#ATAResults – Page 8 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

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The Scholarship Shootout

Can you believe it?!? The 2019 Scholarship Shootout is just about here and we’ve got some really cool stuff going on leading up to, as well as during the event, that we want to make sure you know about.

First up: Tomorrow evening (Thursday, October 24) from 6:00 – 6:30, we will be doing a Live Stream giving a preview of all the items up for auction this year. In fact, you can even drop in to check out everything in person. We will be set up in the ATA gym. If you can’t stop by, then watch the Live Stream on either the ATA FaceBook page or the ATA YouTube Channel. Coach Jack Newman and Carol Hagar will be hosting the Auction Preview Live Stream.

Then on Friday night, for the first time ever, we will do a Live Stream from the Player Party. That Live Stream starts at 7:00 PM and will last the duration of the event. Again, you can watch the Live Stream on either the ATA FaceBook page or the ATA YouTube Channel. Even if you can’t attend, you’ll be able to hear and see what’s going on, including the coveted list of who’s playing on which teams this year for the tournament.

Saturday is when all the action on court takes place for the Calcutta tournament going on at ATA. And yep, we’ll will be doing a Live Stream courtside from one of the showcase courts, and Coach Doug Davis will be one of our commentators! That Live Stream begins at 9:00 am Saturday and will last until the last match is over. Again, you can watch the Live Stream on either the ATA FaceBook page or the ATA YouTube Channel.

Finally, we’ve also added the ability to make donations on-line and hope this is handy for people who want to contribute, but can’t attend The Shootout. Thanks in advance for helping make this year’s event a success!

Coach Newman Shares His Insights on Junior Tennis

The Parenting Aces Podcast got an early start in the world of podcasting when its creator, Lisa Stone, was trying to find information on how to help her son reach his goal of playing high-level tennis. Nearly 10 years later, she’s still gathering information and advice to share with other tennis parents.

Not long ago, Stone’s search led her to Austin Tennis Academy’s Owner and CEO, Coach Jack Newman. Their discussion became the latest episode – When 1 Teaches, 2 Learn – released earlier this week. Here’s what Stone tweeted about the interview: I love interviewing jr tennis coaches & learning their philosophies, not only about on-court development but also off-court. Jack Newman is 1 coach who really seems to get it.

As you may know, Coach Newman recently started his own podcast, Double Bagel, and said it was interesting to be on the other side… the one being interviewed. To hear Coach Newman’s episode on Parenting Aces, click here.

ATA’s Scholarship Shootout to serve up plenty of food, forehands and FUNdraising

There are plenty of exciting events held during the fall around Austin, and the ATA Pro-Am Scholarship Shootout is among them. This will be the 19th year for the annual fundraiser, which will be held October 25-26.

The Shootout is a Calcutta doubles tournament which brings together ATA’s patrons, students, and coaches for a day of fun and friendly competition. There will be a number of alum (names to be released soon) who return to play in the Shootout as well. The event also includes a silent auction, live auction, and a team auction.

All money raised during the two-day event benefits Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)3 which supports dedicated and deserving student athletes in their quest to achieve excellence through the sport of tennis and in life.

If you are not able to attend the Shootout, and would like to make a one-time donation, or become a perpetual donor, click here. Thank you in advance for helping today’s dreamers become tomorrow’s visionaries.

ATA Player Becomes USTA Section Essay Winner

Adrianna Peradoza won the 2019 Arthur Ashe NJTL Essay Contest in the G15-16 level of the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section. Perdoza competed in that section prior to her family moving to Austin and becoming members of the Austin Tennis Academy family. Her younger brother, Adrian, was the B11-12 Section Winner.

The question for the essay was, “This year marks the 50th anniversary of NJTL. What specific impact do you hope your chapter can make in your community today that you would want remembered 50 years from now?”

The NJTL Essay Contest is a widely acclaimed educational tool. NJTL participants are asked to write essays answering a thought-provoking question requiring research and analysis. Thousands of entries are received each year and 10 national winners (one boy and one girl from each age group) receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to participate in Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the US Open and to accept their awards at the NJTL Essay Awards Luncheon.

The National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network is a nationwide network of community tennis organizations seeking to develop the character of young people through tennis and education.

