Jon Tetirick '02
Wildcats Forever: Jon Tetirick
6/3/2011 10:00:59 AM | Men's Soccer
With 10 seasons in the history books for Davidson men's soccer head coach Matt Spear, DavidsonWildcats.com got in touch with a senior from each of his 10 teams to discuss their memories of Davidson and see where they are now.
Starting with 2001 and concluding with 2010, DavidsonWildcats.com will post a Q & A with an alumnus every Friday. This week's feature is Jon Tetirick.
Jon Tetirick was a four-year letterwinner (1998-2001) at forward for the Wildcats, earning All-Southern Conference second team honors in 2000 after leading the team and ranking fifth in the league with 27 points (11 goals, 5 assists.) He served as one of three team captains during his senior year in 2001, Matt Spear's first at the helm, and made 53 starts during his career.
Q: Why and how did you choose Davidson?
A: At the time, I was looking for a college with a competitive Division I soccer program and top-ranked pre-med program. I had narrowed my search to Davidson and Cornell, before making official visits to either school. After visiting Davidson in the spring, it was an easy decision. I fell in love with the small town feel, beautiful campus (didn't hurt that the weather was in the 80s and sunny all weekend) and wonderful people. Everyone was so friendly and the level of soccer was very challenging. I knew after that weekend that I would be attending Davidson in the fall (assuming I was accepted).
Q: What were your favorite memories from your Davidson Soccer days?
A: My favorite memories were the start of my sophomore and junior seasons. Sophomore year we defeated both Clemson and South Carolina (both nationally ranked), which vaulted us into #5 in the country. Junior year we won and tied our first two games against Towson and Navy, respectively and then had to play Charlotte, who we beat 3-2 in overtime placing us again in the top-25 to start the season. My other favorite memory was our pre-season trip to Brazil my junior year. Too much to share, but the highlight had to be playing against Kaka and Baptista (they beat us badly).
Q: What were your favorite memories off the field?
A: My favorite memories off the field were hanging with my close teammates (Paul Watson, Dave Ramich, Derek & Jeremy Kilburn and Chris Norbet), whether it was at Commons, the Library, the Court, someone's dorm room, or racing to Kobe Steakhouse (exit 28) for their $7.99 lunch special between classes. I also really enjoyed living at the Spinnaker Point Apartments on Lake Norman my sophomore and junior years.
Q: What was your major and how did the academic and athletic experience help you moving forward?
A: I majored in psychology. Both experiences were invaluable. I had to improve my time management skills and work ethic in order to juggle the rigorous academic and athletic schedules. In addition, I learned to work within a team environment and think critically, both of which have served me well post-Davidson.
Q: Where are you now, and what are you doing now?
A: I am living in New York City and working at Inner Circle Sports, a boutique investment bank focused on the global sports, media and entertainment industries.
Q: What are some tips you would have for current recruits considering Davidson?
A: Make sure you are comfortable with the size of the school and academic requirements; Davidson definitely emphasizes the STUDENT-athlete. Also, need to have a David vs. Goliath mentality.
Q: What advice would you pass along to current Davidson players?
A: Take advantage of the summer months and PDL programs to work on improving your individual skills. Make sure to come into pre-season both mentally and physically prepared, but not burnt out. Watch out for the mid-season decline as the games add up and the academic requirements increase. And finally, remember that you are always representing Davidson in everything you do.
Q: What do you miss the most now from playing soccer at Davidson?
A: I miss my teammates and the road trips.
Q: How often have you been able to return to Davidson to catch a game?
A: Once every two years.
Q: How big of an adjustment was it to play for Coach Spear in your senior year?
A: It was a huge adjustment after being coached by Slagle for three years. Spear is much more calm and analytical as well as has his own approach to the technical/tactical aspects of the game. The toughest part was that we had such a large senior class that was used to doing things one way for three years and then we had to adjust to a new system with very little time to prepare. I think everyone did a good job adapting, but often wonder if we would have been more successful under Slagle or if we had more time to prepare for Spear's system.
Starting with 2001 and concluding with 2010, DavidsonWildcats.com will post a Q & A with an alumnus every Friday. This week's feature is Jon Tetirick.
Jon Tetirick was a four-year letterwinner (1998-2001) at forward for the Wildcats, earning All-Southern Conference second team honors in 2000 after leading the team and ranking fifth in the league with 27 points (11 goals, 5 assists.) He served as one of three team captains during his senior year in 2001, Matt Spear's first at the helm, and made 53 starts during his career.
Q: Why and how did you choose Davidson?
A: At the time, I was looking for a college with a competitive Division I soccer program and top-ranked pre-med program. I had narrowed my search to Davidson and Cornell, before making official visits to either school. After visiting Davidson in the spring, it was an easy decision. I fell in love with the small town feel, beautiful campus (didn't hurt that the weather was in the 80s and sunny all weekend) and wonderful people. Everyone was so friendly and the level of soccer was very challenging. I knew after that weekend that I would be attending Davidson in the fall (assuming I was accepted).
Q: What were your favorite memories from your Davidson Soccer days?
A: My favorite memories were the start of my sophomore and junior seasons. Sophomore year we defeated both Clemson and South Carolina (both nationally ranked), which vaulted us into #5 in the country. Junior year we won and tied our first two games against Towson and Navy, respectively and then had to play Charlotte, who we beat 3-2 in overtime placing us again in the top-25 to start the season. My other favorite memory was our pre-season trip to Brazil my junior year. Too much to share, but the highlight had to be playing against Kaka and Baptista (they beat us badly).
Q: What were your favorite memories off the field?
A: My favorite memories off the field were hanging with my close teammates (Paul Watson, Dave Ramich, Derek & Jeremy Kilburn and Chris Norbet), whether it was at Commons, the Library, the Court, someone's dorm room, or racing to Kobe Steakhouse (exit 28) for their $7.99 lunch special between classes. I also really enjoyed living at the Spinnaker Point Apartments on Lake Norman my sophomore and junior years.
Q: What was your major and how did the academic and athletic experience help you moving forward?
A: I majored in psychology. Both experiences were invaluable. I had to improve my time management skills and work ethic in order to juggle the rigorous academic and athletic schedules. In addition, I learned to work within a team environment and think critically, both of which have served me well post-Davidson.
Q: Where are you now, and what are you doing now?
A: I am living in New York City and working at Inner Circle Sports, a boutique investment bank focused on the global sports, media and entertainment industries.
Q: What are some tips you would have for current recruits considering Davidson?
A: Make sure you are comfortable with the size of the school and academic requirements; Davidson definitely emphasizes the STUDENT-athlete. Also, need to have a David vs. Goliath mentality.
Q: What advice would you pass along to current Davidson players?
A: Take advantage of the summer months and PDL programs to work on improving your individual skills. Make sure to come into pre-season both mentally and physically prepared, but not burnt out. Watch out for the mid-season decline as the games add up and the academic requirements increase. And finally, remember that you are always representing Davidson in everything you do.
Q: What do you miss the most now from playing soccer at Davidson?
A: I miss my teammates and the road trips.
Q: How often have you been able to return to Davidson to catch a game?
A: Once every two years.
Q: How big of an adjustment was it to play for Coach Spear in your senior year?
A: It was a huge adjustment after being coached by Slagle for three years. Spear is much more calm and analytical as well as has his own approach to the technical/tactical aspects of the game. The toughest part was that we had such a large senior class that was used to doing things one way for three years and then we had to adjust to a new system with very little time to prepare. I think everyone did a good job adapting, but often wonder if we would have been more successful under Slagle or if we had more time to prepare for Spear's system.
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