College Awareness Month - Player Spotlights

Brooklyn Bindas - Tufts University

My name is Brooklyn Bindas, I live in Rochester, Massachusetts. I am a freshman at Tufts University where I am playing for the varsity team.

I chose Tufts because of the opportunities I saw from Tufts. I loved their academics and the fact that I could also play tennis here. 

I have just started my first college tennis season but my highlight would be our first invitational tournament at MIT. My teammates did great all weekend and it was really fun to watch and cheer them on. 

I would tell them to make sure they meet the team. As long as they love the team and the school it will be a great experience. You spend most of your time with your teammates. 

Tara Best - Connecticut College

Tara Best, Carlisle, MA, freshmen in college, Connecticut College, varsity tennis.

I chose Connecticut College because I wanted a school with rigorous academics and the opportunity to continue competing in tennis at a high level.

So far the highlight of my college tennis experience has been spending time with the team both on and off court. 

My advice to current high school players as they make their decisions is to not compare yourself to other people, everyone has their own unique path and your decision shouldn’t be influenced by your peers.

Daniel Milavsky - Harvard University

Daniel Milavsky from Needham, MA, senior at Harvard.

I chose Harvard because it was a great mix of both academics and athletics at the highest level, and the culture within the team was something that I was eager to step into. 

Junior tennis is very individual, and college tennis could be the first time players find themselves part of something bigger, and it has been great to share all of the highs and lows with my teammates and staff. One highlight was making the Sweet 16 for the first time in 20 years and playing versus UGA in front of thousands of fans. 

I would say find a school and a team environment where you give yourself the best opportunity to develop not only as an athlete, but as a person as well.

Maddie Swire - Amherst College

Maddie Swire, from Sudbury, MA, junior on Amherst Women’s Tennis (Varsity)

I chose Amherst because of the great balance between academics and athletics. I knew I wanted a school where I could thrive both in the classroom and on the court, and Amherst was a perfect fit for that! Also, I like being close to home so my family can come cheer me on in matches. 

A highlight of my college experience was making the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament and going to Orlando. Winning my match to send us to Orlando was really special and it was such a great moment to share with my teammates (who are my best friends)!

Looking back, if I could have done anything different, I would have tried to have been more relaxed in my recruiting process. Obviously college recruiting can be stressful, but my advice is to enjoy learning about different colleges and keep your mind open to a variety of different schools-there are so many great programs out there! Regardless of what division you play or if it’s club tennis, I highly recommend playing college tennis as it is a fun way to make close connections and be a part of the college community!

Sid Vandrangi - UMass Amherst

Sid Vandrangi, Walpole, MA, Junior Microbiology Major, UMass Club Tennis Team.

I’ve played tennis for 10 years, consistent top 20 player in USTA New England, and a multiple Boston Globe All Scholastic award recipient.

I chose UMass Amherst because I knew I could meet a wide variety of people from different places across the country (and also because of the #1 food). I also knew some people on the club tennis team who were very nice and welcoming. 

My experience at Tennis On Campus Sectionals has been amazing and I can't wait to experience it again! Last year we won the silver bracket for New England, hopefully we can overcome the hurdle and make Nationals. 

Elle Doucette - UNH

Elle Doucette, Newburyport, MA, University of New Hampshire, Senior, Sport Management & Leadership major and Club Tennis Player. 

During my freshman year at Newburyport High School, I decided I wanted to play tennis as my spring sport. Since I was new to the sport, I began practicing every day. Throughout the school day, I would be looking forward to playing tennis after school, and I soon realized that I loved playing it more than my other two high school sports. Eventually, I became the second singles player for the high school varsity team. Though I enjoyed the competitive nature of tennis, what I enjoyed the most was the friends I made through playing.

As I applied to colleges, I wanted to continue my tennis journey. My freshman year of college I played division II tennis at Saint Anslem. However, I realized that the time commitment of a division sport took away from what I wanted to accomplish in college on an academic and social level. Thus, I transferred to University of New Hampshire, and sophomore year of college I tried out for their club tennis team.