Austin ITF – Info, Draws, Order-of-Play

Welcome to the Austin ITF hosted by the Austin Tennis Academy! Check back here closer to 8:30pm each evening to see more info, draws, and order of play for the following day.

Friday:

Order of Play –

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BD – Thurs Comp

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/BD-Thur-Comp.pdf” download=”all”]

GD – Thurs Comp

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GD-Thur-Comp.pdf” download=”all”]

Boy’s Singles

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/BS-Thur-Comp.pdf” download=”all”]

Girl’s Singles:

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GS-Thur-Comp-1.pdf” download=”all”]

Links:

TennisLink Homepage for weather updates

ITF Fact Sheet

Chad Loup on Twitter for real-time updates

National Recognition for One of Coach Newman’s Former Students

Sports Business Journal named Carla Rosenberg one of its 2019 Game Changers. This annual honor is given to women setting the standard and leading the next generation in sports business. Rosenberg is among 40 women who make up this year’s Game Changers class.

Rosenberg is a pioneer in the business of creating nonprofit foundations and charity events for star athletes. She is Senior Vice President, Charity Events and Management at Lagardere Plus. Rosenberg remains an active member of the ATA community.

ATA Alum To Compete In ITA All-American Championships

Princeton Senior (and ATA alum) Payton Holden is one of three members of Princeton’s men’s tennis team selected to take part in the ITA All-American Championships coming up in October in Tulsa, OK.

Holden qualified for the main doubles draw, as well as the qualifying singles draw. The qualifying singles competition will begin October 7, while main doubles play will begin October 9. This will be Holden’s first trip to the ITA All-American Championships.

Congratulations Payton!

WTA Player Returns Home To ATA To Coach

The Austin Tennis Academy is excited to announce the addition of one of its alums, who spent the past 10 years playing on the WTA pro circuit, to the ranks of full-time coach in our programs. Ashley Weinhold trained at ATA as a junior player, as well as a pro player.

“No ATA student has been as clear about their goal from an early age as Ashley Weinhold,” said Coach Jack Newman, CEO and Owner of Austin Tennis Academy. “Her number one goal from the age of eight years old was to be a professional tennis athlete. She maintained clarity about that goal throughout her junior tennis career, and then applied the work ethic necessary to reach it. Her professional attitude and drive started early. The end result was to become top 200 in singles, top 100 in doubles and to compete in the game’s biggest stage: the Grand Slams.”

Spending a decade on the tour after reaching the pinnacle in junior tennis, winning the USTA’s G18’s Hard Court Nationals, translates into a wealth of experience, knowledge, and standards Weinhold says she’s excited to impart on players at ATA. “My standards might be a little different than everyone’s standards just because of the world I’ve been around,” said Weinhold. “There are things I like to hold people accountable for – things like footwork, your effort, your attitude, and hold players to a certain standard that you can’t get away with certain things, even if you’re playing college tennis your college coach isn’t going to want to see. I might be hard some times on the the players, but I hope later in life they realize it was because I care and it was good for them.”

While she admits it’s going to take a little bit to get used to stepping on the court as a coach not a player, Weinhold feels blessed to be making her coaching debut at a place she calls home.

Click here if you would like to know more about Ashley.

ATA Adds Tennis Locker App To Improve Methods

Dear Parents,

As you know, the Austin Tennis Academy is constantly seeking better, more advanced training methods to make our tennis program the leader among juniors tennis programs. Given this commitment, it only made sense for us to select Tennis Locker as our official player development app.

What is Tennis Locker—and what does this mean for you and your child?

Tennis Locker is an app that combines cutting-edge technology with insightful analytics to help us develop smarter, faster, and better athletes than ever before. It also keeps parents more connected, engaged, and informed—ultimately allowing us to offer a better experience to you and your child.

Some of our favorite features include:

● Easy Attendance Tracking — Coaches will record attendance with a quick tap of the finger, and you’ll have easy access to see when your player attended practice.

● Systematic Daily Evals — During or after practice, coaches will rate athletes on 4 different metrics, and you can check in at anytime to see how your player is performing and improving over time.

● Accurate Fitness Testing — All fitness tests will be recorded using the Tennis Locker app, so you and your player can view specific test results and trends throughout the season.

