Being a collegiate athlete can be a tall task for some, but for Kara Landsiedel, it is just another season playing the sport that she loves and having the ability to play collegiate athletics is something that only a few people get to attribute to their name.

Stepping on the court to continue your career after high school is something that takes dedication and a unique mindset, but for Kara, it is no big deal. As one of three seniors on the Piedmont Women’s tennis team, she is taking full advantage of her senior year at Piedmont College. Looking back on the four years of her college experience, it brings back memories of her freshman year, now that she has taken on the seniority role on the tennis team.

“We hang out with the freshman all the time, and I have those moments where I’m like, ‘wow, I used to be a freshman,’ and it used to be a big deal when the seniors used to invite us to go do things with them. So it all just comes full circle, and it’s really cool to see,” said Landsiedel.

Growing up in Woodstock, Ga., Kara Landsiedel has always been involved in sports, but it was tennis that she ultimately decided to stick with ever since a young age. With help from her parents, Kara started to play tennis around eight years old and eventually knew that’s what she wanted to pursue. From playing in tournaments around the south and competing competitively until high school, Landsiedel has always been around tennis one way or another.

“I have always played a lot of sports like basketball, cross country and softball, but my parents always played tennis. They actually started to teach themselves after they got out of college, and I started to play too so that just pretty much ended up being my main sport.” Having

that passion ever since she stepped on the court at eight years old, she knew tennis was the sport for her.

The dedication and love for the game has many similarities, and playing one sport for most of your life is one thing that she can be tagged with.

“My thing is that if you do something for so long and you play something for so long that you should at least enjoy what you do.”

Going into college can be stressful, especially in a new environment, especially when a team can have its troubles.

“Coach Trey came up to me after a match in high school and asked me, ‘If you ever wanted to think about playing college tennis, come tour Piedmont,’ and I ended up liking Piedmont the best.”

Landsiedel is one of the senior-most players on the tennis team. As mentioned earlier, “Coach Trey Spent a lot of time recruiting to create a great team chemistry and comfortable environment that reflects on an off of the court.”

This is the reason Kara has loved playing tennis at Piedmont for four years now. With senior year underway, having that bond and that chemistry on and off the court is something that she knew that this is where she wanted to be.

“Chemistry is super important, whether you are playing or not. Still cheering on your teammates makes them feel good and uplifts everyone and just gives off an excellent energy since we are all really close.”

As she looks back at her years, she can reflect on great times with her team and is now looking forward to graduating and living her life knowing that tennis will always be something she enjoyed in her past.

Kara knew that tennis was going to eventually come to an end, but the journey that got her here and the memories that she has made is something that she is most thankful for.