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As Parents… What Can We Do? Try the 30-30-30 rule!

Parents often ask what they can do at home to help reinforce the ATA & CP messaging of ‘strive for the pursuit of excellence’ and ‘study for the love of learning’. I love this! It is truly the village that creates the community, and together we can make a bigger impact. One thought that comes to mind, is to encourage them to “Show up. Listen. Always do your best.” Another thought that comes to mind is to model what you wish for them to do: complete tasks joyfully; study diligently, practice what you love to do; and perform with dignity.

In relating specifically to building better study habits, some things that you can do at home are:

1) Ask the right questions. ie. Instead of asking “How was your day?”, which may result in a one word answer of “fine”, ask “What are you reading about in History?”, which requires thought and dialog. OR instead of “Do you have any homework?” which is task oriented, ask “What will you be studying tonight?” which is habit oriented. This develops a proactive mindset instead of a passive one.

2) Designate an evening ritual as ‘study time’ or ‘family time’. To optimize the effects, it should be repeated each night, at the same time, in the same location, and with minimal distraction. Establish 30 minutes (or longer) to gather at the dining table or in the living room, with no TV, computers or cellular devices. Read. Discuss. Play a game like Bananagrams, Boggle, Yahtzee, etc.

3) Practice this study habit with your child for the next 30 days. Review her day. Ask her to explain the topics she currently studying in each class. Help her locate the process to solve a problem. Show her how to learn.

4) Read aloud to your family or read silently as a family. 30 pages a day is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your child that will result in improved academic performance and character evolution. It is also a beautiful way for your family to connect each day. Suggested books that will spark discussion include: The Chosen, To Kill A Mockingbird, Moby Dick, The Alchemist, Three Cups of Tea, Never Let Me Go, The Giver… or perhaps one that she is currently reading at school.

As parents, we want the the very best for our children. Emphasize the quality of long-term practice over short-term results. Show them that you value how they spend their days. And teach them to appreciate the way in which you spend yours.

Try the 30-30-30 rule: 30 minutes, 30 days, 30 pages.

Let me know what happens next.

Take care, ~Carol

Abigail and Callie Help Team to Bronze Ball

ATA had 4 players this past week compete in the National Spring Team Championships, Abigail Chiu, Harrison Chiu, Callie Creath and Anushka Dania. Congrats to Abigail and Callie for helping their team, Firecrackers, come away with a bronze ball finish!

Wisdom Shared Through ATA Alumni

Earlier this year, Coach Newman invited six ATA alumni members who work in Austin to participate in a panel discussion so current ATA students could see how some of the life lessons they are learning have been applied in real life. The goal of having current ATA students witness firsthand the powerful outcomes that result through the positive processes the ATA program offers was accomplished in a powerful way through this panel discussion. Many of the ATA coaches who attended were impressed by the articulate and insightful nature of the comments shared by the alumni members. Through the stories they shared, each of the alumni members communicated that the ATA culture and the process of competing in junior tennis had been their primary driver of success.

Many of the alumni members contributed specific thoughts on the qualities they learned from junior tennis and ATA that has helped them succeed in the workforce. Ryan Berber, who was on the tennis team at Claremont McKenna and is currently an Investment Associate at Nicoya Capital, said he learned how to stay calm under pressure through competing in junior tennis and that he never gets rattled in his job. Santiago Montoya, who played for Notre Dame and now serves as Chief Investment Officer for A Glimmer of Hope Foundation, talked about learning how to rebound from failure since most tennis players lose frequently. This resiliency has helped Santiago in his professional career. Whitney Waters, who earned All-American honors at University of Redlands and currently serves as the Director of Marketing for AlertMedia, shared how learning how to lose with humility has been invaluable given the fact that you lose deals in business. Blake Davis, who played in the starting line-up all four years at Florida State and now serves as an analyst for Elberon Investment Fund, talked about how the competitiveness that was his biggest strength in tennis has also allowed him to enjoy professional success. Blake got the attention of the ATA students by telling a poignant story about his first job out of college with Wells Fargo’s Investment Banking division. Blake shared that despite the fact that the vast majority of the people who were in the year-long training program were Ivy League graduates, more than 50{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} of his colleagues could not handle the rigorous demands of the program and either quit or were fired. Blake attributed his competitiveness and desire to win at everything he did for allowing him to succeed in the training program, while many of the Ivy League graduates couldn’t handle it.

The panelists also shared their most significant takeaways from being in the ATA program that have benefitted them after their tennis careers ended. Santiago Montoya mentioned how his discipline was shaped at ATA and is now infused in his core. Santiago, like several other panelists, also talked about the goal setting he learned under Coach Newman. Whitney Waters emphasized learning to put the process of pursuing excellence in tennis over result outcomes, as well as the real life applications in terms of learning to appreciate the journey. Claire Cahill, who earned All-American honors at Washington & Lee and currently serves as a Business Analyst for Bazaarvoice, told an inspiring story of how she had to come back to her ATA roots to get her college tennis career moving in the right direction. Following Claire’s sophomore year at Washington & Lee in which she did not play in the starting line-up, Claire decided she needed to step up her commitment and return to her disciplined training habits by spending the entire summer doing morning and afternoon practices at ATA under the guidance of Coach Newman. The net result of Claire’s hard work and dedication was earning All-American honors at the end of her junior year after playing in the doubles and singles line-up the entire season. Claire attributed her remarkable turnaround to the hard work she put in at ATA the summer before her junior year.

