Tennis, Studies, and Self-Improvement: Ariitea’s US Success Story

He has been studying in the United States for more than two years and lives his passion daily. Ariitea Cotti-Helme began playing tennis at a very young age, encouraged by his father, who is himself a tennis player. “I started very early, when I was 3-4 years old, though I didn’t enjoy it much at first. Let’s say I really began to take an interest in this sport around eight,” he says. His interest in tennis grew. He went through local competitions and was soon recognized as one of the local prospects in the sport.

After high school, he began a bachelor’s degree in Education Sciences. But he quickly realized that path wasn’t for him. “I was always stuck in the same routine as in high school, I wasn’t discovering anything new. I felt like I was stagnating.” He then paused his studies. “I spent my time hanging out with friends and I felt even more like I was stagnating. I felt I was wasting potential.”

A long-buried dream resurfaced: to study abroad and refine his game. “The United States has always been, one could say, in the back of my mind since I was in middle school, because I was already playing tennis at that time. I told my parents about it; I told them I wanted to leave to grow and simply to learn a new language.”

After some searching, it was via a specialized French agency that Ariitea’s family found a university to welcome him, in California. The young man then left Tahiti for two initial years of study funded by his parents. There, he stood out: “I won all my matches, I achieved solid results, you could say. That’s how I got noticed and earned a sports scholarship.”

He then received several offers from different coaches and decided to move to Louisiana. Ariitea now plays in Division 1, the highest collegiate division, and his studies are partly funded. A relief for his family, and an opportunity for the Tahitian to continue his adventure abroad. “I miss the Fenua a lot. But what’s good here is that opportunities are endless.” “There are many things to discover. One could say they are 10, 20 years into the future compared to what exists in Tahiti. So it’s really interesting for development.”

Now, his days are dictated by training, starting at 6 a.m., Monday through Friday. “Then I start classes at 8:30 a.m. I finish around 2:30 p.m. After that, I have a weight-training session on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. And then we train again at around 4 p.m. That’s almost three trainings a day. I find it quite intense, but I think it serves us well because it teaches us discipline, vigor, and self-improvement.”

Ariitea also discovers a new culture, different ways of thinking: “What I really like here is that people are very positive. I know I have friends who are in France studying there. They tell me the mentality is a bit too negative. What I love here is that people are always there to help you, to encourage you, to push you up. Here, if you’re a struggling student, so to speak, they will push you even harder to excel, to achieve good grades.”

Sports have been a springboard to a new life for him. To young people who hesitate, Ariitea has a message: “If they want to do this, they have to make it happen. All their efforts must be directed toward their goal. I would also tell them, honestly, that it’s hard to be away from family. They have to be ready. Thirdly, I would tell them not to listen to people who try to discourage them. If you put in the effort, you will succeed.”