Jr Tennis – Page 8 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

Clark, Luke, Emerson and Sophia Qualify Over The Weekend

Four ATA Academy players – Clark White, Luke Riezebeek, Emerson Hammes and Sophia Maier – qualified into the next competitive division of USTA Texas junior tennis last weekend. Clark and Luke won their way into SuperChamps, while Emerson and Sophia worked their way into the Champs division.

“Emerson and Sophia have both done a great job so far this year!” Coach Brandon Davis said. “They have really put in the hard work and have been willing to make changes in their games that have helped their improvement rate go through the roof. You can see every week they keep getting better and better. I am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish in the future, with continued hard work and dedication they will be winning big events down the road!”

Coach Brian Notis offered his thoughts on Luke and Clark:

“Less than 2 months after his 11th birthday, Luke put it all together to win the Austin CMZ. Luke has worked really hard to improve the quality of his ball and become rock solid. He is trusting his game more and competing well even when he’s not playing his best.

By his own admission, Clark’s accomplishment this weekend comes ahead of schedule. Clark has worked extremely hard to make significant technical improvements in his game over the past few months and is beginning to trust himself to hit a bigger ball and dictate play more. Clark is engaged in his own development at a level very few 12-year-olds are and it shows in his progress.

I’m really proud of both Luke and Clark for working hard to reach their goals and know both will be ready to dive into new challenges. Watch out for both these guys in supers!”

Huge congratulations to Sophia, Emerson, Clark, and Luke! Keep it up!!

Two Weeks Of Winter Tennis Camp At ATA – Sign Up Now!

2017 Winter Tennis Training Camps

This Winter, your child can take advantage of the Austin Tennis Academy’s Winter Camps to progress at a rapid rate. The camps are designed to provide the greatest development of your child’s physical, mental, technical, and tactical performance levels.

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Dates:

Week 1 – December 26th, 2017 – December 29th, 2017

Week 2 – January 1st, 2018 – January 5th, 2018

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 Week 1 (Tue – Fri): $140/week ($40/day drop-in)

QuickStart Camp Week 2: $175/week ($40/day drop-in)

Morning Camp Week 1 (Tue – Fri): $250/week ($80/day drop-in)

Morning Camp Week 2: $275/week ($80/day drop-in)

Tournament Tough Training Camp Week 1 (Tue – Fri): $300/week ($90/day drop-in)

Tournament Tough Training Camp Week 2: $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 Adds Experience, Energy With Coach Shaimaa Elsisi

The Austin Tennis Academy has hired Coach Shaimaa Elsisi as the latest addition to its standout coaching staff, CEO Jack Newman announced recently.

“Shaimaa will be an excellent addition to the ATA coaching staff,” Newman said. “She brings college coaching experience and an incredibly positive, high energy level to practice.”

Elsisi joins the ATA community after spending the past year as the Volunteer Assistant Coach at Baylor University, where she landed after moving from Florida. While in the sunshine state, Shaimaa took the court for Troy University where she competed for the Trojans and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees.

A native of Cairo, Elsisi was one of the top ranked junior players in Egypt before moving to the United States to play college tennis. She helped the Trojans to a winning record each year that she played at Troy.

“Tennis has taught me everything,” Shaimaa said. “Matches have given me mental strength, practice has given me stamina, tournaments have given me social skills, team competition has given me spirit, traveling has given me experience, participation has given me the best friendship…. tennis has given me my soul!”

After serving as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s and women’s teams at Troy, Shaimaa moved on to a head coaching position at Hillsborough Community College where she stayed until relocating to Baylor.

“I am a coach because of my passion for tennis,” Shaimaa said. “I chose to become a coach to give back to the sport, to impact my student-athletes’ lives in a positive way, to help them succeed on and off the court, and to give them the opportunity that my own coaches gave me as a student-athlete.”

That passion she mentions stems from a family full of tennis players including her sister, who is the head coach at Troy, her brother, who coaches professionally back in Egypt, but all started with her father.

Shaimaa, center, pictured with her sister and brother.

“I learned how to walk on a tennis court,” Shaimaa said. “My late father (my favorite person in the whole world) was a tennis coach and he took me to his work every day and I fell in love with tennis because of him! It was our special place! I love tennis and it’s my happy place and every time I stepped on the court in my playing years it felt like it was my first time!”

In addition to being an accomplished tennis coach and player, Elsisi is an exceptional student, earning her bachelor’s degree in sport and fitness management with a minor in recreation and her master’s degree in sports and fitness management with a concentration in sports administration. She now applies this love of learning to her students.

