Live at the Collegiate Open: The Evolution, Impact, and Insights from FGCU's Coaches

Get ready for a thrilling journey as we sit down with the dynamic duo of Courtney Vernon, the head coach of the FGCU women's tennis team, and Davidson Koslowski, the FGCU men's tennis team's new head coach. Together, hosted by the Director of Instruction at Bonita Bay Club and former FGCU men's coach CJ Weber, we journey through time, tracing the evolution of the prestigious collegiate tennis tournament at BBC. Courtney opens up about the exhilaration of witnessing the tournament's transformation. Davidson paints a vivid picture of the event that has surpassed all others in his two-decade-long coaching career. 

As we navigate through the episode, Courtney and Davidson peel back the curtain on the world of coaching at FGCU, unraveling the nuances of managing fresh team dynamics and fostering a nurturing habitat for their student-athletes. You'll hear about the thrilling new additions to the women's team and the unique, competitive edge they bring. Davidson shares his wisdom on maintaining discipline and composure, a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy. We also explore the unparalleled opportunities and experiences the FGCU Collegiate Open offers these young athletes. It's an episode overflowing with insights, reminiscences, and an unbridled passion for tennis. Don't let this one pass you by!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

All right, benita Bay Club, you got CJ Weber right here, the director of instruction here at the sports center, and I've got a very, very special podcast for us. Today I got two of the greatest coaches in Southwest Florida in the entire country Courtney Vernon, on the women's side, the head coach at FGCU. Welcome, courtney.

Speaker 2: 0:24

Thanks for having me, cj.

Speaker 1: 0:27

All right and and FGCU's new men's tennis coach, Davidson Koslowski. Welcome to Benita Bay Club, Davidson. Thanks, CJ.

Speaker 3: 0:37

Glad to be here.

Speaker 1: 0:39

All right, well, let's get started right away. We'll start with Courtney, because Courtney is very familiar with Benita Bay Club and has been involved here for her entire time here at FGCU. And so, courtney, I'd like for you to talk one a little bit about your involvement with the collegiate open. I remember about five years ago, as when this tournament started and Paula came to me and you and presented the vision of having a college tournament at, you know, one of the biggest country clubs in the area, and and so just talk about the birth of this tournament a little bit.

Speaker 2: 1:16

Well, what immediately comes to my mind is wow, this has really grown a lot in the last five years from our first initial talks when we sat here and we didn't know what it would even look like or how the community would really be involved and we had to now see the amount of people that are supporting it and housing players and the organization. It's absolutely amazing to see it morph into something probably one of the best run collegiate events by far the best event in the fall for collegiate athletes to come to. So it's been really neat to see it grow so much and we're just so grateful for the amount of community support and it's all run just by all the members here and it's very special.

Speaker 1: 2:10

Yeah, wow, I appreciate you bringing that up because you're right, when we first started this we didn't know what it would turn into. We didn't know how popular the event might be and and the first year or two, I know, the FGCU players weren't weren't even housed, and we eventually got that going. So to see what it's turned into, that's, that's actually pretty special.

Speaker 2: 2:33

And I think one other thing that is interesting is that every team is begging to come back every year. You know like there are many teams that want to be involved in this event and that email me, but the teams that are coming say, please. You know, our athletes have such a great time in housing with the members of such a great experience. They, they want to be a part of it, and I think that just testament to this place and what they do for all of us.

Speaker 1: 3:05

Right. So, courtney, you have a great appreciation of the history behind this tournament and everything. Let's shift over to Davidson. Over here we have fresh blood here at FGCU and this is your, your first year here at Benita Bay Club. What's your first impression of this place and the tournament? And I mean, you guys have only played one day. What's some of your first impressions?

Speaker 3: 3:27

First impressions are absolutely blown away. I've coached or played in the ACC, the SEC Conference, usa, missouri Valley, the Summit League and this by far is the greatest event, honestly, that that we had ever participated in. When you're comparing it to a team event, it's unbelievable and we're excited and couldn't be happy that we get to be involved in this event. It's sad that our conference tournaments can't, can't step up, but thrilled that this area, that this club, that the members have embraced the vision you guys spoke of earlier and have built on it and have grown this event. I can't imagine what it can continue to grow into, but I, as a coach, and speaking of the players who were excited to come, and talking to the alumni that have been here before and just telling me how amazing this event would be and you never really know till you step on and start seeing some things but, honestly, in 20 plus years of college coaching, this is I'd say it is the best event I've been to. And yes, I've only been here for a day and a half, but as soon as I walked on the premises yesterday, thursday evening, I knew we were in for a special event and was was just blown away and in more than impressed of what they're able to do and what they're trying to do and what they're able to do here. It's special and I hope they know how much it really is impacting the student athletes, because they all talk about it and before I arrived on campus, again speaking with alumni oh, you're going to love the Benita Bay Classic, you're going to love that event.

