1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Nebraska Women's Tennis Coach German Dalmagro -- Huskers Sign 5 Star Recruit: November 13th, 11:00am

Episode Date: November 13, 2025

Nebraska Women's Tennis Coach German Dalmagro -- Huskers Sign 5 Star RecruitAdvertising 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-a-ticket and the ticketfm.com. Here is your host, Derek Pearson, brought to by Canopy Street Market. It is Thursday. Back, we'll do it old school, 1102. 1102 in Lincoln, Nebraska. 58 degrees, I'd say.

High of 64. High of 64. Beautiful day? It's a beautiful day. Gorgeous, as my uncle would say. Lincoln, you're gorgeous today. Lots to talk about big-time signing day yesterday. Lots of news in the athletic department and things going on,

and it's the good news. Where additional members of the Husker family, The Husker family grew yesterday with some folks who committed to various programs. We'll talk about that. Guests in studio, I'll introduce in a moment. But first, Bach, kind sir, if you would please pay the bills. Yes, today's show is sponsored by Hamilton Telecommunications, bringing you the latest quality technology and communication service since 1901. Whether it's residential or business, Hamilton has the answers.

Visit Hamiltontel.com for more info today. Thank you, sir. How are you? How are you today? Yeah. Yeah. At least it's nice outside. I try to get my, get some tours done before winter really hits. You're having a fantastic Bach hair day.

Is it? Yeah, I haven't checked my hair, I guess. Right. Like, no, the beard is bearding. Yes. You know, and you know, I have the full facial hair envy. So when you, when you come in and it's magnificent, I just have to applaud you. I appreciate it.

Kind, sir, because it is not, not all of us get to enjoy. It's by going there, no shave November. you know the winter i would but i usually just rock a beard either way he looks like a caveman though when he goes in full uh you can be you can be a part of the show 402 4 6 4 6 8 5 6 8 5 charter ham and text line you want to be a part of what we're doing and you do uh reach out hit us up with a hit me with a what's up and then we'll bring you in you can follow on all the live video streams facebook youtube x alo channel 961 uh amazon prime if you're fancy and some of you are you can take us wherever you go you want us to be where you're at so please do so it is with

great honor and pleasure i introduce the nebraska women's tennis head coach ramon del magro once again kind sir how are you how are you well thank you for having me uh it's been it's been great having a great day here obviously a beautiful outside it's to 70 tomorrow i think so we're going to practice outside i think tomorrow so oh nice it's uh it's good but no thanks for having me um you know obviously appreciate your support. What's... What's your rule of thumb for indoor-outdoor? I mean, I know that your ladies would set the preference,

but what is your coaching theory? I mean, I try to go outside when we can. You know, we try to go basically on weather, wind, and kind of what's ahead for us. You know, if we feel like we could benefit from outdoor tennis, and it could be a little colder and windier. If we need it, then we go outside. But I feel like if, depending what we're working on, you know, on the day, I think tomorrow

we're kind of into an off-season type of moment for us. So a lot of development and just kind of letting the bodies recover a little bit from competition. And then before we start pushing them again, you know, on the pre-season type before they go home for Christmas. So today was a really good day, early today, a practice. And tomorrow we'll try to go outside, enjoy the sun, you know, and get some work done and I think it's good to put all of our players in different environments going on the road,

playing home, playing in and out. I think as a team, we need to be adaptable to any circumstances. And sometimes you get really used to indoor tennis. You know, it's nice and comfortable. No wind, no sun, no weather elements. You know, so we kind of get spoiled by it.

So I think it's good to get a little bit of uncomfortable too you know so tomorrow will be a day that outside after a couple weeks indoors so then go go enjoy imagine a coach wanting his people uncomfortable that is that like a big part of the morning plan is just figure out how can i how can i how can i make them how can i shake things up a little bit you know we actually just talk about it we have a little team meeting yesterday and we were talking about like sometimes you're you know your progress your how you to keep developing it comes right outside your comfort zone. So it's trying to, you know, once you get too comfortable with something, then you

got to keep pushing, right? So you get a little out of your comfort zone, and that's how you keep developing, and that's how you keep improving. You also mentioned the thing that the living of your program have kind of taken some ownership and taken strides towards being more involved and more proactive. Absolutely. And how does that identify? How does that look for you?