● Documented Practice Matches — Coaches will use Tennis Locker to assign practice match opponents, ensuring your player plays a wide variety of skill levels. Plus, win/loss records will automatically be recorded for you and your player to view at any time.

● Motivational Leaderboards — As a fun way to keep players striving for more, your player will be able to view program leaderboards based on performance metrics, practice match history, and more.

● Insightful Analytics — Tennis Locker uses charts and graphs to show you, your player, and our coaches how your athlete is improving over time, what to focus on in the next practice, and more.

● Clear Goals & Progression — Coaches can assign individualized goals to athletes, complete with push notifications to remind your player to work hard even outside of practice.

● Full Events Calendar — All ATA events will be conveniently stored within the app, so you can check on upcoming events and deadlines anytime, anywhere.

● Easier Communication — Thanks to Tennis Locker’s handy push notifications, you’ll never miss another important message about canceled practices, sales in our pro shop, upcoming events, tournament deadlines and more!

● FREE to Parents & Players — We’re excited to invest in Tennis Locker to offer you and your player a better training experience. We’re even more excited to announce that Tennis Locker is absolutely free for parents and players!

Many of you already are using tennis locker. For those who do not currently use the App, please keep an eye out for a follow up email in the next few days that will include a link to download the Free Tennis Locker app for iPhone and Android, as well as important login details.

Parents of players under 13 will also receive additional information in regards to providing your consent, which must be given in order for us to use Tennis Locker as part of your child’s training.

If you have any questions or concerns, as always, we are here for you. Thank you for choosing the Austin Tennis Academy. We are excited to continue using the TennisLocker App to engage our players on a totally different level on and off the court.

With best regards,
Jack Newman

Austin Tennis Academy

2019 End-of-Year Party

Thank you once again to the Malyshev’s for allowing the ATA community to come together at their home for our 16th Annual End-of-Year Party.

If you missed the event or want to take another look, here are some pictures of the speakers and award winners from throughout the evening, as well as the video that closed out the night.

Coach Of The Year – Ryan Rowe

Parent Of The Year – Sheri Gordon. Abigail is pictured above accepting the award for her mother.

Most Improved Award – Jack I.

Most Improved Award – Tony K

Most Improved Award – Kenna E.

Most Improved Award – Coco W.

Mentor Award – Jett W.

Mentor Award – Abigail G.

Mentor Award – Callie C.

Mentor Award – Keana M. (not pictured)

Student-Athlete Award – Shriniket

Student-Athlete Award – Sarah S.

Student-Athlete Award – Sasha M.

Student-Athlete Award – Bailey F.

Spirit of ATA Award – Juan A.

Spirit of ATA Award – Clark S.

Spirit of ATA Award – James C.

Spirit of ATA Award – Coco W.

Spirit of ATA Award – Brooklyn P.

Ambassador Award – Caroline W.

Ambassador Award – Jett W.

Work Ethic Award – Larry L.

Work Ethic Award – Elliot W

Work Ethic Award – Caroline W.

Work Ethic Award – Callie C.

Work Ethic Award – Bailey F.

Competitor Award – Julianna C.

Competitor Award – Tony K.

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Callie C.

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Bailey F.

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Caroline W.

MVP Award – Bailey F.

MVP Award – Callie C.

MVP Award – Caroline W.

This event, along with a few others, is a staple in the ATA calendar that not only builds community but provides yet another opportunity for our students to grow by practicing something that often makes them uncomfortable: public speaking. Three of our alums and nine of our seniors gave speeches during the event.

The night ended with a music video highlighting the 2018-2019 year at ATA. Take a look:

ATA Summer Tennis Camps – Info Here

ATA’s summer tennis camps begin June 10th! We have wonderful camps for kids of all ages and skill levels. Take a look at the video below to get a window into what our camps are like:

Sessions

Summer Grand Slam Camp – June 3-7 – (SuperChamp Only)

Week 1: June 10-14

Week 2: June 17-21

Week 3: June 24-28

Week 4: July 1-3 (Mon – Wed ONLY)

Week 5: July 8-12

Week 6: July 15-19

Week 7: July 22-26

Week 8: July 29- Aug 2

Week 9: Aug 5-9

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)

Click Here To Sign Up For Camps

Payton Holden, CP Alum and Princeton Junior, Earns NCAA Doubles Bid

Former ATACP standout and current Princeton Tiger Payton Holden earned a spot in the 2019 NCAA Doubles National Tournament with partner Ryan Seggerman.

