Lara Afanassiev comes of age

Lara Afanassiev first gave up soccer to play tennis when she was 10. Now, at age 20, tennis has become a permanent part of her life. "I can't see my life without tennis," Afanassiev said. "I hope to keep playing even after I graduate." As a young girl Afanassiev was shy and lacked confidence. In tennis, she would always lose to her best friend and in all of her first tournaments, she was defeated in the opening round. Now a sophomore at Penn, Afanassiev is the No. 2 player on the women's tennis team, looking to take over the top spot next season after co-captain Preety Sorathia graduates. Nothing in her life has come easy, and Afanassiev's success is due solely to her own determination and hard work. "I am pleasantly surprised at Lara's success and I never thought she would become as good as she did," said Afanassiev's mother, June. "It is all due to her hard work." Despite her success, Afanassiev still wants to push herself harder to become better. This past summer, she lost 22 pounds while training hard in the gym. Consequently her tennis game has steadily improved. Afanassiev attended Marlboro High School in New Jersey, where she played tennis for four years. She led her team to a state championship in both her freshman and sophomore years. At 17, Afanassiev became the nation's No. 69 player in her age group. While in high school, her personal coach and mentor, Mickey Cook, gave her advice while sharpening her skills. "Mickey was more of a friend than a coach," Afanassiev said. "Without him, I would not be where I am today." As Afanassiev's tennis game has become stronger, so has her inner strength. "Lara has become more confident about herself which has shown in her tennis," Sorathia said. "She has grown as both a player and a person." Throughout Afanassiev's first season, Sorathia was there to help her adjust to collegiate life. Now more experienced, Afanassiev often offers Sorathia some guidance. Perhaps the one person who has played the greatest role in Afanassiev's tennis career is Penn coach Cissie Leary. Leary was one of the primary reasons why Afanassiev applied to Penn early in the fall of 1993. "She was always a player in my mind," Leary said. "She had great hands and she always showed so much talent. "She is a franchise player, one that you can build your team around. She is the kind of player that I love to get." It is clear that as Afanassiev's confidence grows, so does the team's success. "Lara will do a lot for this team in the next three years and she is definitely someone to look out for," Sorathia said.