ATA Summer Camps are off to a great start! Check out a few pictures from some of the action below. We have camps for kids of all ages and skill levels – learn more about camps here and see more pictures on the ATA Facebook page!
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Check out a quick clip of a couple ATA players, including an interview with Alexandria Mjos, featured on local news in Abilene talking about the Texas GrandSlam!
The ATA community came together on Thursday evening at the beautiful Malyshev family home to celebrate a wonderful year of growth together.
With delicious food and drinks, speeches from returning alumni and outgoing seniors, Academy Awards and a slideshow of highlights from the year, the ATA family enjoyed a few fun-filled hours together as the scenic Austin skyline faded into the evening in the background.
Here are the highlights:
ATA Parent Of The Year – Sheri Gorden
ATA Coach Of The Year – Brandon Davis
ATA Most Improved Player Award – Larry Li, Devan Sabapathy, James Burdick, Sydney Marin, Sarah Schaal, and Savannah Baptiste
ATA Mentorship Award – Bailey Forgus and Kristin Kerrigan
The ATA Student-Athlete Award – Caroline Wernli and AJ Valenty
The Spirit of ATA Award – Denver Holden, James Burdick, Abigail Gorden and Claire Wernli (not pictured)
ATA Ambassador Award: Sasha Malysheva, Shriniket Maddipatla, and Synclair Larson
ATA Work Ethic Award: Bailey Forgus, Jett Hampton, Hannah Harrod, Kristin Kerrigan and Alejandro Rodriguez
ATA Competitor Award: Max Schmidhauser, Callie Creath, Harrison Chiu, and Santianna Chrysopoulo
ATA Leadership Award Winners: Abigail Chiu, Kristin Kerrigan, Alejandro Rodriguez and Marcus Sweeney
ATA MVP’s – Alejandro Rodriguez and Alexandria Mjos
ATA College Prep alum and current University of Chicago freshman Erik Kerrigan is currently competing in the DIII Men’s Individual National Championships this week.
Erik worked his way to the quarterfinals of the singles draw before going down to the #1 seed 7-6, 6-3, ending his run in the final 8.
He and partner Ninan Kumar won their first two matches in the doubles draw to earn a spot in the final four today. Good luck to Kerrigan and Kumar in the semifinals! Check back here for updates.
ATA Academy standout and current Westlake High School junior Roger Chou claimed the 6A UIL State Championship crown on Friday, outworking Kevin Zhu of Pearland Dawson 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the final.
Chou is the first boy’s singles champion from Westlake since 2010, and only the sixth in the history of the school.
The State tournament unfolded on the Texas A&M University courts in College Station. Chou entered ranked in the top 5 of the boy’s 18s in the USTA Texas rankings and adds to his already 5-star tennis resume.
Congratulations to Roger and the rest of the ATA Academy players who competed in the UIL State tournament in all divisions.
Yesterday evening, Donna Berber, Founder and CEO of A Glimmer of Hope, spoke to the ATA community about her story of exposure and inspiration that led to the creation and growth of Glimmer. She also discussed the role ATA has played in contributing to the impact Glimmer has made so far in rural Ethiopia and beyond.
‘Mrs. Berber’s speech was amazing and inspiring,’ said Juan A, a student at ATA CP. ‘She painted a vivid picture in my mind of the living conditions in Ethiopia and it was really effective,’ said Max S.
In case you weren’t able to attend or if you’d like to see the speech again, here is a video:
When the UIL 6A Texas State High School individual tennis tournament unfolds this weekend at Texas A&M University, four ATA Academy players will take the court – all from Westlake High School.
Donna Berber, founder and CEO of A Glimmer of Hope Foundation, will speak to the community on Tuesday evening May 16 from 6-7pm.
“I am extremely excited and pleased to announce that we will be hosting a short speech and Q&A session with Donna Berber,” ATA CEO Jack Newman said. “It’s been a number of year’s since we had Donna speak at ATA and you will not want to miss it.”
The Austin Tennis Academy has a long standing relationship with A Glimmer of Hope Foundation and the Berber family. All three Berber children, Ryan, Shane and Jake, were members of the Academy program and Donna and Philip have been long-time advisory board members as well as multifaceted supporters of the Austin Tennis Academy. The Austin Tennis Academy has made a pledge to raise $1,000,000 for A Glimmer of Hope over 20 years.
Our current funds raised for A Glimmer of Hope are: $532,487.
