University of North Carolina Athletics
Jack Murray (left) and Ronnie Schneider with UNC head coach Sam Paul
UNC Experience Gives Boost To The Pros
January 21, 2018 | Men's Tennis
Murray, Schneider talk about their time at Carolina.
As the UNC men's tennis team opened the 2018 spring season Saturday, there were two very familiar faces in the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center crowd. Jack Murray and Ronnie Schneider were seniors on the 2017 team, which reached the NCAA championship match for the first time in program history. After stellar collegiate careers, they graduated from UNC in May and are now playing professionally.
In between cheering for the Tar Heels during their wins over Bucknell and Wofford, Murray and Schneider took time out to talk with GoHeels.com about what they're up to now, how UNC prepared them for professional tennis, and what it's like to be part of the Carolina tennis family.
GoHeels.com: As professional tennis players, what do your lives look like now? Where do you call home?
Ronnie Scheider: I have no house, no car … I kind of roam. The place I am the most is at home in Indiana – I have my childhood coach (Bryan Smith) I've had since I was 9. I stay with my parents when I'm there. But I'm also spending time here (in Chapel Hill) and also down in Orlando at the new national center."
Jack Murray: I have an apartment here in Chapel Hill. I'll go home a little bit, too, but mostly I'm here."
GH: Do you see each other out on the road?
RS: "In the beginning of the summer we were in Canada together for a couple of weeks and then our paths diverged from there, but then we got reconnect back in Mexico for three weeks, around Thanksgiving. That was great. We're always in communication, trying to figure out when we can meet up. We have a group message with the two of us and Brayden Schnur and we're always checking in with each other. If there's a chance to meet up we always do."
JM: "The last time we were all together was the Charlottesville Challenger in October. We all got to stay together – that was great."
GH: How did your four years here at UNC prepare you for a professional career?
JM: "People who know me pretty well know I was very irresponsible and immature when I came here. At UNC, I grew up and learned how to be an adult. That's helped me a lot. When you're traveling now, you're doing it all by yourself … flights, hotels, food, I have to set my own practice and warm-ups … all of that I have to do on my own to make sure I'm prepared for every match. I think I was probably very incapable of doing that when I first got here, but seeing how Coach (Sam Paul) and Tripp (Phillips) run the team and with what they've taught me I've been able to do that. Now I feel like that's one of my biggest strengths when I go on the road."
RS: "From the first day you get here, Coach and Tripp preach professionalism and details. When you come in, their first goal is for you to get a degree and do well academically and then next goal is to make you a professional tennis player. With practice and lifting and the general schedule … how you act, how you do things on a day-to-day basis, everything is very professional. When you leave here, they've given you all the tools to be a good professional tennis player.
"When we're out there playing now, we don't have to practice, but they've instilled in us the correct values. We've done all of that for our four years here, so it's not a big deal to do all the right things now and take care of our bodies. UNC is a very professional program. That's why I hope they'll have continued success here – they'll keep getting great recruits because guys know when they leave here they're going to be prepared to play professional tennis."
What's it like now coming back watch matches?
RS: It's awesome. I was really excited there was a slight break in my schedule because I wanted to see all the guys and meet the freshmen, wanted to get to know them before they start the season. They're amazing kids, which is not surprising at all – first and foremost, the couches recruit great kids and great people and great families.
"It's a little weird to be up here watching the matches and not out there playing, but it's really cool to see these guys. Everybody here realizes how great it is to play for the University of North Carolina. And now as an alum you really want people to appreciate wearing the NC and representing our values and the Carolina Way. I think these guys all exemplify that. It's a little different coming back and interacting with them as a graduate, but it's really cool. They're going to have an amazing year and I'm excited to follow it."
JM: "I never want to be that guy who just can't graduate, but these guys are so great and I love Chapel Hill so much that it's hard not to absolutely love being here. It's so much fun to be able to watch these guys compete and grow."
