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Dates Released For 2021 Shootout

The 21st Annual Shootout will be held the fourth weekend in October. All the fun kicks off Friday evening, October 22 with the Player Party. Then things heat up on court when the actual Shootout swings into action bright and early Saturday, October 23.

Each year, Austin Tennis Academy holds the Shootout to raise money for the Austin Athletics Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)3 created to give back to the community. The AASF is dedicated to serving students in the form of grants for travel, training, and academics; its goal is to identify players who have a philanthropic spirit and commit themselves to giving back to the community.

We hope you’ll not only save the date, but also take part in this year’s fundraiser and shootout!

ATA Player Receives 2021 Junior Sportsmanship Award

USTA Texas announced its annual junior tennis award recipients in conjunction with The Texas Slam, a week-long tournament featuring nearly 1,000 competitive junior tennis players from across the state which kicks off tomorrow morning.

Among the winners, ATA’s Mason Vaughan received the Ken McAllister Sportsmanship Award.

Eleven players in total walked away with hardware, as the governing body of Texas tennis honored junior players throughout the state for their tennis prowess, as well as their sportsmanship on and off the court. Awards are presented to outstanding juniors across four age brackets in both boys and girls divisions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no awards ceremony was held this year. Instead, players submitted acceptance speeches online, which can be viewed at www.thetxslam.com.

Congratulations to each of the 2021 Junior Awards Winners listed below.

John McFarlin Award: Lucas Brown, Plano
Mary Lowdon Award: Victoria Zhao, Houston
Maureen Connolly Brinker Award: Katie Garofolo-Ro, Houston
Art Foust Sportsmanship Award: Lucas Brown, Plano
Zina Garrison Sportsmanship Award: Victoria Zhao, Houston
Bob McKinley Sportsmanship Award: Ted Gershon, Austin
Barbara Smith Sportsmanship Award: Nadia Valdez, San Antonio
Paul Christian Sportsmanship Award: Qasym Dar, Houston
Emily Schaefer Sportsmanship Award: Ashlyn Burrows, Richardson
Ken McAllister Sportsmanship Award: Mason Vaughan, Austin
Chuck McKinley Award: Ashlyn Krueger, Lewisville

Former WTA Pro and USTA President Katrina Adams Comes to Austin

Katrina Adams will be at Black Pearl Bookstore on Thursday at 6pm to promote her new book “Own the Arena” — and answer your questions! Today is the deadline to order an advance copy and reserve your spot at her book signing. Click here to purchase .

Katrina has the unique perspective of being a NCAA doubles champion, a touring player, on-air analyst, and the chairman and CEO of US tennis’ highest governing body. She was the first African American to lead the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the first two term Chairman and President of said organization, and the first former player to hold that honor.

If you have ever wondered about the drive it takes to be a successful professional athlete and transitioning to careers in tennis off court, Katrina can answer. Let’s all show her a big Austin welcome!

ATA Alumnus Joins Teaching and Coaching Staff

Liam Leddy, who attended Austin Tennis Academy and ATA College Prep more than 10 years ago, is back, however, this time Leddy takes on the role of an instructor at College Prep. “Liam and my son Josh shared their childhood as close friends in school and in sports,” said Carol Hagar, Head of School. “I have always appreciated Liam’s curiosity, creativity, quick wit, quirkiness, and love of learning, and his pragmatic approach to most topics lends itself to very interesting and entertaining discourse. It is exciting and humbling for him to join his alma mater as a young professional, teacher, and coach and I look forward to our students’ learning with him.”

Along with teaching responsibilities in the fall, Leddy will take on some coaching as well. “There’s nothing better than having someone complete the circle,” said Coach Jack Newman. “Liam started off as a student, went on to be an awesome student at the University of Chicago, has spent some time in the real world, and now is back with us as a teacher and a coach. Nothing better. He knows the culture. He knows what to expect.”

Leddy grew up in the Austin area, and admits he’s excited to be back as a teacher. ”I hope to bring pragmatism, harsh reality, and a lot of dry humor to student-athletes,” said Leddy. “Also knowledge, obviously, or, rather, the tools they need to seek out, vet, and retain knowledge on their own.”