Speaker 3: 4:57

I didn't know what to expect. I just thought, okay, yeah, we'll just go down and play another event, it'll be nice, we'll be there. And then you experience it. I'm telling you, the moment I walked on and saw the flags, the banners, the branding, this is an event, it's a special event and this is something that you hope. Those conference tournaments, the NCAA championships that your players will remember forever. You know wins and losses, those are the memories that they'll build. And this is it. This is special, this is amazing. So thank you to everybody in the past that got on board, thank you to everybody that's here now and in the future. This is special and I am so excited I got to experience it and I hope I have many more opportunities to be here.

Speaker 1: 5:42

Wow, davidson, I mean Benita Bay Club. Can you get a better first impression than that? I mean I know Benita Bay Club goes big and does everything fantastically.

Speaker 3: 5:54

CJ, you're getting to know me Above and beyond, and that's the only way I like to go is big man.

Speaker 1: 5:58

You go bigger, you don't go. I mean that's incredible. And I mean Davidson has been in coaching for a long time and, I know, played at Florida State and Courtney's coached all over the place, and so I hope our membership recognizes how special you guys are to the coaches and the student athletes. And well, now here that I work at Benita Bay Club, I get to experience this every day. But this really is a special place and we just thank the membership for embracing this tournament and embracing college tennis, because it's something that so many of us are so passionate about.

Speaker 1: 6:34

So, courtney, I'd like to go back over to you and you mentioned how schools just want to keep coming back here and one of the things that was part of the vision was attracting top collegiate talent to Southwest Florida, to FGCU in our backyard, and all three of us here know as me, being a former mid-major coach and you guys going through the grind right now how difficult it can be to sometimes be an aspiring mid-major team and attract those schools to be in your backyard. And, courtney, why don't you talk about the journey of attracting these types of schools? I mean this year you have Notre Dame, purdue, memphis, I mean all three of those schools just have massive athletic history and the importance and the specialty of being able to get programs like that you know in this area.

Speaker 2: 7:37

Yeah, quite a few things go through my mind. I think in the fall especially, sometimes it is hard to get full teams to commit to events. That's for a couple different reasons how collegiate tennis is set up. But I think the big thing when I have spoken to schools about coming and now the word's out right, it's been five years and teams are trying to be involved.

Speaker 2: 8:02

But I think the big things that attract them to this event is it's not the ordinary go to a school play, go back to the hotel, you know, and go get a dinner at a restaurant. They are having the opportunity to engage with people and be at a beautiful facility and get to go stay in people's homes and get a home cooked dinner. And some of these athletes, you know, they're across the world from their families and they get a touch of family and they get a touch of home. So I think, for many reasons, the attraction now that we've kind of built the attraction and people know about this event and want to be involved I think those are some of the big reasons why the athletes are telling their coaches that we want to go back there and we want to be involved. So I don't know if that exactly answers your question, but that's just where my mind went.

Speaker 1: 8:57

Yeah, no, it's very interesting how you have been able to, you know, attract these schools and it really is special. I mean at FGCU, where I know that school is aspiring to be the best in the country and in order to be the best you have to be able to play the best. And it's very nice to have you know a club like Bonita Bay who is helping grow FGCU and helping FGCU and the student athletes accomplish their goals as well.

Speaker 2: 9:25

So yeah, definitely, and I think that, you know, not always the big schools are coming to our campus and now we have three, you know two very big schools just willing to be in our backyard, you know, and bring their whole teams in the fall, and I think it's just testament to the uniqueness of this event.

Speaker 1: 9:45

Yeah, very cool, all right. Well, let's shift gears a little bit. Let's go back over to Davidson over here. Davidson, this is your first year here at FGCU. You spent 11 years at Drake as the head coach there and did a fantastic job with that program. Why don't you highlight some of your first experiences here at FGCU and also maybe compare the two programs a little bit and what you kind of anticipate out of this job compared to you know what you learned and experienced at Drake.

Speaker 3: 10:16

Yeah, definitely CJ.

Speaker 3: 10:19

First, I want to touch a little bit more on the experience here and what our student athletes are, the opportunity for them here, and adding that in with what we were doing at Drake and we did a lot of mentoring and having, you know, professionals in the area come and speak with the team and this provides all these student athletes, regardless of level school, to come in and meet with and spend time with and be in front of, around successful people and for our student athletes to see that and be able to be exposed to that and communicate.

Speaker 3: 10:56

And we encourage them to ask questions, just kind of getting an idea of what were their journeys, what were their paths, how did they end up here at Benita Bay, this beautiful place, and just all of that. And I just think it's absolutely amazing to be able to expose the FGCU student athletes and any other program that wants to come down here and be a part of this event, just being around successful people. And no matter where I am in the country, I would always try to bring my team to this event just to put them in front and around those people. So, benita Bay members, again I thank you, I can't thank you enough and to probably even understand the impact that you are having and will continue to have and potentially have, on all these student athletes. So I sincerely thank you all, because you're providing a service to all of us that is beyond it's priceless. So thank you.

