“I’ve had a number of international recruits over the years and I’ve come to see that their main intentions are to be able to, first and foremost receive a great education and that’s what UMass provides,” Dixon said.
Dixon began recruiting international players since she began her tenure, starting mostly in Canada.
“There’s a lot of good young talent up north and we really tried to sell the educational aspect because most of the athletes we get here at UMass want a quality education before anything else,” Dixon said. “Being able to play tennis at a high collegiate level is very important to them, but a lot of recruits come to America because of the education and what it can do for them down the road.”
Maintaining a quality education is exactly what Dixon wants for her players because she knows a degree will take them farther than tennis can.
“I expect my players to maintain high grades because I have high standards for them,” Dixon said. “I just want the best for them after they leave here.”
Since she began coaching the Minutewomen, Dixon has built lasting relationships with both the players she recruits and the representatives who help those players make decisions on their futures.
“Over the years, I’ve felt it’s important to maintain constant contact with agents from other countries because you get a good idea about players you may want to approach from eye witnesses who see them play and I trust their opinions,” Dixon said.
With pipelines established in countries such as Spain, Germany and Poland, Dixon has recently expanded her recruiting trail to parts of the United States, including California and Arizona.
“This year was our first out west recruiting,” she said. “You not only have a unique opportunity to see players you might have not seen back east, but also get a good sense of how other schools recruit and where they might direct their attention. That’s valuable knowledge to have moving forward.”
The coach has a track record of success, including notable alumnus Sasha Edelstein ’05, who was a former No. 1 singles player for Dixon and is currently employed on Wall Street for Citigroup.
UMass will welcome two new international tennis players this upcoming year in Clara Matias from Barcelona and Yuliana Motyl from Toronto. They will join current international players who have found a home on campus and in the Amherst community.
“We feel that we’ve built a great place here for players coming from overseas,” Dixon said. “We understand how difficult it may be for some players to adjust to life in America and we are there for them every step of the way.”
Dixon believes the future of the program is in great shape with the ability to improve recruiting every year.
“With a great class coming in and a great year coming up, we feel that we can now recruit even better players,” she said. “People know UMass for its competitive nature and quality education, and if we can take the program even higher, it will allow us go out and get players spanning the globe. It’s exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Scott Cournoyer can be reached at [email protected].
