After ripping a forehand winner down the line against South Carolina State’s Dimitry Lomakin, sophomore Damon Gooch pumps his fist and shouted a tennis player’s favorite two words, “come on!”
He is in control of the match, having won the first set 6-2 and leading the second 5-1. It’s not that he is trying to show up his opponent, but rather playing every point as if the match was tied 5-5 in the third set.

He also reacts when he loses points, kicking the air or quietly scolding himself for missing a shot he knows he should have made.

Once Gooch finishes his match his work is not over. He immediately begins shouting encouragement to his teammates on the other courts. Actually, he rarely waits for his match to end, supporting his teammates between his games or even his serves.

“He’s one of those kids that you just love having on a team, and he’s a great teammate,” head coach Michael Leonard said. “He’s such a great competitor, loves to play tennis and that I think he’ll have success in his career.”

That competitive fire led Gooch to work on a number of things in the off-season. Some players might be satisfied with Gooch’s 7-2 conference record last season, but not Gooch. He spent his off-season working on the mental and physical aspects of his game.

“I worked on my forehand, speed, footwork and racquet head speed,” Gooch explained. “I also worked on mental aspects of the game, like not playing conservative.”

Gooch also played in and won the Flight A Championship at the Residence Inn North Wolfpack Invitational back in September to help him prepare for the season.

As a freshman, Gooch stepped into the spotlight as the team’s No. 1 player. Through that experience, he learned what it takes to be a great player at the colligate level.

“The biggest thing I learned was that you’re going to have highs and lows throughout the season,” Gooch said. “How you rebound from those lows reflects who you are as a player.”

His personal goals for the season are simple. One is that Gooch wants to make the NCAA individual tournament. He would be the first Elon tennis player to do so.

Leonard thinks Gooch is capable of accomplishing this goal, but said he will have to keep working to do so.

“I want to see him achieve this season,” Leonard explained. “But he’s going to have to keep working to improve everyday. He can’t be satisfied with one successful season.”

Gooch was quick to mention that his other priority is to pull his weight so that the team can do well and make the NCAA tournament as well. If Gooch and the team succeed in making the tournament, it would be a first time for Elon tennis.

Sports Editor: Jeff Rickel - 02/08/07