Tennis Club: BUCS W1 Captain

Tennis has not only been a big part of my university life but also my teenage years. Through the trainings, matches, and events, I've seen how much of a supportive and motivating environment this sport brings. Having good support can increase further enjoyment and competitiveness. 

As a player, I fully realize the balance between team morale and competition, even in a sport that emphasizes individual strength. People join tennis for many reasons: socialising, BUCS, competition, and rankings. I believe that strong leadership would mean including all those reasons within a team. Encouraging training consistency, positivity, and clear communication between the team and the committee would be top priorities for me. 

I'm detail-oriented, organized, and willing to hear out all your thoughts. Whether it's stepping into matches as a new member, or wanting to improve a certain technique, I want to be able to propel everyone towards their goals. 

Most importantly, maintaining a comfortable yet motivating team environment is extremely crucial to team success. Having an environment where people have the desire to improve and compete on their own brings a well-polished team together. With that, I want to improve overall team confidence, teamwork and commitment to the sport.

I am nominating myself to be the Women’s 1st Team Tennis Captain. I offer a blend of high-level competitive experience and the rigorous discipline required to lead at UCL. Balancing a professional tennis career with full time academic excellence in high school taught me to manage high pressure situations and schedules efficiently. I will apply the same skillset and endurance to complete my duties as captain promptly and effectively, by tracking court bookings, match schedules, and ensuring consistent communication with team members and the Student Union. 

Additionally, my background as a tennis coach has shaped me into a constructive, resilient leader, who remains calm in high stakes situations and finds solutions to unexpected issues. My goal is to foster an inclusive team culture where every player feels valued, creating a strong team morale. As an active member of this team, I have seen first-hand how a collective spirit translates into success on the court, and that strong player bonds can be the foundation of victory. I am ready to apply my high energy and dedication in order to uphold these standards and meticulously achieve a successful season that reflects our potential. 

My aims include creating a positive environment, facilitating growth and supporting high performance within the team. I intend to lead by example, providing tactical grit and reliability for my teammates, allowing our team to focus on winning as well as cultivating an enjoyable season.

Joining tennis has been the best decision I’ve made since coming to UCL. The friendships and sense of community have made my university experience far more enjoyable.

The team stood out in how welcoming it was. Our captain ensured we felt valued, regardless of year or experience. Moving from a small village to London was challenging and at times lonely, so that sense of belonging made a huge difference. Matches became something I looked forward to rather than another pressure.

As captain, I would prioritise preserving that culture. I am naturally competitive but I also understand the importance of enjoying tennis rather than focusing solely on results. When players feel supported, they compete with confidence, allowing them to perform at their best.

Tennis has been central to my life since I was four. At ten, I ranked second nationally and played for Team GB before cerebellitis ended my professional goals. That experience taught me resilience and reinforced that sport is about perseverance and passion, not just outcomes.

Studying medicine has strengthened my discipline and ability to manage pressure. Despite the intensity of 2nd year medicine, I remained committed. Next year, during my intercalation in Clinical Neurology, I will have greater flexibility, making it the ideal time to take on captaincy.

Tennis has shaped who I am, and I would love the opportunity to help shape the next chapter of this team.

Hi, my name is Zoe Calati and I am running for the W1 Captain position.

Being a part of W1 has been the highlight of my first year here at UCL, and I think that's largely down to the captain, my teammates and the atmosphere which they create. From the Wednesday socials to the weekend training to all the BUCS matches (and lots of Nando's), the organisation and dedication to creating a team both off and on the court has been great to see and is something that I want to maintain and develop further.

As captain of the W1 team, my main goal would be to continue to develop the team dynamic, contributing to well planned and executed socials and of course our on court wins against other teams, but especially kings. I pride myself on being organised, communicative and reliable. I'm a strong team player and I've shown my commitment this year through my attitude and involvement in the society as a whole.  On the court, I have experience motivating others, planning and organising drills and entire sessions, through my experience as an LTA level 2 tennis coach –all skills I would bring directly to leading the team.

The support and kindness within the team has been amazing and they have really helped me find my feet as both a tennis player and a person at uni. If i'm chosen as the new W1 captain i will help us achieve a strong league finish, develop the team spirit on and off the court and, of course, secure a big win over Kings.