Meet this week’s campus celebrity, John Kopriva! A chemistry major with aspiration to go to med-school, Kopriva is more than your average basketball player.
Name: John Kopriva
Year: 2015
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Major: Chemistry (Pre-med)
Minor: Exercise science
Campus Involvement: Men’s Varsity Basketball Team (Captain, 2012-2013), Community Director Lemonade Day, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Director Clinton Global Initiative University
How does is it feel to be nominated for campus celebrity?
“I was honored because I think I’m far from a celebrity. One of my goals since freshmen year has been to branch outside of the athletic department and meet students because I think people are more willing to come to games when they have personal connections and one of my favorite things is playing in front of a packed Smith Center. If I know a lot of people, I feel like they are like, ‘Hey man, I know John Kopriva, and I want to see him play so I want to come to the Smith Center a lot.’”
What is like to have people recognize you when you walk across campus?
“Well I try to know everyone else. I want to know something about all of them. I struggle with names, so that’s one of the things I’ve been working on. If someone says, “Hey John,” I would love to be able to say their name right back to them, but it means a lot if people know who I am. I think it helps that I’m tall and recognizable, but I take it as a gift. I’m such a people person. I get so much energy from people that even during the summer time when people aren’t around I can just feel like the energy level is lower. Once everyone came back from summer and there’s people to say hi to, people to catch up with, I get a lot out of that.”
Do you feel you have a responsibility to represent GW in all of your actions?
“Definitely. It’s something I always have to watch out for because it is important. I want to represent not only myself, but my team, GW. We are in a bit of a spotlight. You go out somewhere, and you never know who’s watching, but that’s why I stick to the mom rule. If I wouldn’t do it in front of my mom or I wouldn’t tell that to my mom, I’m not going to tweet it or do it myself. That’s worked pretty well for me so far.”
What’s the dynamic like on the basketball team?
“We’re a close-knit group. We spend so much time together, and we go through hard workouts together that we really band together. One of the most important parts of winning is to trust the guy next to you. I think that one of the things we developed so well this summer was just the camaraderie, but also the trust between each other.”
What is the most rewarding part of being on the team? Most challenging?
“The most rewarding part is seeing how much work we put in both athletically and academically, you do well in a class, but you also win games. That’s what makes it all worth it. The most challenging part, in addition to the general workload and time commitments we have, is that not only are you judged on tests in the classroom but each day you have to come and perform your best. Our coach is very demanding guy, but that’s what helps us win.”
Does your coach have any catchphrases or say anything often to motivate you?
“Every guy going into the game has a clean slate and he wants us to prove to him game in and game out why we deserve to be on the court. I think his demand for us to fill a stat sheet and help the team is kind of what drives us each game. That motivates us all in the off season because if we want to play we have to show day in and day out that we are his best option.”
How do you balance your busy schedule?
“I balance things not on my own. Like I said, people give me a lot of energy. I think having great friends and family to lean on helps me a lot. I had a demanding high school that I think helped me with my academics, and I was playing sports year round. I was used to the demanding schedule and putting the time in and not putting things off as easy as that is to do. The more I can get done, whether it’s on the road or just paying attention in class, that helps me the most.”
What do you do to de-stress?
“If I have gotten to the point where I’ve done my work and I’ve gotten up extra shots for basketball and I’m able to put my feet up for a little and just enjoy a meal with my roommate or friends or even just call home for a little bit, that’s such a release for me.”
What has been your greatest moment on the basketball team so far?
“We played [the] Dayton [Flyers] and it was a must win game. We had a chance to go to Brooklyn and play at the New Barclays Center and Isaiah Armwood had a tip slam dunk to win the game. There’s a picture of myself and the team cheering as loud as we can. I think that’s one of the most emotion I’ve shown on a court in a while. I was just so happy for our team.”
What’s your great GW moment off of the court?
“One of my greatest GW moments would probably be Lemonade Day. That was a project where I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into originally, but it turned out to be so much fun for me and such a good learning experience. I reference Lemonade Day all of the time and still keep in touch with a few of the kids. They were so excited to do it, and I can’t wait to do it this next year. Not only did I have fun doing, but I feel like I actually made a difference.”
What’s the best advice you have ever gotten?
“I think it goes back to my dad. One of the things he always taught us growing up was to have a firm handshake and look a person in the eye when you meet them. I can’t tell you how many times that’s helped me out, whether it’s in a an interview situation like this or even meeting my coach for the first time. If you can go in with a confident handshake and look them right in the eye, it sets you up with a great first impression.”
What advice would you give to someone who wants to play a sport in college?
“You have to be willing to push yourself past any limitations you have, but you also have to always to keep that love and passion for the game you have because that’s what’s going to get you through some of the hardest times. And I think that goes into general life personally, you have to find what you love and continue to work as hard as you can to continue to pursue that.”
What can we expect from the basketball team this season?
“I think this is the first time the team has been here all summer. We usually always come for at least half of the summer, but we’ve been here the whole summer training as a group and really have committed extra time this year to make this a great year. I think we have the right puzzle pieces and the right experience to win a lot more games this year. There’s such an excitement around the program between the new court design, good schedule out, we are playing on ESPN a few times this year, and I just would love for people to give us a chance and come to some games.“