As a junior at Weber High School in Ogden, Lauren Macfarlane thought she would be playing collegiate tennis at the University of Texas.
She committed to the Austin school, but the coaches left and she started scrambling to find a new place to play.
She found that place at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. Now a junior there, she is happy with the way things turned out.
"I haven't regretted my decision to come here," said Macfarlane, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "I love it. I cherish the opportunity each day to show people what I believe and stand for. The people on the team, in the ward and at the (Tallahassee) Institute (of Religion) are all great."
She's also a pretty good player on the tennis court. In high school, she was a two-time Utah 5A state champion in singles and has continued her success at Florida State. At the start of this season, Macfarlane was ranked 53rd in the nation in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and she earned all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a freshman and sophomore.
Macfarlane comes from a tennis family. Her father, Garrett, played tennis at Utah State University and later coached there. Her mother, Sam, ran track at USU and now teaches physical education and coaches the tennis teams at Weber High. Her older sister, Hadley, played tennis at Brigham Young University and Boise State University and is now an assistant women's tennis coach at Boise State. And her younger sister, Mary Anne, a junior at Weber High, is a two-time Utah 5A state champion.
"It's been the greatest family experience," Sam Macfarlane said. "We've loved playing — and we've learned so much about life and integrity."
Lauren Macfarlane says she has learned those lessons well.
"There's no pressure to bend my standards," she said. "My teammates aren't a bunch of partyers and they know it's something I don't do."
Macfarlane says she doesn't even go dancing at clubs. "I would rather not put myself in that situation, and there are other ways to have fun."
Some of those ways are institute and ward activities, and "there's something almost every night," she said, ticking off the days: Monday, family home evening; Tuesday, institute; Wednesday, Institute Women's Association; and so on. "It's easy to stay involved because something is always going on." She also serves as Relief Society secretary in the Tallahassee 5th Ward.
Bret Bowcutt, director of the Tallahassee Institute of Religion, says Macfarlane is one of the finest young women he's ever worked with. "She's good, pure — and has initiative," he said. "She's got a quiet goodness that makes everyone want to be around her."
Macfarlane says she appreciates the institute and fellow ward members for accommodating her travel and tennis schedule.
"My friends in the ward are so supportive of my tennis," she said. "They understand I can't be at every meeting."
Sam Macfarlane says it's been hard to have her daughter so far away, but they support the decision. She and her husband travel to watch Lauren play two or three times a year. "She's extremely happy and thriving. She loves it at FSU."
She says all three daughters were born with a "fire in the heart" into a competitive family. But tennis has always worked well with the gospel, she says, and the same principles apply to tennis, the church and life.
"Between the (LDS) prophets, John Wooden (former UCLA basketball coach) and a little Lou Holtz (former Notre Dame and South Carolina football coach), I've developed a philosophy for raising our girls."
She rattles off some things she has told her daughters as they've grown up and competed:
• "Losing a match isn't failure, it's a stepping-stone."
• "It's how you handle your failures that makes you great."
• "It's not about winning, it's about learning."
• "Nothing will work unless you do."
That kind of parental guidance likely helped Lauren Macfarlane through a slow start in tennis this fall. She had suffered a back injury and couldn't play for three months, but that's behind her.
"I'm feeling really good and playing well," she said, and she's concentrating on building up her match toughness. "Fall is a time to better yourself for spring. I'm here to play tennis and get better for my team."
Macfarlane says her teammates frequently ask her about the church, especially when the team is taking road trips. "They have come to church with me. I'm not trying to convert them, but (to teach) by example. ... Living the gospel is so important."
Macfarlane says she never wonders about what might have been in Texas.
"My parents knew I was in the right place," she said. "They don't worry about me because they know I'm happy. I love the college experience and being part of the team.
"I've been put here for a reason."
E-mail: rwalsh@desnews.com