Dirk Bair has been playing tennis for a long time, starting when he was six years old and entering his first competition when he was about seven and a half.
His life in tennis started with his older sister’s desire to play the sport.
“She wanted to start tennis lessons for her birthday,” Bair said. “After that my older brother and I became interested in tennis.
From then on Bair participated in the various divisions of the State tennis league. The divisions were divided up by age. As players get older they progress up through the divisions.
When Bair reached the eighth grade of middle school he was able to start competing on the varsity high school team. From then until he graduated Bair played on the Berkley high school’s varsity tennis team.
Before Bair started attending college at FMU he spent nearly his whole life growing up in Monks Corner, SC. During that time he lived near the Charleston Southern University where his sister played college tennis.
“I used to go up there and train with the girl’s team until I was good enough to train with the guy’s team,” Bair said.
“When I first started training there I was 14.”
At the same time that Bair was training at CSU, he was also taking private lessons at the tennis facility on Daniel’s Island, SC.
Most of Bair’s serious training and experience was developed through the state league and his college training. In his opinion, high school tennis was just for fun.
“Colleges aren’t looking for people who only play high school tennis,” Bair said. “You have to really go out and play individually.”
Bair decided to play tennis at FMU for the same reasons that most people come to FMU. He looked at a couple schools but in the end FMU stood out as the best college for his needs.
” I really enjoy the campus and its scenery,” Bair said. “I thought the distance from home was comfortable so that I could go back home and visit my family.”
Along with the scenery and distance Bair thought that the smaller class sizes would allow him to develop a better relationship with his professors.
When Bair plays tennis he likes to focus on keeping his mind clear.
“Every match counts,” Bair said. “You feel really responsible for your match. As a team we always try to go out and contribute to the team.”
Bair plays doubles a lot for FMU. When he is out on the court with his partner he always tries to look like he is winning.
“Doubles is a really enjoyable game to play,” Bair said. “It takes a lot of team work and cooperation.”
Bair is currently majoring in international studies. He is thinking about changing his major to business, but he is not sure what he will end up getting a degree in. After graduation Bair has no idea what he wants to do for a living.
In his free time Bair loves to spend his time fishing. His two favorite TV shows are “Vampire Diaries” and “Supernatural.” Occasionally Bair likes to do some yard work just for fun.