Yeah, I think we have an amazing group. You know, I love our team this year. And I think it's, we've been asking, as me as a coach, you know, I always say, hey, I will love for you guys to take ownership with this, you know. It doesn't, a lot of things doesn't always have to come just from me, you know, the coaching staff. And I think it's good that some things come from them because I think they take ownership and I think it's good.

So yes, it actually in a team meeting, I was surprised, but happily surprised that they kind of like, hey, we, as a team, we want this, keep doing this, you know, do a few more things here and there. You know, and I was like, hey, I like this, you know, because they're taking ownership and they feel like, hey, we feel like, you know, we have such a good group. We care about each other so much. And, you know, and, you know, we really want this, you know. And I love that.

I love that because I've been preaching for it. So, and I think it's good to see it. And I told them, you know, it's like, I, you know, my, our line of communication with coaching staff or, you know, me in general, it's like. is open. I want them to feel the freedom they can come to me for anything. I think that trust is mutual. Is that a senior

lead thing? Or is that just leadership kind of naturally organically taking over? I think the second, I think is that we don't have any seniors this year. So there's I think it's a little bit of a combination of everything. Just the leadership individually brings. And I think the

the togetherness that this team has. And I think it's like, it's kind of like you know, I don't even think they started with one. I think it started just like, they all kind of look at each other and say, hey, we really want this. You know, we won, you know, we were having a good year last year to a point and then we kind of like had an injury and kind of fell apart a little bit at the end. But still we have a really, you know, a good solid group just last year too. You know, I think this year they're, they feel just like a little more like, you know, not senior, but it's kind of more just like individually.

led, you know, which I think is kind of cool. I think it's cool. And I'm, you know, and letting them take that ownership as well, which I've, sometimes, I don't know, some of the best teams I've been a part of as a player, as a coach at time, it's like, is where players are taking a lot of ownership and accountability as well, besides just me giving that, you know, accountability. So, and I think it's, I think it's good.

And we have a very healthy group and, very organically, you know, like they're very, they match together really well. So I think it's good. I like it. How important is it that in that organic leadership that your best player, the actual best player, maybe the best athlete,

is a part of that leadership. Doesn't it make the rest of it easier? I mean, it does. I think it does. You know, and in this case, I think it's kind of been everybody, you know, so it definitely helps you know it helps and um and i'm welcome i welcome that leadership from anywhere it comes from you know and i think you said you can especially in a small group like we are eight to ten players you know um it's you know leadership doesn't have to be vocal it can be by example

it by it can be led by just it could be the hardest worker you can be the hardest worker you know and it could be like a quiet but harder worker and they lead by you know by doing all the right things you know, so I think it's important, you know, to have that. And I think it's like, yeah, some of our best players, you know, are, you know, also vocal and won, you know, won the best for the team, you know, which I think is helpful. You take pride in the fact that your program is one of the academic leaders in the athletic department. Where does that leadership? Where does that standard come from?

I think it's just, I don't know, I feel, you can. can be good in different areas, you know, and I think you can, you know, like, I think we give them the time, we give them the space to be good in all different areas, you know, like we, we try to set up practices or schedule or things to allow them to succeed in different aspects. So always like, you know, when you're in school, when you're doing homework, I don't want you to think about tennis too much, you know, like go, go attack that and be the best you can be at it. And then when you're on the core, I don't want you to think about school too much, you know, just I want to focus on tennis and what you're doing at that time.

You know, so I think if they can have different compartments in their heads, it's like, hey, when I'm here, let me focus on this. And when I'm here, let me focus on this. And that way, I think you can excel on both, you know. I don't want to take away from one of the other. You know, they are a student athletes, you know. So I want them to live here, you know, it's like a holistic version better than the way they arrive. You know, whether that is if they continue to be professional athletes or if that tennis college is it,

And then when they leave here and they don't want to play anymore, they felt like they're leaving, you know, more equipped, you know, with more tools, not just in tennis, but outside too, you know. And I think we have an amazing resources, people around us that also won the best for them. So I try to kind of let our academic advice or our life skills or strength coach. I at times let them be the leader when they're doing their thing. You know, I try to no overstep because, you know, like they're really good at what they do. It's like, hey, go, and make them the best you can be in this area.

