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"As a junior, I played basketball at Colusa High School.  We won a section title and advanced to the state finals, which were played at UC Davis; it felt like the whole town of Colusa was at that game. Even though we ended up losing by one point — a friend missed a shot to win the game — it was fun to be a part of that experience."
 
"The following year, we won another section championship," added Eric Steidlmayer, who competed for the school's legendary coach, Jim Vossler, whose program won a state title when UC Davis head men's tennis coach was in seventh grade. 

"I thought those experiences were a great first take on how to build a program: Create a vision for how you want everyone to play, help them improve and start people young."
 
For Steidlmayer, these experiences as a student-athlete played a critical role in shaping his coaching philosophies once he took the helm of the men's tennis program at his alma mater, UC San Diego, and at UC Davis when he arrived to campus in July of 2012.
 
At each school, Steidlmayer's vision and principles shaped programs that enjoyed sudden and consistent success. Shortly after he returned to UCSD, the Tritons quickly became a national powerhouse by advancing to the NCAA playoffs 12 straight seasons, which included a berth in the national semifinals in 2007.
 
"The strategies and tactics to make the climb and become a top program are not different than what you do to maintain a position as an elite program. We always wanted athletes who competed every match because a successful team needs an extremely high, and consistent level of effort."
 
"After four or five years of success at the national level, we had recruits that joined the program but did not understand what everyone else was doing, or why. That was a transition period for me as a coach because we worked really hard to get our program to a point where everyone was self-motivated and knew why we demanded a high level of effort. It took some time for me to realize that the newer players did not develop the same tough mentality through battles along the way to the top."
 
Steidlmayer added, "Based on where we were as a program at UCSD, our recruits quickly learned to show their competitiveness and desire one they joined the team or another person on the squad would move in and take their spot. It created a culture of competitiveness that allowed our program to overachieve throughout most of my years there."
 
UC Davis experienced a similar turnaround under Steidlmayer's tutelage when he took over a program that won just six matches in 2012. In his first season, UC Davis won eight duals; that total nearly doubled in 2014 when the Aggies finished with 14 victories.

In 2015, Steidlmayer was named Big West Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Aggies to a then-Division I best 16 wins and a share of their first-ever Big West regular season title before topping that mark with a new record of 17 victories — including a run of 12 straight at one point of the season — in 2016.

Those 17 wins were the most for the program in a quarter century since the 1991 squad finished 18-5 overall and gave the Aggies their first back-to-back-to-back seasons with double-digit victories since 2000-02.
 
"We did the same thing at UC Davis, and I say we because my first assistant coach, Michael Meyer, was a former player and a key reason why the program quickly enjoyed success because he instilled the program's core values of competing and achieving while enjoying each and every day on court.  We were also blessed to have guys who wanted to make their mark, were extremely competitive, and wanted to get to the top of the mountain."
 
Those were the same expectations Steidlmayer created for himself as a high school and college student-athlete.
 
"We were also patient with the guys and helped them develop their skills since we are definitely a developmental program. The idea is fairly simple: If you want to help strengthen a forehand stroke, you need to spend the time to improve that technique, then master it through thousands of repetition to really ingrain it to muscle memory.

"We were really patient, yet really aggressive with our players. We essentially told them, 'you are going to become a better player because you are going to do the hard work and invest the necessary time. We are going to have fun the entire time, and I am going to support and help you throughout the process.'"
 
Since Steidlmayer took over the men's tennis program, this philosophy and the program's values led to a consistent presence in the national polls for UC Davis.
 
In 2015, the Aggies returned to the list of the nation's top programs, entering the rankings at No. 72 on Feb. 3 — the second time in the program's Division I history that the ITA's weekly poll featured UC Davis. Reaching as high as No. 53 in the country, the Aggies finished the year at No. 58, which led to the program's first-ever invitation to compete against the nation's elite at the ITA Kick-Off Weekend the following season.
 
"When I first arrived, the team felt confident competing against regional teams, then they worked to become confident enough to believe they should defeat teams at that level. Shortly thereafter, everyone felt confident to compete against the top teams in the country. It was a transition that took several years and was really gratifying. 
 
"Last year, I felt we had a really good team before COVID hit because there were so many people who possessed three or four years of experience. We lost several 4-3 matches, but didn't lose one when our entire starting lineup competed. Everyone became more competitive, strengthened their mental toughness, and our tennis skills improved as the year progressed.

"I tell recruits all the time: If you like to compete, and like trying to improve, you will enjoy all the time we spend on the courts. If you do not, you probably should go somewhere else. That statement has become a truth here. 
 
"The credit for the growth of this program goes to everyone who was and is a part of it, from players to coaches — especially the players — because they put in the hard work, believed we can play and win matches against anyone in the country."
 