“As a coach, I learn everything I can about every student-athlete—not every individual responds in the same way,” Shaimaa said. “My goal is to learn what motivates them and keeps them engaged to give them the opportunity to develop their skill level in a structured learning environment that constantly challenges them while providing them with both encouragement and support.”

Off the court, Shaimaa loves traveling and visiting family and friends. She enjoys playing golf, softball, watching Disney movies with friend’s kids, and reading about nutrition and health issues.

After her first few weeks around ATA, one thing has stuck out to her that distinguishes this place from the rest.

“It’s culture! I loved it right away and I felt home the minute I walked in and I loved how welcoming everyone was right away,” Shaimaa said. “Everyone is very professional and very friendly. Kids are respectful, and they work hard on and off the court. They have great attitudes and are very coachable. The staff is great and passionate about what they do and they care about the kids on and off the court. It’s definitely a place that I can call home and family! I feel very lucky to be part of the ATA family and I’m very grateful to Coach Newman for this wonderful opportunity.”

Welcome to the ATA community, Coach Shaimaa!!

ATA Coach Lucie Schmidhauser Accepts Assistant Coach Role At Brown University

Founding member and long-time Austin Tennis Academy coach Lucie Schmidhauser will continue her coaching career at Brown University, where she has accepted a role as the Women’s Assistant Coach beginning this fall.

Schmidhauser, a former NCAA National Champion, 2-time All-American and number 1 ranked player in college tennis at the University of Texas, is fulfilling a dream by entering the college-coaching ranks while returning to the world where she earned so much success as a player.

“I am excited to work with a small group of highly motivated student-athletes who are elite level players,” Lucie said. “I also look forward to having the opportunity to impact players during matches through on-court coaching.”

Schmidhauser joined the Austin Tennis Academy when it was first created, offering her passion to the community both on the court and through her Pilates instruction.

“No matter where she travels to, Coach Lucie Schmidhauser will always hold the position of founding coach of the Austin Tennis Academy,” ATA CEO Jack Newman said. “She has had a tremendous impact on our program through her coaching and through her influence on our curriculum.”

Before she was commonly referred to as Coach, Schmidhauser logged a Longhorn career that left her in the UT Athletics Women’s Hall of Honor.

“When I look back at my tennis playing career, the accomplishments I cherish the most are winning 2 team Conference Championships and 1 National Championship over any individual accomplishments I had,” Lucie said. “There’s nothing better than a group of individual players coming together and competing hard for a common goal.”

Brown, located in Providence, Rhode Island, is the seventh-oldest college in the United States and is a member of the prestigious Ivy League.

Once there, Lucie will lean on her mastery of the game’s technical fundamentals, her many years of experience coaching young women (and being a mother to a 17-year-old college freshman), her understanding of the mental side of the game as well as her Pilates teaching background. Her worldwide path as a junior, collegiate and professional player combined with her extensive coaching knowledge makes Lucie a valuable addition to the Brown coaching team.

“I’ve gained perspective on what type of players are able to successfully transition from junior tennis to college tennis,” Lucie said.

While she has passionately served the ATA community for years, Lucie will take with her some lasting lessons of her own.

“I’ve been fortunate to have colleagues who have helped me grow as a coach. In particular, Coach Doug Davis has been an incredible mentor for me to learn the technical aspects of the game and Coach Newman has taught me a lot about the mental and motivational aspects of the game, as well as how to build a culture of substance,” she said.

This mutual support is a major theme throughout the ATA community, and one Coach Newman works to maintain even amongst his all-star staff.

“Both our students and our coaches will miss Coach Lucie, but also understand that every coach needs to follow their own passions. Just as we encourage our students to set and work towards their goals, so too we encourage our coaches. We are excited for Coach Lucie to begin her college-coaching career and will be pulling for her to continue to grow and we all will follow her career with special interest.”

For Lucie, the look back on her time at ATA is all about the people.

“I’ve developed so many great relationships over the years with so many players, parents, coaches and staff at ATA. I will always cherish these relationships and memories, from the founding of ATA in 2002 through the present. It’s been a great ride!”

Good luck at Brown, Coach Lucie, and go Bears!!

The Feeling, The History, The Nats at the Zoo by Jack Newman

Before things got too busy here at Kalamazoo, I wanted to give everyone a sense of what it feels like to be at the biggest junior tournament in the United States: the Boy’s 16s and 18s USTA National Hardcourts, hosted by Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University for the past 75 years.

