Spartans of UD: Claudio Giraldi
Jan 31, 2018 | University Relations staff
Spartans of UD highlights what makes University of Dubuque special – the people who live, work, and study on campus. Claudio Giraldi (C’11, MBA’13, MAC’17), head men’s and women’s tennis coach at UD, was recently commissioned in the United States Army. He will soon leave his University home to train at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and serve his first duty station at Fort Carson in Colorado.
CLAUDIO GIRALDI (C’11, MBA’13, MAC’17)
Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach
1. You traveled from SHAPE, a NATO base in Belgium, to attend the University of Dubuque and, later, coach men’s and women’s tennis. What is it about Spartan Nation that makes UD special?
“It is a great diverse community. I first learned about the University of Dubuque while at SHAPE from Bob Broshous (associate vice president and dean of admission). As we spoke for a few weeks during my last semester of high school, I decided I wanted to attend UD and give it a shot. I always felt this is my second home away from home.”
2. How has your experience with the UD ROTC program help shape your time as a tennis coach?
“It has definitely been challenging to be part of the ROTC program while working full-time as the tennis coach. Time management learned as a student and the extreme support received from the school was definitely key. ROTC has helped me improve/shape my leadership skills, which, in return, I believed I have been able to apply in-depth on the tennis court with our student-athletes. The University of Dubuque is extremely supportive of the ROTC program and we are lucky to have people like retired Col. Dan Kamiller, who has helped hundreds of cadets become great citizens/soldiers.”
3. What do you hope your successor Dishon Deering (C’14, MAC’16), one of your former teammates and a volunteer assistant men’s and women’s tennis coach, will bring to the game of tennis at UD?
“Dishon has come a long way and I believe he is ready to take over the program. He has the right energy and passion for the sport as well as plenty of commitment and dedication to properly coach, lead, and represent our tennis teams. It has been a pleasure to play with Dishon, coach him, and coach together in the past few years. I have watched him grow into a reliable professional whom I am sure will do great things in the new coaching position.”
4. What are your fondest memories of your time at the University of Dubuque?
“I have many memories of my time at the University of Dubuque. I have been here almost 11 years as a student and coach. I honestly cannot pinpoint a single event, but what I can say is that I am extremely thankful for the time I have spent at UD. I grew up, became more mature, and developed as a better human being overall. I have met and worked with many great individuals and built lifelong friendships.”
5. You were a Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) student. What advice would you give to other DoDDS students who decide to attend UD?
“My main advice would be to keep an open mind, get involved with sports or extracurricular activities, and reach out to other students to learn more about their background and build friendships that might last forever.”
