ATA College Prep: Growing Excellence

Several years ago, as Josh began to invest more time in tennis, and I in the ATA community, I began to envision an educational support system that could better equip Josh for a college future that included tennis. I combined my academic philosophy and love of education with Josh’s love for tennis, and together with Coach Newman’s established ATA vision, we created the seeds of the community school, which is now ATA College Prep.

IMG_0983                English I/II with Ms Wheat

During the past 7 years, these seeds continue to grow and flourish through many branches. ATA CP is now a fully accredited private school with 12 dedicated instructors. Our curriculum continues to evolve as rapidly as our students’ minds. Our graduates continue to leverage excellent college placement. And our facilities continue to improve to better serve the community.

IMG_0899               Spanish class with Ms Flanagan                                      

This summer, the ATA CP classroom facility was moved onto the ATA campus. As with many transitions, it brought along with it growing pains. Offices, pro shop, people and equipment were displaced and scattered in construction. But with the focus of the overarching vision and mission, and guidance of the ATA leadership, the community is in full bloom once again. Courts boast beautiful new surfaces; ATA CP classrooms are light and bright; the new pro shop offers a welcoming front to our members and visitors at the south entrance of the fitness center, which is redesigned for maximum efficiency.

IMG_0974                Kristin and Callie practice vocabulary                                

The Austin Tennis Academy is a community of coaches, teachers, parents, and student athletes committed to living the sport of tennis. The ATA facilities and our entire staff continue to improve so that we may offer the very best in developing tennis, academics and character in junior student athletes and future citizens of significance.

IMG_0985                Abigail annotates Emerson as Payton dives into his textbook. 

By: Carol Hagar, Director, ATA College Prep

5 Players Place in National Open Tournaments

abibronze ballHonolulu, Hawaii National Open

Abigail Chiu and Alejandro Rodriguez both placed in the BG18 National Open this past weekend. Abigail finished 2nd in singles and 3rd in doubles and Alejandro placed 3rd in doubles.

 

IMG_1024carolineAustin, TX National Open

Kristin Kerrigan placed 2nd in the G16 doubles National Open. Caroline Wernli won the G12 doubles National Open here is Austin!

 

 

wilson                      Oklahoma City Closed Regional Tournament

Congrats to Wilson Hamilton for winning the B18 singles draw in the                                                            Regional 2 USTA tournament.

 

 

 

Excellence Results Oct 3&4

Coach Lucie on G18s:

Hunter Bleser won Girls 18’s A draw, defeating 4 quality players on her way to the title. Her opponent in the finals was Janice Shin, who is currently ranked #2 in Texas and #55 in the nation in Girls 18’s. Hunter continues to improve her aggressive style game and her hard work is paying off.

Abigail Chiu placed 4th in Girls 18’s A draw. Daniela Alvarez finished 5th in her draw, while Andrea Stapper won 2 matches in her draw.

Hunter

 

Coach Ryan on B18s:

Wilson won B Draw.  Wilson won with his competitive spirit and willingness to out worn his opponents. Everyone he played fought him hard in the first set and collapsed in second because he would not give them a point. Hustling for every ball. He started to attack seconds serves which also put more pressure on them.
Alejandro hurt his back the first game of the event and even being in pain he took care of his injury and fought through the tournament and won the B18s C draw. He went down a set in the first match and could barely serve. But his toughness pulled him through.
Marcus actually won both D draws. They decided to combine them. He only dropped 2 games in he first 2 matches. In the finals the guy surprised him a little and came out strong. He changed up his style a little to lengthen points and make it physical. The guy started cramping in the end of the second set and he make him continue working and he physically and mentally outlasted his opponent.
Garrett Reiter had a good tournament and placed 3rd going 3-1 in his C draw. He lost a tough 3 setter in the semis 7-5 in the third.
 excellence Excellence18s

 

Coach Brandon on G16s:

Alex Mjos had a great event making the semifinals of the A draw! On the way she beat the #4 seed 1&1 and played lights out! She has really jumped levels and she will be fun to watch moving forward as she continues to get better.