I have personally traveled to Kalamazoo over 25 times for this tournament, with my only misses to attend the Girl’s 16s and 18s Hardcourt Nationals.

The things that set this tournament apart from other junior tournaments are the history, the environment and the level of play. With a U.S. Open main draw wildcard on the line for the winner, the Nats at the Zoo draws Americas best junior players. Each match has a chair umpire. The sites are run like a Swiss watch. Blueberries and cream are served at the concession stand. College coaches surround matches like bees around Texas bluebonnets.

Coach Newman with Denver Head Coach Ricardo Rubio

ATA has been lucky to have players in this tournament each year for the past 14 years of its existence and, prior to that, many of our students from Saint Stephen’s and Fretz Tennis Center earned a chance to play this tournament.

The tournament has many traditions and, in parallel, our trip to this tournament also has had many traditions. One such tradition is where we stay. The Stewart Avenue Inn is a bread and breakfast across the street from Kalamazoo College. Our visits to Stewart Avenue include a made-to-order breakfast and living in a house rather than hotel room.

The Stewart Ave Inn

We have stayed at the Stewart Avenue through the tenure of three different innkeepers. Chris and Dana, the current innkeepers, have always had a dog, first Belvedere now Arlo. The Stewart Avenue Inn offers us a home away from home and a very comfortable environment in a very high-stress level tournament.

Arlo

Another tradition is coming up a few days early to get acclimated to the weather and the courts. Another tradition is team meetings each evening in the living room of the Stewart Avenue Inn where we go over the day’s events and plan for the next days matches. One final tradition is at the end of the tournament, many players are still in the middle of the college process, so we have college coaches come to visit and we sit with them in the Stewart Avenue Inn and talk recruiting.

To make it to Kalamazoo or SoKalamazoo for the girls is the pinnacle of junior tennis in the United States. Any player who makes it to this tournament, one or multiple times, is one of the best players in the United States. Many of America’s top professional champions made their first splash on the center courts at Stowe Stadium at Kalamazoo College. As you can see from the pictures enclosed, the Nats at the Zoo has a tremendous history and flavor to it.

Wilson Hamilton, Roger Chou, Juan Abboud, Alejandro Rodriguez and Harrison Chiu pose at this year’s Natz at the Zoo

I have watched many matches at the Nats at the Zoo with parents of players, with college coaches recruiting players, and with other members of the team supporting. Tres Davis has had the best results at Kalamazoo. Jake Berber and Payton Holden were two points away from the doubles semi finals one year. Adam Slagter and Santiago Montoya also had a great match on center court here one year. I remember Jeff Offerdahl and Chase Curry battling here. I remember sitting with Notre Dame coach Ryan Sachrie talking about Josh Hagar.

Congratulations to all of the current ATA players who have made it to Hardcourt Nationals, you have truly distinguished yourself among your junior tennis-playing peers. And, congrats to all our alumni, we remember your exploits as well.

Pictures From ATA Summer Camps

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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4 Qualify for Champs and 2 Qualify for Superchamps!

Over the last couple of months, ATA has had 4 players qualify for champs. ATA’s youngest academy players Jacob Golden and Lucas Riezebeek qualified for boys 12s. While, Sarah Schaal G14 and Alex Sheddan B16 also both qualified.

Savannah Baptiste and Keana Moon won the Girls 14’s doubles CMZ and qualified for superchamps and earned some ice cream!

Congratulations to all the players!

Dwayne Hultquist Visits ATA

Dwayne Hultquist Head Men’s Coach at Florida State University for the pasted 17 years visited ATA on Tuesday. He talked to the academy about what he looks for when he recruits. Recruiting is not always based on results and skill but the athlete’s character and will they fit in with the team. He talked about perks from being a college athlete (food, laundry, and equipment). What a great opportunity for academy players to receive direct info and get a chance to ask questions about college tennis from one of the most elite college coaches!

David Benzel Article and Sign Up for Webinar Oct 18

David Benzel’s newest article: When a Sport Chooses Your Child is about how your child chooses to start a sport and try it out. “Creative parents find ways to expose their children to a variety of activities, while at the same time having no agenda or preconceived notions about what their child “should” do.” Click here to read more

David Benzel’s Webinar on: How to Discuss Performance Issues with Your Child and Remain Friends

Tuesday, October 18^th, 2016 at 8:00 PM Click here to sign up

Coach Newman Recommended Article, “How Does Physical Training Increase Your Child’s Tennis Mental Toughness?”

