Sophomore David Sofaer has one objective when he plays a tennis match: boost his team. “Pepperdine’s whole program is built on investing in your teammates,” he says. “Every practice, we aim to get our team better, get ourselves better.”
Teamwork is the underlying motivation behind all of Sofaer’s actions. Why does he practice so hard? The team is depending on him. Why does he strive for victory on the court? His team relies on his victory. Why does he maintain a positive attitude? The team profits from his optimism.
Sofaer, who began playing tennis in Melville, Australia, at the age of 4, has utilized every opportunity to improve his craft. He began competing in Melville at age 12. After performing well in national competitions, he went on to play the junior circuit for the International Tennis Federation.
He was recruited to Pepperdine after becoming one of the top junior tennis players in Australia.
In spite of his own personal victories, the concept of a team always appealed to Sofaer. He says Pepperdine’s team spirit is what distinguishes the campus from many universities. While many colleges suffer from egotistical players who strive for personal victory, Pepperdine emphasizes a sense of community.
“You can easily tell from the first practice that the coach focuses on the team aspect,” Sofaer says. “It’s a good environment. My teammates and I live together. We go to the movies together. We’re all friends.”
This attitude becomes obvious on the court, where Sofaer is known for being a vocal player. “I try to be loud on the court and express my emotions,” Sofaer says. “When your teammates see you winning, it gets them pumped.
“I also try to get the crowd involved,” he adds. “I want the match to be as fun as possible.”
Sofaer’s energy and enthusiasm seems limitless. While balancing an advertising major and a marketing minor, he practices more than 20 hours a week and completes rigorous workout regimens. When asked if he ever feels tired, he says, “Tied? It’s impossible to be tired. If you feel tired when you wake up, you just can’t be, because there’s a lot of work to be done.
“It gets easier because our teammates push each other,” he adds.
Sofaer could not even sit still during the interview. “My teammates would describe me as twitchy,” he admitted. “I’m always moving.”
Sofaer has never lost this intrinsic energy and enthusiasm for tennis. He has continued to enjoy the sport in spite of discouraging challenges along the way. Sofaer reflects on one of his most turbulent setbacks.
Last year, Pepperdine defeated two top-ranking universities, Duke and Texas A&M, and secured the ranking of sixth in the nation. Unfortunately, some financial aid inaccuracies surfaced, and the team was penalized by missing the NCAA championships. This was extremely disappointing due to all of their hard work throughout the year and their high chance of winning.
Rather than be toppled by this occurrence, however, Sofaer chose to take it in stride. “We had to stay together as a team,” he says. “To this day, we play knowing that, at any moment, this can all be taken away from us.”
Fortunately, in spite of these setbacks, Pepperdine’s tennis team still stands as the eighth top team in the nation.
Sofaer opted for a college education because his mom always wanted him to stay in school. He preferred the United States over Australia because American schools place a greater priority on sports. Australia lacks training programs at the university level.
Sofaer couldn’t have reached Pepperdine alone. When asked about one of his largest supporters, Sofaer instantly mentioned his mom. She would drive him to practice every day, wait for four hours in the car, and drive him home. This enormous time sacrifice has enabled him to become the advanced player that he has become.
“My mom and me are close,” says Sofaer.
In addition to tennis, Sofaer enjoys playing rugby, soccer and golf. Although he doesn’t have time to play frequently on campus, he fits in games when he has time. He likes tennis because it emphasizes personal responsibilities.
“You go down by yourself or win by yourself. You, on your own court, need to win your own match. You need the drive to fight for yourself, and ultimately for the team. You can’t hide. You can’t just stand in the corner and wait for someone else to win it for you.” Sofaer is obviously driven and hardworking.
While Sofaer is uncertain about his after-graduation plans, he could happily see himself aiming for the pro-circuit. If not, he has many ways he could utilize his Pepperdine degree, and he appreciates the flexibility provided by his Pepperdine education.
Ultimately, Sofaer has some specific advice for aspiring tennis champions. “Talent by itself won’t get you very far, but hard work can get you great places.” He is very grateful for Pepperdine’s resources. “I hope Pepperdine succeeds in my years I’m here and the years to come.”