By Alana Pelosi
One does not need to travel far outside the gates of athlete-laden Colonial Square to see just how much these student athletes consider their teammates their family. At the head of the family, for better or for worse sits the coach. Amanda Foukas is the new matriarch to both Hofstra’s men’s and women’s tennis teams, and so far her new family has welcomed her in with open arms.
Foukas joined the Pride after former head coach Mike Sowter left Hofstra shortly before the start of the fall season. Wasting no time, Foukas immediately picked up where Sowter left off, guiding the teams to impressive records and settling in with the players right away. “I just started about a month ago and I’m just trying to get organized and getting to know Hofstra and the ins and outs of the place,” said Foukas.
Foukas has always been around athletics and in a way, it was a family affair. Born and raised in southern New Jersey, Foukas grew up in a household that put athletics right up there with academics. “Athletics was a big part of our lives. We always had to do a sport- there wasn’t an option,” said Foukas.
Her father had played collegiate football at Dickinson College and when her parents first got married, they found tennis to be something they could do together. Her father, soon armed with two little girls, figured tennis would be a good sport to get his daughters into. Through high school, Foukas (or Mandy Travlos as she was then known as) played softball and was on the swim team as well, but it was tennis that landed her at Rutgers University in the fall of 1999. During her playing days Foukas picked up Big East Rookie of the Year honors and later a team MVP award. In only a few short years since then she has turned her passion for tennis to a career. Still in her twenties, she is young for a head coach and with a warm, friendly personality and a bright smile, she could even be mistaken for player as opposed to a driven coach.
While winning is not the most important thing, the players are certainly happy with the turn around the team has taken. “Coach Foukas has had a significant impact on both men’s and women’s tennis at Hofstra,” said sophomore Lauren Clifton. “She is an excellent person and an even better coach.”
Picking up in turning around a losing program right where Sowter left off, Foukas has started racking up wins. This past fall, the men’s and women’s teams posted 3-2-1 and 6-1 records, respectively. While both teams had .500 and above seasons last year, it still is a long way since the 7-13 and 3-16 the men and women posted two seasons ago.
If it is hard enough turning around one team, try two. While both the men’s and women’s teams are small and friendly towards each other, they are still not the same. For Foukas, she has come to discover that in order to get through to the teams, she must take different approaches, too. “It’s pretty interesting with the men because they are more in your face and more competitive. The girls are a bit more emotional. I have to be two different coaches almost,” said Foukas.
Even if she can be tougher with the men’s team, they do not seem to mind it. To Eric Gladstone, who never played under Coach Sowter, having a female coach does not faze him one bit. “She knows plenty about tennis and in the end that’s what is important, not her gender,” said Gladstone.
While she is just getting settled, she still has her hopes set on taking the team to a higher level. “With the right recruiting, I want to get a regional ranking.” Said Foukas.
As far as the CAA goes, it may not be the easiest of endeavors with nationally ranked opponents in William & Mary and VCU, but senior Stacey Kent agrees that the team is headed in the right direction, saying “I think it will get much better, she going recruiting to Florida and California and even the level [of recruiting] is much better.”
Foukas’ goals for the players do not stop there. Like any good mama, Foukas already knows the players have bright futures, too. “They know I care about them as both players and as individuals and I want to see them graduate and do well,” she said.
Foukas’ commitment to her players does not go unnoticed either, as Tracy Ferrar praised, “She understands the demands that we must meet. She is willing to work with us in every aspect of our college experience.”
When the men’s and women’s tennis teams resume play in February, it is no doubt that this family of players will be ready to go, and ready to help each other along every step of the way.