"I was a member of the team right away, but I wasn't a part of it," Richmond says, "It was a while before I was accepted."
The resistance made her entrance into collegiate tennis somewhat uncomfortable. Richmond says she felt left on the periphery of the Harvard unit--one that had its share of internal conflicts aside from the friction accompanying Richmond's entrance.
But since this spring's southern trip, Richmond says she has felt much more a part of the team.
With an interest in creative writing, especially poetry, and the hopes of someday finding a career in animal behavior study, Richmond has weathered the tennis bug without being consumed by the sport. She still admits to harboring the childhood dream of someday becoming a big tennis star, but she has accomplished many goals so far without losing her open mind.
"Tennis will always be more than just a hobby to me," she says. "But it's inperspective now. Your perspective can get very narrow in junior tennis--the game becomes a means of self-acceptance. You can definitely get caught up in a very small world."
Betsy Richmond has avoided such confinement.