1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Nebraska Men's Tennis Coach Peter Kobelt: November 6th, 11:00am

Episode Date: November 6, 2025

Nebraska Men's Tennis Coach Peter KobeltAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the heart of Lincoln America, a 93-7-the-ticket and the ticketfm.com. Here is your host, Derek Pearson, brought to by Canopy Street Market. Thursday morning food. It is gorgeous. Welcome to a gorgeous Thursday, Lincoln, Nebraska. Well, Doug. Mother Nature, you paint the pretty picture.

Yes, you do. 4-0-6-4-5 is the Sarvehian text line. There we go. Look at Bach in mid-rally, scrambling. Scramble, Bach. Get back to the core. Dominate the net, Bach. Let's go. You can follow

on all the live videos streams, Facebook, YouTube, X, A-o-Tenel, Channel 961, the ticket app, and Amazon. Prime. It is an honor, a joy, a pleasure. And we will do this. Special guests in the house.

He's family now, so he can't get away. We claim him. But Bach, kind, sir, before we introduce our guest today, pay the bills, sir, pay the bills. Yes, today's show is sponsored by Hamilton Telecommunications, bringing you the latest quality technology and

communication services since 1901. Whether it's residential or business, as Hamilton has the answers. Visit Hamilton tell.com for more info today. Thank you, kind, sir. Bach, I'm also going to task you. I'll send you the song from the musical Hamilton. Whenever we do that read, we need to play the course of them just screaming out,

Hamilton. I think that could be a bad. We need to just do that. Let's bring him in. Head tennis coach, Huskers, Peter Cobelt. Coach, good morning, tell you what's happening. What's up, D.P. What's up, Bach? How are we doing? Look at Bob. What do you, what are you wearing today? I have a hosker sweatshirt. Okay. It's a little old. No, but it's, it's that time, right? That, that Bach has transitioned from his little brother's t-shirts to, to, to, to, to, to, to, he's getting cold out, yeah.

He's transitioned from trying to flex on us tonight. Well done. Coach, busy times in sports, busy times. on campus busy times with your young men and then in the building in which you reside there's a tennis event going on there is yeah explain to folks what's happening at the dillian tennis center yeah there's a there's a women's professional tennis tournament going on um you have some of some of the best talent in you know in this part of the country and then the world coming to lincoln to to compete for some ATP points here right here in lincoln so if you have some time um it's a It's a great event. It's free.

You can come by. The schedules are online. The ITF website, you can find the schedules there. But come by anytime I think matches will go until about seven or eight o'clock tonight and come and watch some tennis play at a really high level. Yeah, I'm going to pop in this afternoon a bit and say hello to Herman and crew. There you go. And have you gotten into the much request for tennis lessons? So there's, you know, for me, I'm obviously super busy with the team and everything that comes

with being a head coach here. But I just, I opened up a sports club. So anyone that lives within 50 miles can technically join the sports club and take a lesson for me or anyone on our staff, which is great. I think that's how you kind of build things here. Obviously, I don't have enough time to give everyone a tennis lesson in town. So I try and focus more on the, the, the, the, the, the, players that, you know, are very serious about tennis and really want to get a dig into it and

dive into it a bit more. So, you know, that's, that just started about six months ago. So trying to build it up a little bit more over the holidays. You know, now it's starting to slow down a little bit for us, not, not a whole lot, but a little bit. So starting to maybe do a little bit of that interacting with the community a little bit more and then get ready for the season in January. What would say you, a parent out there that has a tennis player that is interested and intrigued and motivated enough to say, hey, mom, dad, I want to get better. Is that who's reaching out to you? Is that kind of the ideal situation to say, hey, listen, let's help build it that way? Yeah, a lot of times. Or if there's a, you know, a lot of the coaches here in town be like, hey,

you know, this kid's pretty good. I think you should take a look at them. Maybe there's something, there's something here that you can help them with that we can't help them with. So there's a little bit of that. And then, you know, every now and then you run into this kid that just loves it and wants it. And the parents are looking to do more for them. So there's a few cases of both. But you get a combination and then you try and bring everyone together

and see if there's something we can help them with. What do we say? Is that a way to maybe engage some of your young men? in an NIL fashion to have those hit around where maybe it's just, you know, an hour of hitting, hitting balls and talking to these athletes. Is that a thing that can be done or should be done?

