Dr. Carl Goodman's lasting tennis impact

All an athlete really wants at the end of the day is an opportunity. The chance to compete, perfect their craft and manifest their dreams. Kamau Murray got the chance when he enrolled at Florida A&M University (FAMU), and was able to learn the game under Dr. Carl Goodman, his guest on this week's Tennis.com Podcast.

After nearly two decades at FAMU, Goodman now serves as the Provost at Bowie State University. In both roles, and throughout the course of his professional career in the collegiate landscape, his priority has been the development of his students.

"Part of our recruiting was that close-nit family that we had," Goodman said when referring to his time at FAMU. The school is what he considers the best HBCU in the country, and every year the alumni return to impart wisdom on the next generation. Once it was time to hit the court though, it was time to work for Goodman's team. As Murray will attest to, there was no mailing it in at FAMU, where practice matches were as intense as real ones.

The competitive nature and respect that Goodman's players had was palpable, so much so that they could pridefully hold their heads high regardless of the result. "You do all that you can do that day," the decorated coach lamented. "And if it wasn't your day, tomorrow you have another opportunity."

Despite all the productive and successful years in operation, FAMU lost its men's program during the pandemic. Goodman & Murray discuss the financial burden of running an NCAA athletic team, and what needs to happen in order for those endeavors to be successful. They also discuss the coach's new role, as a provost at Bowie State University in Maryland.

It's a highly informative conversation, and one that holds a lot of weight for the host. "I just want to thank you on behalf of all players at FAMU that you helped and gave a shot. Not just a shot to be on the tennis team, but a shot a life." The power in Murray's words illuminates two important things: you can never repay someone who takes a real chance on you, and you never know just how far the act of helping people can go.