Nov. 12, 2010

Friedman and her father

Andrea Friedman (1997-2001) competed in Mizzou Women's Tennis and was the first ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Academic All-American. She graduated with a 4.0 in the Missouri School of Journalism with her focus in advertising.

1. You had a lot of choices coming out of high school. Why Columbia, and why did you choose to play tennis for Mizzou? I chose Mizzou because it has the perfect combination of an excellent academic and athletic reputation. Also, to me Columbia represents the quintessential college town, which was exactly what I envisioned in a college.

2. What impact did Mizzou make on you and your life? Mizzou provided me with the tools to hit the ground running once I graduated and entered the working world. The impact was invaluable. This is because the education I received (both on and off the court) prepared me for life's challenges. Being a student athlete at Mizzou taught me organizational skills and honed my mental toughness, which has stayed with me throughout my professional career.

3. How did being a student-athlete in Columbia prepare you for moving forward? Being a student athlete taught me the importance of being organized and learning how to multi-task and prioritize.

Friedman met up with Coach Starkey and the team in Florida this fall

4. Can you tell me one of your funny encounters or dealings with Coach Starkey? There are many funny encounters I remember about Coach Starkey. He was an excellent role model and mentor. The funny thing is that he was my age (31) when he first started coaching our team. I always thought he was so mature and old at the time, and now I'm his age. Anyway, one encounter that seemed to happen on every trip was his amazing ability to get us VERY lost in every town we played in. This was before GPS, Mapquest, etc. He would literally ask anyone and everyone for directions until by some miracle we found our destination. Needless to say, we would always make it to our location, just not necessarily on time!

5. Since graduating from Mizzou, what are you up to these days (job, family, etc.)? I was living in Geneva, Switzerland for the past five years working as a Marketing Manager for a Medical Device company. I just recently moved back to the States where I'm living in New York City working for a start-up company as the Director of New Business. I also finished the New York City Marathon 2 days ago!

6. What is one of your best memories from Mizzou? One of my best memories from Mizzou was clinching our first Big 12 win against Iowa State my sophomore year. It was at home and an amazing experience.

Friedman with former teammate Joni Jordan

7. Do you still talk to, see or hangout with any of your old teammates? I was fortunate to be in Orlando for a business trip this past fall. The Mizzou team was there playing a tournament. It was awesome spending time with the players and Coach Starkey. I also see from time to time Katerina Sevcikova and Caitlin Thompson who both live in NYC. Additionally, Facebook is an excellent way to stay in touch with teammates.

8. What do you miss most about playing tennis at Mizzou? I miss the entire experience. It's such an awesome opportunity to be a student athlete at Mizzou. The training, team camaraderie, and matches.

9. Do you have any advice for any current or future Tigers coming into the Mizzou tennis program? My advice is to utilize all the opportunities you have available. From the Total Person Program to the weight training and nutrition coaching. These are all such incredible tools to utilize during your time at Mizzou.

10. If you could go back to Mizzou, what one moment would you want to relive? There's not really one moment I would want to relive, rather I would love to experience the entire 4 years of being a student athlete all over again!