Many of the alumni members said the thing they valued the most from their experience at ATA was the life-long friendships they formed there. ATA coach Brandon Davis, whose collegiate career at the University of Illinois was highlighted by reaching the NCAA Finals in 2007, shared that “the friends I made at ATA are still my best friends and we have been in each other’s weddings.” Brandon also urged the current players to take advantage of the opportunity to create their own special relationships during their time at ATA.

The most poignant example of a lasting relationship that began at ATA was that of alumni members Whitney Waters and Ryan Berber who recently announced their engagement.

Given the inspiring nature of the stories shared by the alumni members that reinforce the life lessons the ATA coaching staff is trying to instill in our students, there will be more of these panel discussions in the future.

Caroline Wernli #15 in Nation!

Congratulations to Caroline Wernli, who ages up tomorrow to Girls 14s. Caroline is ending her 12s career being ranked #1 in Texas for the past 8 months and #15 in the nation. She is already #10 in Texas in 14s. Happy Birthday Caroline, all your hard work and dedication is showing.

What Separates ATA’s Fitness Program

Over the past two years, ATA’s fitness program has risen to a new level that separates it from other programs through the addition of pilates and on-court tennis specific fitness training that complement the existing strength and conditioning program that is based on the C.H.E.K. system (Corrective, High-performance, Exercise and Kinesiology). Dio Miranda, who serves as the Director of Fitness for ATA, has created a culture that discourages the no pain-no gain philosophy that can hurt players by instead encouraging them to train in a safe way with appropriate form and technique in a functional environment. The flexibility and range of motion of ATA students are also addressed through specific stretches that are assigned based on individual assessments. In addition, players are educated on sleeping and hydration patterns, and customized nutrition programs are offered through metabolic typing such as blood type diets. An increasing number of ATA players are also taking the next step by adding private training sessions that are customized for what the individual players needs following a comprehensive assessment. In addition to Coach Dio, athletes training at ATA now have the option to have private fitness sessions with newly hired Josh Rifkin as well as pilates sessions with Lucie Schmidhauser.

The ATA fitness program has benefitted by adding pilates exercises that are aimed to improve core strength, muscle tone, flexibility and posture. Coach Lucie Schmidhauser, who is comprehensively certified through Peak Pilates, is available for private sessions using the Pilates Reformer as well as group mat classes. The most recent addition to the ATA Fitness team is Josh Rifkin who brings a new focus to tennis specific fitness training based on his experience as a high level junior and collegiate tennis player along with the knowledge he gained by studying under Pat Etcheberry, who is the most renowned fitness expert in the tennis industry. Etcheberry has trained Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Justine Henin, Monica Seles and many other accomplished tennis professionals. Coach Josh was also exposed to some of the best tennis coaching minds while training for the professional tennis tour. According to Coach Newman, “it is a huge benefit to our players to have a fitness trainer who played tennis at a high level and has a strong foundation in fitness through the highly respected C.H.E.K. Institute.” The basis of what Coach Josh does with his on-court tennis specific training is from his Pat Etcheberry Training Certification. The core of this on-court training is tennis specific footwork patterns and movement patterns that athletes actually use on the court. These movements are strengthened by using resistance bands and medicine balls to improve tennis performance. Josh also utilizes drills that enhance power, strength, endurance and conditioning while also improving agility, acceleration, direction change, recovery and racquet head speed. This type of tennis specific training complements general performance enhancement training. It should be noted that Coach Josh is also available for performance enhancement training sessions in the gym.

Coach Dio has trained professional baseball players from 9 different Major League Baseball teams, and he firmly believes ATA’s fitness program rivals that of most Major League teams. Whether players are training with Coach Dio for strength and conditioning, Coach Lucie for core strength enhancement through pilates exercises or Coach Josh for tennis specific movement patterns, all three energetic coaches deliver high level tennis specific fitness training that allow players to reach the next level of performance.

ATA Alumni Andrew Parks Earns Player of the Week Award

ATA Alumni Andrew Parks Earns Player of the Week Award

Air Force Academy senior and ATA alumni Andrew Parks went 4-0 this past weekend to earn player of the week award for the Mountain West Conference. He also earned his first career win over a nationally ranked opponent! Congrats to Andrew! To read more on his weekend results click here.

“Tennis” by William McEwin

William McEwin is a second grader that is in ATA’s Junior Development program. He wrote this poem for school and it is about his match at a Junior Team Tennis event. If you have ever met William he is very energetic and you can tell he loves the sport!

“Tennis”

My tennis game was a miss!

I swung too early, I swung too late.

I swung too low, I swung too high.

I swung too light, I swung too hard.

I did a wrong stroke,

I swung to the side.

That’s ok, that’s alright because I love tennis and it’s a wild ride!!!

Meghan O’Malley To Attend U.S. Naval Academy

Austin Tennis Academy veteran Meghan O’Malley will sign her letter of intent to attend the United States Naval Academy on Wednesday evening while the community comes together to celebrate.

“I am fortunate to have grown up at ATA,” Meghan said.

Meghan has been a consistent staple in the programs at ATA since she was 10. When she looks back on it all, it is the people who stand out the most.

“I am grateful to have trained with great tennis coaches who are also great people,” Meghan said. “They commanded that I give my best on the court and they were dedicated to making me a better player. Most importantly, they cared about me as a person, not just after a match or during a tournament weekend, but every day. I have so many great memories, so many moments that I will remember the rest of my life.”

