Today you can read all about the interview with Sophie Groen, the slamstox tennis player who has been strengthening the team at Bemidji State University since January. At the beginning of this month, she already did an Insta take-over in which she showed us her life as a student-athlete, she will tell us more about that today!
She tells about her tennis past, what it was like to have to get used to a new environment and what her experiences are like so far. Also, she talks about the weather conditions at Bemidji State since they are quite extreme! Want to know more about all this? Keep reading!
Hi Sophie, can you tell us a bit about yourself to begin with?
I am 19 years old and I come from Uitgeest. I started playing tennis when I was 4 years old and have enjoyed it ever since. I obtained my HAVO diploma at the Bonhoeffer College in Castricum.
Where have you played tennis in the Netherlands, how often a week did you train, and what kind of tournaments did you play? What was your highest ranking in the juniors?
I started at TCU, and then switched to TC Bakkum. From 5 to 11 years old I played tennis with the Dutch Federation. I trained about 4 times a week and I used to play a lot of JRT tournaments. My highest ranking was pretty much top 40, I think.
Why did you choose for college tennis in the USA?
After I obtained my high school diploma, I still had no idea what major I wanted to do. But I did know that I wanted to keep playing tennis a lot. A lot of boys and girls I know were planning to go to the USA or had already been there. All stories I heard from them sounded so nice that I decided to give it a try.
You now play tennis at Bemidji State Athletics. How were the first weeks and what is different compared to the Netherlands?
For the first 2 weeks everything was of course very new and I really had to get used to everything . The 7 hours time difference, a new country, new culture, a different language and a completely different climate. Speaking English improved quickly after a few days, but the food is definitely something I still have to get used to. I didn’t think I would ever say that I would miss the typical Dutch food (potatoes, meat, vegetables). And the temperatures here! I arrived in the middle of winter, which is cool, but it really took me some time to get used to it. The past month we have had a lot of cold days, sometimes it was that cold we couldn’t even go outside. And by very cold I mean temperatures of -38: and yes, you read that correctly -38 !! Fortunately, the university contains of underground tunnels everywhere so you don’t have to go outside if you don’t want to. The funny thing is that as soon as it is 2+ degrees, everybody starts walking around in shorts immediately. Because from -38 to 2 degrees really feels like summer. I think I will never again complain that I am cold in the Netherlands.
“During the past month, we’ve had cold temperatures down to -38! Fortunately, there are underground tunnels everywhere so you don’t have to go outside if you don’t want to. And as soon as it is 2+ degrees, everybody starts wearing shorts because that really feels like summer. ””
What does a regular day for you look like?
A normal day usually consists of getting up early, because we have weight & lifting with the team at 6:30. After the weight & lifting it is time to have breakfast, or sometimes go back to bed to get some extra hours of sleep. After that, I usually do some homework or follow lessons. After lunch I usually go to the physiotherapist and then we have tennis training from 4-6. After training we usually have dinner with the whole team, and then it is time to relax.
Why did you choose for Bemidji State?
I ofcourse spoke with the coach before I came here, and also with some girls from the team. It immediately felt good and we had a good instant connection. A few facetime conversations later, I knew that Bemidji State was the place to be for me.
Is the university as you expected?
Yes the university is mostly as I expected in terms of size and how everything looks. That’s how I had it in mind. But the atmosphere in Bemidji, I did not expect it to be so great!
How did you experience the process with Slamstox to get there?
The process with Slamstox was great! Pedro helped me with everything and if I had any questions I could always text or call him. Which I made use of for many times 😉
How do you like the combination of study and tennis? And in what ways are you supported by the university to ensure that this runs smoothly?
Study and tennis can be combined very well! Our schedule is tailored so that we have enough time to follow our lessons. Sometimes we are traveling or training during the school lessons, but school is very helpful with that. They ensure that you can (almost) always follow your lessons at a different time. Even if you need some extra homework assistance, there is always someone who can help.
