Ben-Hur Kasprzak of the men's tennis team is ready to be back on the court for another chance at his senior season after last year was cut short. He is currently third all-time in career singles wins with a chance to become the all-time leader this year.
Talk about the impact COVID-19 had on your senior season last year and how it affected you and your teammates.
Our season got cut when we were in South Carolina last year and it was really disappointing. All of us seniors thought that was the last of the season and our senior year. It was really sad and since we are international, everyone was sent back home. Unfortunately, I had to go back to Brazil in March and finish school online. We weren't really sure what was next, I expected it to be the last of my tennis career.
You were not able to come back to UMSL until this semester. How have you adjusted to that.
It's been very different, especially since I wasn't sure I was going to come back until November. I originally thought I wouldn't be able to return to UMSL, but then I received a job and scholarship from the business department.
There are a lot of things that are different because of COVID, so it has taken some adjusting. Such as spending time and interacting with the other teams here and not being able to go to their games to support them. So since we can do that it's not as fun but I understand it's what we have to do in these times. I'm also afraid that we might possibly have our season canceled again because of COVID.
Talk about your experience here at UMSL and how memorable it was the last four years and what it's like to have the opportunity to come back for a fifth year?
It's been a great experience! I've met so many people from different countries and created so many friends. Before I came to the U.S. in 2016, I sort of lost motivation for tennis, but once I came here and played for the team I saw great results. I began to improve as a player and every year has been very enjoyable. Although my season was cut short my senior year, I'm just excited to play one last season. I feel like it is another chance at my senior year that I didn't get last year. I have a chance to break the record for most wins in men's tennis here at UMSL so this year will give me the opportunity to reach that goal.
What have you done in the off season to prepare for this year and how was it different from the other years?
So, the offseason was very long since I didn't come back in this fall. It was from March until December and since I wasn't sure if I was going to come back my training was very different. I still played tennis for fun since I didn't think I'd have the opportunity to come back so I was more focused on life outside of tennis. The main difference is in Brazil is that we play on clay courts and in the U.S., its hard courts. So there is a big difference and takes a while to adapt to. Also, since the U.S. has a travel ban with Brazil I had to go to Paraguay for 20 days to get my visa and to quarantine there. I was not allowed to be in Brazil 15 days prior to coming to the U.S. so that was very different as well.
How do you see your season going this year due to COVID such as workouts and games? How will this be different from previous years?
I know that it's going to be a lot more strict, we're still wondering how our conference and regionals will be. There will be a lot of things that aren't the same that COVID has affected. Fortunately since tennis is not a close contact like other sports, the games might not change that much. What will be different, and very disappointing, is not having fans at our games. Practices and workouts are also different because of COVID.
Do you think it will have an effect on your performance personally?
I don't think so. The only concern was that I prepared last year and played really well before our season got cut short. Although we have had to wait 10 months to practice and play again as a team so it had my doubts performance wise, but since we have been back we have been practicing a lot and now I feel pretty confident in my game.
Half of this year's team is freshmen. How will you be a leader as a fifth year?
The team is really young, we have four freshmen and one sophomore. So, out of the 8 guys on the team, five have not played in conference games or regionals so they don't have the experience. At the same time, they are all really talented and I'm confident in the group we have. As a fifth year I can be a leader by working hard and doing the right things for my team and giving advice since I have the experience. I feel that I can set a good example and be a good captain. Also, I think it's good to try to get the team as close as possible to create a good connection and chemistry. I feel like teams play better when they are closer because they start to play for each other.
What are your expectations for this year?
I feel like this might be one of the strongest teams in my five years and I'm hoping for us to do really well in conference play and hopefully win the championship. I definitely think we'll go to regionals and make it to nationals if we succeed well in conference.
You've already graduated with your Bachelors degree in business. What are you currently doing academic-wise now and what are your future plans?
I'm working on my MBA with an emphasis in finance. I'm also currently working for the graduate business department at UMSL. After tennis, I'll hopefully complete my degree and make plans to either stay in the U.S. or move back to Brazil.
