ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – With one month under his belt at UCF, Director of Tennis John Roddick has been busy.
"I've been going through the search of hiring staff and new coaches," Roddick said. "It's taken up a lot of time, and I think we're on the right track with things. I've also started recruiting already, and that's gone very well. I really just hit the ground running. There's a lot going on."
While the position of 'Director of Tennis' is a new concept to UCF, several programs already utilize the position. Coach Roddick noted its value.
"I think having the Director position really ties the programs a little tighter," he said. "I can help from the administrative side. I think it allows us to work together a little bit more with things. You can have that help with recruiting, etc."
Roddick made sure that one of his first stops in Orlando was the USTA National Campus, which is set to open in January 2017.
"I think it's really going to end up being the epicenter of American tennis," Roddick said. "Being right in the middle of everything that is going on, from a tennis standpoint, in this country. The involvement in the tennis world at the highest level. That part is really exciting, not only for the coaches, but for the players."
Some members of the men's team donned their hard hats (safety first, of course) and joined Roddick at the construction site over the summer.
"We did a tour, and they were really excited about it," he said. "It's coming out of the ground and you can see now where everything is."
While most of the team is off campus for the summer, many of them are still in action, including incoming freshman Enrique Paya.
"Enrique advanced to Spanish under-18 national championship," Roddick said. "We're excited about that; he's obviously been playing some really good tennis."
The men's tennis team will return to campus for the start of the fall semester in August.