Nov. 11, 2015
By Melissa Riordan
After suffering from a shoulder injury last spring, sophomore Brooke Broda returns this year ready to compete for the Fighting Irish women’s tennis team. Broda recorded three doubles victories in fall play as a freshman, then kicked off her sophomore campaign with her first three collegiate singles wins with a sweep at the Purdue Fall Invitational, October 2-4. She also went 3-0 in singles at the Illinois Midwest Blast, November 6-8. Broda hails from West Chester, Ohio, and in the spring of 2014, she won three National Open singles titles in addition to nine Midwest Open singles titles.
How did you get involved in playing tennis?
My older brother, who is six years older, started to play, and my dad picked it up when he moved to Pennsylvania. I was originally a soccer player, but my dad just really wanted me to get started playing tennis at about age 10.
Do you have any pre-match rituals or traditions?
In a match, sometimes I can be a little quirky, I guess. I will usually readjust my visor every time I serve and I fix my wristbands to make sure everything is not going to come off. It looks pretty weird, though, I will admit.
If you could play any other sport, what would it be and why?
I would probably do gymnastics just because I love watching gymnastics and they are incredible athletes. I envy what they can do.
Who is your favorite professional athlete and why?
Roger Federer. He is not only my favorite tennis player, but my favorite athlete, period. He is such a great ambassador for this sport and he is such a great person. He is so much fun to watch, and he inspires me.
Who is your goofiest teammate and why?
Definitely [Allison Miller], my fellow sophomore. I have known her since I was about 16, and we have just had so much fun together and we goof off so much, so she is definitely the goofiest.
What is your favorite class that you’ve taken thus far and why?
Probably this semester, my “Death and Dying” class for philosophy. It sounds kind of dark and grim, but it is actually really, really thoughtful and it is really interesting. It is not very morbid at all.
Who is your favorite professor and why?
Favorite professor? Probably Professor Kaplan. She was my Writing and Rhetoric professor last fall. I really enjoyed her, and she helped my writing skills so much. She was very down to earth, very approachable.
What is one thing you can’t live without?
I would have to say tennis. It sounds cliche, but I just love tennis. Even when I am off the court, I am still thinking about tennis, and spacing out in my classes.
How do you balance tennis with all of your other responsibilities?
It is really difficult. Time efficiency is the key and honestly I am still working on that. I did not get to play much last year because I was injured so this is kind of like my freshman year and dealing with the balance.
Before you were injured last year, you played a few doubles matches. Do you hope to focus on doubles or on singles matches this year? Which do you prefer?
Hopefully I will make the lineup for both doubles and singles, but singles is definitely what I prefer. I have always been a better singles player than I have doubles player, and I love that one-on-one competition.