University of North Carolina Athletics
From Fetzer To Finley
February 11, 2004 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 11, 2004
By Dave Lohse
Associate Athletic Communications Director
Now before the angry letters and emails begin flowing in, I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is an amazing irony to my writing a column about sportsmanship. I'm not a particularly good sport. I loathe losing. But as the Supreme Court's Potter Stewart once said in a landmark case, "I know it when I see it." Of course the late justice was referring to things of a more prurient nature but I think the analogy works. I know good sportsmanship when I see it.
When I think of sportsmanship it conjures up the image of a student-athlete who exemplifies a myriad of qualities -- but it seems the content of his character and the manner in which he manifests that content are the prime markers. There are several Tar Heel athletes on campus now who come to mind when I think of sportsmanship. Some are the stars of teams -- like the men's lacrosse team's Jed Prossner or the men's swimming and diving squad's Yuri Suguiyama. Others play more supporting roles like Maggie Tomecka on the Tar Heel women's soccer team or Gena Bittner of the UNC women's swimming and diving team.
Of course winning an award for sportsmanship certainly makes a person a prime prospect to be profiled in this column. And that happened last year when UNC men's tennis player Nick Monroe won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Mideast Region Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award, joining past Tar Heel winners of that award like Don Johnson, Roland Thornqvist and David Caldwell.
As I've written in a previous column, Nick Monroe has one of those magnetic sorts of personalities. His smile lights up a room. I recall talking to UNC head tennis coach Sam Paul three years ago when his team was struggling and Sam's resolve was on the wane. But Sam said that every day he came into work he was reinvigorated by the smile and energy of Nick Monroe.
Of course sportsmanship encompasses many more qualities than mere personality and Nick exhibits those as well. A two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference player, he can be lethal on the court which is why he is the 23rd ranked singles player in the collegiate ranks this season. He plays the game hard and he plays to win but more than anything he walks off the court with respect for his opponent.
"Nick Monroe has improved his game in every aspect of his collegiate career," says Coach Sam Paul. "Nick came into our program at North Carolina as a freshman ranked No. 88 in the country in singles. He improved and was ranked as high as No. 54 as a junior and is No. 23 as a senior. Nick has a personality that makes everyone around him a better teammate.
"Nick comes to work hard every day. He truly upholds the saying 'nothing worthwhile can be achieved without hard work."
As a junior Monroe had the best singles record on the team at 23-9 and was 13-4 in dual matches at No. 2 singles. He defeated six nationally ranked opponents in singles, was 14-4 overall in dual matches and 7-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Monroe was at his best down the stretch of the 2003 campaign as he won his last eight matches prior to the NCAA Tournament.
He also had the best overall doubles record on the team at 18-10, winning one fall championship, reaching the finals in doubles of the ITA Mideast Regional and ranking as high as No. 15 in the nation in doubles.
In addition to all this, he finds time to serve as a volunteer with youngsters active in the Durham and Orange Counties Community Tennis Association.
Nick Monroe really is one of those student-athletes who lead by example. As a society we throw that phrase around a lot. Nick Monroe actually lives it.
