Karim Kamal Al-Amin | Middle Tennessee Tennis

Hometown/Current City: Waltrop, Germany
Undergraduate Major: Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and Entrepreneurship
Postgraduate Field of Study: playing professionally on the ATP tour and possibly going into dementia research
afterwards

How did playing college sports shape who you are today?
I think playing college sports has transformed my life all around. There is not a specific area in my life 
that has not benefitted of playing college sports, specifically tennis. I have grown physically, mentally, 
spiritually, emotionally, and socially. Through college I have become more mature and more engaged in the 
world around me. I was able to build my body to become an elite athlete in college tennis, I have matured 
enough to hold presentations in front of a big classroom and present my ideas to my peers meaningfully. 
Through college I discovered a path to regulating enormous stress with meditation, yoga and other techniques 
to stay calm and present at all times. Emotionally, I went from being a hot head on the court to being a much 
calmer person overall thanks to the help of my coaches, teammates, and peers. Finally, being able to make 
meaningful business relationships and networking has helped me set the stage to contribute to society and my 
community in a way that a non-college experience could have never done that.

What career path are you pursuing after college?
After my college career, I wish to pursue a career as a professional tennis athlete. College athletics 
provides an excellent opportunity to train and prepare you for an athletic career afterwards. Also, through my 
major in psychology I have become very interested in developing treatments and techniques to deal with 
dementia patients as this is a very tragic non curable disease in today‘s society. I could see myself pursuing a 
masters and doctorate degree at an Ivy League school after my professional tennis career to contribute to 
research in Dementia. 

Which class has been your favorite and why?
I have really enjoyed all my classes in neuroscience since that is my field of interest. But apart from that, 
the class about personality was especially engaging, where I learned a lot about my own personality and those 
from my peers. This knowledge has helped me guide through social challenges already and has proven itself 
very helpful in my life. Classes about adult development and aging and about psychological disorders was very 
interesting too because it showed me all the different facets and difficulties many people in society might be 
facing. I enjoyed these classes because it has also strengthened my empathy and sympathy for those who are 
dealing with severe psychological disorders and those who deal with the realities of aging in their everyday life.

What’s the best advice you ever got from a coach or teammate?
I believe that was in my sophomore year when I was in and out of the lineup at 6 from my head coach
Jimmy Borendame. I was whining and making excuses as to why I was not playing and how everything was 
unfair. He took me aside and sat me down, and through that conversation that was very honest and blatant he 
told me to stop feeling sorry for myself and to start taking real accountability. He told me to start making more 
meaningful decisions because he cares about his student athletes a lot and he saw my potential like nobody 
else did. That was my turning point and I started to work harder, started being more positive about this 
privilege and opportunity and it took me very far. From being in and out at 6 in the lineup my sophomore year 
to playing line 1 in doubles and singles my junior year in a top 30 program in Division 1 tennis in the country 
shows how much your relationships can matter and help you achieve big things throughout your career.

What advice would you share with today’s student-athletes?
Be bold and be honest. Boldness could be mixed up with arrogance and cockiness but I am speaking 
about not being afraid of taking big steps in your career. Risk is involved everywhere so take it. Those who 
never risked also never fail, but what is to gain from not failing? You have to fail to move forward and become 
a better version of yourself. Finally, be honest! Honesty takes you further than any excuse or lie ever could, be 
transparent with your coaches, teammates and those who want to see you succeed. Honesty is the best way to 
discuss your issues and problems.

How has being a student-athlete helped you succeed in the classroom?
As a student athlete you follow a very strict schedule that leaves little room for things that are not 
priorities in your life and that is fine. The discipline and foresight I have gained from preparing for gamedays, 
traveling with the team and picking out matching outfits the night before, all have helped me get my deadlines 
in order and never miss an assignment. Do the work, in and outside the classroom, it really is as simple as that
and can get you very far academically. Being an athlete helps you to see the bigger picture in an assignment or 
in a syllabus. You do not practice or learn something in one day, it takes days, weeks, or months to see 
improvement but that consistency is irreplaceable in the process of being a good student too.

What’s your best tip for balancing athletics and academics?
A good relationship with yourself and a good routine in your days. This is a high stress environment and if you fail 
to add structure in your day you will fail, so routine is a tremendous factor in balancing both. Also, social life helps to not 
get burned out during long seasons and long semesters. Go outside, hang out with your teammates and socialize. Finally, 
probably the most important part of all is a good diet and sleep, prioritizing health over everything else is crucial to stay
on track in your academics and in your athletics.