Meghan has consistently ranked among the 20 best girls in Texas in her age group, and the top 150 in the United States. She is also a 2-time National Champion as a member of the Dream Team in Junior Team Tennis. Just last weekend, Meghan reached the semifinals of her draw at USTA Texas Excellence. With plenty of on court success, it is her personal growth and perspective off the court that has been Meghan’s biggest takeaway from her time in the sport.

“ATA has taught me resilience, discipline, dedication, and commitment. Playing tennis has provided me with a foundation of some pretty amazing life lessons. ATA encouraged me to be a good tennis player but also a citizen of significance. I think that’s the biggest difference with ATA — it provides us with a culture to give back and to grow to be a leader. I think the culture of ATA led me to think about what I want as an adult. I want a life of purpose, to be part of something meaningful, something bigger than myself.”

With her strong sense of mindfulness and connection to citizenship (Meghan recently raised over $5k for Wounded Warriors), the Naval Academy was a natural fit. More importantly, though, Meghan has been well acquainted with the Navy for as long as she can recall.

“My dad was an officer in the Navy, so it has always been a part of my life,” Meghan said. “I grew up knowing that the Naval Academy was special. I knew the Academy would provide me with a strong academic education and outstanding opportunities to develop leadership skills. But it was my visits to Annapolis and to the Yard where I really learned that it is an exceptional place. Everyone works hard and everyone has a strong drive to succeed.”

Meghan will join a Navy Women’s Tennis Team that is about half way through the 2015-2016 season and is 7-4. The team competes in The Patriot League, where historically they have made 4 tournament finals appearances in 8 seasons.

“I am really excited to be a part of the Naval Academy’s tennis team. I immediately connected with Coach Puryear, Coach Pedergnana, and the players on the team. I’m excited to continue to take my game to the next level and continue to compete.”

Meghan will also enter a tough academic environment. As a science and technical school, The Naval Academy focuses heavily on science and math, with military education that includes ethics and leadership training.

“While I don’t know exactly what I want to study, I’m leaning towards International Relations then pursuing a law degree. The Naval Academy faculty invests a lot of time in helping students choose a field of study so I’m also going to be open to new ideas and experiences. My summers will be filled with hands on training on our nation’s fleet. I will spend time on different kinds of ships, in different parts of the world and will have the opportunity to spend summers abroad. I’m most excited about being on an Aircraft Carrier and learning more about Naval Aviation.”

Meghan will rely on academic foundations developed during her six years as a student at ATA College Prep.

“I think ATA CP is a very special and unique place. The small class sizes made it easy to have meaningful discussions, and it enabled me to have strong relationships with my teachers and my peers. At ATA CP, I learned how to learn, and I learned how to enjoy the process of learning. Of course grades are important at CP but it’s also about being curious and having an open mind for new experiences.”

For her senior year, Meghan is attending Vandegrift High School in Austin – on of the top public schools in the city.

“I’m enjoying my first and last year as a public high school student. It’s a much different experience and I’ve learned a lot from it. First, most of my classes have over 30 students in them. I have dedicated teachers, but they don’t have flexibility to make sure all the students understand the topics. There have been many times where I must choose between academic or tennis success. Also, teachers are bound by many rules. They’re sympathetic when I have a big tournament coming up or when I miss several days of school for tennis, but they can’t change test dates or project due dates. This has helped my time management, and I’m learning to operate on less sleep. But, it has made me appreciate the ATA CP teachers; they looked out for my development as a whole.”

Through the whole process – nearly a decade of tennis training and accomplishment – the lasting sentiment for Meghan has nothing to do with tennis.

“I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that I am responsible for my success and my happiness. Every experience has the opportunity to provide me with things to complain about, thing to be grateful for and things to learn. I have the ability to choose what I focus on.”

Please join the ATA community as we celebrate with Meghan and her family at her Signing Ceremony this Wednesday evening at 6:30 in the ATA Fitness Center.

ATA dominance at Excellence

ATA players comprehensively dominated their respective draws at last weekend’s SuperChamp Excellence tournament held in Austin and Corpus Christi.

Abigail Chiu captured the Girls 18s A draw in impressive fashion the week after she won Doubles Excellence. After notching a straight set victory over the #1 ranked player in Texas in the semifinals, Abigail played her best tennis in the finals against the #6 ranked player in Texas, Sydney Riley, who recently signed to play at Clemson. According to Coach Doug Davis, “Abigail was mentally tough throughout the three set battle and she used an effective blend of aggressive baseline play combined with smart defensive play and well timed advances to the net to secure the victory.” Naval Academy signee Meghan O’Malley also had a strong performance by reaching the 18s B draw semifinal and Alex Mjos staged a dramatic comeback in the finals of the 18s C draw over teammate Kristin Kerrigan. As was the case with Abigail Chiu, Alex Mjos had considerable momentum coming into this tournament after winning the 16s A draw Doubles Excellence title the week before.

In the Boys 18s A draw, Princeton signee Payton Holden showcased his brilliant shot making abilities in reaching the semifinals. Another highlight of the Boys 18s A draw was the epic four hour battle waged between ATA teammates Erik Kerrigan and Jake Berber that Erik won 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 in the longest match of the tournament. According to Tournament Director, Brian Notis, “both teammates displayed great spirit and tremendous respect for each other.” Numerous spectators commented on how Erik and Jake acknowledged each other’s great shots and how they frequently engaged in friendly banter in between points. This was ATA valued sportsmanship at the highest level, according to Coach Notis. Equally noteworthy, the Boys 18s B draw was highlighted by Chase Bartlett courageously fighting his way to two victories despite having to serve underhanded throughout the tournament as a result of an injury. The Boys 18s C draws were dominated by Jesse Wikso and Roger Chou. Despite both of them playing up an age group, Jesse and Roger were able to win their respective draws in convincing fashion.

