1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Nebraska Women's Tennis Coach German Dalmagro: February 26th

Episode Date: February 26, 2025

Nebraska Women's Tennis Coach German DalmagroAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's 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 you by Canopy Street Market. Boom. 12 noon, Wednesday, it is going to be a smoke show. I'm excited, I'm thrilled to have this happen. You can text in, and you have been active in it, so thank you for doing that.

Sarter Hamer text line is 402, 464-5. If you want to be a part of what we're doing it, again, the live video streams, you can follow us on Allo, Channel 961. You can follow us on Facebook, YouTube X as well, and as well you should. Great mission was to have Husker athletes and coaches stopped by the new location out of convenience to them, to the campus being closed, so it's not so intrusive to have them come do it.

But we've been talking about this for a minute. Nebraska women's tennis playing in one of the finer facilities in the country at Dillon. And I was amazed at how many people had not been to Dillon. So we've got to correct that. We've got to fix that. But Hermando Magro joins us. He's the head coach of Huskers Women's, tennis coach thank you for doing this no no thank you for having me i think this is a pleasure

it's it's interesting to me that in a football centric space you have identified this thing and you have to kind of rebrand reimagine nebraska women's tennis that's to a point i think they have some success um you know about 10 12 years ago. They were really good. And I think it's trying to get back to that. You know, I think we can, the landscape has changed a little bit. Women's tennis, you know, is considered, well, in tennis, in general, you know, outdoor sport, good weather, fair weather, location. And we're trying to try to change that, you know, make it, make it a, where Nebraska can't be that destination. You have a great outdoor facility, great indoor facility. Absolutely. But as you said,

climate certainly matters, especially for tennis, being able to work inside and out year-round. How does that impact or affect your recruiting? Because maybe the type of player that you, maybe where they're from kind of plays into it. How does it impact recruiting for you? It impacts big time. I think most players that where they think about going professional and they all think that they should be playing outside. But the reality is sometimes you have a lot of professional.

events, you know, indoors, but the majority are more geared towards outdoors and in good locations. So I think that the mindset of like you growing up playing tournaments or playing competitive, you always go to good locations, good weather to play those events. So you kind of associate the sport with being outdoors and sunny and good weather. So I think it's, it matters because now we have to identify, you know, athletes that want to come compete here. but also that they can play indoors and outdoors. We have before some players that can all play indoors as much, but we play about half the season inside.

So we'll have to make sure they can compete in both. Usually the best players can adjust. What's the parameter for the country in the Big Ten in deciding indoor versus outdoor? We have a rule, which is a weather rule. So we go, if it's 50 degrees and above, we have to play outside. and 50 and below we have to go indoors.

And then the wind has to be 20. If it's above 20 miles per hour, you have to move indoors. And if it's below 20, then you have to, you know, stay outside. So it can be tricky. It's a big difference when you play in outdoors with wind. And then you suddenly go indoors and no win. It makes a big difference. But, you know, whatever happens, you have to make an adjustment.

The Nebraska win thing. I didn't quite understand until I'm, moved here. This is a different win than the rest of the Big Ten. It is. It truly is. The thing sometimes is the rule is the wind has to be the gas. They don't count the gas to win. So sometimes you could be six, 15, but gas of 30. And then you're like, feel like it's you're blowing over. You know, so. Yeah, it's a little windy. And the gas makes a big difference. But, you know, the tennis balls are kind of light. So that's why they make that rule because otherwise it just becomes unplayable.

It is fantastic to consider. We were talking about before we went live, we were talking about sticking my head in and there are perceptions for high-level women's tennis. And I was stunned by the power and explosiveness of your young ladies, even relative to your opponents, it has to be purposeful, right? Is that conditioning? Is that cardio?

Is that weight training? Is that nutrition? What's happening that allows these women? I said this. I'm not afraid of most people in any athletic endeavor. I would not find myself on a tennis court with your young ladies because they would embarrass me. I mean, I think it's all of the above.

You know, all the things you mention. I think it's a combination. We kind of work on being an explosive thing. team, you know, try to hit through the core and try to be powerful. But you work on all those things. I'm trying to have a balance, you know, between being a, being, I always say this as a coach, you know, I want to have one of the most feeder teams out there. So we can, if we need to play for three hours, four hours, we can be there. So we work on that. But also, I think that, you know, they will try to take care of the way room where they're stronger, but also they're quick and

explosive and you know we we try to man you know work on all those and and and the keys to kind maximize all the resources we have and maximize their potential so them are a little more powerful than others but a tennis is a powerful sport but at the same time it's also a sport that you can outlast your opponent so so the cardio the stamina just the the willingness to stay out there's not time in tennis so it's not by time anything so the willingness is a very mental sport so the willingness to just stay there a little longer to your opponent, it can go a long way. Well, to be able to isolate shot for shot,

