Women’s Tennis: Seven Questions with Kirsten Flower – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Seven Questions with Kirsten Flower
Q: How has the transition from Georgia Tech to Ohio State been so far?
A: The transition has been pretty easy so far. The minute I stepped on to campus and started hanging out with the girls on the tennis team I felt right at home. The adjustment wasn’t a big deal simply because I grew up here and I am so comfortable at this school.
Q: What was the motivating factor behind your decision to become a Buckeye?
A: The biggest factor in my decision to transfer is the fact that I grew up here in Columbus. I have always been a huge Buckeye fan, and both of my parents went to Ohio State, so really, my decision was pretty much to just come home and play for my favorite school! It took me two years living away from home to realize how much Ohio State means to me, and I am just so glad to be back in the Buckeye State.
Q: You will be competing at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships. How do you prepare for such a challenging tournament?
A: For me, the best way to prepare for a tournament is to play practice matches. I always need to put myself in a competitive situation so I can get used to high pressure moments and points. I always play my best when I expose myself to match-like situations in practice, that way I will be more prepared when the time comes for me to play a tournament.
Q: This will be your third trip to the All-American Championships. How much will your experience play a part in your performance there?
A: The experiences in my two previous appearances at the All-American Championships will really help me this year. I draw confidence on the fact that I have done very well at the tournament in the past and that I am mentally prepared for how tough and grueling the tournament is going to be. The All-American Championships is one of the toughest tournaments you can play in college, so I am excited to start the year off by testing my game against the toughest competition in the nation.
Q: Having been part of a championship team at Georgia Tech, what will be the keys for this Ohio State team to succeed?
A: Learning from the success of the Georgia Tech team, I feel like the teams that do well are the ones who take care of the little things and stay disciplined throughout the season. There are so many good teams out there and just about anyone can win on a given day, so I believe that you need to find little ways to get ahead of the competition. These things can involve simply eating well and taking care of your body, to writing in a journal before practice to remind yourself what you need to focus on that day. Champions take care of the little details.
Q: What parts of your game have you worked on this summer, and what aspects will you continue to work on this fall?
A: This summer I worked really hard on attacking and moving forward during points and I hope to continue working on this during the fall. For me to get to the next level, I need to take control of points and put my opponent under pressure, so hopefully all the matches that I play this fall will allow me to practice and work on being aggressive.
Q: Lastly, what is the best thing about being a Buckeye?
A: The best thing about being a Buckeye is the school spirit! Everyone that goes to this school truly cares about it and enjoys being here. To me, Ohio State is more than just a school and being a Buckeye is a big part of my life!
