Wingspan: Did you participate in any sports growing up? If you did, when did you start and what made you want to?

Sands: “I played a lot of sports growing up but mostly hockey and tennis. I started playing baseball and soccer when I was five and then hockey when I was seven. I didn’t start playing tennis until I was a freshman in high school.”

Wingspan: When you were growing up, did you expect that you would become a coach as an adult?

Sands: “I did not expect I would become a coach. I wanted to be a storm chaser or an engineer.”

Wingspan: What motivated you to pursue coaching and coaching your sport specifically?

Sands: “I played tennis in college and was top in the state of Texas, so I knew eventually I wanted to coach it.”

Wingspan: What are your favorite and least favorite parts about being a coach for your specific sport? Why?

Sands: “My favorite part of being a coach is the competition and watching kids improve.  Don’t really have a least favorite part but I would say the late nights sometimes can be hard.”

Wingspan: What is something that most people don’t know about coaching in general or coaching your specific sport? 

Sands: “People don’t know how hard it is to play tennis and the skill it takes.  People just think we hit a ball but there is so much more then that like strategy.”

Wingspan: If you could coach or participate in another sport besides the one you currently do, what would it be and why?  

Sands: “Hockey, I love watching it and think it would be fun to coach it.”

Wingspan: What is the most inspiring student athlete moment you have witnessed as a coach?

Sands: “At a previous school I watched a freshmen make it to state beating the state finalist from the year before.”

Wingspan: What advice do you have for student athletes?

Sands: “Work hard, listen and never give up.”