Reflection

What did you enjoy about this project?

I really enjoyed learning about the success that Trinity tennis had during the 1970s.  I always knew that they were a dominant force during that time, but I did not realize just how good they were.  As I walk around campus, and specifically by the tennis courts, I always see the names of some of the players but never knew what they did while they were here.  Researching the team and learning all about their dominance was very fun.

What surprised you about this project?

The most surprising thing about this project for me was hearing about Bob's professional career from his point of view.  The interview I had with him was very exciting and I learned things about his career that I probably would not have found anywhere else. I have looked up the "whiff at centre court" on google and nothing came up, so without that interview I do not think I would have ever heard that story.

What was the most challenging aspect of the project, and how did you manage it?

The most challenging aspect of this project was determing which direction I wanted to go.  I knew the general topic but I had no idea how I would narrow down my project to be able to make the website.  Another challenging aspect of this, relating to the first one, was finding individuals to interview.  Without a narrow focus of what I wanted to do, it was difficult to determine exactly who I would need to interview.  After scheduling an interview with Bob McKinley, I knew I would focus on him and his career.

If you could start over, what would you do differently?

If I could start this project over, I would try to narrow my focus earlier and have more time to look into specifics.  I would also try to find more secondary sources to get different points of view of the topic.

What did you learn about history and/or the historical process through this project?

After completing this project, I have learned a lot of the history of Trinity tennis and the players that contributed to the historic success of the program.  I learned about how coaches approached the game of tennis back then and how Clarency Mabry, the Trinity coach during McKinley's career, approached the game differently than most coaches.  Sometimes it is the ones who do things differently that get their name etched into history.

What did you learn through this project that can be applied to life outside the classroom?

After this completing this project, I have learned to look at things in a contextual way.  I usually take things for how they are, but never look into the underlying things that make them the way they are.  This can help me later in life because I now know to look deeper into things before accepting them.