The breakdown of how those funds were allocated include:
2 School Projects
A Heath Post
34 hand-dug wells
3 shallow Borehole wells
Daletti Reservoir
Gonok Deep Borehole well
Famine Relief
Microfinance loans
“A Glimmer of Hope Foundation has a unique model of helping,” Coach Newman said. “Donna is a dynamic and moving speaker. I hope you and your ATA player will plan on attending.”
Throughout the year, ATA College Prep brings in guest speakers who impact our students with thoughtful words of wisdom and inspiration. Often, the stories they tell spark future studies, compassion for others, and ideas for community service projects.
Recent speakers have included: Dr. Reginald Baptiste (cardiothoracic surgeon) and Mrs. Oksana Malesheva (physicist, first generation immigrant, and entrepreneur). Both shared amazing stories about how they grew into and continue to grow in their chosen life passions.
Last Wednesday in Leadership, ATACP students heard from ATA alumnus, Carla Rosenberg, as she shared some of the lessons she learned from tennis that she utilizes in her adult life as a successful entrepreneur. Listed here are her top 15 lessons.
1. Understanding winning and losing
2. Be coachable
3. Be prepared
4. Be decisive
5. You grow the most when you are uncomfortable.
6. Develop others
7. Integrity
8. The power of adjacency
9. Step up when the occasion arises
10. Produce results
11. Everything sends a signal
12. No one is perfect
13. Be flexible
14. Do the little things really well
15. Visualization
Take a look at her full speech:
Excellence is never an accident; it is always the result of HIGH INTENTION, DETERMINED EFFORT, and SKILLED EXECUTION. ~Carla Rosenberg
This past weekend, Austin Tennis Academy hosted the first Orange Ball USTA Early Development Camp of 2017. ATA coaches John Schoenmakers and Chad Loup joined other area coaches to create a collaborative environment for these Austin-area Orange Ball players. Many ATA athletes participated: Murari Ambati, Sklar Phillips, Pace Phillips, Sienna Sweeney, Anya Vikram, Tenzin Zorilla, Charles McEwan, Shaye Grant and Dane Grant.
EDC’s are a USTA Player Development National Camp Structure that aims to provide opportunities for the top U10 athletes and players in similar areas to train together.
Early Development Orange Ball Camps include a progression of themes that help with overall tennis and athletic development of the young players involved, and also include an informative and interactive parent presentation.
“The EDC is a great introduction into the Team USA training pathway of USTA player Development,” said Coach Loup. “We look forward to seeing these youngsters in our Academy one day, and even in Team USA National PD camps.”
Austin Tennis Academy has hired veteran junior coach Chad Loup to become the latest addition to its all-star coaching staff, CEO Jack Newman announced last week.
“ATA is fortunate to have been able to hire Chad Loup, whose experiences include being a head tennis professional, a highly ranked player, as well as someone who is plugged into the Texas and USTA tennis communities,” Newman said. “His skill set will allow him to help ATA in all elements of our programs. His high energy coaching will be appreciated by any student he works with.”
Chad grew up playing competitive tennis in Humble, Texas. While studying Economics at the University of Texas, he worked for the Competitive Department of USTA Texas until 2011. Chad administered Regional Training Center Player Development Camps, as well as recruited coaches and players for USTA National Teams.
In 2011, Chad left the USTA to coach full time at Lost Creek Country Club, where he helped develop a junior program that was a leader in Ten and Under Tennis in Texas. Chad has served on numerous USTA Texas committees, including the Executive Committee and the Junior Tennis Council.
“I am thrilled to join the Austin Tennis Academy,” Loup said. “I have worked directly with ATA players, coaches, and parents for many years due to my involvement with USTA Player Development, as a Zonals Coach, and as a Tournament Director. Joining this team has been a wonderful transition because of my close relationships with the great staff here and the players who I have been fortunate enough to watch grow up.”
Outside of tennis and cheering for Houston pro sports teams, Chad keeps himself busy with a number of hobbies. On a weekend off, you might find Chad playing golf, seeing live music, catching a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, trying new restaurants, camping, going to his families ranch, scuba diving, wake surfing, or just spending as much time as possible with his family and friends.
“I am so thankful for how kind and welcoming all of the ATA players and parents have already been, and I look forward to building new relationships within the community,” Chad said.
Coach Loup will work with most or all of the programs, ages and skill levels while he gets up and running at ATA.
“I plan to use my diverse tennis background to simply complement what I believe is one of the most experienced and passionate team of coaches in the country,” Loup said. “Mostly, I am looking forward to helping spread the ATA mission, and helping the players here grow as people and citizens of significance, as well as myself.”