It's pretty good to hear that you will mention from the academic, the off-court stuff. What is the ratio or the component where the young ladies talk to you about pro? Because sometimes pro will happen naturally. Sometimes you have to plot and plan the path to it. How big a part of that is that for you and your lady? I mean, for some is big. They really want it and they want to play a lot. And I support that.

And for some, it's kind of more of a kind of we'll see how it goes type of deal. And for some, it's like maybe not a priority. But that doesn't mean that if pro is not a priority, it doesn't mean that they're not going to give it their all. And they're going to be the best they can be in college. Right. I feel like that's like a misconception sometimes that people have that it's like, I don't want to play pro that they think that college is not going to be, you know,

you can still have a great. experience, you can still be really good. You can be maybe some of the best college athletes ever and no play pro. Right. You know, so, I mean, you can have some that, you know, in some sports, you kind of like feel that's the path in some others, you know, you can be like, hey, I'm, I'm good and I want to do something else, but I still want to give it my all in college and be a really good athlete. And then I feel like, you know, we try to, internationals tend to to have emphasis in pro a lot. Yeah. You know, but some of the U.S. athletes as well, you know, then we, you know, actually the kid that we just signed, you know, she wants to play pro too.

And we have others that want to play pro, but they want to kind of take their time, you know, like when I keep developing. Some others want to play half and half pro in college, you know. And we try to give them that flexibility and allow them to kind of feel that they're still pursuing their dreams of playing pro while you play college and you still have a balance. So, yeah. Speaking of signings, yesterday was a big day in the program. Big day for the program, a huge stepping.

Let the folks know. And the change of direction, we always say the change of elevation and location. Like, these signings have that potential. And you don't want to always put it on the person, but some are built for it. Yeah. You had a big signing and maybe one of the biggest signings ever here. Let the folks know what happened yesterday and who's the newest addition to Husker Women's Dennis. We just sign her name is Katie Spencer.

She's from Orlando, Florida. great, great kid, great family as well, you know. So I think it's, yeah, she would add a lot. I think she's been kind of one of the best players in the country. In juniors, you know, in tennis, you know, you play national tournaments and you win like a gold ball. It's for first place, you know, like kind of the best in the country. And then she's won two silver balls, you know, in singles and doubles.

So she's like, she's a great competitor. She's somebody that wants to work car, wants to develop. but also wants to be a big part of a team, you know, like she's very team-oriented and I think we'll get, we're going to get her best while she's the part of the team, you know, and I think she will add to the culture right away. I think she's very similar in personality with the current teams that we have, and she knows already a few of them to where she feels like it's going to be pretty natural, you know, when she steps on campus. And she's looking forward. She's, you know, she's talking how much she's already feel like a, you know, a husker before being a husker, you know, like when she came

on a visit and she felt very, very kind of a home and connected, you know, with me and, and, you know, the rest of the, you know, staff and the players. So, yeah, I think it's good for us. I think it's like, yeah, like, at a high school recruit, I think she's like, you know, at one point was the highest recruit we ever had, you know, and she was like the second signing. I think Conley, out of the U.S. players, we just got here, you know, a transfer from Tennessee. She's a software for us right now, and, you know, she's kind of around that as well. And I think it's good. It's a right step on the, you know, direction of the program.

It's kind of where we want to take it. You know, we want to keep moving up. We want to keep moving forward. We want to, you know, I don't, I always tell the recruits or parents or anybody is like, why no Nebraska? You know, like I want this to be a place where the blessed players come, you know, to develop or to fill. like, you know, it's a place where they can be the best they can be. I know we have the resources. I feel like, you know, we have the conference that they, you know, that we played some

of the best teams in the country as well. And, and yeah, I want Nebraska to be a place where, you know, these players of this caliber are ranking, you know, they're considerate. What was the turning point in recruiting that allows us to happen? What's the thing that's different? I don't know. A lot of conversations, you know, a lot of relationships, a lot of like calls, a lot of like trying to build that report, you know, with the recruits and their families, you know, like if they reach out of, you know, some of these players that come to play tournaments here and they realize like, oh, actually Nebraska's much better than I thought, you know, it's like, and then they, a couple of them, I started like, you know, Katie came to play a tournament in September that we hosted and then she's like, wow, this place is amazing, you know, I never would have thought that. And then kind of, I After that, I was like, you know, started asking questions, you know.