When asked what has stuck with him since his time as a student-athlete at ATA Leddy responded, “I learned a great deal at ATA, but the lessons that have stuck with me the longest are: 1) Not every moment is the right moment to question authority 2) Discomfort is a prerequisite for growth 3) Energy and attention must be focused on what can be controlled, not what cannot be.”

Leddy becomes the sixth student to return to ATA as a coach and/or teacher. Among those alumni: Shane Berber, Tommy Collins, Brandon Davis, AJ Garcia, and Ashley Weinhold. He holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from University of Chicago, a Master’s in Education from Dominican University (the one in Illinois, not the one in California) and a Master’s in Data Science from the Harvard Extension School.

Austin Tennis Academy Makes The List

How cool is that?! ATA makes the cut and is listed as one of the Top 10 Best Tennis Academies in the USA. That declaration comes from ‘MyTennisHQ’ ~ a site created by tennis athletes who are focused on helping people understand and navigate the sport of tennis.

According to the article, Austin Tennis Academy is probably the most famous tennis academy in the state of Texas. It is located in Austin, and it has 14 tennis courts (12 hard and 2 red clay), a large gym, and classrooms. ATA does not have any on-site dorms, which is slightly different from the other large academies. ATA offers different programs depending on your level of commitment.

Thanks ‘MyTennisHQ’ for giving ATA such high accolades!

ATA Chosen To Host Qualifying Event For ‘Les Petites As’ Tournament

Les Petites As is the most prestigious event in the world for 14U junior tennis players. This competition has witnessed the first steps of many champions such as Michael Chang, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Lindsay Davenport and, recently, Alexander Zverev, Frances Tiafoe and Coco Gauff. And this year, the road to compete in Les Petites As for American players will begin at the Austin Tennis Academy and five other locations across the country.

The US Playoffs Lacoste series is open to EVERY American player (boys and girls, 14 and under, born in 2007 or later), and will see events happening in California, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. The Series Events will be hosted between June 12 to 28, 2021 and all player selection, seeding and the draw will be based on verified UTRs for each player. The top 32 boys and the top 32 girls will be selected for each event.

The qualifying event at Austin Tennis Academy takes place June 26-28. Registration is now open and will close on June 20 at 12:00 pm CDT.

The winners of each Series Event (6 boys and 6 girls) will qualify for the USA Playoffs Lacoste along with 20 other players (10 boys and 10 girls, 14 and under) selected for direct entrance (list of players to be communicated soon) for a total of 32 American players (16 boys and 16 girls, 14 and under) who will compete at the USA Playoffs Lacoste in Florida from July 25 to 29, 2021 to qualify.

Out of those 32 players competing at the US Playoffs Lacoste, 8 players (4 boys and 4 girls, 14 and under) will earn a spot to represent the United States at Les Petits As – Le Mondial Lacoste scheduled for September 4 to 12, 2021 in France. Among the 8 participants, that would include the following boys and girls: • Winner of the USA Playoffs Lacoste (Wild Card Main Draw) • Runner-up of the USA Playoffs Lacoste (Wild Card Main Draw) • 3rd place Finisher of the USA Playoffs Lacoste (Wild Card Main Draw) • 4th place Finisher of the USA Playoffs Lacoste (Wild Card Qualifier)

Les Petits As – Le Mondial Lacoste is an international tennis tournament considered as the world championships for 14 and under players. Normally, it takes place each year in January at Tarbes, France, except this year because of the global pandemic it has been postponed to September of 2021.

USPTA RECOGNIZES COACH NOTIS

Coach Brian Notis, a certified member of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), recently received recognition for outstanding participation in the association’s continuing education program.

Coach Notis, Director of Junior Academy for Austin Tennis Academy, was awarded a Level 1 Certificate of Achievement for earning 26 credits in the USPTA’s Career Development Program over a one-year period.

“As an association, we know that career development is vital to our tennis-teaching professionals and coaches,” said USPTA CEO John Embree. “Through our Career Development Program, we are ensuring all USPTA-certified members are equipped with the knowledge and skills to enhance their careers. To see our members taking advantage of those educational opportunities and striving to earn more than the minimum education requirement personifies a commitment to personal and professional excellence.”

Coach Notis has been coaching junior tennis players for more than 20 years.