The Girls 16s A draw produced a semifinalist, Georgia Wright, and the tournament champion, Callie Creath. Coach Brandon Davis said “Callie played some of the best tennis I have ever seen her play; she was fully committed to owning her aggressive game style and it paid off.” Coach Brandon also noted that Callie’s opponents in the semifinals and final had beaten her the previous two times. Coach John Schoenmakers was equally encouraged by Georgia’s more aggressive play and increased pace on her groundstrokes that contributed to her semifinal finish. It should also be noted that ATA newcomer Kailey Chase, who is beginning to reap dividends from her hard work and openness to coaching, reached the semifinals of the 16s C draw. Kailee Meyer’s improved focus in practice is also starting to pay off with a semifinal result in her respective 16s C draw.

Tyler Anson’s steady hard work over the past 12 months is also beginning to yield impressive results as shown by winning his 16s B draw. Coach Newman noted that it was the first tournament he has seen Tyler “in full-out competitor mode, pumping his fist, encouraging himself, and holding himself as if he believed he was the best player in his draw.” Juan Abboud, who just moved up into 16s this month, continued his winning form by capturing 5th place after knocking out the #1 seed in his 16s B draw. And Kyler Bender did a great job of bouncing back and winning three consecutive matches in his 16s C draw.

The Boys 14s A draw saw a breakthrough performance by Blaine Kanak. In his quarterfinal match, Blaine fought back from down a set and down 1-4 in the second set to defeat the #4 seed in a third set tiebreaker. Blaine followed up with another great performance in the semifinals, narrowly losing after yet another epic battle. Coach Notis attributes Blaine’s breakthrough to his improved poise and focus as well as his newfound willingness to utilize tactical discipline. Blaine’s doubles partner, Max Schmidhauser, finished strong in the 14s A draw after losing a three set heartbreaker in the first round. Max bounced back with excellent mental toughness to win three consecutive matches against higher ranked opponents. In the Boys 14s C draw, Matthew Gavrilov had another strong tournament by reaching the finals.

In the Boys 12s A draw, James Cockrell showed he is a top player in Texas winning his first round and then being 2 points away from taking the first set against the #1 player in Texas. In his third round, he dominated the match and made quick work of his opponent. His last match, he lost a close three set battle 7-6(8) in the third. According to Coach Kalapala, “James competed very well and is making big strides mentally when the matches are tight.”

Two of the youngest girls in the Academy program also showed encouraging progress at Excellence. Sasha Malysheva showed signs of her vast potential by reaching the semifinals of the G12s B draw. According to Coach Rifkin, “Sasha plays beyond her 11 years with excellent focus, intensity, energy and mental toughness.” Kerry Lum, who only super-qualified in December, continued her rapid improvement by winning 3 matches in the Girls 12s B draw. With younger players like Kerry and Sasha making great strides, ATA’s future is indeed bright.

Abigail Chiu: Winningest doubles player in ATA history

G16 Doubles Summer Grand Slam Champion

Capturing the Girls 18s doubles title at last weekend’s Excellence tournament is yet another accomplishment in a storied junior career filled with a variety of other significant doubles titles that Abigail Chiu has earned in sectional, national and international competition.

Abigail first made her mark as one of the premiere doubles players in the country by winning a Bronze Ball at the Girls 12s Hardcourt Nationals in 2010. This victory was the beginning of a remarkable string of USTA Balls in doubles including winning a Silver Ball at the Girls 14s Winter Nationals in 2012 and a Gold Ball at the Girls 14s Easter Bowl in 2013 that highlight just a few of Abigail’s accomplishments in national competition. Abigail has also distinguished herself in international doubles competition by reaching the finals of the prestigious Eddie Herr tournament in 2012 as well as winning 3 ITF titles in Paraguay (2013), Daytona Beach (2013) and in her hometown of Austin (2015). However, perhaps the best indication of Abigail’s dominance in doubles was represented by her earning the #1 ranking in USTA National girls 16s doubles. Abigail’s impressive body of work in doubles is best summed up by ATA Head Coach, Doug Davis, who has served as Abigail’s primary coach for the past 4 years: “Abigail Chiu is the winningest player in ATA history in doubles events on an annual basis with a varied range of partners in every level of junior tennis in the US.”

Abigail’s doubles skills have also served her well with college coaches during her recruitment process. College coaches prefer recruiting players who are not only good singles players (Abigail has earned the #1 singles ranking in Texas in 12s, 14s, and 16s), but also accomplished doubles players. Coach Lucie Schmidhauser, who has traveled to many national tournaments with Abigail over the past 2 years, recalled an insight Paul Wardlaw, Brown University Head Women’s Tennis Coach, shared with her while watching Abigail and her partner dominate their opponents at Claycourt Nationals in July: it is easier to make great doubles players into valuable singles players than the other way around. This may be one of the reasons Abigail has been heavily recruited by Brown, Columbia and Dartmouth while also being seriously considered by Harvard. Coach Lucie is confident that “Abigail will be a force to be reckoned with in Division One college tennis with her attacking mindset, superb volleys, quick reflexes, and strong fundamentals.”

David Benzel Webinar and Article

Please join David Benzel on Thursday Feb 18 at 8pm for a 45 min webinar “Three Steps for Getting Your Athletic Family on the Same Page.” Click here to register.

