Get to Know Your Raiders: Cassie Sidone

Senior captain Cassie Sidone of the Shippensburg tennis team has won eight career singles matches and is the squad’s most seasoned veteran.

An Ebensburg native, Sidone was one of two players that represented SU at the PSAC Individual Championships during this season’s fall semester, competing in both singles and doubles, and as a junior last season, she was the only Raider to appear in both singles and doubles in every match.

Sidone won two singles matches in PSAC play last season – a straight-set win over Cheyney and a tiebreaker win against East Stroudsburg – in addition to a doubles victory against the Wolves.

A chemistry major, Sidone led the squad with four victories as a sophomore (in addition to a doubles victory) and also won twice at singles and four times at doubles as a freshman.

On Saturday, Sidone and her teammates will face off against Georgian Court at 1 p.m. from the Robb Sports Complex tennis courts in the Raiders’ spring season home opener. The match will be SU’s final non-conference tune-up before PSAC play begins in late March.

Get to know Cassie Sidone…

What is your favorite pre-match ritual?

I think about a positive and motivating word or phrase and sometimes I'll write it on the grip of my racket so that I'm constantly reminded throughout my match.

What part of Shippensburg, either the campus or the town, do you most enjoy?

I grew up next to farms and in a small town just like Shippensburg, so it feels more like home here. I prefer towns like Shippensburg to a huge city like Pittsburgh because they are more open and peaceful.

What is the best class you've taken at Shippensburg?

Being a chemistry major, I am biased with this question. All of my chemistry classes have been a good experience, even physical chemistry. They all taught me things about myself I never knew before and the challenge has allowed me to grow. Even though each class focuses on a different area of chemistry, I enjoyed learning about each discipline.

If you weren't majoring in chemistry, what would your major be?

I have always been interested in space since I was a kid, so I would have chosen astronomy as my major and career choice.

What is your favorite day of the week, and why?

Thursday because although I work, I do not have any classes and it allows my busy week to be broken up and it gives me a little break.

Which are your favorite PSAC schools to compete against, and why?

IUP is definitely my favorite school to compete against. I have been friends with some of the girls since I was a freshman and they are the funniest and nicest competition out there. Even though the match is still competitive they make it fun, which is so rare and something a lot of athletes forget how to do.

If we asked your teammates to say a few words about you, what do you think they would say?

I would hope they would say that they think I'm a good captain, that I work hard and am helpful when they need me.

Which individual athletic accomplishment are you most proud of?

I would say that I am most proud of a match I won that took place last year that lasted about three hours. It went into three sets because I came back in the second set when I was down four games. Tennis is a mind game so it can be difficult to stop thinking about the score and focus on each individual point.

What's the most difficult part of being a student-athlete?

In my career, the most difficult thing has been missing classes, especially labs, and finding time to make them up. As a student-athlete, your time is limited already so it's difficult to make up a lot of class work.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned being a student-athlete?

One of the most important things I've learned is time management. I'm sure any athlete will tell you the same thing. Any student-athlete must have structure and organization to succeed in the classroom and on the court. Learning this now will ultimately help student-athletes in their future endeavors.

What piece of advice stays with you at all times?

My dad always told me to play each point as if it was the last point in the match. This helps me refocus in a match if I'm frustrated with the score, and has helped a lot in the past.

If you could talk to children who are just beginning to show an interest in tennis, what would you tell them they should focus on?

I think beginning tennis players need to focus on patience. Developing the skills to play tennis take a lot of time and can be really frustrating. As long as they stick with it and have fun, their skills will develop on their own.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind for future athletes at Shippensburg?

I want future athletes to recognize that it is possible to play a sport you're passionate about at the collegiate level while studying a rigorous discipline, such as chemistry. It's not easy, but it's definitely possible if you work hard.