Being at the girl’s 16s site was a blast. We had 4 girls in the A draw(1/4 of the draw) and 3 in the quarterfinals. We had another 4 girls in B and C draw that had great results as well with Annika making semis of B draw, Synclair winning 3 matches and Kailee and Hannah winning 2 matches. The energy that this group brings to the site every tournament is great! And they continue to improve and push each other to get better!

 Coach Vince on B16s and G12s:

Jesse Wikso did a great job this weekend. His positive attitude throughout the tournament was a direct reflection on his results. He made it to the finals without losing a set before losing a tough 3 set battle with the number one player in the state in boys 16’s.

Harrison Chiu, Bailey Forgus and Tyler Anson all had good events. They all went 3 and 1 in their draws in boys 16s. Tyler Anson placed 2nd, Bailey took 3rd and Harrison took 5th.

Sydney Marin beat the number 2 seed in her draw in girls 12’s reaching the semi finals. Her best showing since qualifying to super champs.

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Coach Eric on B14s:

Varun reached the finals of the 14s C Draw (White).

Blaine also reached the finals of his respective 14s C Draw (Red), winning tough 3 set battles in the quarters and semifinals and then narrowly losing in the finals after fighting through cramps in a grueling third set. Blaine’s attitude and competitive grit have improved noticeably.

Despite injuring his left thigh in his first round match, Jett Hampton made the semifinals of the Boys 14s B Draw. Jett’s toughness and ability to bear down and compete, despite being injured, should be applauded. I never saw him whine or complain, despite his pain and inability to push off his left leg.

After losing to a quality player in the first round, Matthew won 3 consecutive matches to earn 9th place in his respective Boys 14s C Draw (Blue). Matthew’s game has improved dramatically in recent months.

Juan had a great tournament, earning 6th place in the Boys 14s A Draw. Juan’s serve has improved significantly since the summer and his forehand is becoming a huge weapon. And Juan is now willing to be aggressive under pressure. Big shout-out to Coach Notis for his excellent work with Juan.

Coach Newman on G14s:

Elena Kalogirou won her first two matches, she showed great progress from qualifying from champs a few months ago.  Anushka battled in every match, excellent competitiveness from her.

Coach Carrie on B12s:

Jake Riezebeek and James Cockrell both lost in the finals of their backdraw. Jake played great for his first Super. After losing to the top seed in the first round, he fought back in 2 tough matches. His 3rd match went 3 hours and he pulled it out in the third set. Great first Supers for him! James fought hard and also pulled out a three setter in his third match. He is making big strides in his game and it has a lot to do with his attitude and him always working on it on court.

Cody went 1-3 winning his third round, his second win in Supers. He was in every match that he played and had opportunities to turn matches around.

 

 

5 ATA players playing “Little Mo” Nationals

“Little Mo” Nationals is a tournament for the top 16 players in the country in the age groups 8,9,10,11 and 12. The tournament has been held at ATA for the past 13 years. To qualify for Nationals one must compete in sectionals and move on to regionals. The top 4 from each regional tournament will qualify for Nationals. Our very own Ashley Weinhold and Blake Davis are former “Little Mo” National winners. ATA will be represented this weekend Oct 16-19 in “Little Mo” Nationals by James Cockrell in B12s, Kerry Lum G12s, Sasha Malysheva in G11s, Sydney Marin in G12s and Cody Schiffman in B11s!

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       Sydney Marin              James Cockrell               Kerry Lum                Cody Schiffman            Sasha Malysheva

Maureen Connolly Brinker “Little Mo”

Article on Maureen Connolly with photos

Maureen Connolly “Little Mo” won the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953. She was the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian Championships, the French Championships, Wimbledon, and the United States Championships. She received the nickname “Little Mo” after accomplishing this triumph at only eighteen years old. Maureen and Nancy Jeffett started the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation after Maureen moved to Dallas in 1968. They started the foundation to provide funds for tennis clinics and to aid juniors who could not afford to compete nationally. Click here to find out more about the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and “Little Mo” Nationals.