Also, there is a new Winners Connection article, “The Only Two Questions You Need to Ask Yourself.” Click here to learn more.

ATA “Lifer” commits to Division 3 National Champions

A much beloved ATA “Lifer” recently celebrated his college signing ceremony with family, friends, coaches, teammates and ATA community members applauding his accomplishment of gaining acceptance to his “dream” school. During his signing ceremony speech, Jake Berber shared: “Claremont McKenna College was my top choice because it’s one of the strongest liberal arts colleges in the country, the tennis team is the reigning Division 3 National Champions and the students there are the type of people who will help me grow as a person.” Jake should be well prepared for the challenges of being a student-athlete at one of the most selective liberal arts schools in the country given his many years of balancing the rigors of ATA’s training schedule with the challenging academic workload at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School.

Jake has enjoyed a number of significant tennis accomplishments over the course of his stellar junior career. The consistency of his singles results stand out as Jake earned a Top 5 ranking in Texas in the 12s, 14s and 16s age divisions while also being ranked Top 50 in the nation in these respective age groups. Despite these impressive accomplishments in singles, Jake says the highlights of his junior career were achieved with his long-standing doubles partner and ATA teammate, Payton Holden, when they won the 16s Summer Grand Slam title and then topped this accomplishment 2 months later by reaching the quarterfinals of the National Hardcourt Championship in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In fact, Jake and Payton were only 3 points away from advancing to a semifinal berth in the National Championship while playing in front of a huge crowd on stadium court. In Jake’s words, “it was a memory that will forever stay with me.”

Jake’s 13 year journey at ATA has left a legacy that will be cherished for years to come and his joyful presence will be deeply missed. Coach Newman, who has served as Jake’s primary coach for most of his junior career, summed up Jake’s legacy perfectly: “in addition to being a great competitor, Jake possesses the qualities we would all like to have in a best friend as he is kind, thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, calm in the face of chaos, and a supportive teammate.”

ATA College Prep Students Debate Policy, Develop Skills

The ATA College Prep Policy Debate unfolded last Friday, with many of CP’s juniors and seniors clashing over the topic of ‘Increasing Military Presence In The Middle East’.

“Debate and public speaking are primary components in an education that matches our mission of developing compassionate, communicative leaders,” said Head of School Carol Hagar. “During their years here, all CP students produce both informal oral presentations and formal ones, as in the recent policy debate. I was impressed with the overall level of research, preparation and poised delivery from each our students.”

The debate, which followed the standard guidelines outlined by the National Christian Forensics And Communications Association, centered on the issue of whether or not the United States should allocate more military resources of all kinds to the Middle East as a solution to the growing instability in the region. CP Junior Alejandro Rodriguez argued for the Negative Team.

“I had a lot of fun in both taking the debate course and doing the actual debate,” Alejandro said. “Because of our topic, I felt like I got to engage in something that is current and relevant, and I got to greatly expand my knowledge on the subject. I really enjoyed the final debate because it was kind of a culmination of what we had researched and practiced for a whole semester and it was cool to see how we all did after so much preparation. The amount of reading we did was really high and in depth and it was a good experience to prepare me for future classes/endeavors.”

Ms. Yousef, who has a background teaching social studies, speech, and theatre, got into debate because to her it is a combination of all of those.

“I teach debate for two reasons: it offers skills that can be an asset in many careers and I enjoy watching students grow in ability and confidence. Debate develops skills in critical thinking, research, organization, persuasion, and writing affirmative cases and negative briefs on US policy. This type of research and organization can translate into many fields. The recent exhibition debate before judges gave the students an excellent opportunity to try their arguments and realize how much they have learned. They have spent many hours researching the resolution, which called for more US military presence in volatile regions and studying the rules of policy debate. I think everyone stood up to the task and should be proud of their performance.”

Congratulations to all of the College Prep students who participated in the 2016 CP Policy Debate!

ATA Hires New Academy and Fitness Coach

ATA recently hired new academy and fitness coach Josh Rifkin, who is from Fort Wayne, Indiana and who has been involved with competitive tennis his entire life. Following his junior career, Josh became the winningestmen’s tennis player in the history of Ithaca College, as well as the first ever Division III All-American in doubles at his college.

Josh’s journey with ATA began in the summer of 2011 after deciding he wanted to pursue a professional tenniscareer. After some research, he came across ATA and took a visit. Immediately after visiting, he felt a strong connection and knew this was the place he wanted to train. After about one year of training, and gaining a great deal of elite level tennis knowledge, Josh decided to take a coaching job back home in Fort Wayne. Throughout his time at ATA, Josh found a passion in the integration of tennis coaching and training for tennis performance enhancement. As a result, he realized he wanted to give more to his students than just tennis. This led Josh to begin pursuing an education andcareer in the health and fitness world. This new career path led Josh to founding his own private health and fitness business where he primarily worked with competitive junior tennis players.

Josh’s relationship with ATA did not end after he decided to go back home to take the teaching job in Fort Wayne. In fact, Josh visited ATA at least once a year to reconnect with the coaches and continue to learn and grow as a tennis coach and fitness professional. During Josh’s most recent visit in September 2015, he was offered an opportunity to become a part of the ATA coaching team.

This was a difficult decision for Josh, as he had established himself with a coaching job and a fitness business back home in Fort Wayne. The decision came down to where Josh thought he could personally and professionally grow the most. A big factor in the decision making process was the players and coaches he would be able to work with, as well as the unique culture ATA has to offer. When Josh came to train as a 22 year old, and when he recently accepted the job offer at 26, he felt a warmness and family environment at ATA that is not easy to come by. The tight knit culture, emphasis on values, character building, community and concept of “living the sport”made the decision a smart one for Josh. It is where he felt he could live his passion of combining his desire to share his love of tennis and fitness while continuing to learn andgrow as a professional.

