By Lauren Kane
German native Thomas Hipp (left) graduated from Barry in 2006 as one of the most successful men’s tennis players the school has ever seen. His 67-13 overall singles record ranks first on the all-time wins list, while his three All-American and four Scholar All-American honors puts him among the most elite and prestigious athletes in Barry history. And that’s not even all his tennis accomplishments.
However, his on-court achievements are nothing compared to his future career goals.
“I ultimately want to work in the United States in a managerial position in the sports management field,” he stated.
Tennis? Maybe. Tournament director? Perhaps. Event manager? Who knows.
Hipp sees himself pursuing these options as future professions. And his inclination for a sports-related career began prior to coming to Barry. In fact, that’s why he chose the school.
“When I decided to go to college, I wanted to be a tennis pro, but did not have the resources,” Hipp explained. “So I applied to schools with sport management programs and tennis teams.” Hipp was a good enough competitor to play NCAA Division I tennis, but opted instead for a successful Division II tennis program rather than a mediocre D-I team. Hipp chose Barry because of its sport management program, outstanding tennis team, and the overall Miami atmosphere.
“Miami has so many sports going on, it helps in sport management,” Hipp revealed. “You are not limited to one or two sports like in other cities.”
Hipp knew he would use tennis as an avenue toward his future goals. Through Barry’s various contacts within South Florida, Hipp worked as an intern at IMG, the world’s premier and most diversified sports, entertainment, and media company.
“Barry helped me a lot with my internship contact,” he remembered. “IMG is multi-faceted and I wanted to gain experience.” Hipp got his foot in the door as an undergraduate at IMG and continues to work for the company as a graduate student today. Hipp hopes that IMG will sponsor him to work in the United States and then hopes to get a green card and have permission to work in this country. In five years, he expects to be working his way up the ladder in a sports-related field, then eventually reach the top and have a managerial position.
“In the sports industry in general, you start out low and then work your way up,” he explained. Hipp is realistic about his goals and knows the only way to start in this industry is at the bottom, but he is prepared to do that. Hipp knows from his tennis accolades that hard work is the key to success.
“I learned through tennis that you have to make sacrifices and set priorities,” he explained. “If you want to be good, you have to be persistent, work hard, and strive for goals.”
Hipp certainly seems prepared to tackle his dreams and be successful. But that’s to be expected from the 2006 Barry Male Athlete of the Year, 2006 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Athlete of the Year, 2005 SSC Scholar Athlete of the Year, and 2003 SSC Freshman of the Year.
Oh yeah, these are only some of his other accomplishments.