Tony D'Angelo--A Former Player at FSC--When Your Dream Becomes Your Reality

There has been a lot transpire since the last time I wrote. The team went from being in the regional tournament to then being out of the tournament. Our last match of the season was a true instant classic where we came up just short. It was a 5-4 loss with the last three matches being decided in the third set with all of them being 7-5 set scores. Heartbreaking for sure but all the guys involved battled hard and left it all on the court. Their season seems to be over but memories of what they have accomplished will last longer than the sting of that one match. Tonight is not about that though. It is about another former player who chased his dream and is currently living it to the fullest.

I am not of Italian lineage nor do I really have a strong ancestry towards any region. My mom is from Illinois and my dad from North Carolina. That’s all I know. So, when Tony D’Angelo, from New Jersey, came to visit before his freshman season it was apparent that he had strong Italian background. His tennis during his tryout wasn’t spectacular but there was this intriguing part of his game that I liked. It wasn’t pretty but it was loopy, grinding, and gritty. In the back of my mind I was thinking that he might turn into a great number six player. His ball looped deep into the court and it appeared that he could do it over and over and was content to just stay ten feet behind the baseline and send the ball back. Once he arrived on campus as a freshman he worked hard to make the dream of playing in the top six a top priority. The team was good but he gave it all he had, and just came up short in each attempt. His tennis game was as unique as his style.

Tony had no problem not looking professional and was comfortable in his own skin. His lack of style, in my opinion, led to new travel attire rules. He was very comfortable in ratty gym shorts and an equally ratty tie-dyed t-shirt. Sometimes the hair was combed and other times it was why bother. He appeared to be aloof in his approach to almost everything but there was a certain intensity that went along with his outward appearing carefree style. Tony and I would hit on occasion and there was a time that I was giving him everything I had. I don’t remember all the details except for this one outburst after a great point for me. At the conclusion of the point he yelled out, “He’s 39 years old.” I was not 39 at the time but it was comical to say the least. What was even funnier was that after the outburst he started doing pushups as punishment for his perceived poor play. Although he was not making an impact in the starting roster he was always around learning about the game, asking questions about why I did certain things, and putting his opinion out there for me to ponder. At the beginning of his junior year all of these questions came to a head when he approached me regarding the possibility of him removing himself from the roster and just being my assistant coach for the next two years. He thought he wanted to get into coaching and this would be a fantastic opportunity to learn.

Over the next two years Tony became a daily fixture on the courts and a great resource for discussing ideas about the team. He also began to travel more frequently with the team which brings me back to the strong Italian heritage. We were playing in Orlando and there was an Olive Garden near the courts. It sounded great because I really enjoy their soup, salad, and bread sticks. This was met with strong disdain from Tony. No Italian would eat at a fake Italian restaurant. As the argument intensified I tried to tell him that the Outback is not really Australian and the Taco Bell isn’t really Mexican food but both are enjoyed by many. This fell on deaf ears and for the next two years we did not eat at Olive Garden. I have since eaten there and it still is good. I think about Tony every time I walk in the front doors.

As graduation neared it became clear that post graduate work would be in the cards and that coaching wouldn’t be far behind. Tony went to UCF to obtain his MBA with a concentration in Psychology and while he was there served one year as the volunteer assistant on the women’s team. It was not a wonderful experience and could have put a bad taste in his mouth but he made the best of the situation and did other things to expand his knowledge base. Once he graduated he took a job with IMG Academy and that lasted for a while until an employment freeze once again put a kink in his plans. It was during this time that he redoubled his efforts to get into coaching and started looking for opportunities around the country. It is funny, when we are putting in the effort it seems like it may never happen, but when we have made enough contacts we seem to get lucky at just the right time. A job came open, not a perfect opportunity but an opportunity nonetheless, so Tony applied. As luck may have it I happened to know the coach personally so when the reference call came I had some exceptional knowledge on both the applicant and the coach. Tony got the job and took the chance. It is awesome to see that he is gaining some substantial experience and I will not be shocked when he is running his own team. I am sure the team will have a tie-dyed shirt for practice but that would be normal for the guy that did it his way every day.