“Our schedule is tailored so that we have enough time to follow our lessons. Sometimes we are traveling or training during the school lessons, but school is very helpful with that. They ensure that you can (almost) always follow your lessons at a different time.“
What’s the craziest thing you’ve experienced so far?
One day it was almost 20 degrees so we all walked out in the sun in shorts, and just a day later there was 20cm of snow and it was freezing…. And what happens here quite often in the winter is that my hair froze when I walked out! I had never experienced that before.
Can you tell us more about the campus? What to do? How are the facilities?
There is a lot to do on campus! It is a very large campus, which is actually nice. Around the residence halls are basketball squares and beach volleyball fields where many people hang out, especially during summer. 2 restaurants can be found at the school with a big terrace where you can always go to get something tasty and chat with friends. The sports facilities are also great! There are 3 different weight & lifting rooms that everyone can use, and there is also a swimming pool where you can go in your free time.
What’s the coolest thing on your campus?
The coolest thing on campus are the underground tunnels. If you don’t want to go outside, you really don’t have to, because you can reach everything through the tunnels.
What measures are now being taken with corona and how do they impact your life?
I have the feeling that there is not much to notice about corona here. All shops and restaurants are open. But they do recommend that you wear a mouth mask when you are indoors. Much of the lessons are online because of corona, but next semester everything will be back on campus. Besides that, many people have already been vaccinated, I also received my vaccinations at the end of March. It was certainly strange to go out for dinner here in a full restaurant for the first time, while everything is still closed in the Netherlands ..
“I have the feeling that there is not much to notice about corona here. Many people have been vaccinated, I also received my vaccination at the end of March. Crazy feeling to go out for dinner here in a full restaurant while in the Netherlands everything is still closed. ”
Do you ever feel homesick?
I missed the first week at home very much, but as soon as school started and I got to know everyone, it no longer bothered me. This is also because I still have contact with family and friends for almost every day.
How is your English? What’s the funniest mistake you’ve made so far?
English is going very well! Sometimes I am amazed at how easy it improves. The funniest mistakes I’ve made so far aren’t really mistakes but more my pronunciation. As Americans cannot pronounce the ‘GR’, I still have trouble with the ‘TH’, as in ‘three’ and ‘mother’. My teammates sometimes joke about this.
What do you think of the Americans so far? And what’s the funniest / dumbest thing an American has said to you so far?
Americans are super social, almost everyone you meet says hello and asks ‘how are you?’. The funny thing is that everyone is very interested in foreigners, so they often ask if I can say something in Dutch. I think the dumbest questions I’ve had so far are the ones like. “So you live next to Europe?”, “Do you speak Netherlandais?” & “Can you actually say something in dutch?”
“The funny thing is that everyone is very interested in foreigners, so they often ask if I can say something in Dutch. I think the dumbest questions I’ve had so far are the ones like. “So you live next to Europe?” and “Do you speak Netherlandais?”
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve eaten or seen on a menu so far?
Definitely the corndog! The hot dog on a stick with something like a bread crust around it, a very popular snack that I always thought only existed in movies.
How is your social life? What do you do in your spare time?
The nice thing about BSU is that almost all athletes are friends with each other. I have become very close to the softball, baseball and football team, everyone is in contact with each other in one way or another and that is very nice to see. In my spare time, we are often outside with friends. Especially during winter you can do a lot of fun things such as: skiing, ice fishing, skating.
What is it like to be in a team as an individual athlete?
It doesn’t really feel like an individual sport anymore, because we do everything together with the team.
What is your goal this year and what is your goal for the next 4 years?
My goal this year and the coming years is to play as well as possible for the team and the school, and of course also to enjoy all the moments.
Do you have any tips and tricks for the next generations of college tennis players from the Netherlands?
Most importantly, you should enjoy everything, even the early workouts which are not always fun. You will look back on it and miss the life as student-athlete!
Do you want to become a student athlete in the USA, just like Sophie? Reach out and we will help you!
