Freddy Murray is revelling in collegiate tennis life after enjoying a significant first few months stateside.
The Belfast teenager is back home for Christmas after spending a semester training and competing at the University of North Carolina Asheville.
College tennis has recently proven a hugely successful pathway to the upper echelons of the sport, with British No.1 Cameron Norrie among those to kickstart their careers in the system.
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And as Murray looks to continue his development in the sport, he admits that the student environment has been an entirely unique experience so far.
“It’s actually very different to what I was used to training back home, because you’re always with your team and you always train as a team,” said Murray.
“It’s very different in that way because before when I trained it would just be me, who I was playing with and sometimes my coach.
“Another thing was not having my usual coaches around to coach me. It was definitely a bit difficult at the start but I got used to it, the coach got to know me a little bit better.
“In the tournaments, you’re allowed your whole team supporting you throughout the match, and your coach can talk to you in between points and during the changeovers - which you can’t really do anywhere else.”
A significant part of college sport is the team environment, with colleges often competing against each other in varying divisions and championships across a wide range of sports.
And Murray, 19, believes that the camaraderie and support generated by his fellow players in Asheville has pushed him to new heights.
The Northern Irish star, one of over 1,000 athletes in the early stages of their career supported by SportsAid each year, added: “That bit of extra clapping and support from your teammates encourages you that little bit more.
“In my first tournament it definitely helped – particularly in one match.
“I lost the first set pretty easily and then the team lifted me up, and I won in three sets. I think if that had been a normal match with nobody there, I would have lost in straight sets. In moments like that it definitely helps.
“I know some other people who didn’t go to college and just stayed at home to train, but I think what I did was better, with the financial aspect and training. It’s such a good environment to be in.”
Boost Drinks provides young athletes with financial support, recognition, and personal development opportunities through its partnership with SportsAid. Each athlete receives a £1,000 award which contributes towards costs such as travel, accommodation, and equipment – for more information visit www.boostdrinks.com
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