Physically fit players are less likely to feel discomfort than unfit players in the same match. Therefore, fit players are able to place their focus, energy and attention on helpful processes that increase the chances of success. There are other reasons for the link between physical fitness and mental fitness. Physical pain and emotional pain are housed in the same area of our brain. Stronger bodies, stronger brains! Click here to read the full article from Parenting Mentally Tough Tennis by Anthony Ross.

Abigail Chiu in the Doubles Final of Clay Court Nationals!

ATA’s Abigail Chiu and partner Elysia Bolton will be playing in the G18 doubles final of the National Clay Courts Championships in Memphis, TN at 3:30 today. For updates follow Coach Newman on Twitter or on Austin Tennis Academy’s website latest tweets.

David Benzel Webinar July 21 “To Push or Not to Push”

Join us each month for a live online presentation. The material prepares you for conversations about winning at life, not just sports, with your young athlete. If you can’t join us live, register for the webinar then enjoy the recording when your schedule permits.

To Push or Not to Push – A Parent’s Dilemma
Thursday, July 21^st, 2016 at 9:00 PM EDT

Click here to register

Tournament Results National Open, ATA Open & JTT Sectionals

This past weekend ATA had players competing in National Opens, ATA Open and Junior Team Tennis Sectionals.

Congrats to:

National Open Players:

Max Schmidhauser National Open B14 Singles Champion (pic below)

Abigail Chiu National Open G18 Singles Champion and Doubles Runner Up (pic below)

Callie Creath National Open G16 4th place

Kristin Kerrigan Nation Open G16 5^th place

ATA Open Players:

Alejandro Rodrigues ATA Open B18 Champion

Granville Kaynor ATA Open B18 Runner Up

Haydn Steffes ATA Open B16 Runner Up

Ela Raczka ATA Open G16 Champion

Kailey Chase ATA Open G16 Runner Up

Alex Shedden ATA Open b16 Champion

Nolan Santacroce ATA Open b14 Champion

Blake Tollen ATA Open b12 Champion

Savannah Baptiste ATA Open g14 Champion

Junior Team Tennis Teams:

18U advanced 1st place at sectionals (Hannah Harrod, Alex Mjos, Georgia Wright, Tyler Anson, Kyler Bender, Bailey Forgus and Juan Abboud) pic below

The 18U Dream Team was dominate this past weekend in the state playoffs in Tyler, TX. In 5 dual matches, the team went 179-40 in games won/lost. ATA lived up to its slogan to “Devastate, Dominate!” And we had a pretty good time, as well!! Coach John

14U advanced 1st place at sectionals (Sarah Darbar, Abigail Gordon, Elena Kalogirou, Aaron Darbar, Matthew Gavrilov, Varun Somarouthu) Pic below

12U advanced 2nd place at sectionals (Denver Holden, Adi Iyer, Jake Riezebeek, Cody Schiffman)

10U green ball 5th place at sectionals (Jennifer Jackson, Jacob Golden, Luke Riezebeek, Landon Phillips)

Register for the June 16 Free David Benzel Webinar

Give Your Child Emotional Intelligence for Sports and School is a free webinar hosted by David Benzel- Growing Champions for Life. The Webinar is June 16 at 8pm. Click here to register

Research indicates that emotional intelligence is a better indicator of success than IQ. Join us as we expose the best-kept secrets of how peak performers handle their emotions before, during, and after competition. These life skills work in every area of life!
– Learn three approaches to conquering the fear of failure;
– Discover your role in helping a child gain control of emotions in spite of errors or impulses;
– Give your child a five step plan for growing in emotional maturity.David will connect the key life skills of the lesson with winning on the field, and in life. The presentation slides are loaded with practical information worth saving for future reference.

Also, check out this months article from Growing Champions for Life, “What is Your Sport Parent Approach.”

Click here to read this months article.

3 ATA Players Super in Doubles CMZ

This past weekend we had 3 ATA players Super in the Austin doubles CMZ. Ross Cockrell, Devan Sabapathy, Adi Iyer all qualified in boys 12s. Devan and Adi were doubles partners for the first time and won the CMZ! While, Ross made it to the finals to qualify.

6 ATA Players Honored at CATA Awards Banquet

On Sunday May 22, Coach Newman introduced Payton Holden at the Capital Area Tennis Association (CATA) junior awards banquet and Payton was awarded the player of the year award. Also, Sydney Gaskamp and Emily Cotton received CATA scholarships, Chase Bartlett and Kristin Kerrigan were ATA’s award winners and Marcus Sweeney was recognized as MVP for the Westlake High School team.

