shoulder for matches,” stated
Chiacchia. “Returning a good
serve is even more difficult
though because even if you
can get it back, if you don’t get
a good shot back then the op-
posing player can just crush
you return right back. I am
still working on my serve re-
turn but it is also something
very difficult to improve on
especially since every player’s
serve is different.”
For a young lady that had
just played the sport for ruin
just a couple of years ago, Chi-
acchia has been making some
noise for Fredonia. She has
had a lot of accolades come
her way for the past couple of
years.
It seems like she has been
setting some sort of record
ever since she has stepped
on the court at Fredonia. Just
don’t ask her about it. During
the season, Chiacchia is all
about focus and helping her
team win.
When the season is over,
Chiacchia will then sit back
and realize what she has done,
or what she needs to improve
on.
“Honestly, I don’t think
about my success or records
or anything too much during
the season. Of course it is al-
ways nice to achieve some
other form of recognition but
really I am just out there play-
ing the sport that I love, taking
it one match at a time. There
is a lot that goes into a whole
season, injuries to deal with,
strong competitors, and the
improvement of your whole
team because I don’t win
without them because even
when I play the toughest play-
ers in the conference I can al-
ways count on my teammates
to win their matches and pull
off a win for the team and I
have them to push me during
practice to improve every-
day,” stated Chiacchia. “But
no matter what I just don’t
stop working hard and trying
to improve at this sport that I
love, and if that leads to suc-
cess, great, if not, I’ll just keep
pushing through it and hope-
fully things will start to work
out. But it is definitely very
difficult when you hit those
times when you are working
so hard and nothing is work-
ing out but I always find when
I keep pushing through it,
something eventually hap-
pens that makes all that hard
work worth it.”
It’’s a quick turnaround for
the tennis star. Once the fall
season ends, Chiacchia then
turns her attention to the
basketball program. In high
school, Chiacchia was a stand-
out for a Hamburg squad that
had hide expectations every
season.
She was looked upon to
lead the team and it’s no dif-
ferent at Fredonia. Chiacchia
became a starter during her
sophomore season and hasn’t
looked back. She is now ex-
pecting to have a big junior
season and is already working
on her game for the upcom-
ing season.
“I play a guard for the bas-
ketball team. I really feel
like with any position on the
court, it is always important
to be vocal and communicate
with your teammates. Espe-
cially this past year when I
became a starter for the team
I felt like I had to grow a lot as
a player and a leader on the
team,” stated Chiacchia. “And
heading into the new season
I realize now how much of a
leader I have become for the
team and the impact I can
have on my teammates and
see how important it is to form
strong bonds and friendships
with your teammates. I think
I thrive, as well as the rest of
my team, when everyone is
friends and form a strong
bond because you can just
feel the different chemistry
and energy on the court when
you play which makes all of us
better and play so much better
together.”
With any two-sport athlete
the grind of the seasons can
take its toll on a body. Going
from one sport to another
right away can have a player
feeling the pain of injuries.
Being able to take care of their
bodies is important.
Chiacchia plays two gruel-
ing sports back-to-back. She
goes from the beating of a
hard court to unforgiving bas-
ketball court. Dealing with
injuries is part of the game.
Chiacchia knows that she has
to be cautious when coming
back from an injury and to try
not to rush back.
Rushing back can only lead
to more injuries and missed
time on the court.
“There is a lot of physical
demand that comes for both
sports and both feel very dif-
ferent for me, and I always
sustain different injuries with
NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | SportsUnion
both sports and feel different
physical demands for both.
For tennis there is a lot short-
er and quicker side to side
movements for short bursts
of time but I have to be on my
feet for long periods of time as
you could be playing a match
for up to 3 hours or so and it
takes a lot out on your body,”
explained Chiacchia. “With
basketball there is a lot more
running involved and differ-
ent movements opposed to
tennis also you go hard for a
shorter amount of time be-
cause for a basketball game
you play at most 40 minutes
if you play the whole game.
After a tennis match though
I feel a different type of ex-
haustion than I do after a bas-
ketball game which is hard
to explain. But what I do to
keep myself in the best shape
I can is over the summer I will
lift and run at least four days
a week and try to play tennis
or basketball almost every
day. Especially in the sum-
mer I will hit with my private
coach almost every day for
tennis since the tennis season
is the first one starting in the
fall. But I really did not do too
much this past summer since
I tore some ligaments in my
ankle this summer playing
basketball, so I was in a boot
all summer but I still tried to
workout almost every day all
summer even with the boot.”
The grind of being a two-
sport athlete hasn’t hurt her
in the academic area. Just like
9
in high school, Chiacchia has
made sure that academics is
at the forefront. She will be
the first one to admit that it
has been a transition playing
two sports and dealing with a
college course load.
But, she wouldn’t have it any
other way. She loves the fact
that she chose Fredonia and
she is making sure she does
everything to be a success on
and off the court.
“So far, I have loved my
time at Fredonia. I have been
able to do all that I love here
with academics and athletics
while also being able to grow
so much as a person. I have
learned so much here mostly
about myself and with all the
different people I have met
and the friends I have made, I
feel like I have become the best
version of myself here,” stated
Chiacchia. “My whole life, my
main focus has been sports
and school so I can say with
that, college has really been
no different in that sense. But
in college it is brought to a
whole new level academical-
ly and athletically than what I
was used to. I am not going to
lie, it takes a lot of hard work
and can be rather exhausting
and certainly does not leave
me much free time but going
into this I knew juggling play-
ing two sports and academics
was not going to be easy but
in the end, no matter what, I
know that it is all worth it and
I couldn’t imagine me doing
anything else but this.”