Commitment Announcement
Spring Signing Week '11: Diaz Fulfills Lifelong Dream as Buckeye
by
Ali Jones, 13 April 2011
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Blue chip Christopher Diaz narrowed down his college choices to his hometown team and his father's alma mater. In the end, he opted to stay at home in Columbus and be part of Ohio State's athletics, whose tradition of sports excellence he has known for as long as he can remember.
"I've always been a huge Buckeyes fan and I love everything about the school," Diaz said. "It just has everything for me and I really like the coach and the team. I've always loved them for a long time so I could picture myself going there." He chose Ohio over
Brown, where his father played tennis.
Ohio State fans span the nation, but for those who grow up in Columbus, being a "Buckeye nut" is a birthright and Diaz is no exception.
He did, however, think things through very carefully. He considered the school's academics heavily as he intends to pursue a medical career. He wants to make sure he gets a solid foundation in college that will help him achieve his plans.
"School comes first," he explained. But that hasn't stopped Diaz from pushing himself in tennis and achieving what only a handful have done so. He is currently the top-ranked player in his section and had consistently outstanding results throughout his junior career.
In school, Diaz is just as demanding on himself. He attends Bishop Watterson High School, nationally recognized for its rigorous standards. He has been on the Honor Roll all four years and has received the Silver Racquet Award for academic and athletic achievement. He was chosen by his peers and faculty to be part of the Senior Leader Program, an acknowledgment of his leadership qualities and people skills.
Regular school limits his time for tennis training, and he attributes his success to his competitive nature.
"If you don't play as much you can still work harder in the time you do," Diaz explained. His family has stressed the importance of balancing his pursuits from a very early age and that has helped him. He loves the fact that he has a life outside of tennis and is able to hang out with friends who don't play.
