A Closer Look - Season 1 (Ettore Damiani)
On and off the court, Ettore Damiani has a reputation of being a team-oriented leader.
Before Damiani could pursue his dream of playing in America, he had to find a recruiter. After a rigorous search, he filled the position and spent a month in Florida with them to talk about potential recruiting opportunities.
“I wanted to attend a small school with a team that saw me as a teammate, not a number,” said Damiani. Luckily for the Italian, his recruiter had plenty of contacts, including Coach Steve Dahm.
“I spent two days in Aiken and before I left, Coach offered me a spot on the team,” recalled Damiani.
The player’s parents were thrilled about his choice to attend USC Aiken.
“They preferred a smaller school and knew it would be a good place for both a student and an athlete,” claimed Damiani.
Although an all-conference title comes with high expectations, Damiani was not worried about the pressure. Winning his first match gave him the confidence he needed to be successful through the rest of the season.
As far as the 2015 season goes, Damiani feels he can begin competing immediately with the number one ranked players on the top teams in the conference, like Armstrong Atlantic or Georgia College.
“There are so many good teams in the conference, but I know I can play at their level,” stated Damiani.
His goals for the upcoming season include working hard in practice, avoiding the mid-season plateau, and to get better each day.
Off the court, Damiani enjoys welcoming the players to the Aiken family.
“I like helping them adjust to the new environment,” said Damiani. “I want to help them feel like they are at home, and I don’t want them to feel any pressure from the rest of the team.”
The Italian said his new teammates are very talented and will help their team improve over the course of the season.
He also likes to help his teammates realize they are talented outside of the Peach Belt Conference.
“They can all play on a national level, but it starts with them believing in themselves,” remarked Damiani.
Although the men’s tennis team were surprised they did not make the PBC Tournament last season, they were thrilled to have found a place in the regional rankings.
After Damiani is finished with tennis, he plans to look for a job in America.
“I want to contact some companies and find a job in the US, but I also want to coach,” said Damiani.
Even though Damiani said it was too late for him to play on a professional level, he wants to keep playing for fun.
“It’s time for me to decide what I want to do after college,” said Damiani. “I’m doing an internship where I help student-athletes across the country contact each other.”
Damiani said he has already received offers to coach tennis while he pursues his MBA.
