Meet Andrea Paola Rivera, a 20-year old college student and athlete. The passion she feels for tennis gave her the opportunity to represent not only are beloved UPRM, she also has represented Puerto Rico! She has a lot going on right now between college and practice but she makes it work and can even squeeze in a social life. Wouldn’t we all love to have that time management skill on top of a great talent? Read all about her, her tennis career and a little insight in what her perfect guy would be like.
Name: Andrea Paola Rivera Laforet
Age: 20
Hometown: Bayamon, PR.
Graduation date: May 2015
HCUPRM: How did your love for tennis start?
My passion for tennis began thanks to my cousin. He is also a tennis player, and so I used to attend a lot of his tournaments. I watched him play and decided that it was a sport I wanted to practice. So in the sixth grade I began to play, thus almost all of my family plays.
HCUPRM: Who is your biggest role model and why?
My uncle will have to be my role model; he has always been a great tennis player and at his sixty years he still plays.
HCUPRM: How do you prepare/de-stress for a game?
When I was younger I used to get stressed out and nervous about tournaments, but thanks to time and experience I now go focused and stress free to give my all.
HCUPRM: Sometimes nerves may take the best out of us, how do you deal with them?
Yes, controlling the nerves is very important; when they’re excessive it can affect your game. Usually I don’t get nervous, unless it’s a decisive match; I speak to myself with positive reaffirmation to keep calm and play point by point.
HCUPRM: What is the best/ toughest game you have played and why?
My best and most difficult match was the decisive match to win in Puerto Rico and advance to Nationals; I controlled my nerves and gave the best of me and came out victorious!
HCUPRM: How can you manage tennis practice and college at the same time? (Rumor has it you are an honor roll student!)
It can be said that being and athlete and honor student is hard, but all that has to be done is good time administration. What I usually do is take the time between classes and practice to study all I can, and impressive enough I still have time to balance my social life.
HCUPRM: What is the most rewarding part about being involved with the tennis team of UPRM?
The most rewarding part of being part of the UPRM Tennis Team is that we are basically a family. Also that being a part of a team is a great honor; it has given me the opportunity to travel and improve myself as a tennis player and individual.
HCUPRM: Would you like to continue playing after graduation?
Yes, I do wish to continue on playing tennis after I graduate. Tennis is practically one of the few sports that can be practiced at all ages; even at a much older stage in life people practice it for fun and for health reasons.
HCUPRM: You do not only represent UPRM, you are currently representing Puerto Rico, tell me about that experience?
Well yes, besides of playing for the UPRM team I won in the category 3.5 women and I’m currently in Tucson, Arizona in Nationals. It has been a tremendous experience being able to play here, meeting people of all over the country; everyone is so nice, they even gave us souvenirs. The competition was pretty good, we won two matches and lost one.
HCUPRM:Not everything in your life can be study and tennis, how do you relax?
Yes, like I mentioned, there has to be time balance. Besides study and practices, I spend the other part of my team either with my family or in activities of the sorority to which I’m a part of.
HCUPRM: Are you currently taken? Or how would you describe the perfect man for you?
I’m not taken, I’m single. I wouldn’t say I have a specific type of guy; but if would like him to be supportive at my games, that he’d be an athlete, a good guy with a well-defined future.
Photos taken from Andrea Paola Rivera’s Facebook page.