It can, I believe it can be done for American student athletes. The international piece, there's still the visa requirement where you can't do anything in person here in the United States for an NIL deal. So I'm still learning exactly. exactly what all that means, what we can and can't do with our student athletes, but we're working on it. And, you know, I think as we learn more and how things are still changing and evolving in that space, I think hopefully in the near future, there'll be more updates and things that we can,

things that we can and we can't do still. So let me ask you, coach. Let's remove the coach title for as much as we can in a public conversation. What are your thoughts on the limitations put on the international student athletes? Is there a way? Is there a sound way, a simple way to simplify this process and those agreements? Is there a need for it? I could be wrong in saying there may not be a need for it. But in my mind, there should be some allowances and a simple balance of allowing those young people to thrive in the environments they're in.

yeah so i think you know i think at at the end of the day for for all this to change they would need to come over on a different visa they would need to come over on on some kind of work visa and they would and for that to happen they would have to go from student athletes to employees so probably collective bargaining at some point or consultant or you know i haven't looked too much. I haven't gone down that rabbit hole too far. You know, we have great resources at the university, and that's what they do. They think about all that stuff all the time. They kind of report back to us, but, but yeah, I mean, they come in on student visas, and while you're a student, you can't work for anything while you're here. You can't earn an income while you're, while you're on a

student visa. So that's the, that's the biggest hold up for all the international student athletes. I think they're still getting a great deal. They still get an education. They still get to play tennis. they get all the everything else that you can get all the other resources that you can benefit from here or anywhere else you still get all that you just can't you know uh work so i think in the future well this stuff change i think you know that might have to go you know to different levels of of the government and congress and all that stuff i you know i'm not a politician by any means but but I think having to work out some kind of deal or work with the higher ups you know between the you know college sports the NCAA and in Congress to figure something out

but for now that's kind of the way it is yeah I mean because that that age limit thing it doesn't work in tennis because you can be a pro and be paid and that money is generally put in trust of some sort which is a another way to handle some of this sort of thing. It also, Bach and I sit here on a day-to-day basis, and a lot of the conversations from fans and supporters is that, well, these guys and girls are paid now. These are pro athletes.

You're getting, you're receiving benefit. Well, this removes that whole discussion. Because if you can't, if you can say that they're not that, then you about any sport, then you have to say that about every sport. That you can't say, well, now we can hold them at to a little. different level of accountability because they're their workers or their their pros yeah i honestly don't know how it goes it's going to go from here um that's why we really rely on you know uh mr danan and jonathan bateman and in the guys that handle you know that's that stuff um and then they

you know obviously they you know they're as aggressive and and at at finding out the right answers as as anybody i've i've heard at least so i mean i really trust what those guys have to say. But, yeah, I mean, the definition of a student athlete is definitely changing. So, and I would just say, like, you know, things are changing. And for us here in Nebraska, like the people, we all just got to get on board with it and do our best to support the school and everything that the school is trying to accomplish from not just a, you know, football or volleyball standpoint,

but all the programs, you know, we're all trying to win and adapt. and, you know, do it the best out of everyone else in the country. A conversation with Husker men's head coach, men's tennis head coach, Peter Cobalt, and interesting times because I always say that no sport is an island unto itself, and it has to pay attention to all the things that happen around it in this surrounding space. In sports news, some of the stories are kind of far stretch. one betting, gambling being a big part of the discussion, whether it be U.S.C., NBA, NFL, et cetera. And then that on the pro-level extent, it is a simple, small bridge to college sports and college athletics.

Yep. What are the conversations that you have with your players about staying as far away from gambling as possible and the people that are involved in it? Yeah, I mean, none of the rules have changed. So there's absolutely, you know, gambling and, you know, fantasy leagues, all that stuff is highly off limits. And, you know, they know that we have, you know, the athletic department speaks to all the student athletes at the beginning of the year. There's stuff that we do internally as a team before the year starts, you know, letting them know, like this is not acceptable and not tolerated. So until the rules change, that's the way it is. And will they change?

I don't know. Sounds like there's a chance that at least in some way, shape, or form it could change in the future. But again, like, that's not something that I'm thinking about or worrying about very often. And, you know, Mr. Dannen and everyone in the athletic department who's going to have to deal with that if it does happen, you know, we're more than capable of handling. that if it does come up all the resources that we have here that can navigate that space for everybody here for sure i have to say publicly that i am constantly amazed by the coaches ability to be boundary setters about things that quite frankly may not be in their their normal strength utility belt that you're you're literally learning as you go

and as it evolves, you have to either be proactive in your reaction, right, in your, in your stance, or you have to be super reactive to new rules that affect the people that are in your care. And that you're still here taking care of some people's sons. 100%. Right? Like in the end, we can talk about a lot of simple stuff, but you're committed and promised to take care of people's sons in a way that they would think is honorable and good. And then in a way that the university would think is honorable, good.