The duo is the 33rd ranked team in the nation by the ITA, and were as high as 17th during the season. They joined the 32 team field after starting as an alternate.

Holden and Seggerman will face the 4th ranked pair of Oli Nolan and Henry Patten from UNC Asheville in the opening round. Play is set to begin Tuesday in Orlando, Florida at the USTA National Campus.

For fun, here is a throwback of Payton in 2009 at ATA…..good luck, tomorrow, Payton!!

ATA Upgrades College Prep Classrooms

Over Spring Break, you might have noticed a bit of construction in the Fitness Center. Over those weeks, we made some changes to improve the ATA College Prep classrooms to meet the needs of the growing program.

First, we moved the wall, adding about 8 feet to each of the original spaces. With new carpet, paint, A/C units, replaced whiteboards, and relocated electronics, the space has undergone a major enhancement.

“The classrooms feel brand new,” said Tommy Collins, CP’s Humanities Lead. “The added space makes the rooms brighter and provides enough room for everyone to spread out comfortably.”

The two upgraded classrooms pair with the dedicated school building across campus that houses 3 other classrooms, a common area, and teacher offices. Check out the new spaces the next time you are in the ATA Fitness Center!

Chinese Immersion Students Visit ATA College Prep

A group of five middle school students from Taizhou, China recently visited ATA College Prep. Arriving in the United States for a cultural and language exchange program, they first toured San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Stanford University, and the Google and Facebook offices. They then toured Hollywood, La Jolla Beach, and Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum and the Grand Canyon before making their way to Austin, Texas.

Excited students arrived in Austin and joined with their American host families. (A big thank you to the Malyshev family for hosting one of the students during their stay). Students shadowed in local elementary and middle schools, including a day at ATA College Prep. They interacted with CP students while learning in classes, playing American board games, and hitting tennis balls. CP students embraced this experience as an opportunity to learn about a new culture and share pieces of their own. And CP Chinese language students had an opportunity to put their language skills to the test.

This young and growing cultural and language exchange program is championed by ATCP instructor and owner of Westlake Chinese Academy, Mrs. Yang Wang, who expressed that it has been an eye-opening experience for all the students, as well as the Chinese teacher who led their group. Not only have they been exposed to U.S. history, geology, religion, daily American life and food, but also they had the opportunity to put into practice the English they have studied for many years. Mrs. Wang explained that most of the students come from only-child families and had never been away from home. “During this trip, I have seen the kids growing quickly – learning how to take care of themselves, organize their things, and share with others,” said Mrs. Wang. In the future, these children hope to attend a U.S. high school or college. By shadowing American students, they have a firm grasp of the differences (and the similarities) between American prep schools and Chinese prep schools, as well as how to prepare for admissions.

Two of the visiting students were a part of ATACP Director Carol Hagar’s English class last summer as part of this program in Taizhou, China. Linda and Amy were so excited to be reunited with Carol for the day!

“Studying abroad is an ideal opportunity to open the mind and the heart to cultural diversity and to broaden deeper understandings of humanity. ATACP is honored to be a part of this exchange program – connecting people across the world through heartful education. We look forward to many more shared adventures.”, says Carol Hagar.

ATA CP’s BAILEY FORGUS NAMED NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST!

ATA College Prep senior, Bailey Forgus was named a 2019 National Merit Scholar Finalist. To put this award in perspective, approximately 1.6 million students take the PSAT each year. Of the juniors who take the exam, about 16,000 (or 1{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9}) earn scores that qualify them as Semifinalists. This group is narrowed down to 15,000 Finalists.

Although CP students have been commended in previous years, Bailey is ATA College Prep’s first NMS Finalist! This is a testament to Bailey’s commitment to excellence, his tireless effort, and perseverance and qualifies him for a college scholarship.

Bailey has attended College Prep since his 8th-grade year and has been prepared for this moment through learning experiences designed by the inspirational CP staff. So much love, effort, and support have contributed to this accomplishment and all should share in the pride and joy.

“Bailey has earned this award through years of disciplined effort. He made this possible by investing time in time preparation, but also by taking a challenging slate of courses and making the most of his classes throughout his high school career,” commented Bryan Rutherford, CP’s Math & Science Lead.

