Steve Johnson, a USC sophomore from Orange, CA, sits down with Scholarship For Athletes to discuss being a Trojan and his transition from juniors into the top of the collegiate tennis rankings. He is currently ranked #1 in Men’s singles and #13 in doubles. He helped USC bring home a national championship title in 2009.

Ross Greenstein (RG): What factors contributed to your decision to attend USC?
Steve Johnson (SJ): A few of the main factors for choosing USC were the fact that I got along with the team really well during my visit. I felt like the coaching staff of Peter, Brett and Eric gave me the best chance to be successful in college as well as transitioning afterwards. Lastly it was close enough to home so that my parents and family could watch the next stage of my tennis career.

RG: What was the transition like from the juniors to college on and off the court?
SJ: The transition was very difficult for me coming from the juniors to college in both school and tennis. College academics were much more difficult than what I was used to in high school so I had to spend a lot more time off the court studying. On the court is was a big jump as well because in the juniors I was used to practicing 3 or 4 days a week and now were practicing 5-6 days a week as well as off court training.

RG: What is the most challenging aspect of playing college tennis, especially at such a high level?
SJ: The most challenging thing about playing college tennis is being able to bring the same intensity and attitude to the courts with you everyday. It makes for a very long season with practices and workouts everyday but if the guys on the team are able to make everyone else around them better it’s going to be a successful year

RG: What would you have done differently in juniors looking back on it?
SJ: Looking back on my junior career I don’t think I would have done anything differently. I accomplished just about everything I wanted too, I didn’t get burnt out playing too many tournaments during the juniors which has really helped me out in the long run because I always enjoy walking on the courts to compete on a daily basis.

RG: Why have you been so successful so far in college?
SJ: The success I have seen this past year and a half can be attributed to a number of things. I have been putting in a lot of work off of the court to become faster and stronger and on the court I am able to practice with my team everyday. We are all pushing each other to be better and to make sure we have the chance to stay on top.

RG: What is a typical day like for you at USC?
SJ: A typical day at USC would be to wake up and go to class in the mornings, practice in the afternoons, class, and dinner with some of the guys on the team then take care of business academically.

RG: Describe a typical practice and workout at USC.
SJ: A typical day at practice is to warm up with the team and we usually work on specific shots during movement drills then we continue to follow the theme of the day whether it be to work on singles, doubles, coming forward etc. Workouts vary everyday but we always stick to either upper body, lower body, and stay specific throughout the day.

RG: How much time do you spend with the team off of the court?
SJ: I spend a majority of my day with the guys on the team. I live with three of them and we always end up just hanging out, going to study together, we have been a very close team during my year and a half at USC.

RG: What do you like best and least about college tennis?
SJ: The best thing about college tennis is the team atmosphere. There is nothing like playing for the guys that you work so hard with everyday. There is no least favorite thing for me about college tennis, its all good for me.

RG: What advice do you have for the junior players who want to be great in college?
SJ: The only advice I can give the kids looking to be successful in college is to make sure that they love the battle and make sure you push yourself as well as your teammates to be the best they can be.