At ATA Josh will be coaching the academy players and will work with the junior academy and junior development programs. In addition, Josh will help run the academy fitness program. He will also be giving private tennis lessons as well as private fitness training sessions.

Josh’s credentials include:

B.S. Ithaca College

C.H.E.K. Practitioner Level II (Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiology)

United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Elite Professional

Certified Etcheberry Coach (Strength, Conditioning and Movement in Tennis)

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)- Performance Enhancement Specialist

C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level II

Save Your Spot In Spring Break Tennis Camp

2016 Spring Break Tennis Training Camps

This Spring Break, your child can take advantage of the Austin Tennis Academy’s tennis camps to progress at a rapid rate. These camps are designed to provide the greatest development of your child’s physical, mental, technical, and tactical performance levels. Sign up now for a full week or a single day!

Sessions

March 14-18, 2016

Times

QuickStart Camp 9:00am – 10:30am (age 5-8)
Morning Camp 9:00am – 12:00pm
Tournament Tough Training Camp 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Cost

QuickStart Camp $175/week ($40/day drop-in)
Morning Camp $300/week ($80/day drop-in)
Tournament Tough Training Camp $375/week ($90/day drop-in)

QuickStart Camp

9:00am – 10:30am ($175 per week or $40 per day)
The QuickStart tennis format used by the Austin Tennis Academy gives kids the opportunity to rally a ball over the net and learn to play points as quickly as possible – all in a fun environment. Our coaches recognize the importance of starting kids off well, and with success. The ATA was instrumental in developing this groundbreaking nationwide program and served as the pilot program for the USTA. This program uses the appropriate size racquet, court and ball to allow kids to do more – faster! Suggested Age: 5-8 years old.

Morning Camp

9:00am – 12:00pm ($300 per week or $80 per day)
Players will improve their game by learning fundamental skills, practicing game situations, and improving overall movement. Using the latest techniques and international innovations, players learn valuable athletic skills for tennis and other sports.

Afternoon “Tournament Tough” Camp

1:00pm-4:00pm ($375 per week or $90 per day)
Tournament players will improve their game by using competitive game situations, technical training and point play, as well as movement and flexibility training. This camp is limited to Champ and Superchamp-level. ATA Academy players will be training at this time.

Policies

Registration must be made online.
Payment in advance is required to reserve your slot.
ATA camps are held rain or shine. Indoor sessions are held in the event of inclement weather.
No refunds or make-ups for days missed.
Weekly rate applies to that particular week only (no carryover).
Medical Release and Hold Harmless must be filled out online.
Lunch may be purchased if ordered in advance for $7.
Players may leave credit card on file to cover pro shop purchases, lunch, etc.
Private housing may be available. Email info@austintennisacademy.com to inquire.
Early drop-off and late pick-up is available upon request for $50 per week.

Erik and Jake’s Signing Ceremonies

Erik Kerrigan and Jake Berber – both had their signing ceremonies last night which were held in the ATA fitness center. They were surrounded by their families, as well as the ATA community to help them begin their transition to college.

Erik Kerrigan signed his National Letter of Intent with the University of Chicago. He will play tennis for the Maroons starting in the Fall. He also received an academic scholarship for his outstanding SAT score of 2350! The university has a 7.8{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} acceptance rate and only 10 percent of the accepted students get scholarships. The University of Chicago is ranked #4 according to US News and has had 89 Nobel Prize winners. Coach Strecker and Coach Newman shared stories about Erik and his time at ATA, congratulating him on the accomplishments he has had in his junior career thus far. Erik also stood up and thanked his family, coaches, friends, teachers at College Prep and the ATA community for supporting him through his journey at ATA.

Jake Berber signed his National Letter of Intent with Claremont McKenna College. He will play tennis for the Stags in the Fall. Jake’s brother and Coach Newman are both alumni of Claremont McKenna College. Forbes ranked Claremont McKenna as the 6th best liberal arts college and 18th best college in the nation. Claremont has 1,349 students with a 9.7{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} acceptance rate. Coach Brandon and Coach Newman had many stories to share from Jake’s experience at ATA since Jake was 5 years old. Coach Brandon knows the Berber family well, as he grew up playing tennis with Jake’s older brothers. Coach Newman had a few stories from his time at ATA but really spoke for Jake’s character. He was told that Jake was one of nine recruits for the Stags. When his future teammates had to pick who they wanted for a teammate, Jake was number 1 on all the players lists. Jake makes friends wherever he goes and is very well liked because of his calm, friendly and understanding personality. Jake has been a top 50 nationally ranked player since he was 12 years old. Combining his tennis abilities and his character, the Stags will have a great future teammate. Jake thanked his family, coaches, friends and ATA community for helping him get through some tough times and also sharing good times throughout his experience at ATA.

Congrats to both Erik and Jake on their accomplishments and their bright futures at their respective institutions!

Parent Seminar with David Benzel Jan 14, 6pm

USTA National Winter Championships Recap

Under the guidance of Coach Newman and Coach Notis, 17 players represented ATA at the USTA National Winter Championships in Phoenix (Boys and Girls 16’s&18’s) and Tuscon (Boys and Girls 12’s&14’s).

