Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
#TitleIX50: Blue Raider Women's Tennis's Courtney (Genosi) Watson
4/2/2023 12:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis, BRAA
When I think back on my time with the tennis program at MTSU, there are so many memories that come to mind that helped shape who I am today. However, what I think Title IX and the opportunity to play college tennis gave me are some of the values and characteristics I use every day to help me succeed in not only my career, but in life.
The first and perhaps most important value is leadership. Growing up, I got to see many different leadership styles through soccer, swimming and tennis but getting to play with so much talent at MTSU where I can honestly say that just about everyone on the team was a better player than myself, I got to truly learn that there is no "I" in team.
Being a part of a team in 1996 that won a championship and won 17 matches in a row showed me that if you're willing to make sacrifices and bring your best values to the table, you can accomplish anything as a team.
Another important value is competitiveness and the drive to succeed through hard work. Nothing in life comes easy, and I think sports is a great teacher of that. Just like in sports, in life we have challenges thrown our way that may take some thinking outside the box to overcome. When I got to MTSU, as I previously mentioned, everyone that was on the team was extremely talented. Growing up in Massachusetts and in East Tennessee, even up through playing at Knoxville Catholic High School, I was always one of the top players on the team and was able to lean heavily on my abilities to get me by. At MTSU, we had some of the best players from the state on the team as well as international players that were just about all better players than I was. Not to say that I was a bad player, just testifying to how good my teammates were! I knew that in order to bring value to the team, I'd have to work hard and compete for a spot.
My leadership style is one that fosters collaboration and the willingness to listen to others' opinions and be open to new perspectives. With a career in government affairs, I work every day to create solutions to complex problems. This means fostering an environment of collaboration, support, and teamwork. The same values are still instilled in me from my days as an athlete. Personal agendas should be set aside to ensure collaboration, diversity in thought and ultimately yield the winning team.
Last but certainly not least is the willingness to give back and help. That means everything to me. Some of the girls on the team today, while things have moved forward quite a bit since my playing days, are in the same shoes I was once in coming out of Knoxville Catholic High School as a freshman. Sports is a wonderful avenue for people to come to college and have a truly unique experience. Whatever I can do to make that experience better for the next generation, I will. I think for me, part of it with MTSU is living in Washington D.C. and being out of town, I just really love seeing when MTSU is in the news. Whether it be academically or athletically, it always makes me so proud. Having the opportunity to be a college tennis player at MTSU inspires me not only to continue helping others in any way I can, but also to help with my own family!
So, to sum up what Title IX has done for me, I'd say that even more so than giving me an opportunity to succeed in athletics, it gave me the foundation to succeed in life in a career that I know I truly make a huge difference. I'm so thankful for the relationships I formed with my old teammates and coaches that I continue to cherish to this very day, and I'm thankful to still be connected with the girls today. I love coming back to hit with them and spend time with them and watch them succeed and turn into leaders in the world as they leave MTSU with a degree in hand, and hopefully a championship ring or two!
The first and perhaps most important value is leadership. Growing up, I got to see many different leadership styles through soccer, swimming and tennis but getting to play with so much talent at MTSU where I can honestly say that just about everyone on the team was a better player than myself, I got to truly learn that there is no "I" in team.
Being a part of a team in 1996 that won a championship and won 17 matches in a row showed me that if you're willing to make sacrifices and bring your best values to the table, you can accomplish anything as a team.
Another important value is competitiveness and the drive to succeed through hard work. Nothing in life comes easy, and I think sports is a great teacher of that. Just like in sports, in life we have challenges thrown our way that may take some thinking outside the box to overcome. When I got to MTSU, as I previously mentioned, everyone that was on the team was extremely talented. Growing up in Massachusetts and in East Tennessee, even up through playing at Knoxville Catholic High School, I was always one of the top players on the team and was able to lean heavily on my abilities to get me by. At MTSU, we had some of the best players from the state on the team as well as international players that were just about all better players than I was. Not to say that I was a bad player, just testifying to how good my teammates were! I knew that in order to bring value to the team, I'd have to work hard and compete for a spot.
My leadership style is one that fosters collaboration and the willingness to listen to others' opinions and be open to new perspectives. With a career in government affairs, I work every day to create solutions to complex problems. This means fostering an environment of collaboration, support, and teamwork. The same values are still instilled in me from my days as an athlete. Personal agendas should be set aside to ensure collaboration, diversity in thought and ultimately yield the winning team.
Last but certainly not least is the willingness to give back and help. That means everything to me. Some of the girls on the team today, while things have moved forward quite a bit since my playing days, are in the same shoes I was once in coming out of Knoxville Catholic High School as a freshman. Sports is a wonderful avenue for people to come to college and have a truly unique experience. Whatever I can do to make that experience better for the next generation, I will. I think for me, part of it with MTSU is living in Washington D.C. and being out of town, I just really love seeing when MTSU is in the news. Whether it be academically or athletically, it always makes me so proud. Having the opportunity to be a college tennis player at MTSU inspires me not only to continue helping others in any way I can, but also to help with my own family!
So, to sum up what Title IX has done for me, I'd say that even more so than giving me an opportunity to succeed in athletics, it gave me the foundation to succeed in life in a career that I know I truly make a huge difference. I'm so thankful for the relationships I formed with my old teammates and coaches that I continue to cherish to this very day, and I'm thankful to still be connected with the girls today. I love coming back to hit with them and spend time with them and watch them succeed and turn into leaders in the world as they leave MTSU with a degree in hand, and hopefully a championship ring or two!
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