I was like, oh, how do you, what is your philosophy? What are you coach? What are you look for? You know, like, and I think it's kind of, yeah, a lot of phone calls, a lot of, you know, trying to build a relationship and trying to understand kind of like my philosophy or where they look for and how we're going to develop them and kind of what things are going to do and what things we're going to do. And then sometimes they talk to current players and they kind of share experiences, you know,

on like, oh, what, you know, why did you go to Nebraska? You know, like you're coming from the south or coming from anywhere else. What are you choose there, you know? And then they share kind of what their experience has been like. And then, you know, it's a combo, you know, of all, you know. But I don't know, I'm hoping, you know, this keeps moving the program in the right direction, you know. The tide is turning. The tide is turning.

You mentioned the conversations that happened between players. In some sports, the players, before they get to college, are extremely well connected. They compete against each other on a regular and consistent basis. They talk constantly about rankings and coaching styles, playing styles, training styles, that sort of thing. How connected is tennis, women's tennis, before they get to University of Nebraska? I mean, it is connected, but, you know, the one thing I think sometimes happens is that tennis is a very individual sport. before you get to college so it's kind of all about yourself all about you know like what what age can i take on my own you know but they have a lot of friendships they're very close you know

they most of these tournaments they play doubles as well so they play with their friends so it is very connected so i would say just pretty much anywhere you go you know they will know they will know somebody you know so i think it's yeah i mean now the the players that we have you know and they always say oh can i you know i would love to talk to you know you know You know, one of your players about her experience so far, you know, and they always kind of connect, you know, and they kind of share their experience. And I think it's, you know, we'll spend a little time together. So I think it's important for them to also know that, you know, kind of hear from a different kind of lens, you know, not just from the coaching staff, you know, just from because they're going to be, you know, spending a lot of time together. So I think they need to hear from them too. So it is, they know each other. You know, tennis is is. It's big, but also, like, within the U.S., most of them go play the same tournaments, you know, 10, 15 tournaments a year, and then all the tournaments, you know, they go everywhere else. But they see each other, they kind of know off each other, and then, you know, they form some connections through that, you know, even sometimes it could be through coaches, sometimes it could be through, you know, to families, you know, like we have a visit early this fall that, you know, that led to, you know, a connection from a coach and a parent. to like, you know, a connection to a parent from, you know,

somebody else that we're signing, you know, and they talk. And then like, you know, then you let it find out that it's like, oh, you know what? I'm considering this because I talk to somebody else that visit and they love it there. And, you know, that's why we're reaching out. Kind of these. I was like, oh, this is, you know, it's good, which is kind of what we want. We've been investing a lot more in visits and trying to bring more people here.

And for those reasons. So they know that Nebraska is. That's a much better place than what people sometimes realize. You know, I talk to coaches or players, and they're like, oh, Nebraska's nothing there. And then you ask them, have you been there? And they say, no. You know, but it's, oh, that's just what I heard. And then every time you bring somebody or they know somebody, then that person starts spreading the world.

It's like, no, actually, this place is much better than what you think it is. It is part of the recruiting processes to identify who would fit here. Absolutely. Like who would want to be here. But the other part, the thing you just said about playing singles and doubles, how does that play into recruiting? Does everybody you recruit as a player are some of them double specialists or some of them single specialists or do you kind of prefer that one, they have the ability and the willingness to play both? Yeah, you want the ability to play both. You know, like sometimes some players have a little more skill in the double score and some all is a little more skill in singles.