Boys 12’s – James Cockrell

Girls 12’s – Sasha Malysheva, Caroline Wernli

Boys 14’s – Juan Abboud, Harrison Chiu

Girls 14’s – Anushka Dania, Megha Dania

Boys 16’s – Jesse Wikso

Girls 16’s – Callie Creath, Kristin Kerrigan

Boys 18’s – Chase Bartlett, Jake Berber, Payton Holden, Erik Kerrigan, Alejandro Rodriguez

Girls 18’s –Hunter Bleser, Abigail Chiu

Several ATA seniors distinguished themselves in the 18’s draw of Winter Nationals. Payton Holden rebounded from a first-round singles loss to win 5 matches in the consolation draw and finish in the Top 24. Hunter Bleser defeated a #17 seed in her first-round singles match whom she lost to a few months ago. Perhaps more importantly, the Head Coach of University of Virginia (where Hunter will be attending this fall) told Coach Newman that he was excited about the improvement Hunter has made in her game since the summer. Erik Kerrigan also advanced himself with his future coaches at the University of Chicago by upsetting the #3 seeds in doubles with his partner Eric Morris. Another senior, Jake Berber, also stepped up and reestablished himself as a national level player by winning 2 singles matches in the backdraw.

Juniors Abigail Chiu and Alejandro Rodriguez advanced their recruiting status with college coaches from some of the most academically elite Division I schools in the country. Abigail won 2 matches in the main draw of singles and cemented her reputation as one of the premier doubles players in the country by reaching the quarterfinals of doubles. According to Coach Newman, “Abigail advanced herself with coaches from Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Princeton by competing with a great attitude and showcasing an excellent game style.” During the tournament, Coach Newman had multiple conversations on behalf of Abigail with the Head and Assistant Coaches from Harvard, the Dartmouth Head Coach and the Assistant Coaches from Columbia and Brown. Despite being the last player accepted into the 18’s draw after working his way up the alternate list, Alejandro grinded his way to 3 singles victories in the backdraw, including a win over a #17 seed. According to Coach Newman, “Alejandro helped himself through his outstanding fight and hustle with the Head Coaches from Columbia, Harvard and Northwestern who watched his matches.” Coach Newman made time to have multiple conversations on behalf of Alejandro with each of the coaches from these elite universities.

In addition, Coach Newman spoke to many other college coaches about underclassmen such as Jesse Wikso, Kristin Kerrigan and Callie Creath to lay the groundwork so these coaches know our players before it’s time to be recruited. For example, Coach Newman has already started the college process for 9^th grade Blue Chip recruit Jesse Wikso who competed evenly with the #1 seed in the second round before losing 3-6, 4-6 and then went on to win 2 matches in the backdraw. While Coach Newman is at major national tournaments, he is also talking to college coaches about players who are not at the tournament but who might be a good fit for their school down the line. Through Coach Newman’s long-term approach of developing relationships with college coaches, he is able to open doors and facilitate the college process for ATA players aspiring to compete beyond high school.

In the 14’s draw, Anushka Dania won 3 matches in the consolation bracket after losing her first-round match. Coach Notis remarked on “Anushka’s amazing defensive skills, superior ability to anticipate and intelligent use of variety to keep her opponents off balance.” Harrison Chiu also rebounded from losing his 1^st round singles match (to one of the top players in the country) to win 2 matches in the consolation bracket. But it was Caroline Wernli who shined the brightest in Tuscon in the 12’s draw. Caroline finished in the Top 12 in singles and capped her outstanding tournament by earning a SILVER BALL in doubles with her partner Zoe Hammond from Oklahoma. Coach Notis was blown away by the fact that “Caroline and Zoe played an aggressive brand of doubles finishing many points at the net.” Although Caroline lost a three-hour battle in the round of 16 in singles, Coach Notis was impressed with Caroline’s “unmatched tenacity, consistency, excellent use of the entire court and fighting spirit.” On another promising note, 11-year-old Sasha Malysheva, in her first Level 1 National Championship, demonstrated that she will become a huge threat at the national level in years to come. After watching Sasha begin the tournament by winning her 1^st round singles match against a girl she had lost to six months ago, Coach Notis was impressed with Sasha’s “poise and ability to dictate with her aggressive play.” The future is indeed bright for ATA with young players like Caroline and Sasha leading the charge!

Looking Back… Charging Forward

As we begin a new year, ATA players will be setting their goals for 2016. One of our former students, Kendall Dabaghi was recently written up in Forbes magazine. This got me thinking about our players of the past, many of whom have set and accomplished high goals.

If you walk around the ATA campus, you will see many banners recognizing players from our past.

In case you have not heard about some of these historical moments, I have included a top 10 listing of ATA players and their accomplishments from the past:

(1) Ashley Weinhold (currently playing on the WTA tour) wins Girls 18s National Hard Courts in singles and receives a wildcard into the main draw of the US Open where she played the #4 seed on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Ashley also won 16s Clay Courts in singles the year prior.

(2) Jamie Friedland’s thirty-one match national tournament winning streak in singles catapulted his national ranking in Boys 16s from #156 to #6. The highlight of this winning streak was Jamie winning 9 matches in the back draw and winning consolations of Winter Nationals.

(3) Brandon Davis (former student-athlete and current ATA coach) wins Texas Grand Slam (TGS) 16s singles title and then wins TGS 18s singles title the following year. Brandon went on to play in the NCAA Finals his junior year at the University of Illinois.

(4) Stephanie Kusano wins back-to-back singles titles in 18s at TGS, and later went on to lead Cal-Berkley to the NCAA semifinals her senior year.

