Johnny Fitzgerald is a foreign exchange student from Ireland. He is a member of the Penn Tennis Team.
Name: Johnny Fitzgerald
Class: 2027
Sport: Tennis
Instagram handle: johnnyfitzgerald_
Being from Ireland, is the competition better in America or Ireland?: The competition in Ireland is very different to here as there is no real school or club competitions in Ireland. Instead, we compete individually in national tournaments against other players, and so, I’m really enjoying the team environment and competition system here in America.
Is the food better in America or Ireland?: In my opinion the quality of food is a lot better in Ireland, like the meat and dairy products, etc., but I like the variety of food over here. There are a lot more fast food places that are all good that we don’t have in Ireland, like Canes.
Is there a player you look up to most?: The player I look up to most is Carlos Alcaraz, because I feel like he is very composed on the court despite his young age of 19 and I like the way he is humble and stays grounded, too.
What are your first impressions of Penn High School?: I think the people and the teachers are good here in Penn. I like the way there are so many options of sports to join and the classes you can take are a lot more interesting than in Ireland such as weights and sports journalism.
What traits do you love in a team leader?: I like someone who puts the team before themselves and is willing to work hard for the team but is confident enough to have the respect of the team.
What advice would you give to future foreign exchange students?: I would encourage them to join as many sports and clubs as possible and be sociable.
What is your favorite sports movie, and why?: I like “Coach Carter” because it shows that a good coach can transform a team.
What is your favorite food in the U.S?: My favorite food I’ve tried here so far is Canes.
What do you love about your sport?: I like the way tennis is unique in the way that you can’t tie a match. Every day, you either win or lose and every point someone wins and loses. It’s also unique in the sense that it is not timed. I like this because there’s no time pressure and its tough mentally as some matches can be over three hours.
If you could have lunch with any living person, who would it be, and what would you talk about?: I would have lunch with Cristiano Ronaldo, because he is not only one of the most successful athletes of all time, but he is also one of the most famous and also has built his own label with the CR7 brand and other companies.
