February 4, 2022 | SPORTS | By Samwel Makyao
Magdalene (Mags) Gonzales ’24 is a Colorado College student who plays for the Women’s Tennis team. She lives in San Antonio, TX. Her fun fact is she once fractured her ribs because she ran into a tree. We met with Magdalene inside the Blanca Apartments Lounge and talked about her consummate tennis career at CC. This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Samwel Makyao: “So, Mags, I have heard that you are quite a phenomenal tennis player; what made you choose to play tennis?”
Gonzales: “I’ve been playing a lot of sports, but my older brother played tennis and a lot of my cousins also play tennis. So then I just picked it up as a kid, and it was just the one that stuck. It was fun because I got to hit things without getting in trouble. So that’s what made me stick with tennis.”
Makyao: “How does it feel to represent the Tigers?”
Gonzales: “Honestly, it feels really good representing the Tigers. I love the women’s team. We’re all pretty close, and just the environment, the sportsmanship at games, and wearing the CC Tigers uniform. It just feels really great to have fun and get to represent your school while doing it.”
Makyao: “What is in your ‘cup’?” (What are your goals for the future)
Gonzales: “That’s a great question. I really hope to attend med school. I’m hoping to become a child psychiatrist and or pediatrician. I’m not sure yet, but I know I want to work with children.”
Makyao: “What drives you to be the best?”
Gonzales: “Honestly, I have a lot of self-motivation. I’ve come from a very competitive family. I went to a competitive school, so I have a lot of self-motivation trying to be the best or the best that I can be. And regarding the court, honestly, I just want to make my team, coach, and school proud.”
Makyao: “Who is your idol and gives you the most inspiration?”
Gonzales: “My idol’s probably my grandma. She basically raised me. My mom was in school or work all the time, and my dad was stationed overseas for most of my childhood. So my grandma pretty much raised me. She came from nothing but has come so far in her life and just has taught me so many life lessons and has always been there for me. Additionally, I would say a lot of my friends inspire me…But just seeing where they’re at and who they are is just so inspiring. It keeps inspiring me to go on and try to be the best I can be. Honestly, sometimes the future inspires me. You know, I want to go to Mexico. I want to become a doctor, things like that keep me going.”
Makyao: “What is your favorite pump-up song?”
Gonzales: “Before a match, we have these things called ‘Big Booty Mixes,’ and really any of those playlists get me pumped up. Another thing I would say is the team environment, the team vibe, all of us getting pumped up together is what gets me pumped up and excited for a game.”
Makyao: “Do you have any match rituals?”
Gonzales: “I don’t really have any match rituals. I always like to stretch before and after a match to make sure I’m loose and nothing’s tight and try to prevent injury as much as possible. However, during a game, I always like to remind myself to stay calm. Tennis is a very solo and mental game, so if I’m down or having a hard time out there by myself, I just try to remind myself I have a team that is supporting me.”
Makyao: “What past or current professional tennis player would you love to play a match against?”
Gonzales: “Honestly, this is probably a very basic answer, but I would say Serena Williams. She’s such an intense and unique person. I love that intensity, and it would be awesome to see her in person and just play against her. That would be so cool.”
Makyao: “What is the most absurd rule in tennis and how many matches do you think you have played so far?”
Gonzales: “I can think of one rule that if your opponent calls the ball out that you hit out, it gets their call. So basically, it’s the opponent’s opinion on whether your ball is in or out. And that just sometimes becomes a big problem in a lot of matches because, you know, sometimes your ball isn’t out. But if your opponent calls it out, it’s their call. It sucks, but that’s the rule. In my lifetime I think I have played over a thousand matches, but at CC I would say somewhere close to forty matches.”
Makyao: “If a sport required a small victory dance after every match, what would you do?”
Gonzales: “I would probably do something very funny. I think the worm dance would be funny and cool because it would look like it would hurt to do on a tennis court. But if I could pull it off without getting hurt, it would be kind of impressive yet funny at the same time.”