that quite frankly, it is just one shot at a time in this grand accumulation of things. And it doesn't care. Your next shot doesn't care how tired you are, doesn't care how tired they are. It's really not a thing. Coaches tend to recruit and coach and develop to their style of tennis play

because it's what you know. for you, if I asked you to define a Husker women's tennis player, what are the characteristics and traits that jump out? Do you say, you know what, here's what I have to have? I think passion, you know, effort, I think that you have to love just to the grind. I think I want, I tell my team every single day is that, hey, our foundation is based on consistency,

but at our toughness. You know, it's like, don't look for the easy way out. look for making things, you know, being disciplined, consistent, you know, playing with passion. I don't care sometimes, you know, like your best tennis won't be there every day, but your effort, your attitude, your mindset of like just like, hey, I'm going to get down and work. I think it has to be there. So we'll try to find players that have that. And then you can always get improved some skills, improve technique, improve patience or, you know,

little things. but some of those things that the intangibles, they're hard to coach sometimes. You know, you have to, most athletes need to have them. You know, they need to come in with a kind of grid, you know, inside the blood, you know. So it's hard to coach that or hard to, I mean, you can work on it, but, you know, it's hard.

You know, it's not as easy as you've seen around all the sports too. The fact that you use the word gritty for tennis, it's implied, but to watch, your players get through difficult moments. And a lot of it's the conversation that they have with themselves and with you, whether it be from a distance or in a whisper, right? That if there's six matches going on, you kind of have to identify who needs me most in that moment.

How do you make that decision, right? Six courts, that's a lot to cover and a lot of different egos and esteem issues at the same time. I think we take it day by day. You know, sometimes, you know, some players are more confident and day by day sometimes. You know, it's like you play different matches, how they feel that day. And sometimes some really want the attention. They really want the detail. They want a lot of information.

We try not to overwhelm them with too much information because you can only take so much, you know. And if you give them too much, then they overthink, they overanalyze, you know, and then they start making too many mistakes. So we try to keep a simple, but at the same time give them. feedback. Some won more feedback and others. And I kind of learned through everyday practice sometimes matches who wants more and who wants less. And we try to, I mean, I think my jobs, the coaches try to, they need to adapt to me, my philosophy, the program, but I need to adapt just as much to them because they're all individual. They all play differently. They all think

differently. They're all. So I can't put everybody under one umbrella and tell them, hey, you had to play this way, but maybe their skill sets are slightly different. So I need to adapt to them just as much. So I'm pretty adaptable for the most part to some things where, you know, my job is to help them be the best they can be. So I can't just be all about just how we have some kind of like non-negotiables that we talk about, you know, some non-negotiable, which is the effort, the attitude, having a good mindset, you know, being competitive, you know, we compete, we compete, but that's non-negotiable. But the rest is like how I coach two different. athletes it should be different because they you know they they they like to be

communicated differently they have different skill sets you know so try to try to communicate with them kind of based on what they need I'll ask you a question that does not have a right answer so I'll preface it by saying it doesn't have a right answer but being a male coach in a woman sport at this level requires such finesse and such specific boundary whether it be emotionally, whether it be academically, whether it be socially, how to handle social media now with that engagement and all the things. And now transfer portal, NIL, everybody's branding and trying to create those things.

How do you handle that? How do you handle that? What's your mantra for dealing with your young lady? Yeah, it's a tough balance. You know, I think I have three kids. You know, I have a daughter, three kids, and I will try to make it a family environment as well. but making sure that, yeah, I'm not a coach that cusses too much. I'm not a coach that.

Bless your heart. Try not to, you know. Yeah, they can be emotional. They can be very emotional. But I don't shy away from head. You can be emotional. The key is like, if you have a moment, it's like, okay, how can you come back and, you know, and focus again and concentrate again and what you need to do so that moment doesn't last as long.

You know, it's a, it's a thing balance. But we try to just be human, treat them with respect, treat them well, but we respect them to work hard. We respect them to, you know, to hustle. We expect them to just to do, you know, kind of. So I don't think it matters as much, but we're always, you know, respectful, respectful of the time, respectful of kind of, we try to communicate well. We try to let them know that we're here for them and we care about them, but we can also push him and try to help them be better.

As I look at your roster, it is an international roster for sure. And you're certainly put in a position where awareness, women's tennis on a club level and on a national level brings you certain types of players and a certain level of player. But also, you just recruited one of the best doubles players in the world and to get them to come to Nebraska. what do you say to them about Lincoln, Nebraska, that would make them want to come here? You know, I mean, I love Lincoln. So I will be happily sell Lincoln any day. I think it's not just that we offer all the resources that, you know, sometimes a lot of tennis players, but sometimes, you know, athletes in general, they choose a location or they choose a weather.