Bailey will attend the University of Chicago in the fall of 2019. Congratulations Bailey!

Junior Team Tennis Registration – Info

Dear ATA Parents and Players,

Junior Team Tennis Spring season is quickly approaching! JTT is an awesome opportunity for players to compete within a team environment, set goals, be exposed to challenging competition, receive on-court coaching and play for something greater than individual merit. Teams are based on age and development level. It is a perfect first competitive experience for JD and QuickStart players (there is even an 8&U Red Ball division) who have never played tournaments and it is a valuable vehicle for more experienced players to work on various areas of their game. League winners in several levels will represent Austin at the state tournament this May 18-19 in Midland, TX.

The last several seasons have seen multiple ATA teams represented in the state championship as well as the national championships. ATA has won 5 national JTT championships over the past few years and also dozens of state titles!

FAQs

Schedule? Tentative start of the season is February 17th. Matches are played Sunday afternoons and consist of 8 game pro sets (2 sets to 4 in 10U divisions). A typical day begins with a warm-up 30 minutes prior to start time and matches last for approximately two and a half hours. Players should plan to stay through the end of the match and support their teammates. Half of the matches are played at ATA and the other half at the opponent’s sites in Austin.

Commitment? Teams consist of 4-8 players who must commit to playing a majority of the matches. If an occasional conflict arises, it is imperative to communicate with the coach to prevent a default. We schedule JTT matches best we can to not conflict with Challenger, Champ and Superchamp tournaments. For each match, teams are assigned a coach/academy player. There have been times when coaches are traveling and academy players are in tournaments and we may ask the help of a parent.

Cost? $150 for the season and players must be a current member of the USTA or be willing to register. Become a member online at www.usta.com and click on membership. Fee of $20/year includes access to all USTA tournaments, leagues and a subscription to various tennis publications. Any player 10 & Under who needs to register for the first time gets a FREE membership!

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the number of matches per season, because it depends upon how many teams in the city register and how well the team does.

HOW TO REGISTER

Please reply to our JTT Coordinator, Coach Carrie at carrie.kalapala@austintennisacademy.com to register or if you have any questions. Coach Carrie will be putting teams together and players need to sign up by Feb 1st, if you would like your son/daughter to be part of JTT. Schedules will go out after JTT captains meeting on February 11th. Please include when signing up player’s level (See below), birthdate, and USTA membership number. Player must be eligible in their age bracket until the end of the season May 31st.

Levels:

USTA Ratings

8U Red Ball

10U Orange Beginner

10U Orange Intermediate (Plays challengers)

10U Green

12U Green ball

12U 1.9 & Below

12U 2.4 & Below

14U 2.4 & Above

14U 2.9 & Below

14U 3.4 & Below

18U 2.9 & Below

18U 3.4 & Below

2018 ATA Holiday Party Pictures

Take a look back at some highlights from the 2018 ATA Holiday Party!

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2018-2019 Winter Tennis Camps at ATA

Winter Tennis Camps at ATA are around the corner! We have options for kids of all ages and levels. The camps are designed to provide the greatest development of your child’s physical, mental, technical, and tactical performance levels.

Dates:

December 31st, 2018 – January 4th, 2019

Times:

QuickStart Camp 9:00am – 10:30am (age 5-8)
Morning Camp 9:00am – 12:00pm (All levels)

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)

Quick Start Camp

9:00am – 10:30am
The Quick Start 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
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
Tournament players will improve their game by using competitive game situations, technical training and point play, as well as movement and flexibility training. ATA Academy players will be training at this time.

Policies

Registration must be made online.
Payment in advance is required to reserve your slot. An administrative fee of $50 will be applied for cancellations.
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.
Players may leave credit card on file to cover pro shop purchases, lunch, etc.
ATA does not offer housing. Private housing may be available. Email info@austintennisacademy.com to inquire.
Prompt pick-up is expected. Early drop-off and late pick-up is available upon request for $50 per week.

ATA 18U Advanced Dream Team Wins JTT National Championship

Austin Tennis Academy’s 18 and Under Junior Team Tennis ‘Dream Team’ secured their spot as the nations top team last week in Florida. The JTT National Championships brings together the top 32 teams from around the country – the ‘Dream Team’ represented the Texas Section, taking down Ohio out of the Midwest Section in the Finals.

