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Update Your Contact Information

2020 is going to be an exciting time here at Austin Tennis Academy, and we want to be able to connect with all those who’ve called ATA home over the years. We do our best to keep our records up-to-date in order to stay in touch with as many alumni as possible, however, contact information can often change. So, we’re asking for your help in updating our files.

Whether it’s only been 6 months since you headed off to college or 18 years ago since you took part in ATA practices — we’d love to have your current contact information. All you have to do is click here and complete a short form. Once you hit the submit/subscribe button, your information will be sent to us and imported into our database. We take your privacy seriously; your information will be for ATA use only.

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of our Scholarship Shootout; we’ll be launching a monthly newsletter in February which will include a featured article called Alumni Spotlight. These are just two of the things we’re excited to share over the coming months, and we want to make sure we can get in touch to do an interview as well as keep you in the know as a valued member of the ATA Pack.

Again, thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you!

ATA Master Calendar Added To Website

Finding out what events are happening when at Austin Tennis Academy just became a little bit easier.

We’ve added an ATA Master Calendar to our website. To get to it, simply place your cursor over the ‘About’ tab, located near the top, and a drop-down menu will appear; ATA Master Calendar is the third item in that list. Just click on it.

Some items, such as tournaments, are listed as all-day events, while other items are noted by a specific time. Clicking on any event, opens a window that sometimes will contain additional information or helpful links.

The ATA Master Calendar does not replace the CP Calendar. However, events listed on the CP Calendar are also listed in the ATA Master Calendar.

Events are continuously being added to the calendar or updated, so feel free to check it often.

JTT Registration Deadline Approaches

Junior Team Tennis Spring season is quickly approaching, and the deadline to register your child to play on one of ATA’s teams is January 13th!

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 developmental level.

Being on a JTT team 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 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. The last several seasons have seen multiple ATA teams represented in the state championship as well as the national championships. ATA won 2 national JTT championships this past fall!

Tentative start of the season is Sunday, February 2nd. Matches are played Sunday afternoons and consist of 8 game pro sets (2 sets to 4 in 10U divisions). 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.

The cost is $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.

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.

If you have questions or want to sign up your child, please send an email to our JTT Coordinator, brian.notis@austintennisacademy.com JD level players should email Chad.Loup@austintennisacademy.com with questions or to sign up.

In your email, please include player’s level (see below), birthdate and USTA membership number. January 13 is the date players need to sign up by. After that date, Coach Notis and Coach Loup will put together the teams, and then schedules will go out after JTT captains meeting on January 22.

Levels: USTA Ratings

8U Red Ball

10U Orange Beginner

10U Orange Intermediate (Plays challengers)

10U Green

12U 1.9 & Below

12U 2.4 & Below

14U 2.4 & Below

14U 2.9 & Below

14U 3.4 & Below

18U 2.9 & Below

18U 3.4 & Below

Learn How To Respond Effectively

Some of the most important relationships in our lives can also produce
some of the most uncomfortable conversations and emotions. Why is that true? If you feel like a particular person brings out the worst in you, there’s probably a good reason.

Would you like to know how to handle these situations in a more productive manner? That’s the focus of this month’s Life-Skills Webinar on Thursday, December 19, hosted by David Benzel, Founder of Growing Champions for Life.

Join us for this session so you can teach your children how to handle their buttons. You will learn:

How to separate the symptoms from the real issue
What fears are compelling unhealthy words and behaviors
How to keep it from happening in the future
Specific agreements you must make with yourself

David will connect the key life skills of the lesson with winning on the court, and in life. The live webinar will begin at 8:00 pm CST on December 19; it will be 45 minutes in length plus Q&A. Plus, Power Point materials are loaded with practical information worth saving for future reference.

Click here to register to reserve your spot!

It’s Not Too Early to Register

We’re heading into the holiday season, and that also means there’s just a little over a month until Austin Tennis Academy’s Winter Camps kick off. Our camps will be held December 30, 2019 through January 3, 2020, and are a great opportunity to help your child continue to progress over the holidays.

This year, we will offer three different camps: QuickStart Camp, Morning Camp, and Afternoon ‘Tournament Tough’ Camp. QuickStart Camp is for ages 5-7 and will be held from 9-10:30 each morning. Morning Camp takes place from 9 am to noon each day and all levels are welcome. Then in the afternoon, it’s our Tournament Tough Camp from 1 to 4 each day.

