“Coach, what do I need to do to play next year?” This was the question posed to me by a somewhat downtrodden freshman at the end of his first year at FSC. My answer was as follows; “You need match play. Just tough matches under your belt.” There are many times in a coaching career that advice is wanted but it is rare when it is actually followed. Sometimes it is even followed too well. Tonight, is the rundown of Brian deMontfort who came in with raw talent and the desire to make it happen.
When I started at FSC I was fortunate to have a talented team assembled. The former coach also had recruited a couple of Florida players who were ready to take on the world. One of them was Brian. Brian wasn’t ranked very high in the Florida USTA but he had a passion for the game. He was a rarity. He had a one handed backhand and liked coming to the net. Somewhat of a throwback player in the modern ages. The one thing Brian lacked was tough match play. During his freshman season, he didn’t play much. He got some matches but wasn’t a daily match guy. He traveled with the team but was a bit inside himself.
Rewind now to the first paragraph. He wanted more and with the departure of a couple of key guys there was an opening. You never know if the player really wants it or if they just want you to hear it. I’ve always felt that the proof would be in the results the following season. The summer was moving along and I went to see one of the tournament matches he was playing. It wasn’t much better but the grind was good for him. As we neared the fall the proof happened. He came in hot. Real hot. He wasn’t in the top six his freshman year and now in practice he was knocking off established guys and even had a little swagger about him. He went through the fall still hot but the season was months away. As we rolled into spring something was happening and I felt guilty even thinking it. Brian was going to start the season at number 2. This didn’t even make sense. He was a man on a mission and he had toughened himself up. There is one problem when you work so hard for a goal. Once you have achieved it you must continue to push or it falls off. In sports we call it peaking. Brian peaked way to early and fell off. He ended the spring season at six or just out of the lineup but he made it through the year.
Going into his junior year we talked about taking some time off and not working so hard during the summer. The fall came and we had another stacked lineup. Brian didn’t have much success in singles but he was a mainstay in doubles. During all is training he had developed a little glitch in his serve. It would just disappear for games at a time. It affected him mentally and I probably didn’t help his cause at all. How could this kid bust his ass to get to the level he wanted and loose his serve in the process. Although his singles game wasn’t great during his junior year he was still integral in the overall team success.
Let’s take a break from the tennis for a moment and talk about the guy that is Brian. His freshman year we didn’t even know if he could talk. Then the fall of his sophomore season came. We were in Valdosta, GA for the Fall ITA tournament. We went to dinner at Ruby Tuesday and someone introduced Brian to strawberry lemonade. I guess the sugar in the 3-8 glasses of strawberry lemonade set off the Brian we would know for the next three years. He was a maniac. Oh yeah, he could talk too. He became just another one of the guys and boy let me tell you they could have some fun.
Like all players who play at a high-level Brian had his share of injuries. The most annoying was his shoulder. It would just cause discomfort and hinder the ability to make great gains. It was also mentally debilitating for him. His senior year was one that had the highest of highs and lowest of lows. He was back near the top of the singles line up but not really having success. It was frustrating for him and myself to say the least. Where he shined though was in doubles. He had the opportunity to play number one doubles and he didn’t waste it. It wasn’t national ranking caliber but let me tell you, playing number one doubles in the Sunshine State Conference on a ranked team is no small fete. Every player you play against is tough as nails and nothing comes easy. He and his partner ended up with a winning record and that in itself is awesome.
Brian was a delightful story in college athletics. He believed he deserved an opportunity, put in the work, and earned that spot. He also knew that when things were not going his way that he was going to be replaced, and when he was he worked at it and tried his damnedest to earn it back. I don’t ever remember him complaining about the lack of playing time or where he was playing. He was a blue-collar player with a heart for competing. Today he is still in the game near Atlanta. He coaches with the same passion that he played with while at FSC. He is married to his college sweetheart Kim and they have a great life together. I enjoyed Brian as a player and even more as a human being. When people ask me if it is possible I throw the story of Brian out to them. If you have talent and are willing to put in the work at some point you will get your shot. You must be ready when your name is called.
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