Spring Break
Couch potato now team captain
RACHEL BOWERS
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Sports
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He didn't want sweat beading on his brow while the sun pounded down on him.
"I actually hated tennis when I first [moved] to Athens. I was a pretty lazy kid," said Josh Varela of the Georgia men's tennis team. "All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch TV. "
Varela eventually grew out of that phase. He went from a couch potato munching on afternoon snacks to being a part of two national championship teams and leading this year's No. 3 Georgia squad.
Not only is Varela a key component of the tennis squad, he captains it. And after growing up a youngster in neighboring Watkinsville, where it was difficult to find quality training and play, according to Varela, he now takes his role as captain seriously, and appreciates it.
"I feel like I've stepped up on the tennis court to inspire [teammates] to want to do better," Varela said. "Hopefully, I've inspired them to be just as good of captains as I am, and previous captains."
Varela inspires through his emotion and intensity, which he displays while playing tennis. But he can't put a finger on where his intensity comes from, saying that he does a 180 while he is off the court.
"I'm actually a really chill guy off the court. I'm actually not really like that off the court. I don't know where it comes from. It's not that I love to win so much," Varela said. "I just want to win for my team and win for Georgia."
Beneath Varela's desire to win at all costs and inspire his fellow teammates on the court, reality is creeping up on him slowly and will arrive come May.
Graduation.
The end of college tennis and competitive tennis.
The senior said he will not pursue professional tennis and hopes to end his career on a high note.
"This is it for me. I got a month and a half left, so I got to make it worthwhile," Varela said. "It's going to be bittersweet. My body is kind of falling apart, but I'm going to miss this game a lot. I'm going to miss the guys mostly. College tennis has been good to me."
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