Cristina Moros is the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of South Florida. She was a four-time All-American at the University of Texas before moving into the world of high-performance junior development. Cristina came to college tennis relatively late in her coaching career but has wasted no time in becoming one of our most respected coaches at the Division I level.
In this podcast we discuss why she chose to leave high-performance junior tennis for the college coaching world, what key lessons she learned playing for Jeff Moore, how she balances work and family as a single mother, and gather some of her perspectives on being a woman of color in the world of intercollegiate athletics plus a lot more.
Key parts of this conversation have been minute-marked for your listening convenience:
- 01:23 - How did Jeff Moore influence you as a college tennis coach?
- 03:47 - Are you cultivating Jeff's high-level competitiveness culture in your team?
- 05:53 - Why did you take a long break between your college playing career and becoming a college tennis coach?
- 07:56 - Do you regret the decision to not become a Top 50 player and continue a professional career?
- 08:46 - What pushed you over the edge to become a college tennis coach?
- 10:50 - How do you think you have evolved over the last few years as a coach?
- 12:58 - How do you connect with your student-athletes?
- 15:25 - Do you use social media to connect with your current student-athletes?
- 17:10 - Do you have any tips/insights for how you manage your time so well?
- 20:51 - Why do you believe it is important to serve college tennis and what advice do you have for coaches to get involved?
- 22:46 - Do you believe that being a woman of color has hurt you from a recruiting standpoint?
- 25:28 - How can we increase the level of diversity among college tennis?
- 29:30 - Is there a book that has had a major impact on you as a coach?
- 30:20 - Do you have a favorite drill?
- 32:08 - What is one thing you've changed your mind on in recent years in coaching or in life?
- 32:59 - What is your favorite quote?
- 33:41 - What is one lesson you hope your players have learned by the time they leave your program?
For Cristina's book recommendation, "Sum It Up" by Pat Summit, click here!