Next Tuesday evening, ATA CEO Jack Newman and ATA College Prep Director Carol Hagar will present an introduction to the college process for the student-athlete and parent. The presentation will begin at 6 pm, finishing with an open Q&A session.
“If you are the parent of a sophomore or junior who would like to play college tennis, or any high age student who is interested in learning more about how the college process works, please join us for an informational meeting,” ATA CEO Jack Newman said.
One of Austin Tennis Academy’s major goals as an organization is to help its players maximize their college choice. Academy and CP students have access to expert resources, services, and guidance to help each navigate the college recruiting and application processes.
“Each year, college-bound student-athletes should assess their goals and associated actions to determine if they are on track to lead to the desired futures,” Hagar said. “We offer educational workshops like this each year for parents and students to learn more and to ask questions about future possibilities.”
ATA has a proven track record of helping players to obtain college scholarships or to leverage their college choice. The community, led by Newman and Hagar, has earned tremendous success at helping players attend some of the most elite colleges and universities in the nation. Recent grads have gone on to Notre Dame, Princeton, Amherst, Pomona College, Claremont McKenna, University of Virginia, University of Chicago, Dartmouth as well as the Air Force and Naval Academies and several more.
We look forward to seeing you on the evening of the 28th in the ATA Fitness Center!
The Austin Tennis Academy community came together last Wednesday evening to celebrate three ATA College Prep seniors: Abigail Chiu, Alejandro Rodriguez and Wilson Hamilton.
“This is one of ATA’s most important rituals,” ATA CEO Jack Newman said.
Newman explained that these rituals serve many purposes: they help make big changes – like transitioning to college – a little more manageable, they allow for the transmission of values and beliefs from our seniors to all of the JD and JA kids sitting up front, they contribute to the program identity, and they facilitate coordination between players, families and our community.
“I am certain that Abigail Chiu sat up here when she was very young and watched signing ceremonies, just like these kids are today,” Newman said.
The evening unfolded with the community celebrating the seniors one at a time, with a pair of coaches talking on behalf of the student, followed by a speech from each of the soon-to-be graduates. The group started with Wilson Hamilton who committed to Trinity University. Coach Luka, Wilson’s primary coach, said a few words on his behalf:
After Coach Luka’s speech and another by Coach Newman, Wilson addressed the group with his own personal message:
After Wilson signed his papers, the focus switched to Alejandro Rodriguez, who committed to the University of Chicago. Here is his message to the community:
After Alej signed his papers, Coach Dio and Coach Doug Davis spoke on behalf of Abigail Chiu, who committed to Dartmouth University. Here is Abigail’s speech to the group:
After all of the memories, thank-you’s, tears, and cheers, the community stuck around to share three cakes together – each decorated with one of the three logos of the schools celebrated throughout the evening.
For three seniors whose families all moved to Austin to be able to attend the Austin Tennis Academy, there was one common thread, one lasting sentiment in the speeches – it is the people, the community, the relationships that make the Austin Tennis Academy a special place.
“Tennis is a sport that will only take you so far, and if there is one thing I learned through the process, it’s that it is not about all of the titles you win, but rather about the people you get to experience it all with. If I think back to my happiest moments, it isn’t winning a Gold ball, it was getting to play with this amazing team,” Abigail said.
This past weekend, ATA welcomed the Lakes Tennis Academy from the Dallas area for a Texas-Cup-style dual match. ATA came out on top 49-46 in one of the closest Texas Cups in the history of the 17-year competition.
“That was an absolutely epic weekend of competition!” Coach Brandon Davis said.
The Texas Cup format is similar to college tennis – very exciting, loud, spectator friendly tennis that feels more like a rowdy football game. The top 12 boys and girls from both academies played against each other in a round-robin format within 3 tiered groups of 4 that total 96 matches over 2 days.
Unlimited on-court coaching is allowed, with noisemakers, war paint, roaming bands of fans that impact matches like never seen in normal tennis events.
Academy, JA, JD, QS players, parents, and friends were there to support well into the evening in cold temperatures!
During Academy practice on Tuesday afternoon, the group paused for cake and ice cream after sharing positive, exciting, encouraging stories to celebrate the accomplishment.
Here are some of the highlights:
…Bottom 4 guys, Bailey, Garrett, Blaine, and Kyler, went undefeated – the first time in Texas Cup history a group goes 16-0….
…Marcus also went undefeated….