RS: "We say that once you're a part of the Carolina tennis family you're a member for life, and that's completely true. It's amazing. Maybe as a player you don't appreciate it but as an alum you connect with other alumni and follow the guys on the team. Everybody is in it together. It really is one big family and Coach Paul and Tripp are awesome at facilitating that."
In between cheering for the Tar Heels during their wins over Bucknell and Wofford, Murray and Schneider took time out to talk with GoHeels.com about what they're up to now, how UNC prepared them for professional tennis, and what it's like to be part of the Carolina tennis family.
GoHeels.com: As professional tennis players, what do your lives look like now? Where do you call home?
Ronnie Scheider: I have no house, no car … I kind of roam. The place I am the most is at home in Indiana – I have my childhood coach (Bryan Smith) I've had since I was 9. I stay with my parents when I'm there. But I'm also spending time here (in Chapel Hill) and also down in Orlando at the new national center."
Jack Murray: I have an apartment here in Chapel Hill. I'll go home a little bit, too, but mostly I'm here."
GH: Do you see each other out on the road?
RS: "In the beginning of the summer we were in Canada together for a couple of weeks and then our paths diverged from there, but then we got reconnect back in Mexico for three weeks, around Thanksgiving. That was great. We're always in communication, trying to figure out when we can meet up. We have a group message with the two of us and Brayden Schnur and we're always checking in with each other. If there's a chance to meet up we always do."
JM: "The last time we were all together was the Charlottesville Challenger in October. We all got to stay together – that was great."
GH: How did your four years here at UNC prepare you for a professional career?
JM: "People who know me pretty well know I was very irresponsible and immature when I came here. At UNC, I grew up and learned how to be an adult. That's helped me a lot. When you're traveling now, you're doing it all by yourself … flights, hotels, food, I have to set my own practice and warm-ups … all of that I have to do on my own to make sure I'm prepared for every match. I think I was probably very incapable of doing that when I first got here, but seeing how Coach (Sam Paul) and Tripp (Phillips) run the team and with what they've taught me I've been able to do that. Now I feel like that's one of my biggest strengths when I go on the road."
RS: "From the first day you get here, Coach and Tripp preach professionalism and details. When you come in, their first goal is for you to get a degree and do well academically and then next goal is to make you a professional tennis player. With practice and lifting and the general schedule … how you act, how you do things on a day-to-day basis, everything is very professional. When you leave here, they've given you all the tools to be a good professional tennis player.
"When we're out there playing now, we don't have to practice, but they've instilled in us the correct values. We've done all of that for our four years here, so it's not a big deal to do all the right things now and take care of our bodies. UNC is a very professional program. That's why I hope they'll have continued success here – they'll keep getting great recruits because guys know when they leave here they're going to be prepared to play professional tennis."
What's it like now coming back watch matches?
RS: It's awesome. I was really excited there was a slight break in my schedule because I wanted to see all the guys and meet the freshmen, wanted to get to know them before they start the season. They're amazing kids, which is not surprising at all – first and foremost, the couches recruit great kids and great people and great families.
"It's a little weird to be up here watching the matches and not out there playing, but it's really cool to see these guys. Everybody here realizes how great it is to play for the University of North Carolina. And now as an alum you really want people to appreciate wearing the NC and representing our values and the Carolina Way. I think these guys all exemplify that. It's a little different coming back and interacting with them as a graduate, but it's really cool. They're going to have an amazing year and I'm excited to follow it."
JM: "I never want to be that guy who just can't graduate, but these guys are so great and I love Chapel Hill so much that it's hard not to absolutely love being here. It's so much fun to be able to watch these guys compete and grow."
RS: "We say that once you're a part of the Carolina tennis family you're a member for life, and that's completely true. It's amazing. Maybe as a player you don't appreciate it but as an alum you connect with other alumni and follow the guys on the team. Everybody is in it together. It really is one big family and Coach Paul and Tripp are awesome at facilitating that."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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