And sometimes some of those schools, you know, they have a name, but they might not even have all the resources we have. But until they see him, sometimes can't even, when they go somewhere else and they see the difference because you experience the day to day, I think it's just a matter of like, hey, we're a family environment. We try to sell them all the resources. They can win just as much here as they can at a UCLA or USC, you know. And I think they just take the location of the weather or the name and then maybe they'll even have the same resources. So I think we tell them that we have the experience as coaches, you know, that they can help them grow. We show some of the results and we try to show the developmental part that, you know, I'm huge in developmental. We try to help them develop, you know, throughout the years. We try to, you know, put emphasis on that and try to make them, make them feel like this is like a second home for them.

So they can come here and they can develop and they can accomplish just as many goals or more than if they go somewhere else. So yeah, the girl that we just committed, it is an international sport. Tennis is a, if no, it probably won the most global sports, you know. And the talent in the Midwest is not that great. You know, we don't have, you know, right now no one player in Nebraska, you know, is ranked even in the top 300 in the country. So we have to spread out. We'll try to recruit American first, actually.

And we go heavy there. And sometimes, you know, with some choices, tell us no. And then you go next and next and next. and then sometimes you have to spread your wins. You know, so we'll, it's a, recurring is challenging, but we'll try to, you know, we have gone, you know, to Asia, to Africa, to recruit, you know, we go to every tournament we can in the country.

We're everywhere. And then, you know, the goal is like, I know we'll break through here soon. So we'll try to get the best players that will fit, you know, our philosophy, but also, you know, the level that we can compete for championships here. Is there a way as, I mean, you're the official women's tennis North Star for the state of Nebraska. And is there a way to help develop or at least enable Nebraska high school women's tennis, girls' tennis players to get better so that they, you know what, they could have eyes towards Lincoln. They could have eyes towards being a doubles player at Nebraska or to improve the whole culture here in Nebraska.

So for these young ladies to have a way to stay home and play tennis. Yeah. I mean, I think that some of the coaches in the academies or even high schools here in the clubs, they do a really good job. Sometimes just maybe the amount of tennis players hitting or playing. Maybe it's not as good as a Florida or Texas or California, right? Or some of the Northeast too. But I think some of them, maybe if they get really good younger,

sometimes they move and they go to academies like an IMG or, you know, like in Texas or California. So I think that's part of the issue. And then maybe some of the best athletes around this area, maybe they need to choose tennis. You know, who knows? Maybe they don't. Maybe they choose volleyball.

Well, they choose something else, right? Yeah, all the six footers, we know. You know, so we have some tall tennis players and they're, you know, the best play in the world right now is six foot. You know, I mean, women's tennis. So it's like, yeah, I don't know what needs to happen. I think it's sometimes maybe the, they don't choose to maybe play tennis year-round,

you know, or maybe they choose to do a few other sports. Sometimes you go to Florida, and these tennis players, you know, they're 10, 12, and they play, you know,

five hours a day and they're traveling tournaments all over the country, maybe here in the Midwest, or especially here in Nebraska or Lincoln, you know, we don't have that as much. And then we do have every now and then. So, I mean,

the goal is, yeah, we'd love to have more local talent and more, and the coaches here on the clubs that do a really good job. Sometimes, you know, It's just a matter of like the amount of tennis that is here or how they develop or the tournament. Sometimes there's not as many tournaments around the area too, so they have to travel farther than, you know, you would in all the sports too.

So, you know, it's definitely more challenges here for sure. If I asked, how many camps do you do you have? Do you do that? Right now we have. Yeah, we have. We started last year with Pete, you know, Peter, we started, you know, before they didn't really have many camps. So last year, we did two weeks.

Now we're going to do two weeks again and see how it goes. Our goal is the same. You know, we're trying to grow tennis just as much as the community is. See how we can intertwine it more from the community with the tennis teams. You know, Peter's also a great job on the main side too. So we're both trying to grow not only our programs, but also hopefully, you know, a little more tennis in the community too. Yeah.

I would think that that is a big part of it. And I know that we have listeners who have, they have daughters who are playing tennis, who love it, but then it's just repetition and access. I coached in the Woodlands, Texas, Houston. And their facilities were high level, and they could play outdoors for 11 months out of the year.

Yeah. And it certainly shows. And I think that's a real thing. So your point to trying to recruit from Nebraska, but those folks are leaving to go places where they, if it means that much to them, where they can play 11 months out of the year. Yeah, and then it's tough to get them back, you know.