Texas Slam Is A Go This Year

You might want to start making plans now and booking your hotel rooms. The Texas Slam is coming to Georgetown in June. It is the largest junior tournament in the United States with around 1,000 kids ages 11-18 competing in the annual tournament. The Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the event last year. Dates for this year’s tournament are June 19 – 27.

Are you ready?

Join Us For The Last Signing Day Party Of The Year

Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Signing Day Party for Nick Smeltzer. The event will be held Thursday (May 6) at 6:30 PM on Court 6 at Austin Tennis Academy.

Smeltzer will attend Hastings College in Nebraska and play on the mens tennis team this fall after graduating from ATA College Prep at the end of the month.

ATA College Prep Graduation

Five seniors will receive diplomas this year during Austin Tennis Academy College Prep’s graduation ceremonies.

Sydney Marin, Abigail Gorden, Cole Cedar, Hayden Hobbick, and Nick Smeltzer make up the Class of 2021 at ATACP.

Commencement will be held May 26 at Austin Tennis Academy. Kicking off the evening will be an Art Exhibit and Reception at 6:00 PM, with the graduation ceremony beginning at 6:45 PM. There will be a Dessert Reception immediately following the ceremony.

For those not able to attend in person, click here for the webinar link for livestream at-home viewing. The passcode is fC1mw9. While the livestream opens at 6:30, the actual graduation ceremony will begin at 6:45 PM CDT.

Save The Date For ATA’s End of Year Event

Austin Tennis Academy will host its annual End of Year and Academy Awards event this year on the evening of May 27. The party will take place at ATA under a big top tent located on Courts 3 & 4 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM.

Dinner will be served beginning at 6:30 PM with the Award Presentation starting at 7:30 PM. For those not able to attend in person, here is the link for livestream home viewin g. The passcode is 27ghnz.

ATA College Prep Student Commended

Every year, more than 4.5 million high school juniors take the PSAT which enters them into the National Merit Scholarship program, a national academic competition for high school students to provide financial aid to attend college. ATA College Prep student Sasha Malysheva is one of less than 5{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} of those test takes to receive a commendation. Malysheva’s score ranks her among one of the 50,000 highest-scoring students in the nation on the 2020 PSAT qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholar awards.

“Sasha, this recognition, along with the many other accolades that you have already acquired that honor unique aspects of your being, is a tribute to your long-term dedication to your studies, your work ethic, and your perseverance,” said Carol Hagar, Head of School. “Thank you for being such a heartful and powerful example for your mentees and our entire community.”

Semi-finalists and Finalists for the scholarship competition will be announced in September and if Sasha qualifies, she will be asked to complete an application and essays to compete for college scholarship merit awards. Each year, only about 7,500 students are selected to become scholarship winners.

Registration Opens For ATA’s 2021 Summer Tennis Camps

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s not too early to register your child to attend Austin Tennis Academy’s camps, Summer Semis, to progress at a rapid rate. Instead of our traditional camps, Summer Semis allow for the safest possible environment for players and coaches while still providing the best possible experience. Along with Summer Semis, we are also holding an afternoon Tournament Tough Semis session for Academy-level players. Let’s focus first on the Summer Semis.

Highlights regarding our Summer Semis include:

A professional coach will be on every court working with only 4-5 players with separate resting places in order to maintain recommended social distancing.
There are three different session levels for Morning Summer Semis sessions:
- QuickStart Summer Semis for 5-8 year olds
- Orange/Green Summer Semis for 8-11 year olds
- Yellow Ball Summer Semis for 12-14 year olds
Along with providing an environment that is as safe as possible, smaller group sizes translate into more playing time and more one-on-one attention which yield greater progress in skill development.
And, don’t forget that our coaches make learning and playing tennis F-U-N!

ATA will hold 11 weeks of Summer Semis. The morning session will run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 -11:00 AM each week. Friday is reserved as a rain makeup day.

Summer Semi Sessions (M-Th with Friday as rain makeup day)
Cost: $300 per week

Week 1: May 31-June 4
Week 2: June 7-11
Week 3: June 14-18
Week 4: June 21-25
Week 5: June 28-July 2
Week 6: July 5-9
Week 7: July 12-16
Week 8: July 19-23
Week 9: July 26-30
Week 10: Aug 2-6
Week 11: Aug 9-13

Click here to sign up your child

Summer Semis Policies

Registration must be made online.
Payment in advance is required to reserve your slot.
Players must bring their own water and towel.
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.
Don’t bring players if they are sick in any way.
Pick up players promptly at the end of each day’s session.
Cancellation includes a $50 fee
No T-shirts provided for camps this year.