But you kind of want to have a combination of both when they can step in and compete in the singles lineup. and then also play in your doubles, you know. We do have a, you know, we're now up to, we can have up to 10 players, you know, but we compete at a time six players and you can't sub them in and out what you play and you have to play the whole match. And then at times during the season, we have played every single player in the roster. Yeah. Last year we have eight players and we play all eight, you know, at different times, you know,

because of injuries or, you know, like one play doubles, the other play singles because of those skills. So sometimes at times we use most of our roster. So you kind of want to, you know, it's kind of our job as coaches to kind of identify, you know, match day, you know, who's going to help us in a single score and who's going to help us in the doubles. And doubles sometimes we base it on not just skill, but, you know, how they mesh with their partner, kind of how they, you know, how they connect to see how they can be a really good team, you know, together. And then it's how can we have three teams, you know, that compete. they can give us a chance to win you know so it's a you know it's a process sometimes we we change partners to kind of to see you know who who plays well together and whatnot but uh um yeah but you kind of

won both you know both skills you know i think for simple katie they want you assigned you know she's really good on double score and she's really good on the single score so i feel like she's going to come and make an impact but we also have you know very good uh the skill players right now in our current roster you know that uh that that will uh that can contribute in both sides so Yeah, I'll have my work career for, you know, when as coaches making the lineup, you know, and I think it's, you know, we want those decisions to be hard decisions, you know, because it means that we're deeper as a team and it means that everybody has the level to compete, you know, at this level.

So I think it's a good problem to have, but it's obviously never an easy decision to make because you always feel like you're going to leave somebody out of the lineup that could make an impact as well. So it's a tough decision, you know, but we'll, you know, try to make the best decision you know for the team i would love to be in the room as you try to figure what the double teams what the pair what the pairings are because i cannot imagine having coached high school high school girls sometimes the pairing is the hardest part it is it is you know it's like you know like you know like you want to like don't second get yourself we make we put a team together and then they don't play well and then you're like

oh should have put these other team you know but then you just got to stick with it and and trust it and give them the best opportunity. And whatever happens, then next patch, we try to either make a change or give them another chance. Before we make a change, you know, and it's, you know, like we try to put trust on them as well. And then we try to work on it and prepare for it. And then feel like if they're going to step on the core,

just they have an opportunity. And then if it doesn't work out, then we make some changes. And we try to be open and with them because it's not easy. And, you know, sometimes that's part of the hardest decision we make as coaches is kind of the lineup on match day. It's never easy because it's so hard to make everybody happy. And, you know. Is it playing as the rule or is it sometimes just intuition, gut, coach's gut?

I mean, sometimes it's intuition, sometimes you can be matchups. You know, sometimes you could be like, well, this team plays this kind of style and maybe this pairing will give us the best chance. So we might switch that. Sometimes it could be, you know, the body or, you know, we're playing outside or inside, you know, some players are better inside than outside and vice versa. So we try to kind of make the best decision we can, you know,

knowing that we, you know, sometimes you make the right one. Sometimes you don't, you know. The complicated world of collegiate tennis. Yeah, it kind of is, you know, and I think, I think it's like what's different in some sports as well. you have it but in tennis is like you know we can make subs you know you have to that player has to play in there the whole match and whether they're playing well or no you know you just have to stay there and play the whole match and you can't sub them in and out and the thing is like in tennis

is we have line up right one through six in singles and you have to play them basically in order of ability yeah so we can't really you can't like play matchups too much right if somebody plays one the next match they can't go play in five right they have to play one or two you know And that's it. And you can. You know, so if you take somebody out, then everybody has to move up. So I feel like sometimes you're giving up, you know, a little bit of strength when you take somebody that's not playing as well. At times you just have to play them anyways.

And you have to like work through things, you know? So it's a, yeah, it's a, you know, a little, you know, pieces of the apostles sometimes, you know, that it's like, I would love it at times. It's like, if we have that flexibility, you know what? You just had a few minutes that are not good. I'm going to take you out and put somebody else. Let you regroup. You know, let you regroup.

We don't have that. They have to figure out on their own sometimes. You know, we can help them, obviously, but they're the ones flying and they're there and then they have to, you know, that's why I think 10 is such a mental score, you know. The strength of it all. We'll go to break here when we come back. I ask Coach Domagro, with Signing Day, it reintroduces the discussion about programs and whether they're willing to recruit high school athletes versus transfer portal,

what the philosophies are and what the thinking is. are because each program is different, each coach is different. I'll ask coach about that because signing Katie Spencer is a loud pronunciation that, quite frankly, yes, we're willing to get young athletes and develop them. Not everybody wants to do that. A lot of folks want to win now at any cost and say, I would rather not have that. I'll ask him his thinking on high school versus transfer portal and international level competition.

We'll do all that on one-on-one when we come back.