Interview with Head Men's Tennis Coach Chris Tissot
This interview was conducted by Alex Leon Sports Information Director of Glendale College with 2nd year head men's tennis coach Chris Tissot
Alex Leon: Well first off let me congratulate you on an amazing season you had this year.
Chris Tissot: Thank you very much.
Alex Leon: Winning conference for the first time in 5 years and going undefeated in conference hasn't been done since 2005 so big congrats on that.
Chris Tissot: Yeah it has definitely been a journey and the work these guys put in to accomplish those goals really shows the determination of the team. I think going into the season these guys didn't want to settle for second best and went in there with the determination and fight to accomplish something that that has only been done 4 times since 2000.
Alex Leon: Know this is your second season taking over the program from the legendary Bob Mackay who you were an assistant coach for. How do you feel like the program has progressed since taking over?
Chris Tissot: Well obviously the program has had an amazing history with former players like Alexander Sarkissian who won state in 2011 and was a NCAA finalist for Pepperdine University in 2014 and Dylan Kim who won state in 2007. Taking over last year was tough because I had taken over the women's program at Palomar College in 2017 and was brought in to rebuild it.
Alex Leon: And then coming back here in 2017 you didn't really have any players to start off with?
Chris Tissot: Yeah that was definitely a struggle. Coming in so late I didn't have much time to recruit for the 2018 season but I had a good group of guys that definitely had good fighting spirit and we definitely competed.
Alex Leon: If you can, can you explain a little further about that?
Chris Tissot: Well the one thing I don't think people realize is how good this level is. Kevin Orellana and David Preciado from last year were good players and in the low 10's in the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) and were struggling at the 1 and 2 spots. The highest guy last year had a Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) of 13.75 which is pretty much pro level. I think every time we have a new class of freshman that come in, people don't realize how good the competition is at this level.
Alex Leon: Very true. Knowing from last year to this year what changes did you make going into your second season?
Chris Tissot: Well I think a lot of people know that Glendale College has one of the top programs in the state and in the nation. Aggressively went out and talked with a lot of junior athletes that may have not gotten the scholarship offer they were hoping for at the 4 year level and were hoping to get something better.
Alex Leon: Can you go further into that?
Chris Tissot: I think most junior athletes definitely have their hopes on certain schools when they get into their senior year in high school. Most have been playing the sport their entire lives and a lot reach that point where their goal in tennis is to compete for that University and a lot don't get the attention they are hoping for.
Alex Leon: Why do you think that is?
Chris Tissot: I think two reasons. The first being that playing division 1 tennis is a very high level of tennis. Most schools want juniors that are in the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) 12's to begin with. The second reason is tennis is very much a world sport. I think a lot of juniors in the US don't realize that you're not just competing against Americans to get into a University but players from all over the world.
Alex Leon: Do you think that has a negative impact on college tennis?
Chris Tissot: Yes and no. It is a pretty complicated answer but I think for most juniors they don't know of all the options to get into a NCAA Division 1 university.
Alex Leon: So when you talk with juniors like a Mark Peneff what is their goal in tennis?
Chris Tissot: Mark is one of those players that didn't really get what he was hoping for out of high school. And Mark is a really good player who has now gotten into the 12's in the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). Alex Sarkissian was the same way being a blue chip recruit and after 1 year getting a full ride to Pepperdine. Their goals like most kids is they want to compete at a high level and like most juniors NCAA Division 1 is the dream.
Alex Leon: So when you first meet Mark Peneff how does a place like Glendale help accomplish that?
Chris Tissot: Well I think two fold. Just like Alex Sarkissian the level of tennis is incredible high. People don't realize but Brad Gilbert played California Community College tennis. You won't find any other place in the US where you can play some of the best players in the country. Because of that, players that might need a year or two to get better to improve their tennis and opens doors to transfer onto a NCAA Division 1 or 2 school.
Alex Leon: Know most tennis juniors are pretty smart kids academically. Do you get any juniors that are hesitant about a place like Glendale College?
Chris Tissot: Of course. Tennis juniors are some of the smartest kids you will come across. I never get a tennis kid who struggles in the class room. Most are usually the top in their school and going onto top universities. I think one of the big things that most tennis juniors don't realize is there is no place you can't go to out of a place like Glendale. We transfer kids all the time for academics to USC, UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD and more. One of my good friends that I played with Kevin White from Valencia was a 4.0 student and went onto San Diego State and graduated in mechanical engineering. I think when most players I talk with realize the benefits they make the decision to come.
Alex Leon: Now if you can tell me about how the season progressed for you guys?
Chris Tissot: Well going into the year you're always hoping everyone is healthy and ready to compete. Going in we didn't look at any obstacle as too big but rather how can we achieve it. Winning conference was obviously our main goal even though we knew we would have a tough opponent with Ventura College. I think after our first loss I sat down with our guys and let them know that every opponent is a dangerous opponent and to prepare and be ready for everyone.
Alex Leon: Do you think there were any matches that could have gone different or done differently?
Chris Tissot: I think going in I didn't think there was a team we couldn't beat this year. I always felt like our level was going up every match and didn't see an opponent we couldn't compete with. I think you can always look back and learn from a loss and take that and adapt for the next match. I think our last playoff match was definitely a tough match that could have gone either way.
Alex Leon: Now going into next year what makes you excited about going into next year's season.
Chris Tissot: Well I think most importantly is we have a good group of guys returning and new freshman that will definitely increase our level for next year.
Alex Leon: If a potential player is interested in joining the team how should they get ahold of you?
Chris Tissot: I think the best way is send me an email at ctissot@glendale.edu. If you check out our page and you're interested in the program please contact me and would definitely can tell you more about the program. I think that we have not just an amazing program here at Glendale College but academic wise we are one of the top in the state.
Alex Leon: What type of player are you interested in joining the program here at Glendale College.
Chris Tissot: Well first and foremost we want good people. People who are going to represent the values we have at Glendale College with integrity, honesty and hard work. Someone who is coming in and has goals and doesn't want to settle for second best. A competitor and who will give 100% on the court but also in the classroom.
Alex Leon: I think that is something that has always stood out for as long as I can remember in the program.
Chris Tissot: Very much so. From Bob Mackay to Bob Donaghy, our goal has always been academics first. You come to Glendale to be a student first and tennis athlete second. That is what we strive for at Glendale College.