Webinar hosted by David Benzel recommended by Coach Newman

Growing Champions

Invitation to a Growing Champions for Life
Live Webinar – hosted by David Benzel

How to Discuss Performance Issues with Your Child and Remain Friends

Free webinar for sport parents

Thursday, October 15th, 2015

9 p.m. Eastern

45 minutes plus Q&A

 

Register Now to reserve your spot for this FREE event


Join us as we expose the best-kept secrets of how parents can successfully discuss performance issues with their children.  Whether you are moderately involved, or extremely involved in your child’s athletic ambitions, the session is loaded with opportunities to have productive conversations with your child about his or her progress.  The trick is how to make those conversations safe, non-defensive, and fun enough that you are invited to do it again!

  •  Learn how to set accurate expectations for everyone’s role;
  • Establish the guidelines for productive conversations before and after competition;
  • Discover how to avoid the most common of all pitfalls of discussing techniques or strategies;

David will connect the key life skills of the lesson with winning on the field, and in life.  The Power Point materials are loaded with practical information worth saving for future reference.



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Do you know someone who could benefit from this webinar? Feel free to forward this invitation on to them. 

Thank you for participating and for helping Growing Champions for Life promote a healthy environment for growing confident principle-centered competitors.

David Benzel, Founder
Growing Champions for Life
(352) 267-5344
www.growingchampionsforlife.com

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Meghan O’Malley Awarded Sportsmanship Award!

Meghan O’Malley was awarded the Nancy Jeffett Sportsmanship award for the Canyon Creek Super Champ in September. She earned it by being a tremendous fighter and giving it her all every point, all while staying calm, collected and respecting her opponent. Congratulations to Meghan for her accomplishment and for representing ATA well.meghan

Team Culture IS the Game by David Benzel

Growing Champions
Message from David
Team Culture IS the Game
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There’s an exercise done in corporate workshops in which people are divided into teams and each one is given a problem to solve.  The teams soon become aware that they don’t have everything they need to solve their problem; in fact the other teams have some of what they need.

 

Through negotiation and trading eventually a team solves their problem at which point they think the game is over.  It’s NOT over.  The game’s not over until all teams have what they need, and every team has a responsibility to make that happen.  The point of the exercise is that what one team sees as its mission is actually a small part of a larger mission involving others.

 

Today we have an epidemic of athletic teams that are dedicated only to their own mission, their own egos, and their own scoreboard. This is partially true because we have an abundance of coaches who do not understand that “the game’s not over until we all win.”  By that I mean, until every athlete has been given the tools to learn, grow, and develop as a human being, not just an athlete; until every official leaves a game having been shown a full measure of respect; until every child has experienced the uplifting of his/her spirit through the struggle of healthy competition; until the act of competing brings out the best in everyone.

 

The incident at John Jay High School in which two football players deliberately hit Back Judge Robert Watts in the closing minutes of a game against Marble Falls, demonstrates again how important team culture is as an influence on the thinking of individuals within the team.  In this case an assistant coach actually suggested the ambush as a way to “get even” with the referee.  What kind of culture is that? It’s the kind that brings out the worst in all of us.

 

Sports will be played differently, and young men and young women will think differently when coaches take this litmus test about their leadership:  “Are my players becoming wiser, healthier, more mature and respectful of others as a result of my leadership?  Are they themselves more likely to lead responsibly, and grow true champions for life in the future?”

 

Parents have the right to insist on credible and honorable leadership from coaches so that young athletes learn to commit themselves to the well-being of other athletes – and officials – even if they’re not on “our team.”

GCFL True Hero Track Partner
Austin Tennis Academy


The Austin Tennis Academy is committed to helping its students maximize their college choice through the tennis experience, and become citizens of significance — not just accomplishment.

 

In addition to its six day per week after-school academy, ATA is also home to ATA College Prep, a fully accredited private school.  ATA College Prep students participate in a morning practice, an afternoon academy program, as well as a full day of teacher driven college prep classes.

 

ATA has 12 hard courts, two red clay courts as well as 3000 square feet of fitness training space and school and classroom space.

