The Review

Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Courtesy of Camilo Perez Camilo Perez has posted an overall record of 7-2 this year.

If going to college out of state is a bold move, try going to a different country.

Sophomore Camilo Perez came to Delaware from Bucaramanga, Colombia. He said being a member of Delaware's tennis team has helped him transition into American life smoothly.

"I understand it is completely different here, but I think I've adapted pretty well," Perez said. "The tennis team is pretty much like a frat. They were my first support here."

Perez played for the Colombian National tennis team, which consists of the top 10 players in the country. With the team, he traveled to places like Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador and Uruguay, but said he knew he always wanted to come to the United States for college.

"America is the only place where you can grow in your sport and get a degree," Perez said. "In Colombia, you must pick athletics or academics, you can't do both."

He said America has more funding for his educational interest - electrical engineering. Perez chose Delaware because he wanted a successful engineering school which also had a tennis program. Family members living in Maryland referred him to Delaware's head coach Laura Travis.

"We recruited Camilo to come to Delaware," Travis said. "There was an engineering and tennis connection. Camilo's background has added a new perspective for the players. His life and culture in Colombia is very different.

"We are all learning about this and hopefully gaining an understanding of how lucky we are in this country to have so many different opportunities to learn and develop."

Sophomore Sam Barrer said Perez is a significant contributor to the team on and off the court. Barrer said the constantly laughing Perez is a riot to spend time with and he livens up long bus rides with hilarious stories and impressions of teammates.

Perez said his interest in tennis began in Colombia at the age of seven. He started playing soccer, but there were tennis courts nearby, so he tried it on a whim. Seven years later, he was one of the top players in the country.

"What I like about tennis is you're the only one," Perez said. "In soccer, there are excuses every time. You can say it was your teammates. In tennis, it's only you versus the other guy."

Continued...

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