We have a few and then, and then it's tougher. You know, sometimes they go for a year and they're like, you know, and then they go somewhere else. So it's tough, you know, hopefully the goal is, you know, is to recruit first, we'll recruit first, you know, the Midwest and the best players are run. And sometimes when, you know, they tell us no, or maybe they don't have the level quite to, you know, to play in the Big Ten,

then we have to, you know, see outside, you know, go outside. Well, football has made this statement, you're recruiting within the 500-mile radius as a thing. Does that apply for women's tennis? No, not really. I think it's more of the 5,000 miles. Right. I think we'll have to seek, you know, it will be really, really difficult.

And I think it's, I mean, I was looking at the recruiting classes from all the states next to us, you know, and the next two years, you know, there's one or two that can actually compete in the Big 12, Big Ten, you know, out of the whole Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, you know, so out of all that area, you know, there's like one or two in two years. Wow. You know, so it's like, so it's, you know, actually, so it's tough. So we'll have to, yeah, we'll have to branch out and then go, you know, go. other places, which is, which is fine. But yeah, we would love if it was a, you know, a little more local, a little more talent close by. I think it will, you know, it will help more. And I think it will kind of even, it will bring, I think, even more fans, you know, close families and all that. We have families that travel a ton, you know, to watch our players or that part. Like I noticed

there at the events, and this is why I want you to be a regular appearance on this, on this station. because when they find out who you are and who these young ladies are, they're going to fall all the way in love. Like to watch them play and to watch, one, the way they engage each other, the way they engage the fans, your post match with them giving access to the young girls who come to watch them play. It's an important thing. And I think that you do it on purpose,

but I'll ask you whether you do that on purpose. We too. We do. We do. We work actually every day on the energy and interaction with each other. You know, how we bring it up the energy. Sometimes I'll say, hey, no matter how big our crowd is, I was like, you need to be your own kind of cheerleaders, you know. So you need to bring it. You need to bring it every single day. So we actually work on that. And then, I mean, they love the more people that come watching because they work hard.

And I think they, I mean, they have a good level. And the level is high. And I think it's, you'll be surprised, I think, when you come watching that, you know, it's fun. I think they make it fun. They compete hard. They play hard. You know, I think if forever, whoever comes watch it, I think you'll be proud to be like, hey, this is a Nebraska, you know, sport. And I think it's good.

I mean, tennis is a pretty community sport, right? It's a sport that you can play all your life, men, women, you know, all young. And I think so, anybody that comes watches, you can kind of. relate to what they do within doubles and singles. And it's a sport that hopefully will get more people, you know, watching, more support. But also, I think anything that we can help grow the sport, you know, it's a positive. Yeah, I think I had a young lady who is a high school coach and she says, well, do you think that they do lessons?

Do you think that they would do something with us? I said, listen, if you reach out to Hermann, I would imagine he would let you do a first serve. if you brought your tennis team to watch them play. And it's free admission for the family. Like the entire family can come watch these teams compete. And I think it's a big thing along the way. No, it is. It is.

And we try to have some promotions, you know, either free food or free stuff, you know. Try to, we're just trying to bring more people, people to watch. You know, it's a, yeah, it's free. We have great seating, whether it's inside or outside. Yeah, we're trying to do more. more things we're we do either first serve or you know actually march 9th we play michigan stay it's the same same day as a men's basketball march i we play a noon michigan stay we're actually doing a military appreciation day uh so we're going to recognize a family we're going to try to promote

you know them and thank them for you know for their service uh yeah the big 10 we actually open the big 10 against michigan which are number three in the country right now so um we'll open with them next friday um at 5 p.m so yeah no it's exciting uh i think uh The quality is a high quality. I think it's fun to watch them compete. And I think that, you know, the goal is to put a good product out there. March 7th, Friday night, 5 o'clock against Michigan. There's several home meets that follow.

Michigan State will come to Lincoln. Wisconsin will come to Lincoln. Minnesota comes to Lincoln. And USC and UCLA both come to Lincoln. That's right. Yeah. And we have out of all those, I mean, I think four of those are inside the top 20s right now.

So a lot of good tennis coming to Lincoln, and hopefully we can upset a few of them. Well, I think the idea is that we're going to draw some Husker fans out there. We'll throw it to break. We've come back. We were asked on the text line about the foreign players, and we'll go up and down the roster, just so we can kind of tell folks who these young ladies are,

where they're from. And then we need you to tell your story, because your story is pretty interesting. about your journey through this thing called tennis. Hermando Magro, Women's Tennis, Nebraska, joins us here one-on-one on the ticket.