Afternoon Tournament Tough Semis Session (Invite Only – $450/week M-F)

The Tournament Tough Semis Session is restricted to Champ and Superchamp levels. Tournament players will improve their game by using competitive game situations, technical training and point play, as well as movement and flexibility training.

Anyone interested in registering your child to attend a week, or several weeks, at our Tournament Tough Semis, should email a request to deb.cahill@austintennisacademy.com.

2021 Spring Break Tennis Training Camps

This Spring Break, your child can take advantage of the Austin Tennis Academy’s SPRING BREAK SEMIS to progress at a rapid rate. Instead of our traditional camps, Spring Break Semis allow for the safest possible environment for players and coaches while still providing the best possible experience. Along with Spring Break Semis, we are holding an afternoon Tournament Tough Semis session for Academy-level players. Let’s focus first on the Spring Break Semis.

Highlights regarding our Spring Break Semis include:

A professional coach will be on every court working with only 4-5 players with separate resting places in order to maintain recommended social distancing.
There are three different session levels for Morning Spring Break Semis sessions:
- QuickStart SB Semis for 5-8 year olds
- Orange/Green SB Semis for 8-11 year olds
- Yellow Ball SB Semis for 12-14 year olds
Along with providing an environment that is as safe as possible, smaller group sizes translate into more playing time and more one-on-one attention which yield greater progress in skill development.
And, don’t forget that our coaches make learning and playing tennis
F-U-N!

The morning sessions will run Monday through Thursday, March 15-18. Friday is reserved as a rain makeup day.

Click here to register your child for any of the morning sessions.

Afternoon ‘Tournament Tough’ Camp is also available by invite only. Reach out to Deb.Cahill@austintennisacademy.com to inquire.

Deadline Extended – Get Registered !

The deadline for next weekend’s UTR tournament being hosted by ATA has been extended till 11:30pm tonight (January 24). We have a great draw next weekend with players at all levels. It’s not too late to enter and get some great competition with 3-4 matches planned.

Click here to play in the $1000 prize money singles tournament

Plus, registration is now open for two more UTR tournaments coming up in February at ATA. Both will be held the last weekend of February: one is a 1-Day Singles and the other 1-Day Doubles – both with prize money.

Click here to register for the singles tournament

Click here to register for the doubles tournament

CATA Scholarships Available For Seniors

Capital Area Tennis Association awards several scholarships every year to graduating senior tennis players. CATA is currently offering two types of scholarships: a general CATA Scholarship and the Ricardo Flores Scholarship. The general scholarship is open for any graduating senior tennis player to apply. The Ricardo Flores Scholarship is a needs-based scholarship for graduating senior tennis players of Hispanic descent.

Last year CATA awarded $17,250 to 23 tennis players from over 15 different high schools in the area.

The deadline to apply for the CATA scholarships is March 1st.

Click this link to get more information as well as submit an application for one of the scholarships which represent a great way for high school senior tennis players to receive extra help toward attending college.

2020 Winter Tennis Training Sessions

This winter, your child can take advantage of the Austin Tennis Academy’s WINTER SEMIS to progress at a rapid rate. Instead of our traditional camps, Winter Semis allow for the safest possible environment for players and coaches while still providing the best possible experience. Along with Winter Semis, we are holding an afternoon Tournament Tough Semis Session for Academy-level players. Let’s focus first on the Winter Semis.

Highlights regarding our Winter Semis include:

A professional coach will be on every court working with only 4-5 players with separate resting places in order to maintain recommended social distancing.
There are three different session levels for Morning Winter Semis sessions:
- QuickStart Winter Semis for 5-8 year olds
- Orange/Green Winter Semis for 8-11 year olds
- Yellow Ball Winter Semis for 12-14 year olds
Along with providing an environment that is as safe as possible, smaller group sizes translate into more playing time and more one-on-one attention which yield greater progress in skill development.
And, don’t forget that our coaches make learning and playing tennis F-U-N!

