OhioTennisZone.com Interview
MONDAY,
OhioTennisZone Interview with New Albany's Nathan Jose
OhioTennisZone's second interview of the season is with senior Nathan Jose. Jose is the defending Division I State Doubles Champion (with Devin Boyer) and he plays for New Albany.
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Nathan Jose in OHSAA Finals - Click to enlarge |
Jose's whole family plays tennis and he started playing at age four. His parents are Joel and Judy and it is best to get to know them away from their office.. Both are endodontists (root canal specialists). His brother, Jacob, is an eighth grader and he plays both tennis and lacrosse.
Jose received his tennis training from a number of different sources including New Albany Tennis Club (Steve Miller) and the CBUS Club with Ohio State coaches, Ty Tucker and Justin Kronauge. He also works with Balazs Novak as a hitting partner and as a match strategist. Novak helps Jose in creating patterns that will take advantage of his strengths. Jose's main weapons are his serve (as high as 130mph) and forehand.
While Mason was formidable in the team tournament last year, Jose's future college rivalry matches will be at a completely different level as his team takes on a branch of the United States military, and more specifically, the U.S. Navy. The good news for Jose is that he also joined the U.S. military by signing with Army. "I have committed to play tennis and pursue my education at West Point. The opportunities at West Point and in the Army are endless which I believe will set me up for success. I feel like the opportunity to serve my country is a privilege and something I do not take lightly. Throughout the college recruiting process, I was considering Ohio State, Notre Dame, Air Force and Navy." Jose is also looking forward to playing Navy's Jack Dabek [OTZ Player Profile] who is a 2018 St. Charles graduate.
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Nathan Jose @ Kalamazoo - Click to enlarge |
Jose did not play as many USTA matches this past year as he focused more on fitness to prepare him for West Point. He has also concentrated on training that will make him faster and more explosive in his movement.
As for his goals this year, Jose responded, "First and foremost, my team has come very close to winning a team state title every year, so to do that would be a great accomplishment. As far as individual [goals], the competition is tough, but my goal would be to try to win another state title." Jose will consult with New Albany Coach Marc Thomas later in the season before he determines whether to compete in singles or try for a repeat in doubles. Jose has played doubles for the past three years. Click for the state draws for 2018, 2017, and 2016.
As for the OTZ math / science or humanities question, Jose stated, "I would consider myself a humanities student because I enjoy history and English, which I excel in. I enjoy history because I like learning about events that have led up to the present day and I enjoy English because it's a subject that I can be creative with." He has taken two AP classes (English and Psychology) and three College Credit Plus classes (English, Law, and History). Jose plans to major in business management and economics in college.
As for the mandatory "How do you use OhioTennisZone?" question, Jose likes using OTZ for the draws.
In addition to tennis, Jose shared, "I have played the violin and golf since I was four as well. I also enjoy fitness training and playing lacrosse with my brother." One of his favorite violin selections is the classic, Czardas, but he also enjoys playing popular music. He does not yet know OTZ favorite, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", but he should have ample time to learn it before States.
OTZ asked Coach Thomas to say a few words about Jose. He stated, "Nathan has been a huge part of our program over the last three and half years. He has proven to be one of the best players in the state but more importantly, he has shown that he is also one of the best competitors as well. That really showed last year in the DI state doubles tournament when he and then freshman, Devin Boyer, faced a great St. Charles team in the finals who they had lost to just the week before. Down a set and 5-2 in the second, many players would have been overwhelmed by the situation. It would have been easy to let frustration or disappointment take over but Nathan and Devin were able to battle their way back in one of the best comebacks in which I have been a part of. The way Nathan stepped up and managed the pressure throughout the match showed a lot about his character and created one of the biggest moments in New Albany Tennis history."
Outside of tennis, Jose shared, "I am a member of National Honors Society where we do many different service projects. In past years, I have volunteered for Buddy Up Tennis in my area." Buddy Up Tennis has been familiar service project for numerous high school players interviewed by OTZ. Jose does his service hours at Wickertree Tennis. A typical clinic runs for two hours and he works with players that range in age from 10 to 25.
In addition to this interview, Jose spoke with TennisRecruiting.com's Rhiannon Potkey in November. Click to read this excellent interview titled, "Salute to Service: Four Star Jose Pledges to Army".
