Reflection
The 1972 tennis team was special and will always be remembered in Trinity history. The overall decline of the sport came when Trinity moved from a Division I program to a Division III program thereby no longer being able to offer athletic scholarships and disincentivizing athletes from enrolling at Trinity. According to Dick Stockton, many players came to Trinity to play tennis and school came second. Without athletic scholarships, places like USC and Stanford became the first options for many of the nation’s top recruits.
What did you enjoy about this project?
I really enjoyed being able to engage with the players from this historic team and getting their perspectives on Trinity and the culture that revolved around the tennis program. It was cool to see where these men have ended up in their lives, with many of them pursuing careers in tennis. Being a student at Trinity, it was interesting to see how not just tennis but the entire athletic program has changed and how it impacts players today.
What surprised you about this project?
The project was full of surprises, many of which shaped my research. I was impressed that a series of events that happened over 40 years ago were so easily recalled by the players. This shows the significance of this time in their lives and the legacy which they carry with them. Another surprising element was the culture of Trinity in the 1970s and how that has evolved over time. Trinity, competing in NCAA Division I athletics, revolved around athletic competitions including tennis matches. Today, Trinity really prides itself on a well-rounded liberal arts education.
What was the most challenging aspect of the project, and how did you manage it?
The most challenging aspect of this project was the evolution of my thesis and my general topic. I began by writing about the 1972 men's tennis team as a whole and began to realize that I would have to get in contact with a lot of people to receive various perspectives on the team. My first contact was senior captain, Dick Stockton. He gave me a breadth of information regarding Trinity culture at the time, collegiate tennis expectations, and recruiting processes. When speaking to Brian Gottfried, Stockton's roommate and long-time friend, he explained that Stockton really led that team and helped to establish a positive and competitive culture within the tennis program. My thesis slowly evolved to focus more on Dick Stockton and his relationship with Gottfried and immediate impact within the program.
If you could start over, what would you do differently?
If I could start over, I would try to narrow my thesis down or commit to my thesis earlier. I began with a general thesis and would iron out the details as my research expanded. The problem was I read plenty of valuable articles that really did not support one major thesis. I would have called more people if I had committed to my original thesis or I would have asked Dick Stockton more in-depth questions to really get a sense of the program on a day-to-day basis.
What did you learn about history and/or the historical process through this project?
I learned that history is a collection of facts from different perspectives and understood through different circumstances. When writing this piece of history, I tried to get multiple perspectives and connect the common themes between them and present them as the truth. The rest of the essay and exhibit consisted of filling in the gaps with details from different sources that may have differed. I combined these elements and attempted to tell a story involving some of the most important moments in Trinity sports history.
What did you learn through this project that can be applied to life outside the classroom?
What I really took away from this project was the recognition of multiple perspectives to every story. There is no doubt who won the national championship, but the stories leading up to that can be interpreted in different ways. I learned to be skeptical of everything you hear and try to put yourself in the shoes of the person experiencing the event firsthand.