Speaker 1: 11:59

All right. Well, let's talk about our teams a little bit. It's okay, courtney, you have a lot of experience in this tournament and you have three new players on your team this year, and you know let's not forget about the competition and the fun it is to go out there and watch our players compete and do their best. What can we expect out of the FGCU ladies this weekend? Huh.

Speaker 2: 12:21

Ooh, that's always the question I ask what to expect. Who knows? I mean, I think the exciting thing about having new players and freshmen is sometimes it's the unknown of what might happen or what might not happen in terms of they're learning about themselves. They're learning about what it means to be a collegiate athlete and what it means to play in college and how to fight for a team instead of just fighting for themselves. So we have some very talented freshmen and we're just looking forward to watching them compete and see how it goes.

Speaker 1: 12:59

Well, I hope that one thing that our membership hears out of this is, courtney, emphasizing how the players are going to compete as a team, and it's just very that's a very special thing about college tennis is turning an individual sport into a team sport, and here at Benita Bay Club, we actually have to do that same exact thing. We have our members involved in a lot of league play. They have their teams, they have their captains. They need to make their decisions on the lineup. They need to know who they're going to be playing with. So, I mean, I think our members can come out to this and watch how these student athletes interact with each other, how they compete as a team, and maybe we can learn some lessons there, courtney. I mean, what type of lessons do you think the members can learn to bring into their league play? What's some of that goal that you teach your ladies out there?

Speaker 2: 13:52

Just get one more ball back.

Speaker 1: 13:56

Courtney always keeps things super simple. Okay well, davidson, this is your first year here. You might not know exactly what to expect from a competition side of things. You know playing against new teams, maybe you do, but you have eight freshmen On the team, I believe. Nine players, eight freshmen quite the unique opportunity and challenge, I'm sure. But talk to me about what you expect out of your team this weekend.

Speaker 3: 14:26

I mean really our emphasis is really just learning how to keep themselves composed and disciplined. I mean that's it. It's just kind of managing the next point. I mean everybody gets engaged in a point and it's just kind of that reaction time. You know whether they win the point or lose the point and how they respond and get ready for that next shot. I mean you hear it all the time in golf and I think a lot of the Benita Bay members are also golfers and it's really that next shot it's not the shot you hit, it's how you respond with your next shot. So you hear with our guys it's just how are they learning to stay composed and be ready to play that next point? How do they react to the point they had just played? So that's what we're looking for, that's what we're talking about.

Speaker 3: 15:09

And I know you asked, courtney, you know, what do you want the members to look for? See if you can point that out. How did a player respond to the previous point they just played? Did that trickle into two or three good points? Did it trickle into two or three bad points? Or, you know, even if they lose the point, were they still playing a very competitive point after a tough point loss or a tough point win. It's just that next point. And how do they respond? So I mean eight freshmen, man, it is. It's a challenge, and I know you and I had been speaking about it and I know you have a newborn coming. Is that the right way to say it?

Speaker 3: 15:41

I have three kids but and I was thinking about that it's like you're getting ready to add a member to the family and then, all of a sudden, you're expecting, and then you hear it's twins, and then it's triplets or quadruplets, or sectaplets.

Speaker 1: 15:53

Well, I hope it's not bad for me in Monaco, but I'm pretty sure it's only one.

Speaker 3: 15:57

You know what, man, my fingers are crossed it is because that's what you left me with. So it's like you know, I could handle the freshmen, the two freshmen, but eight freshmen. It's just a little bit more work but it's the same stuff. It's just trying to manage all those newborns at one time and later nights a little less sleep, but it's fun and it definitely reminding me, or making me remember what it was like to be an early coach with that enthusiasm, you know, not needing to sleep and being ready to work, these guys. But it's fun and I have to recheck myself all the time. But again, my fingers are crossed that maybe there's another surprise in there for you, cj.

Speaker 1: 16:38

Well, I certainly appreciate that analogy, davidson, and I just want to thank both of you so much. You know FGCU is going to hold a special place in my heart always, and I just wish you guys nothing but the best. Courtney, I know you know you're always aspiring for big things for your girls, so I hope you have a really fun weekend with the ladies and a great season, and, davidson, with this being your initiation to FGCU, I really hope that you enjoy the school, enjoy the area and really have fun growing the program and making it your own. So thank you guys for what you've done for this event as well, and just best of luck with everything.

Speaker 2: 17:17

Thank you, cj. If I could just say one more thing, you know the women's team has been involved before I even came here 11 years ago, and 10 years ago Benita Bay started a scholarship for our team, and that has given us the opportunity to compete Like nothing else that this club could have given to us, and so I would be remiss if I just didn't take it Every opportunity. I have to thank Benita Bay for that part too, because that is a huge part of why we're even able to compete in matches like with these big schools, because of the generosity of them.

Speaker 1: 17:56

Absolutely. Very well said, All right guys. Well, I know you got big matches coming up, so get out there with your players. Let's get them prepared to compete hard and hopefully we see some good sportsmanship, some great team play and go out there and put on a show for us.

Speaker 3: 18:13

Yes, CJ, thank you very much and thanks to everybody.

Speaker 1: 18:17

All right, take care guys.