mix of training with teammates and as an individual.
Indiana's new cultural focus has been an encouraging change, Yee said. The players are still adjusting to Wurtzman's style and are working to build on the foundation he put into place last season.
"I don't think we could have had a better transition," Yee said. "Everyone bought in right away with what coach wanted to do."
Among the most noticeable changes has been the emphasis on teamwork.
Although tennis is predominantly an individual sport, Wurtzman emphasized a need to become stronger as teammates. He said chemistry is hard to develop overnight, but it can change the results of tight matches if players can sense support from one another.
"You almost want to have one culture, one team, one tribe and really work together," sophomore Raheel Manji said. "It's kind of a philosophy as well as a culture. And it's emphasized specifically that we can't just be individuals. We can't even just be a team. We have to be a close-knit team and really go after our goals together."
The upperclassmen have made an effort to spend more time together off the court as a team to help strengthen the Hoosiers' bond. Team meals, player-driven practices and social activities away from sports have helped the Hoosiers grow as teammates.
Those types of bonding activities didn't exist prior to Wurtzman's hiring, Yee said.
"At the most fundamental level, we've become a stronger team," Yee said. "At face value, we're doing many of the same things in training, but there's a different vibe attitude-wise that's made a world of difference."
Indiana is hoping the change in attitude will result in more wins this season, but that may ultimately come down to how strong the Hoosiers' senior class is.
Wurtzman said a team is only as good as its seniors, which is even truer during a coaching transition. He'll be relying on them both on and off the court to keep the momentum rolling from last season.
"The biggest change is everyone is excited to be here," Yee said. "The coaches, they want the best for us. The players, we want the best for each other. We know what we want to accomplish as a team, and we're going to go after it together."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Jeremy Wurtzman finally got a chance to breathe this summer.
The last nine months have been action-packed for Wurtzman and his men's tennis team. After being hired in December, Wurtzman coached the Hoosiers to a 17-10 season that nearly earned Indiana a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
During the grind of the season, Wurtzman said he felt on top of his new team just months into his tenure. But reflecting, he's realized just how much of last season was a blur.
"You felt like you were a part of it, but when you're only a month or two in and you've played eight or nine incredibly competitive matches, you realize you didn't always know what was going on," Wurtzman said. "I didn't really know the individuals that well. Now, I feel like I have a good feel. I feel like we're still learning, but we're really starting to build the culture."
That culture, Wurtzman said, is based around competitiveness, hard work, accountability and teamwork.
"They're just words, but they're going to be what these student athletes need to live every single day," Wurtzman said.
So far, the change has earned positive reviews from the players.
Senior Elliott Yee described the summer as "one of the best" he's been a part of. He said he benefited from being able to split time at home and in Bloomington doing a mix of training with teammates and as an individual.
Indiana's new cultural focus has been an encouraging change, Yee said. The players are still adjusting to Wurtzman's style and are working to build on the foundation he put into place last season.
"I don't think we could have had a better transition," Yee said. "Everyone bought in right away with what coach wanted to do."
Among the most noticeable changes has been the emphasis on teamwork.
Although tennis is predominantly an individual sport, Wurtzman emphasized a need to become stronger as teammates. He said chemistry is hard to develop overnight, but it can change the results of tight matches if players can sense support from one another.
"You almost want to have one culture, one team, one tribe and really work together," sophomore Raheel Manji said. "It's kind of a philosophy as well as a culture. And it's emphasized specifically that we can't just be individuals. We can't even just be a team. We have to be a close-knit team and really go after our goals together."
The upperclassmen have made an effort to spend more time together off the court as a team to help strengthen the Hoosiers' bond. Team meals, player-driven practices and social activities away from sports have helped the Hoosiers grow as teammates.
Those types of bonding activities didn't exist prior to Wurtzman's hiring, Yee said.
"At the most fundamental level, we've become a stronger team," Yee said. "At face value, we're doing many of the same things in training, but there's a different vibe attitude-wise that's made a world of difference."
Indiana is hoping the change in attitude will result in more wins this season, but that may ultimately come down to how strong the Hoosiers' senior class is.
Wurtzman said a team is only as good as its seniors, which is even truer during a coaching transition. He'll be relying on them both on and off the court to keep the momentum rolling from last season.
"The biggest change is everyone is excited to be here," Yee said. "The coaches, they want the best for us. The players, we want the best for each other. We know what we want to accomplish as a team, and we're going to go after it together."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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