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Scroll over a racket and receive fun facts about that player!

• Sayaka Tsugai transitioned from life in Japan to life in California

• Moving to a new country came with a list of struggles

• Tennis provided life changing opportunities keep verb tenses the same

• Sayaka has big dreams for the future; “I want to be the very best that I can be. I will always push to be a leader.”

As the tennis ball flies over the net, Sayaka Tsugai brings her racket back and throws all her power forward into the ball. It is another hot day on the California Polytechnic tennis courts however Sayaka doesn’t mind. Three years ago in Japan she was playing seven hours of tennis a day; constantly tested physically and mentally. Now, she is playing tennis at a college she thought would never accept her.

Sayaka emphasizes that her choice to move to the US was not brave but necessary. She went from being told she would never be accepted a four year college to attending California Polytechnic State University. She strives to prove that she is a leader and will not stop until she reaches her fullest potential.

A New Life

Sayaka grew up in Japan where she attended a public high school that focused more on sports than on academics. “I had five hours of practice every day including seven hours on the weekends.” She was able to miss days of class for tournaments and her grades would not be affected. This was not the life Sayaka wanted to live. She played tennis because she was expected to and not because she loved it. Her grueling schedule and strict coach influenced her decision to move to the US.

Not only was her schedule intense, Sayaka was pointed at for being considered different at her high school. Sayaka’s mother is an American who married a Japanese man. Although she knew very little English and acted like everyone else, she was considered different. “I was considered a foreigner in Japan. People in school would call me white and a foreigner.” Her decision to move to the states was not hard. Her professor continuously told her she would never make it into a four-year college. “I wanted more for myself. I had bigger dreams.”

Therefore, in the middle of her senior year of high school, Sayaka left home to live with her grandmother in Coronado California. In Sayaka’s mind, the decision was easy. She knew what she wanted and that was to live a new life in a different country. Her parents fully supported her moving and encouraged her to be a leader.

The transition from Japan to the states proved to be difficult. Three months into living in America, Sayaka’s grandmother passed away. “It was like a double punch to the stomach. Boom, boom.” Not only was she attending a brand new school where she hardly knew the language, but also her main support was gone. “My Mom said I should come home but I had made the decision to move and I stuck with it.”

Total Immersion

Learning to speak English and understanding the American culture were the biggest hurdles Sayaka had to overcome. “Learning English was so hard. You don’t touch people in Japan but here everyone has so many hand gestures.” She quickly noticed people at school were always hugging each other or holding hands. Compared to the American culture, “Japan is very conservative” and there is no such thing as hugging or small talk. Her biggest fear was going to the grocery store because she didn’t want the cashier to make small talk with her. “The first time someone ever said ‘What’s up’ to me, I was so confused.” Sayaka learned how to speak English by immersing herself in this new culture. Slang intimidated Sayaka. Not to mention the amount of hand gestures she felt compelled to memorize. “I had to remind myself to move my hands. I would always be thinking, ‘Okay Sayaka, don’t forget to move your hands.’”

Being the new kid at school who knew little English was incredibly difficult for Sayaka to overcome. Her mother convinced her that she must try out for tennis because that was the only connection she had with this new group of people. She made the team as the number one player on varsity and immediately made a whole new group of friends.

Life at Cal Poly

It was there in Coronado California where Sayaka received the big news; she had been accepted to California Polytechnic State University. After being told she would never make it into a four-year college, Sayaka was stunned. “This has to be a mistake,” she thought to herself. Once she realized she was accepted to the one college she never imagined she would be accepted to, Sayaka contacted head tennis coach Damon Coupe. Considering tennis lead her to meeting new friends in high school, she felt it was a smart idea to continue playing in college. Not only would she make new friends but she could continue playing the sport she learned to love again. “After coming to the US, I began liking tennis more because I play for myself.”

Coupe spends an average of 3 hours a day coaching Sayaka and getting to know her character. “I think she finds enjoyment out of pushing herself to be better, which carries over to the rest of the team. She definitely leads through example not through words,” said Coupe. Not only does Coupe appreciate Sayaka’s contribution to the team but her teammates as well. Her teammate and former roommate Emily Gibbens’ has nothing but positive comments about Sayaka’s character; “Say is a loyal teammate and friend. She is so passionate about the sport and I really admire that in her. She adds a sense of clarity to the team.” Although she doesn’t regret playing in Japan, Sayaka appreciates the rules limiting a player on the amount of hours they practice a week. Instead of focusing solely on sports, she manages to focus on other aspects of her life such as academics and personal relationships.

Tennis in Japan

• 5+ hours a day

• Practice six days a week (Tuesdays off)

• 7+ hours of pracitce on weekends

• No penalty for missing class

• Hierarchy exists; the older girl on the team has a higher ranking because of her age

Tennis in America

• 4 hours of athletic activity including weights/conditioning allowed per day

• Practice once during the weekend

• Athletes are expected to make up missing work due to a sporting event

• Everyone on the team is considered equal

Future dreams

As if moving to a new a country was not big enough, Sayaka has bigger dreams for her future. She plans on graduating with a degree in political science and joining United Nations. She has high hopes that she will end up working for the Food and Agriculture organization in Italy. “I have changed so much since moving here and I have become more open. I don’t want to live with regret.”

Looking back on her decision to leave the country, Sayaka regrets nothing. When she steps out onto the court and greets her teammates, she doesn’t feel like a foreigner anymore.