In addition to the amount of success enjoyed by the team throughout the Steidlmayer era, individuals also thrived under his leadership. A total of six student-athletes earned All-Big West honors in singles — including a trio of first team honors bestowed upon Adamson, and two more to James Wade — with seven doubles pairings receiving all-league doubles honors.
 
The UC Davis experience also served as a springboard to the professional environment for one former Aggie who continues to make a name for himself today.
 
"With Alec Adamson ranked No. 576 in the world among all ATP pros, that shows how someone can come to UC Davis and create something special because that experience is very possible here."


 
Now that the Aggies are part of college tennis' national map, a byproduct of hard work and sacrifices made by student-athletes and coaches, there is another element of Steidlmayer's position that he thoroughly enjoys and does not take for granted, especially this calendar year. 
 
"The big thing for me, and what I am most proud of, is the fact that quality student-athletes are joining the program and improving it each year.  When I came here, I really wanted UC Davis to become regionally and nationally respected, and become a program that players want to represent because of those characteristics. We accomplished that, now we want to build upon those core values to get to the next level of tennis in the country. 
 
"I am proud of how successful these guys are throughout their career and what they achieved while at UC Davis. I definitely value the personal relationships we still have; I am texting or calling a different guy every few days, and I think that is special because that does not happen everywhere."
 
Steidlmayer's vision for UC Davis' men's tennis program (and at UCSD when he was its head coach) began in his early days growing up in Colusa, and evolved when he was in college after learning from the Tritons' coaching staff.  
 
"If you understand tennis, it is really a 1-on-1 sport. The mental and competitive side was something that was pushed by my hometown coaches and parents.  I was extremely fortunate since my parents, and the Steidlmayer family, was all about achievement. I was exposed to that expectation all the time. I was not pushed in a negative manner, but was given an understanding about the amount of hard work needed to succeed. 
 
"There was never a thought that someone "made it" without putting in the time, energy and effort... quite the opposite. There was tremendous success, and yet my family was always stressing the importance of effort and the ability to take advantage of the situation at hand. I was very fortunate to have that upbringing."
 
Steidlmayer added, "I had a coach in college named Brian Turner who always told me, 'you have a good skill set, why don't we work on strengthening that skill set.' Those two things, setting out a vision for the long term and then grinding out the smaller goals along the way to achieve that vision, is what I tried to do my whole career."
 
In a nod to his personal experiences as a student-athlete, he added, "it takes a lot of serves to get better at serving. Most underestimate the quantity of practice needed for great success. The best put in the time and get it."
 
As previous and current student-athletes can attest, hard work does pay off — just look at how successful the Aggies have been as a Division I program since Steidlmayer took over in 2012. However, what excites fans, student-athletes and coaches the most is the program's potential.
 
"Can we improve at UC Davis? The answer is most definitely yes. This year, we are looking forward to having an experienced group who has grown together over the past three or four years. We are excited about our younger players on the team and our signed recruits since they have what it takes to really lift us in the future."
 
 
 
Notable and Quotable
RE: How Jim Sochor helped him become a better coach
"One of the neatest thing I experienced when I first arrived were the conversations that took place on a regular basis with Jim Sochor. He is known as a legendary football coach, but not many people are aware of how personable and open he was with other coaches. He was a true mentor. The one piece of wisdom that hit home the most was 'You have the ability to become the person you want to be through work.'
 
"If I could, I would tell the younger version of me to enjoy the entire process because everyone will experience moments that are challenging and frustrating, especially in a competitive setting. There are some occasions where you will experience bad luck, outcomes are sometimes based on that and nothing else. Like Sochor always said, 'that stuff is going to happen, so what? You are who you are. Make sure that you are enjoying your days.'"
 
 
RE: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance
"It is easy to maintain a healthy work-life balance because my kids, wife, and my family are more important than my job. The legacy I leave is with my children. There are certain times of the year where I am not as available to my family, which means I better be there for everyone throughout the times when I can be."
 
"In this job one can fall into the mindset of focusing primarily on work and not taking the time or effort to find balance. There are inevitably times when as a coach you will experience the ups and downs of a year. Recognizing how and when that occurs, reflecting on all the things you value and want to accomplish, while realizing you still love the sport, helps create that healthy balance."
 
"With our current COVID situation, and schooling now taking place at home, it's more important than ever to find that balance. I love to go fishing and enjoy the outdoors, I have my whole life. Planning little trips with the family makes a huge difference."
 
"The great part about UC Davis is how administrators and players understand we are about the whole individual. I know that the whole coaching staff at UC Davis appreciated (former Director of Athletics) Dr. Kevin Blue's approach: Pursue excellence on the courts and in classroom, and do it the right way. I truly believe in that and feel very happy to work at a university with that core value."
 
 
 
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, are enrolled in 71 of more than 100 academic programs at the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
 
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
 
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.