Where Are They Now?
Conversation with Trinity Star Scott Levy
by
Harry Cicma, 25 June 2015
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Scott Levy played tennis for Trinity College in Connecticut back in the early 2000s, and he was part of something special for the Bantams. During his senior season in 2004, Levy posted a 14-2 record in singles and - with partner Jimmy Ames - a 10-3 mark in doubles. Those results were instrumental in Trinity knocking off Williams to win the team's first-ever NESCAC Championship.
Harry Cicma of NBC Sports chatted with Levy about his experiences with junior and college tennis...
Questions and Answers
Harry Cicma (HC): What did you enjoy the most about played college tennis for Trinity? Scott Levy (SL): The camaraderie of the team. The teams I was on all four years were made up of guys with very little in common in terms of personality types and interests outside of tennis, which was very different than what I had on my high school team, and all of us who came up playing together. That element of very different types of guys - in terms of maturity level, interests, and even how much the sport of tennis meant to them - working together because of the shared care and respect we had for each other was really cool. It was a totally different type of teamwork than what I was expecting I would find in college.
HC: What advice would you give a young player looking to play college tennis?
SL: Figure out what is important to you before you figure out where you want to apply. If playing Top 6 - or however many singles matches count towards the score today - is your absolute top priority, go for a place you are confident you'll be Top 6. If playing on a big name team matters, go for that. I think what causes a lot of stress - and what can detract from the experience - is when priorities are unclear.
There is so much that changes when you go from the high school to college experience that you are virtually guaranteed excitement and challenge of one type or another (whether through tennis or elsewhere). At the risk of stating the total obvious, if you can mitigate the stresses, it really frees you up to enjoy all that college offers - whatever school you go to.
HC: What were the biggest challenges of moving from the USTA Juniors to NCAA Tennis? What was your best memory on the court?
SL: Beating Steve Prisco in Newport still stands out to me. Although the tournament was just a summer tournament with no real implication for any of our teams, at least in my mind, he and I were from two completely different universes of tennis ability. To put it in perspective, I can remember him going entire seasons in our high school league where he would lose maybe 2-3 matches at No. 1 singles when I was not even in the Top 6 just on my own team. My mom called my dad before the match to tell him I was playing Prisco. The message was something to the effect of 'Come watch your son on the same court with this incredible player, but hurry up because it will be a quick one.'
I was really just looking to get through the match without being totally embarrassed, but gradually that shifted to where I felt like "I can hang in rallies with him a bit" to "We're at 5-5, [expletive], I might take a set off Prisco!" to "This match is mine!" Having my parents, who I normally preferred not to watch, there watching and sharing it was awesome and really contributed to what a rush we all got from it. Before that match I really never had any particularly noticeable upset. It was a totally awesome, unfamiliar, surreal feeling walking around Newport in the couple hours after replaying moments of the match in my mind.
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About Harry Cicma
When it comes to college tennis, Harry Cicma is your man. Cicma
covers tennis and other athletic stories for
NBC Sports,
writing articles and producing video segments.
He is co-founder and host of World Tennis
a weekly tennis show on NESN, and host of of Tennis Live Radio's
College Corner.
Cicma competed as a junior in USTA/New England and went on to play
college tennis at Rutgers University. As a professional, Cicma
competed at the ATP Newport tournament and the San Jose Siebel Open.
He reached a career-high #75 in the ATP doubles team rankings and
#1262 in the ATP Entry System.
In media, Cicma has run the gamut. He has worked for NBC, CBS, ABC,
ESPN, FOX Sports Net, the Tennis Channel, and World Team Tennis.
Cicma has announced NCAA sports as well as the US Open Tennis
Championships on both TV and radio.