This weekend was pretty epic though. It started on Friday night. The girls had this endurance competition scheduled for awhile so that meant that it was party time for me. Party time just means being alone or finding something to do that normally I wouldn’t do when they are here. This Friday night it meant going back to Florida Southern to see the dedication of the Chris Bellotto Softball Field. What a magnificent event. I got to catch up with a lot of people I truly appreciate. I also got to catch up with the women’s tennis coach during a match. She is also appreciated but I know that sounded weird grammatically. After the events on campus I headed to dinner with some of my former players. It was an impromptu get together and it was awesome to see so many of them. They are doing great, I expect nothing less, and they are still having great experiences. Some of the guys said they were enjoying the Blog but one, not mentioning any names but he does have a zoo at his house, said otherwise. I asked him why he thought it sucked and he said it was because I don’t write about players anymore. Well, tonight animal lover, this one is for you.
Have you ever met someone that was so eat up, old Southern expression, with something that they become a bit obsessed? Yeah, me too. Tonight, that person is TJ Krishnan. The crazy Indian, he was actually from India, scared me, amused me, concerned me, amused me more, and now impresses me with his drive. TJ, his real name was Tejas, came as a walk on freshman and stayed for the entire four years to graduate. He had his downs and then his ups along the path but in the end of this journey he had a bit of direction. His path wobbled, and even upon graduation it wobbled, but it appears he is living the American dream these days, or maybe the Bollywood dream, I am never really sure.
When TJ came as a freshman he appeared that he didn’t have a pot to piss in. This was a farce he created so that no one would know that he was financially okay. He loved tennis and I thought that maybe he would be a good addition to the disciplined roster we already had. The weirdness started early when we would catch him sleeping on the benches between the courts at all times of the day and night. He just wanted to be that close that he freaked people out by sleeping at the courts. He would watch professional tennis anytime he could which meant that he was tired at inappropriate times of the day. Like, when it was time to practice. He was not a bad player but not quite at the level needed to be one of the top six guys.
Things started getting weird when he started posting lines from Criminal Minds on his Facebook page. Players were coming to me and stating that he was getting weirder and weirder with each passing day. I thought that he was trying to get attention but did have a bit of apprehension as the posts became deeper and darker. The moment things took a serious turn was when the team was at Embry-Riddle. We were hanging out in a gazebo by the courts when one of the players brought me his phone. The post from TJ was haunting considering what we had seen previously. “I guarantee I will be in the top six next year no matter what.” It doesn’t sound bad. Actually, it sounds inspiring when taken at the raw, emotional, and wanting to succeed level. Sometimes, emotions send the wrong message and this team had witnessed enough to know they were worried about their teammate and their own well-being.
Once we got back home I scheduled an appointment with our school psychologist. You know, I just wanted to know what I was dealing with. He was a great guy, appeared to want the golden ring, but there was this piece that kind of freaked me and the other guys on the team out. The meeting was set, and the diagnosis was doled out. Attention, only attention, no true worries. Really, come on, all that shit on Facebook, the mood swings, naps on benches, and lack of personal care and it was just for attention? Great, then we are all good and that was that.
In an astonishing twist, it was over. TJ became one of the guys. He still was quirky, but he found his role on the team and flourished as a human being. The attention he craved came to him in a very positive manner. Another cool thing happened after this as well. TJ found his muscles. He began to shape them, sculpt them, and find who he wanted to be. He still played tennis but that wasn’t the dream anymore. Dreams are fleeting, especially when they don’t have substance. TJ had a dream but the belief to achieve it wasn’t strong. When he started lifting, he saw results, and realized this dream was attainable. He could be the best at it because the arduous work would pay off. The results could be seen in the mirror. Like I said, he still played tennis but during the day he would play in a long sleeve shirt to protect his skin. I used to tease him about the lights not giving him a tan, because at night he would play with his shirt off.
TJ went through his junior and senior year at FSC on the team as a support person. He was on the team, but he was really just interested in the friendship and the gym time. He started looking at modeling and acting as his future. He graduated on time and went and chased his dream. He got his MBA, worked a bit in the tennis industry, floated back and forth from India, to Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. He is still chasing the dream but with a clear head, a fabulous physique, and an outstanding mane of hair. The kid that scared the hell out of me at the start of his time at FSC became a man that I admired for chasing the unicorn dream. His direction is not one that I would have traveled but the journey is one that he will never forget. His teammates still think he is crazy but love when he visits them. Thanks TJ for the memories and we can’t wait to see you on the big screen, magazine cover, or that underwear ad you so desperately wanted to be in when we thought you were doing porn. Dude, you’ve had one heck of a ride. Keep dreaming and don’t forget your pre-workout.
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