Coach Newman said that, “being able to introduce Payton Holden at the banquet was a great experience for me as many young players from Austin got to be inspired by Payton’s accomplishments. And we got to showcase in front of the entire Austin tennis community what a player from ATA is capable of doing.” The following is what Coach Newman said to introduce Payton.

I have been coaching Payton since he was 9 years old. Here are some interesting stats for you about Payton.

Payton champed up at the Georgetown ZAT in May of 2007, he was 9 years old and 1 month.

He supered up at the Laredo CMZ when he was 10 years old and 6 months.

He won his first SCMZ 4 months later.

In his time as a junior tennis player he has won a superchamp major zone in both singles and doubles in every age group. He has won an excellence tournament in every age group, he has also won the summer grand slam in both singles and doubles.

Since he was 12, he has been ranked in the top 50 in the United States in each age group.

In his career, he has lost 386 junior tennis matches and won 650 junior tennis matches for a total of 1036, not counting this weekend in Houston. That’s 10 year’s of 100 matches per year since he was 10 years old.

He is a phenominal athlete who can make any shot. He had mastered the tweener by the time he was 11. His volley skills are the best I have seen as a coach in 30 years of coaching elite level players.

The thing that separates Payton from many other tennis athletes is his consistency. He has rarely missed a practice or lesson in 8 years of training. His practices are still very high level, high intensity and I believe he will be as successful a college player as he has been a junior player.

Payton could have played tennis for any College or University in the United States, he chose to play for Princeton, furthering both his tennis career and maximizing his college opportunity through being an elite level athlete.

Needless to say I am completely and utterly proud of him.

Finally, if you knew him when he was younger, you know he has gone from being one of the best players in Texas with the shortest hair, to being one of the best, with the longest hair.

Congratulations to all the ATA Winners!!!

ATA Regional Host Site for Oracle/ITA Junior Masters Championships-Powered by UTR

ATA will be a regional host site for the new Oracle/ITA Junior Master Championships, which is powered by the Universal Tennis Rating system. The inaugural Oracle/ITA Junior Masters Championships will take place during the summer and fall of 2016. Austin regional tournament at ATA will take place August 20-21, 2016.

The regional events, for girls and boys, will take place at 12 sites around the United States and will be held in August and September of 2016. The top 16 UTR-rated boys and girls who register in each region will participate in compass draws in those regional events with the winner of both the girl’s and boy’s events progressing to the October 13-16, 2016 Oracle/ITA Masters in Malibu, California – hosted by both the Malibu Racquet Club and Pepperdine University. The regional winners will receive up to a $750 travel/hotel stipend to play in the Masters Championships in Malibu. One woman and one man from each Division I Conference will also be invited to the championships to compete in both their respective singles as well as a mixed doubles competition.

Click here to read more on Oracle/ITA/UTR partnership and more about the tournament and how to sign up.

Meghan O’Malley and Gabriella Cusano Win State!

Senior Meghan O’Malley and her partner Gabriella won the class 5A girls doubles state tournament for Vandegrift High School. In the finals, they played a doubles team from Alamo Heights High School and won 6-1,2-6,6-2. Congrats Meghan and Gabriella! To see the rest of the results from the tournament click here.

3 ATA Players Competing at State

In the Class 6A state tournament, Tyler Anson and his doubles partner Brendan (pictured above) will be playing for Lake Travis High School and Roger Chou will be playing singles for Westlake High School. Meghan O’Malley and partner Gabriella will be playing doubles for Vandegrift High School in the class 5A state tournament. Play begins Monday May 16th in College Station click here to follow their results.

Raven Hampton the captain of the Lake Travis team said,” Tyler Anson is a sophomore who has proven himself to be an invaluable member of the team in his first year. This year he has teamed up with Brendan Brown and together they have become an unstoppable force on the court.”

A Few Shots From ATA CP Morning Practice

The ATA College Prep students assemble early each morning to start their day with some tennis. Below are a few pictures from recent mornings. To see many more, check out the ATA College Prep Facebook page.

Current senior and soon-to-be Princeton freshman Payton Holden finesses a forehand volley.

CP junior Garrett Reiter walks to the bench after earning a 7-6 win in a practice set.

CP senior and soon-to-be St.Edward’s freshman Chase Bartlett blasts a forehand as Garrett waits at the net during a game of 105.

Max Schmidhauser connects cleanly with a forehand volley during the same game of 105.

Kristin Kerrigan steps into a forehand volley while teaming up with Megha.

To see many more, check out the ATA College Prep Facebook page.

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