“JTT nationals is probably my favorite tournament ever,” said Dream Team member Caroline Wernli. “The energy was so high the entire weekend, everyone was playing amazing tennis, and the teamwork and support were amazing. The best moment was definitely the finals warm-up; we were listening to music and getting so hyped because we knew we had a chance to win a championship.”

This year’s championship team consisted of Callie Creath, Caroline Wernli, Megha and Anushka Dania, Bailey Forgus, Juan Abboud and Blaine Kanak. Two of the Dream Team members – ATA College Prep seniors Bailey Forgus and Callie Creath – logged their 2nd JTT national title after winning the same event in 14s back in 2014.

“I felt immensely proud to be representing Texas with my teammates,” Forgus said. “The feeling of winning for my friends and the section was far more satisfying than winning at an individual tournament.”

While the Advanced team competed in their event, ATA’s Intermediate team fought for their own national title, ultimately bringing home the 2nd place trophy. The two teams played at the same facility throughout the event and were able to support each other throughout like they do daily at ATA.

“Seeing James and Alex really step up and play some amazing tennis after all of the hard work they’ve put in over the last few years was one of the best parts of the event,” Bailey said.

Juan Abboud echoed the team-focused takeaways.

“Winning the national championship with my teammates was the best feeling. Representing the State of Texas…sharing the same bank of courts as the intermediate team and cheering them on till the very end…it was truly a remarkable experience!”

If you missed the event, the entire Finals match is available to watch right here:

Alumni Update: Annika Pandey Checks In From UChicago

Hi everyone!

My name is Annika Pandey and I am a first-year at the University of Chicago. We have just finished our 5th week of classes and midterm exams. Tennis is in “offseason”, which means we no longer have official practice with our coaches, but we do have “captain’s practices” and lifts with our trainer. During our fall season, we played two tournaments, one in Rhode Island and one in Michigan, our ITA Regionals. Overall, my college experience has been really great so far.

One thing I want to talk about is sacrifice. As a student-athlete, I know all of you are already familiar with this concept, but sacrifice has become a huge part of my life in college. I have so many responsibilities I need to take care of on a daily basis. In college, you will find that you have school and tennis to take care of, which in my opinion, should be your top priorities. Then you have extracurricular activities and clubs, social life, career advancement opportunities, and sleep and mental/physical health to consider as well. There are not enough hours in the day or days in the week to do everything you have to or want to do. You are going to have to make sacrifices on a daily basis in order to do what’s best for you or your team. When I first got to UChicago, I didn’t understand this. I thought I would be able to do everything I wanted or had to do. I tried to do everything and I ended up exhausted, stressed, and unhappy, while not even accomplishing what I wanted. Now that I’ve acclimated to college life, I get that I can’t do everything. It is so so important to have your priorities straight and use your time efficiently and effectively.

A piece of advice I have for y’all as you prepare for college is to develop strong communication skills. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be an effective communicator. Learning to communicate with others can literally change your entire college experience. Whether it’s communicating with professors or TAs (become friends with your TAs!! They grade everything in your classes and basically control your fate), coaches, or students, you can open so many doors for yourself. One thing I’ve learned at UChicago is that your ability to communicate and make connections with people is just as and sometimes more important than your grades. The relationships you build now could end up getting you an incredible internship over the summer that translates into a job post-graduation.

The final thing I want to say is to appreciate what you have right now. When I was in high school I couldn’t wait to go to college, move away from home, and be independent. While college is awesome, it’s a whole different ball game. It can be really hard at first when you don’t have a support system around you to help you through tough times. The ATA community is so supportive, and I think you’ll find that when you go to college, you won’t have the same environment to rely on all the time. School is really hard, tennis is a demanding time commitment, and everything else going on can really take a toll on you. You’ll learn to juggle everything eventually, but it’s definitely a struggle at first. Be grateful for everything you have right now because it’s all definitely very special and finite. College is kind of like being thrown into the deep end of a pool where you have to learn to swim with little or no help from others. I promise once you learn to swim it’ll be so fun and great and an incredible experience though!!

I would love to answer any questions anyone has about college or the college process so please feel free to contact me if you want to talk!

Best,

Annika Pandey

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