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FREE WEBINAR
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“How to Discuss Performance Issues with Your Child and Remain Friends”

Thursday, October 15th

9:00 pm EST

45-minute live webinar plus Q&A with David!

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Integrity is more than simple honesty. It’s the key to success. A person with integrity has the — often rare — ability to pull everything together, to make it all happen no matter how challenging the circumstances. Drawing on experiences from his work with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and individual leaders, Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist and nationally syndicated radio host, shows how our character can keep us from achieving all we want to be. In “Integrity,” Dr. Cloud explores the six qualities of character that define integrity.
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Grayson Broadus Checks In From Notre Dame

Dear Fellow Teammates,
   My college experience has been wonderful so far. Overall college life is a lot busier than high school life. I can never afford to waste time. The material or amount of school work isn’t too overwhelming if you stay on top of things. Classes are for the most part pretty large with a 100 plus students and most courses are lecture based. I find it is much more efficient to look at the PowerPoints ahead of time in order to be able to write down more and understand more during class – a practice I was introduced to at ATA College Prep. Studying and learning the material from every class is crucial because we have daily quizzes. The biggest difference between high school and college is that missing class for tournaments is a nightmare of an experience academically, especially because tests have to be taken ahead of time. However, you have all the resources necessary to succeed. Professors are very helpful during their office hours, student-athlete counselors are always checking in on you to help you stay on top of things, and I have tutors available to me whenever I request them. This is essential and has already helped me tremendously. Also cramming last minute is incredibly hard and rarely works based off of what I have heard from fellow students. Lastly, you are trying to work really efficiently in order to get to bed at a decent hour in order to be ready for practice the next day.
GraysonBr
College tennis and practice is a lot different than junior tennis practice. Every practice is approached with “dual match intensity.” If you think Coach Doug or Newman yelling at you is rough than you are in for quite an awakening. Practices get very loud and heated. Everyday you have something to prove and if you aren’t giving it your all you will most definitely find yourself losing and receiving quite an earful. However, practices are very fun because people are encouraging you, yelling your name, and recognizing everything you do well. Your teammates are always there to pick you up. On the other hand the coaches are not your “Friends” during practice. The words that are stressed most in practice are physicality and infinite toughness. Practices are incredibly intense with few breaks and you are always fighting the urge to bend over. Fitness is the same way and even tougher. Not taking an ice bath is a mistake.
GraysonBroad
Even though college is quite intense and packed with work, I love the environment. I couldn’t ask for better teammates, friends, professors, or college campus. If I could change one thing to prepare myself better for college it would be to make the most out of every minute in practice and not go through the motions some days. Even if you may be the one of the best players at practice, in college it is an absolute dog fight no matter what position you played the year before. If you aren’t exhausted after a couple minutes of practicing then you aren’t practicing right. Overall, ATA College Prep was great preparation for college in the classroom and on the court and I am very thankful to have been apart of the community.
I wish all of you luck this year,
Grayson

ATA CP Students Praise Facility Changes

With the school year well underway at ATA College Prep, the students and teachers are settled into a rhythm in the new facility. In case you missed it, ATA CP Director Carol Hagar described much of the transition that happened over the summer in a recent post.

Now that students are fully focused on everything from French to Physics, they, too, offered their reflections on the changes.

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“The new school facility for the ATA College Prep program has greatly altered the way we operate everyday,” said junior Abigail Chiu. “The new and improved buildings give us a more school-like feeling that allows us to access more resources in a more convenient space. Being closer to the courts, with more people/coaches around, has already kept me more accountable, and this is what I most appreciate. Hopefully we can all use this change to our benefit and strive to be even better student athletes.”

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Payton Holden, a senior heading to Princeton University next year, echoed Abigail’s sentiment.

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“I like the new school building much better because it allows me and the other students to transition from practice/lessons to school very quickly and effortlessly.”

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With the school space now on the same campus as the courts, fitness center, pro shop and coaches offices, there is more of a cohesive tone between the major focal points of the program: to strive for excellence in academics, athletics and character. Alejandro Rodriguez, a junior in his second year at CP, agrees.