…overcoming match points that weren’t converted only to win in the third set…
…Daniela overcame two first-set losses to win twice…
‘I loved seeing Kyler go 4-0 – he really thrived in that environment.’
‘Abigail G really encouraged me and helped me pull in out when I was having a tough match.’
“I just loved the guest coaches. 1 little guy comes on to AJ’s match and at the end of the changeover says, ‘remember, it’s about having fun.’ AJ went on to win 4 straight games. I had multiple parents of those guys tell me that you guys are their real idols – that they look up to you guys, and you did a great job.”
‘You know how loud Max was on Saturday because he showed up Sunday with zero voice but still was there supporting through the last match.”
“I loved seeing our kids in uniforms – it was a sea of black and a sea of red – we were so connected – so together. It was amazing to see.”
“I am so proud of our players and coaches for all of the work and spirit they put in throughout the weekend!” Coach Davis said. “All of the credit goes to them. A truly inspiring performance by all.”
“This is a very exciting, loud, spectator friendly tennis match that feels like a football game,” said ATA Head Coach Doug Davis. “Please come out and support the team!”
Today, ATACP students toured the University of Texas campus to view a few public art installations recently procured by the newly developed Landmarks Division.
“I really enjoyed getting to see pieces of modern art on campus this morning,” said Alejandro Rodriguez, a senior at CP headed to UChicago in the Fall. “It was very interesting to see how sometimes, the environment around a piece of art dictates the way in which that artwork will be created. I was blown away by some of the creative displayed by the artists, who took ordinary objects and presented them in a way that creatively showcased many different attributes.”
The students saw everything from a monochromatic sculpture made from 70 canoes to unique portraits of Austinites that eventually will be installed in the Dell medical school building.
This field trip was part of a larger unit at CP focused on the purpose and meaning of public art. Soon, the students own artistic creations will be on display in and around the CP campus.
“My favorite piece was called Monochrome of Austin, and it consisted of 70 canoes, 30plus feet in the air, leaning over the street,” Alejandro said. “It was incredible.”
A few more photos from the day:
KK, Jack and Wilson discuss their favorite portraits.
The students check out the perspective from inside one of the pieces of art.
Sasha and Caroline taking in the scene together.
The Austin Tennis Academy (ATA) and A Glimmer of Hope Foundation (Glimmer) recently completed a project that provides the largest solar powered water supply development in the entire region of Tigray. The project, unfolding over about 3 years, delivers 9 water points and 3 cattle troughs to the Ethiopian villagers of Gonok who previously spent hours daily collecting only contaminated water.
This is the latest from a longstanding partnership between ATA and Glimmer. Since 2005, the ATA community has contributed more than $500,000 to AGOH towards a $1 million pledge.
Above is a picture of the solar panels that power the submersible pump that pumps the water that is 90 meters below the earth up to the reservoir.
“One of the founding principles when laying the framework for the Austin Tennis Academy was that students would be exposed to a series of life lessons,” ATA CEO Jack Newman said. “One of the most important life lessons is giving back to your community and giving to those less fortunate than yourself.”
Above is the Gonok reservoir that stores and distributes the water that is pumped from the deep borehole.
The latest water supply project made an immediate impact on the lives of the local community members in Gonok. Abeba, pictured below, used to spend approximately two hours per day fetching contaminated water from an unprotected spring at the bottom of a gorge. Now, one of the 9 water points is less than 100 yards from her home where she lives with her husband and children.
Above is a photo of Abeba (“Flower”) at her water point that is located 100 yards from her home. Abeba helped Breck Spencer on his “Walk for Water” in Gonok in the summer of 2010.
Another access point brings water to the Gonok Complete Primary School (Grades 1-8).
“The water point at the school is a game changer,” said Eric Schmidhauser, Director of Philanthropy at Glimmer. “Instead of students having to bring small water containers to school filled with dirty water from the unprotected spring about 1.5 kilometers from the school, they now have clean water available at the water point with its six faucets to accommodate hundreds of thirsty students.”
Beyond clean drinking water, the students are also able to practice proper hygiene that they learn in school at the hand washing station. In addition, female students now have more time for school since they no longer have to join their mothers on the walk for water to the bottom of the gorge and back in the mornings or afternoons.
Overall, the ATA community contributed about $150,000 to this project, with nearly 2/3rds coming directly from the ATA business. While that money could have gone towards any number of upgrades in the facility, ATA’s dedication to those founding principles makes giving back a continues priority.