Winter Semis Sessions take place December 28-31. The morning sessions will run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 -11:00 AM. Friday is reserved as a rain makeup day.

Click here for more information or to register your child.

Wernli Says Yes To Gonzaga

Caroline Wernli made it official on her Instagram page. “I am so excited to announce that I have verbally committed to play D1 tennis at Gonzaga! Thank you to my coaches, family, and friends for their constant support through my process. Absolutely can’t wait for the next 4 and GO ZAGS!” Gonzaga University is a private Catholic University located in Spokane, Washington.

“Caroline Wernli has consistently been a top national performer,” says ATA CEO Jack Newman. “She has anchored our USTA Junior Team Tennis National Champion team. She is an A+ recruit for Gonzaga and will help them reach new levels of performance.” To receive a full-ride scholarship to play D1 college tennis is no small feat, especially in light of what’s happening in collegiate sports due to COVID19.

Austin Tennis Academy has a fairly large senior class this year; Wernli is the first to announce a commitment for the fall. One of the main goals at ATA is to help student-athletes maximize their college choice by finding the best fit both academically and athletically.

Congratulations Caroline!

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2020 SHOOTOUT

This year’s Shootout will mark the 20th anniversary of the marquee fundraising event for Austin Athletics Scholarship Foundation. Despite the COVID pandemic, we’re pulling out all the stops in an effort to make this year the best one yet! To do that, we’re turning our traditional banquet into an online virtual party the evening of Friday, October 23. That’s right… you can be part of the festivities without leaving home, but that doesn’t mean you won’t want to get all dressed up because you’re still going to see and be seen.

The tennis part of The Shootout, don’t worry, will still be live and in person on Saturday, October 24. Following the glitz and glamour of Friday night’s festivities in the virtual world, all the action and FUNdraising move to the real world, specifically to the courts at Austin Tennis Academy, where you might say money talks from the end of a tennis racquet.

Along with raising money to support deserving student-athletes, there’s even more reason to attend this year’s Shootout. We’re going to be celebrating another milestone that weekend; this year is Jack Newman’s 40th anniversary as a tennis coach, impacting lives on and off the court. To help us salute this incredible man, we want as many of Jack’s former students from Fretz Tennis Center, St. Stephens, and Austin Tennis Academy as well as current players and friends to be at Friday night’s virtual event.

Even though there’s lots of work still to be done pulling together this giant shindig, you can click here to glean a few more details about what we’ve got planned for this year’s 20th Anniversary Shootout. If your company would like to be involved in supporting AASF, we’d love to hear from you. Click here to check out the sponsorship opportunities.

That’s A Wrap!

Hundreds tuned in to the virtual world to watch ATA’s End of Year Party and Academy Awards presentation. Coach Newman hosted the event with each ATA coach getting the opportunity to talk about their primary students who won awards.

Below is the list of the 2020 ATA Award Recipients:

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD: Juan Abboud, Nico Jamison, Caroline Wernli, and Abigail Gorden

FORCE-MULTIPLIER LEADERSHIP AWARD: Juan Abboud, Abigail Gorden

COMPETITOR AWARD: James Cockrell, Mega Dania, Anushka Dania, Caroline Wernli, and Charlotte Wernli

WORK ETHIC AWARD: Denver Holden, Elliot Wasserman, Maddie Wasserman, and Sasha Malysheva

AMBASSADOR AWARD: Kenna Erickson and Sam Seder

SPIRIT OF ATA AWARD: Johnny Snell and Anna Soto

STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARD: Jaclyn Cockrell and Michael Malyshev

MENTOR AWARD: Sydney Williams, Keanna Moon, and Nico Jamison

MOST IMPROVED AWARD: Hayden Williams, Cole Killian, Jack Ingram, and Coco Wu

PARENT OF THE YEAR AWARD: Jon Erickson

COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD: Josh Rifkin

Congratulations to each of the award winners!

If you weren’t able to watch the event live, click here to view it on demand. Now, if you only want to watch the 2020 End of Year Video, then click here.

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Summer Semi Sessions (M-Th with Friday as rain makeup day)Cost: $300 per week

Afternoon Tournament Tough Semis Session (Invite Only – $450/week M-F)

Summer Semi Sessions (M-Th with Friday as rain makeup day)
Cost: $300 per week