In this interview, you can read more about the experiences of Slamstox tennis player Olaf de Lange as a student-athlete in the USA! Olaf comes from a tennis family and started playing tennis from an early age. A few months ago, Olaf transferred to New Jersey City University. A nice university near New York, where he combines college tennis with a degree in economics. Want to know more? You can read it below!
To start, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Olaf de Lange, I am 18 years olf and I am from Maasland. Last year I graduated from Stedelijk Gymnasium Schiedam and after that I started playing college tennis for New Jersey City University (NJCU) in New Jersey. I also like culinary food and politics 🙂
Can you tell us a bit more about your study background in the Netherlands?
After elementary school in Maasland, I went to Stedelijk Gymnasium in Schiedam. That’s about a 45-minute bike ride from home, which I did for the first 4.5 years.The last year and a half I luckily had a scooter. I was chairman of the party committee at school, so the school parties were pretty cool! I graduated from high school last year.
Where did you train in the Netherland and how often did you train?
I come from a real ‘tennis family’, my father and 2 uncles used to be good tennis players, so I’ve been doing this from childhood as well. When I was around 9 years old, I started playing tennis at Burgersdijk Tennis.
Before this, I trained with my uncle and at the local tennis club. When I was 14, I played very little tennis for a while, on average 2 times a week. When I was 16, I picked up everything again when I started training with Marcus Hilpert. This new coach brought me new inspiration.
Why did you choose for college tennis in the USA?
Actually college tennis came really unexpected. My parents had an appointment with Pedro from Slamstox for my 2 little brothers. After the conversation, they came to me and thought that college would suit me well and that I would enjoy it. It was actually quite impulsive since I had been admitted for a good study in the Netherlands. In the end, fairly late, I started the process and settled in very well.
What did your friends, family and training buddies think when you told them you wanted to go to America?
Luckily, my family was very excited. My father also played college tennis in the USA 20 years ago, so then I would kind of follow in his footsteps. My friends were also very happy for me. Most of them had a lot of questions, to which I didn’t know all the answers half the time. Everyone has seen American movies, of course, but I didn’t know yet whether college life would actually look like this.
Have you done anything special to prepare yourself optimally before leaving to the United States?
The weeks before I left, I trained extra hard, so that I would arrive in America as fit as possible. Furthermore, I mentally prepared myself that I was away from home for 3 months.
You now play college tennis at NJCU, how were the first months and what is different compared to the Netherlands?
The first months were fun! Of course, everything is new, but the team will take you everywhere. You really do become part of a family. The first day I arrived, the team took me to a New York Yankees baseball match which was super cool! The training sessions are different than in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands you train at a tennis school or academy, in America you play for a university that wants you to win your matches. So we don’t work much on technique and play a lot of points.
What does a regular day for you look like?
– 07:30 wake up, take a shower and having breakfast
– 08:30-12:30 class
– 12:30-13:00 having lunch
– 13:30-15:30 training
– 16:00-17:00 gym
– 17:30 having dinner
“Before you know it, it’s already evening and you’re almost going to sleep again.”
Which study are you following now and is it difficult that the study is in English?
I am studying economics now. The level of the study is lot lower than I expected. Everything I’m learning now, I already had in high school. So there was nothing really new in the first semester. Hopefully that will be different in the second semester. For me, making the switch to English actually worked out pretty well for me. You do have to learn the specific terms of economics.
Can you tell us a bit more about the campus and the location of the university?
Our campus is in the middle of Jersey City, on the other side of the water of Manhattan. There is, as on most campuses, a library, student dorms, a student training center, and a dining room. It also has a lot of classrooms. There is also a whole building for the e-sport students, it was a bit crazy in the beginning but it looks super professional.
How do you find the facilities? What’s the coolest thing on your campus?
I spend most of my time at the training center, even when I don’t have training. There is a ping pong table where I play a lot of ping pong and there is also a large hall where many students do homework. I really like the dynamics in the athletes center, that’s why I like being there. There is also a gym, basketball courts, a swimming pool, a physio and a recovery area with ice baths and saunas.
How do you like the combination of study and tennis? And in what ways are you supported by the university?
Combine study and tennis is going very well. Mostly because the study isn’t very difficult for me. In addition, the coach is making sure everyone gets good grades. The teachers are also very lenient if I miss a lesson or test.
Do you feel that you are now more part of a team than in the Netherlands?
For sure! In the Netherlands, the only form of a team in tennis is competition. But you can’t compare the Dutch competition to the tennis here. It’s all about the team here. Everyone is abnormally fanatic here, they scream after every point. I had to get used to this in the beginning.
“It’s all about the team here. Everyone is abnormally fanatic here, they scream after every point.”
How is your social life as a student-athlete?
In my spare time, I try to go much as possible to New York. That is about 40 minutes with public transport to the World Trade Center. There is always something to do in Manhattan. We often go with a group and then we always bump into something. There are often actions or events on the street. I also like to eat in Chinatown!
How’s the food there? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten or seen on a menu?
I had to get used to the food a lot. In the first week here, I thought I was eating eggs, then it turned out to be some kind of mixing powder with water. The food here in general is not very healthy. I also eat gluten free so that is extra difficult. Now I have found my way and I am doing well. In addition, I brought ‘hagelslag’ (chocolate sprinkles) from the Netherlands, because I missed that very much.
What do you miss most about the Netherlands?
As I said, I miss the Dutch food. Some things are also much better organized in the Netherlands than here, then I do miss the Netherlands. And of course I miss the company of my friends and family.
What do you think of the Americans / American culture?
I noticed that I am very direct in contrast to Americans, who often turn around and are very polite. But I am used to that by now. Some Americans are crazy, and I really enjoy that. Everything is so big here, especially in New York.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve experienced so far?
A lot of crazy things happen in the subways around New York. Something that immediately comes to mind a man sitting on the floor in the middle of the subway and started meditating.
Wat is je doel voor dit jaar?
Perform well in the competition season! We actually play the Conference games throughout March and April, my goal this year is to play well in those games. I also want to become physically stronger.
How did you experience the process with Slamstox?
Very nice! To go to America, you really have to arrange a few difficult things, such as applying for your visa. Slamstox guided me super in that, which made it all easy for me.
What would you like to advise future student-athletes?
I would say start on time and talk to other studetn-athletes about what they find/found important at a university. This way you can make a well-thought-out choice yourself.
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