Above is the exterior wall of the Gonok School, which has been decorated by paintings made by the teachers to serve as educational tools.
“The most powerful way to teach someone something is to show them,” Newman said. “By making a donation to A Glimmer Of Hope we not only talk the talk but also walk the walk of that life lesson of giving back.”
For Newman personally, much of the inspiration behind this value of giving back comes from a couple of trips to Ethiopia, one before starting ATA and one a few years after.
This is the handwashing station in front of the building that houses toilets on the Gonok School campus.
“Each of those trips resulted in a greater appreciation for all of the material and immaterial benefits that I enjoy being a citizen of this country,” Newman said. “It struck me as the greatest luck of the draw to have been born here rather than there. By making a commitment to Glimmer and by helping our students understand they’re lucky place in the universe, I hope to be a part of the balancing of the universe. By helping those with the least amount of resources, basic things like water, education and basic health care, it resonates with me that I am doing what I can.”
Many ATA students have felt compelled to contribute to this and other Glimmer campaigns, starting with Josh Hagar’s launch of Playing For Glimmer in 2008. More recently, Breck and Katherine Spencer raised awareness and funds through the Walk For Water and Bake For Gonok campaigns, while many other student-athletes continue to raise money and offer support in their own creative ways.Newman is currently preparing for his third trip to Africa in the coming weeks, when he will have the chance to visit the
Newman is currently preparing for his third trip to Africa in the coming weeks, when he will have the chance to visit the Gonok village and see first hand the global change to which ATA has contributed. Fittingly, he will travel with Ryan Berber and Santiago Montoya, both ATA alums who were there over 10 years ago when the founders set this lofty goal, and who are now past tennis and focused on their own ambitious goals.
The elevated pipeline in the photo is the beginning of 8 kilometers of pipeline that brings the clean water from the deep borehole well to 9 different water points that are spread out in the communities that make up Gonok, as well as 3 cattle troughs.
“When we started the Austin Tennis Academy we made a pledge to raise $1 million over 20 years on behalf of Glimmer. Big, hairy, outrageous goals like the million-dollar pledge also says something to our students about their own goals: SHOOT HIGH.”
To those who know him best, Newman displays a steadfast focus on what is best for his students and lives that out in every aspect of his life. Maybe nobody on the planet knows him better than Donna Berber, CEO and Founder of A Glimmer Of Hope.
“Coach Newman’s continued dedication to supporting the needs of the most vulnerable in our world is integral to the community he has built at ATA emphasizing the importance of giving back. Jack’s focus on giving has been steadfast since the early years of ATA, inspiring his students to become global changemakers who have compassion for those living in abject poverty in rural Ethiopia.”
Yesterday during Academy practice, ATA’s Josh Rifkin discussed the basics of how nutrition, hydration, and sleep give players the energy needed for training and recovery to be able to reach peak performance more consistently.
“It’s simple, if the physical and mental demands of your body are not met with the proper fuel, hydration and recovery to support what your asking of it, your energy and functioning will suffer which consequently has a major impact on the level of your tennis performance,” Rifkin said.
Take a look at his presentation below:
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Mikaila Smith, a former homeschool student of ATA College Prep Director Carol Hagar, member of ATA College Prep in 7th and 8th grade, and a lifetime Austinite, recently earned her spot as a Rhodes Scholar.
“I have been working with (and been a fan of) Mikaila since she was about 8 years old and it didn’t take me long to determine she was my vote for a future US president,” said Hagar. “I always tell children they can do and be anything they decide to put their intention and attention toward, Mikaila always took that to heart and continues to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way.”
Mikaila is a Presidential scholar at the University of Texas with majors in social entrepreneurship and nonprofit management and Chinese. She joins 31 other Americans from across the country who earned the Rhodes Scholar designation over thousands of applicants from more than 320 American colleges and universities.
“I take it as an incredible opportunity and responsibility,” Mikaila said. “I am more committed and determined than ever to give back to my communities, to continue to work on issues I am passionate about, and to support the people around me. I feel honored and humbled, and I take this platform and opportunity very seriously as a way to engage with the world around me and work hard to contribute to the advancement of the issues I care about.”
Mikaila has always had a passion for reading, exploring, and helping others. She is multi-lingual, has championed several philanthropic efforts, is a certified yoga instructor, and currently working in New York at the United Nations before departing to Oxford in the fall to continue her studies.
“I am so very proud of this compassionate powerhouse,” said Hagar. “I know that she will continue to develop solutions, make things happen, and positively impact our world.”
