Ep. 8 - William Boe-Wiegaard - What It Means To Be A Good Competitor

Tennis IQ Podcast

William Boe-Wiegaard is in his fourth season as Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Prior to Sacred Heart, William was a highly successful professional player on the ITF and ATP tours and collegiate player at Bates College. William played on the ITF and ATP tours for 13 years and in 2014 he reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 1,002 and doubles ranking of 900. He was a five-time All-American selection at Bates College and won the 2006 NCAA Division III singles championship.

Interview highlights:

3:21 - William's background as a junior, collegiate, and professional player and how he got involved in collegiate coaching

13:15 - The importance of writing down your goals and having visual reminders

17:45 - The pros and cons of being an extremely competitive person

22:10 - Life as a professional tennis player on the ITF and ATP Tours and the importance of mental toughness

35:15 - The difference between being competitive and being a good competitor

42:20 - William's coaching philosophy and how to control the controllables to give yourself the best chance for success

51:53 - The NAVY Seal mentality of seeing situations as challenges instead of threats

56:59 - The challenges of college sports during the COVID-19 pandemic and how challenging situations can lead to growth and resilience