And then you have to. You have to. So what are the voices in your head? Is this parents, coaches, other coaches, what, where do you get your boundaries from? For you specifically? Yeah, I mean, for sure. all the, you know, it's not just, it's not just our players, but it's our staff and it's the whole athletic department, you know, the, you know, we all have to be able to work together and trust

each other that we all, we're all out for each other's best interest. So it's, it's, it's more than just a student athlete thing. But at the end of the day, like, you know, you're, you're, you're having to sit down with these parents and talk to them and tell them like, hey, like, um, you know, they have to be able to trust me that I'm going to, you know, not just make them a better tennis player, but they're going to do well in school. They're going to grow as young, young men and and you know my goal is always to leave something um better than when i where i found it and that's just not from a you know a tennis standpoint it's the whole the whole aspect but i think it all started with my parents and how they raised me you know they always you know i always had to

say please and thank you and yes sir and yes ma'am and um you know i come from a family that was religious or is religious, you know, not over the top or anything, but, you know, I went to church on Sundays and I was an altar server. I did the whole, the whole church thing. And I think, you know, you know, how you grow up and the things that you learn in those, in those ages really forms who you are as a person. So I think my parents did a great job and I wouldn't trade my mom or my dad for anyone else's mom or dad. That's, you know, I'm, I really truly feel like that. But, you know, And as I've gone through, you know, the coaches that I've worked with have obviously played a big impact in my life showing me, you know, each coach you learn something different from and you take stuff, different stuff from. And then, you know, just mentors. You know, there's a few of them here at the school, you know, that I really trust and rely on. And I know when they speak to me and communicate to me, it's with a lot of wisdom. You know, I always say a smart guy gets himself out of a situation, a wise guy never puts himself in. So every day I go through life, I try and take that analogy and put it forward.

And I obviously make mistakes. But, you know, when someone is in front of you with a lot of wisdom, I'm very observant and pay close attention for sure. It's a big part of it. Peter Crowbell, Hustker Tennis. I don't know that it's that much more specific to your sport and this team and your program, but it appears to be so that with foreign players, foreign student athletes, one, the recruiting process is different because there are different conversations that have

to take place with the parents that are involved, right? And sometimes that's not easy to do. And then culturally, when they get here, there are things that within their home life, there are things that were so deeply ingrained, just like with your family. You went to church on Sunday and you had a belief system. and their meals that you eat and traditions that you honor, you now bring the world with you into Lincoln, Nebraska, and those young men are really trying not to be put on an island

about who they are, what they believe, and where they're from. Sure. I mean, when you go through the recruiting process, you kind of feel a lot of those things out, and you're like, okay, like, you know, it's not only the student athletes, their family as well. I think you learn, you know, a lot from the parents and how they do things. You know, because I believe the apple never falls too far from the tree.

So that's, that's a big deal for us. But, but, but yeah, I mean, you know, these, these conversations that you have are, you know, they're extremely important. And, you know, I'm, I'm kind of, can you go over that second part of the question again? I'm kind of blanking on a little bit. Because they're on an island. And the things that you promised parents in their little. living room or on a Zoom call. And then they come here to Lincoln, Nebraska.

And I can say Lincoln is diverse, but I can tell you that a lot of the cultural, religious, spiritual, nutritional things, all the habits. Sure. And they come to you as they are. Like they're just like, hey, coach, there's a blind spot or there's a hole or there's something missing. And they have to explain all of that to you. And then you have to consume it and be.

aware that, oh, this is a spiritual time for him, or this is a time where he's missing out on something from home, and then you have to be, yeah, kind of have to fill that void for them. Yep. So I think it works both ways in the recruiting. The family and the student athletes are obviously, or the recruits are obviously looking for a coach that maybe can help them with some of these things. And we're also, we're also looking for, you know, the same things, just from an opposite standpoint and that's where I think you get the you know that like a marriage almost where it's really it really clicks and then when they come obviously that's why it's great to have them for four years and that's why the transfer portal so difficult is sometimes you just don't have enough time to really

to gel it as as as close as you really could or you really can and that's why you know I still believe that you know the the natural recruiting process is still the healthiest and you can make the most impact on a student athlete that way, but they all come different. They all come different with different things that they're very good at and some things they need to improve on. And that's, you know, that's part of the fun is getting everyone to buy into each other and learn about each other. And, you know, we're going through that right now as a team.

And, you know, we're having some meetings and team meetings, individual meetings, talking about how everything's going on the court, off the court with the team. And the guys are, we're starting to come together a little bit more now. coach. So it just takes time. And that's, you know, that's the hard part is that sometimes you don't know how much time it's going to take. But if you buy into the process and you, you do the things, you know, the way we're asking them to do, which we think is the right way, then eventually, you know, they'll, they'll get to where they need to be. Coach, it, it, through what we do here, and a lot of the conversations that take place, I get those red flag, green flag things all the time

about who coaches are as people and then who they are, how they're processing as a coach. It gives me great joy to hear you talk about the way you process for you young men. I have to say that because not all coaches get it. You do. This program is in great hands. We'll go to break. We'll come back. We'll have him break down what's going on with the guys and talk a little bit about the travel and the recruiting because it always evolves in some of the stories change in sports.

So we have to track that. So Peter Cobelt, Bach, DP. We'll be right back. by searching 93.7 the ticket in your app store. You're listening to one-on-one with DP on 937 the ticket and the ticketfm.com.