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“ The new school facilities at ATA College Prep have redefined the way that students here study, train, and improve. The close proximity to the courts allows us to play even more than before, and the new facilities are high end, comfortable and make it easy to learn. Very excited about this year and the years to come!”

To learn more about the ATA College Prep program, please contact Carol Hagar at Carol.Hagar@AustinTennisAcademy.com.

Austin ITF – Main Draw

Please find the Main Draw of the Austin ITF posted at this link – Monday-Singles. Don’t forget to sign in for doubles at your site before noon!

For more information on the event, please contact the tournament director. For more information about the Austin Tennis Academy and its programs, please browse the site or contact Deb Cahill at Deb.Cahill@AustinTennisAcademy.com.

ErikKFH

Good luck!

 

LIFE IS LIKE A PRISM

Life is like a prism.
The way you see it depends on which side of the glass you are looking through.

When light hits water or a prism, it bends. A single beam of white light is really a combination of all the visible colors. So when white light bends, all of its components (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) also bend. But they bend at different angles because each color travels through water or glass at a different speed.

This refraction results in beautiful rainbows.

We can learn a lot about how we approach life from this simple prism lesson. We are likened to a prism as we have several facets to our personalities. We take in information through our senses and then communicate it through our filters. Ideas come in and we refract, reflect and project them through our lenses – our filters of communication.

In CP Leadership we have been discussing how these filters create perception. The more clarity we have in identifying personal facets, the more aware we become and therefore better prepared for reflection. Some thoughts and actions add clarity and some can cloud the view. What thoughts create your prism?

Life is like a prism.
The way you see it depends on which side of the glass you are looking through.

~Carol Hagar

Coach Newman Recommended Article

Coach Newman recommends the following article about 3 qualities every athlete needs to have to play his/her best.

“The Bare Essentials: Three Things Every Athlete Needs to Succeed”

W. Timothy Gallway author of The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance writes the following equation:

Performance = Potential – Interference

There are three qualities that every athlete needs in order to strip away the interference and to play his/her best. (changingthegameproject.com)

  1. Intrinsic Motivation
  2. Enjoyment
  3. Autonomy

Click here to read more

ATA Coach and Players Featured in Wilson Glide Video

Wilson’s latest shoe, The Glide, is the world’s first shoe designed to slide on hard courts. The technology was recently tested at ATA with ATA Coach Tres Davis and Academy players featured throughout. See Wilson’s Glide Training Video here:

 

To read more about the shoes, click here!

Pictures From ATA College Prep Practices

A major benefit of the ATA College Prep program is the ability to practice before and after school while having easy access to coaches and courts throughout the day for lessons, without disrupting the academic workday.

Here are a few pictures of the CP student-athletes on the court so far this year. To see more, check out the ATA College Prep Facebook page!

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Hunter Bleser blasts a forehand as she attacks the net. 

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Coach Brandon Davis adjusts Kristin’s grip as Abigail practices her serve.

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Josh Clark spins a forehand in front of his team during an intense game of 105.

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Chase Bartlett works on closing to the net with Coach Ryan Rowe.

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Anushka Dania locks in on the ball as she prepares her backhand.

 

Champions For Life Page Up And Running

The Austin Tennis Academy is excited about its affiliation with David Benzel and his organization, Growing Champions For Life. The non-profit works to create cohesive families, healthy teams and principle-centered athletes.

Austin-Tennis-Academy

Mr Benzel creates articles, videos and other media that serves as coaching material for parents of athletes. We have a dedicated page up and running on our website under the News tab where you can access this content at any time.

Take a look!

 

Photo Gallery

Take a look at some photos of the students on the court and in the classroom!

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Find Us at
  • 6800 Spanish Oaks Club Blvd. Austin, Texas 78738
  • Just west of the Hill Country Galleria on Hwy 71 past 620, across from McCoy’s
Contact
  • deb.cahill@AustinTennisAcademy.com
  • +1 512.276.2271
  • +1 512.276.2272
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