(5) Josh Hagar (currently in his junior year at Notre Dame) goes from not having any scholarship offers worth considering due to being injured 9 months of his junior year to receiving offers from Notre Dame, Northwestern, Harvard, Princeton and Rice the following year. Josh went on to star at Notre Dame, playing line #2 singles by his sophomore year.

(6) Josh Hagar launches the Playing for Glimmer campaign and raised $150,000 for Glimmer that funded 5 wells, 1 reservoir, a health post, and 2 schools. This inspired Breck Spencer to create and spearhead the Walk for Water event that raised over $20,000 two years after the Playing for Glimmer campaign was initiated.

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(7) Eliot Blatt gave $4,000 of his own Bar-Mitzvah money to fund a well in Ethiopia, and then raised an additional $10,000 in donations for A Glimmer of Hope.

(8) Payton Holden (current ATACP student-athlete) sweeps the 16s Singles and Doubles Titles at TGS.

(9) Abigail Chiu (current ATACP student-athlete) wins Easter Bowl 14s doubles title and then reaches the doubles finals the following year in Girls 16s.

(10) After overcoming three knee surgeries, Blake Davis grinded his way to a 6th place finish at 18s Clay Court Nationals and later earned a full scholarship to Florida State University where he played Line #2 Singles and Line #1 Doubles for most of his career. Upon graduation, he landed a premier job with Wells Fargo Wealth Management division.

An inspiring fact supplied by Coach Brandon Davis: during the first year of ATA while we were building this facility and training players at Barton Creek Country Club, Stephanie Kusano, Brandon Davis, Blake Davis and Ashley Weinhold swept the following Super Champ titles in their respective age groups: Excellence, Corpus Christi SCMZ, Dallas SCMZ, and TGS.

With this firepower in our past, we look forward to charging the current and next crops of ATA tennis athletes to reach high for their tennis goals.

Happy New Year!!

Jack Newman

CEO

Austin Tennis Academy

Meet CP Teacher And Award-Winning Actress Taylor Flanagan

For the past 41 years, the B. Iden Payne Awards have recognized outstanding work from the theatre community in Austin. Among the honorees this year, the award for Outstanding Featured Actress went to Taylor Flanagan for her performance as young Gabrielle York in When The Rain Stops Falling. On top of putting on award-winning performances, Taylor leads the Theatre and Spanish classes at ATA College Prep.

“Taylor is a quick study and has been able to effectively play multiple roles at College Prep – from registrar to event planner to general organizer to an inspirational Spanish teacher,” said CP Director Carol Hagar. “But it is in her roles as Theatre teacher, director and actress that we see her fully represented. Her ability to integrate the arts into each of her classes not only increases student enjoyment of the class, but also stimulates brain targets, memory retrieval, and the neuroscience of learning. As an extension of applied learning and exposure to the arts, we look forward to CP students attending Austin’s production of Dracula and seeing Mrs. Flanagan perform live and on stage.”

Taylor adds this accolade to an already impressive resume in Austin theatre. She won her first Payne award for Outstanding Youth Performer for her role in The Visit. She also starred in dance-based show Parents/Kids Dance Party, as well as scripted shows like Casket of Passing Fancy, All Too Human, Sun and Moon, and dozens more.

“I am really touched that people were affected enough by this show and my performance to give them special recognition,” Taylor said. “And I was extremely honored to be nominated alongside the other actresses in my category. Being named in the same category as these women was a big deal for me.”

While it’s been a busy year for her on stage – she played Mina in Dracula at The Vortex last month – Taylor’s foundations in theatre date back to classes when she was 5 years old growing up in Austin. Around that time she met Carol Hagar.

“I’ve known Carol since I can remember,” Taylor said. “We were a part of the same homeschooling community (Austin Area Homeschoolers). This group was really close-knit, so I grew up with a huge extended family of peers, teachers and mentors. I also grew up taking theatre classes with her kids, so she’s been there for some of my most embarrassing and exhilarating moments onstage. And now, as my boss, she continues to see me through some of my greatest challenges and successes on a daily basis.”

The two qualities that resonate from Taylor’s background with Carol are also what feed her continued passion for theatre: opportunities to learn and shared community.

“Every play is an opportunity to learn something new. I have learned so much in rehearsal: projection, stage combat, dialects, Shakespearean verse, history, psychology, geography, singing, memorization techniques, different ways people overcome hardship, marketing tactics, stretching, empathy, golf, recipes for fake blood, you name it,” Taylor said. “I love the connection you make with your team and the wonderful conversations that theatre can spark with people.”

On top of leading Theatre at CP, Taylor also teaches Spanish. She was initially drawn to the language so she could communicate with all of the Spanish speakers in Austin, but dove in on a scholarly level in college.

“I did various study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries and taught Spanish-speaking children in elementary schools in Peru, Guatemala and right here in Austin before I started teaching Spanish as a foreign language at ATA CP,” Taylor said.

Taylor brings a passionate dedication to her students through her engaging and warm personality. It is no surprise that as she thrives in her role as a teacher, those two core characteristics are still common themes in her life: learning and community.

“CP sees everyone as a whole person,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen it in our approach to our students, but I’ve also felt it as a teacher here. The CP environment regularly helps me look beyond my degree and certifications to learn, grow, and share more of my potential as a teacher and as a person. It is a very empowering place to work and I am extremely grateful for my College Prep family.”

Tonight, Taylor begins rehearsals for her next role in As You Like It with Shrewd Productions at Trinity Street Theatre running Feb 19-March 5th. Learn more here.

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