She may have started playing tennis at 4 years old, but Guzman, Mexico’s Beatrice (Bety) Flores said that wasn’t her first time on the court.
“Actually my mom was eight months pregnant with me and she won a doubles tournament so I think that was my start with tennis,” Flores said.
Flores, the youngest of five children and the only daughter, said her mother was an excellent tennis player and always encouraged the children to play.
At 10, Flores met Alejandra and Vicky Lozano.
“I think the first time we met was in a tennis tournament in Guadalajara and then we became really close friends,” Flores said. “I used to travel with them to many national tournaments and it was a good experience because they were like my sisters at that age.”
Nearly a decade later, Alejandra Lozano was recruited to Idaho, then Vicky Lozano, and Flores was left in Mexico. Alejandra Lozano wanted to fix that.
“I knew Bety and knew she wanted to play tennis and traveling and playing professional tournaments is really expensive so I knew college tennis was a good opportunity for her,” Lozano said.
After seven members graduated last year Alejandra Lozano knew scholarships were available and the first person she thought of was Flores.
Lozano approached first-year coach Daniel Pollock about Flores and he said he was willing to take another look at Flores.
“The first time she was looking to come here, I think the results were not as good as when I started looking at her,” Pollock said. “She put in a lot of time and effort into getting fitter and to getting better that year.”
He said he watched videos, saw Flores had a good base to start, and it was a bonus that she was a friend of the Lozano sisters.
“She had good results and I knew from talking to her on the phone that she was a great kid and was going to be a good fit,” Pollock said.
He said Flores fit in well and not just with the Lozanos, but with the whole team. Her close relationship with the Lozanos was evident and the bond helped with her transition.
“It’s nice having a couple friends around – it helps you settle down and not feel quite as homesick. That’s a big issue that every international student has to overcome,” Pollock said.
Flores attended English classes growing up but said she learned most of her English while attending Instituto Cambridge, an English school her brother Nacho Gonzalez started in 2006.
She said her English wasn’t great when she got to Idaho and the Lozanos helped her adjust to a new language and culture.
“It was a big challenge, but then I realized that here is where I want to be and with my friends because they are awesome,” Flores said.
Alejandra Lozano said she could tell it was hard at first for Flores.
“She is doing amazing, she is playing better than I have ever seen her play,” Lozano said.
Pollock said Flores needs to improve her quickness on the court and strengthen her serve, but she brings a lot of intensity to the court and hits the ball as well as anyone on the team.
“She brings an attitude that she will never say die and never let one ball past her,” Pollock said. “She will give everything she’s got every point of the match.”
He said with Flores’ hard work, how well she takes coaching and the intensity she has, he sees no reason why the rest won’t fall into place for Flores. Flores finished 4-5 in singles and 4-4 in doubles in the fall season and has been playing well at the No. 6 spot in the spring season. Pollock said there is no reason she can’t move to the middle of the line-up soon.
Flores said she knows she has a lot to work on, but said due to a good program and coach she is improving already.
“I’m really motivated about my tennis because I feel like here I can improve a lot so I’m going to keep working hard both with the team and individually with Dan and doing what he tells me,” Flores said.
Charles Crowley can be reached at [email protected]