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Luxizi Meng stands on a bright green tennis court holding her racket. The ball is approaching. He bends his knees and swoosh! He hits the ball with a smooth motion and it bounces over the net. His opponent sighs and says he is tired. “Just a few more exercises and you’re done,” says Meng.
Meng, the new tennis coach at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, has many accomplishments — he was a member of the Chinese national tennis team and a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One Student Athelete in the United States. He has played in international level competitions and toured the United States.
Now he uses his talents to coach a new group of players to improve their skills at the XJTLU sports center.
Excellent on the field
Born in Beijing, Meng has been playing tennis since the age of seven. Growing up, he showcased his skills in numerous competitions, including the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour Juniors.
In 2014, he joined the Chinese national team at the age of 16 and received China’s highest sports award in 2016.
He was ranked 450th in the World Tennis Tour Juniors Ranking. “When I was a teenager, all I wanted was to be a professional tennis player,” he says.
Meng rose quickly in the world rankings and caught the attention of US coaches.
“I started getting emails from American universities asking if I wanted to join their team and play on a full scholarship,” he says. “Before university, my life was only tennis, but I was also interested in graphic design. So I decided to study advertising while playing tennis.”
His starting point was at the University of Texas at Arlington. Then he transferred to California State University Fullerton (Cal State Fullerton).
In addition to excelling on the field, Meng earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and communications from Cal State Fullerton in 2019 and a master’s degree in sports management from California State University, Long Beach in 2021.
He says his best moment at Cal State Fullerton was playing in the 2018 Big West Conference in Hawaii.
“Playing against Division 1 teams was tough. The players are at the top of the competition in the United States. Many of them go on to become professional tennis players after graduation.
“Every victory – no matter how small – was earned. You can feel the excitement in the air during the race. But we did our best and played as a team.
– We reached the final and won second place. It was the best album in our university!”
Meng will play in the NCAA Division 1 Big West Conference Tournament in 2018
The power of role models
Meng says her former coach at Cal State Fullerton, Dianne Matias, has been a major influence on her. Matias won the 2016 Woman’s Tennis Big West Conference Coach of the Year.
“Dianne is a tennis professional with a high world ranking and she leads by example.
“In year four, I sometimes had to wake up at 5 a.m. for training. When I arrived at the court, he was already there. The exercises were exhausting, but worthwhile. I improved so much during that time.
– He cares about his players and wants the best for them. He is like family to me and we are still in touch,” says Meng. “Now that I’m a coach myself, I can appreciate his leadership, character and coaching style even more.
– He sets high standards for himself and his players. As a head coach, he never stops training and always makes sure he is on top of his game. This is also what I am working towards.”
Meng’s favorite tennis player is Li Na, the first Chinese woman to win the World Tennis Association (WTA) tour title in 2004 and two Grand Slam singles titles in 2011 and 2014.
– I met him for the first time when I was training with the national team. I was really nervous and excited! The second time I saw him play tennis was in Paris, France.
“I admire Li Na because she knows what she wants and she does it. She is very determined, not only in her tennis career, but also in other areas of her life, such as female leadership and charity work.
Meng will play in the NCAA Division 1 Big West Conference Tournament in 2019
Information sharing
Before joining XJTLU, Meng worked as an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton and as a national team manager at the China Golf Association.
“In 2021, when I was looking for coaching opportunities, a friend of mine in the US recommended XJTLU.
– I was immediately interested because I could coach in English and Chinese. XJTLU was a great fit because it is a university where my international background and bilingual skills would be valued.
Meng says his first impression of XJTLU is diversity.
“Most of the faculty and staff have studied abroad, and there are many extracurricular activities for students to participate in.
“The work environment at XJTLU is very welcoming. My colleagues are fun to be with. We are about the same age and all have experience in sports, so we have a lot to talk about.
“I think Suzhou is a beautiful city. My colleagues and I have visited many places such as Tianping Mountain. The scenery in Suzhou is very different from Beijing.
Meng says he enjoys coaching and wants to start his own tennis club someday.
“I am so grateful for what tennis has given me. It taught me self-discipline, perseverance, team spirit and so much more. It is an irreplaceable part of my life. I want to share my passion for tennis and the strategies and techniques I have learned.
Author: Xinmin Han
Edited by Patricia Pieterse
Photos: Luxizi Meng
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Sources 2/ https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/news/2023/03/luxizi-meng-tennis-is-an-indispensable-part-of-my-life The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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