ATA camps are help rain or shine. If there is inclement weather, we move inside to hold all sessions indoors. Click here if you would like more information about ATA’s Winter Camps, as well as to register on-line to secure your child’s spot.

ATA Sweeps at JTT 18U National Championships

BY: Dan Pryser/USTA

The Austin Tennis Academy, representing the USTA Texas Section, swept the 2019 USTA Junior Team Tennis 18U National Championships, capturing both the advanced and intermediate national titles. The event was held at the McFarlin Tennis Center in San Antonio, Nov. 14-17.

The 2019 USTA Junior Team Tennis 18U National Championships brought together the top 32 teams at intermediate and advanced levels from various USTA Sections throughout the country.

Both Austin teams won their respective pools to advance to the national semifinals, where they cruised to the championship matches. In the advanced final, the Austin team knocked off a team from Los Angeles, 59-24, while the other Austin team defeated a team from Potomac, Md., 52-36, in the intermediate final.

This is the second consecutive year that both 18U Austin Tennis Academy teams reached the finals, as the advanced team secured back-to-back national titles while the intermediate team improved upon last year’s national runner-up finish.

The advanced team is coached by Brian Notis and features team members: Juandedios Abboud, James Cockrell, Anushka Dania, Megha Dania, Nico Jamison, Lawrence Li, and Caroline Wernli.

The intermediate team is coached by John Schoenmakers and features team members: Austin Beckham, Alexandra Malysheva, Keana Moon, Kael Peterson, Jordan Phillips, Jonathan Snell, Clark Sweeney, and Sydney Williams.

Established in 1991, USTA Junior Team Tennis provides youth with all of the health and social benefits of tennis in a coed, fun and competitive team environment – all while allowing participants to compete with and against individuals of similar ages and skill levels.

With more than 85,000 players competing nationwide, USTA Junior Team Tennis brings players together to enjoy camaraderie and teamwork, providing a fun environment for kids to learn that succeeding is really more about how they play the game – win or lose.

CATA Honors Two of ATA’s Finest

The Capital Area Tennis Association will present the Carol Welder Contribution to Tennis Award to ATA’s Owner/CEO Jack Newman and Brian Notis, Director of Junior Academy/Tournament Director. This award is selected by the CATA Awards Committee and given to the outstanding individual(s) widely known to devote numerous voluntary hours, time and energy to the growth of tennis at all levels and is recognized by their tennis community for their exceptional and selfless dedication and devotion to tennis.

The Capital Area Tennis Association serves Austin and the surrounding metropolitan area as a non-profit community service tennis organization. CATA’s membership is composed of tennis enthusiasts who are dedicated to fostering national and international amateur sports competition through junior and adult programs that promote the sport and its benefits.

Carol Welder will present the award to Newman and Notis during the CATA Annual Membership meeting on Sunday, November 17th.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE ADVERSITY – LIKE A PRISONER, SETTLER, OR A PIONEER?

BY DAVID BENZEL

Any cyclist will tell you that riding downhill or downwind is a lot of fun. It’s possible to go fast with little effort. However, if your life depended on the strength and endurance of someone on a bicycle to reach emergency help in the shortest time possible, you’d want to choose a cyclist who has spent a lot of time riding uphill or into the wind. They are the ones who have overcome the adversity of incline and resistance and are therefore the strongest cyclists. The trials of their training have given them an edge, both physically and psychologically.

However, not everyone responds to adversity the same way.

There are generally three camps of people when it comes to facing adversity. And the different responses can help to explain the varying degrees of success experienced.

There are Prisoners, Settlers, and Pioneers. Let’s take a brief look at each one.

Prisoners

Are most likely to GIVE up
Are conquered by fear, controlled by anger, and captured by circumstances
Use language like “I can’t” and “It’s impossible”
Perform at minimum levels, or just enough to get by

Settlers

Are most likely to COVER up
Are satisfied with today, and with themselves. They are happy to be comfortable
Use language like “It’s good enough” and “That’s as far as I can go”
Will give some effort, show some drive, meet the minimum requirements, but never excel

Pioneers

Are most likely to CLIMB up
Learn continuously, changing strategies & habits, and strive to meet the needs of the team or the cause
Use language like “I choose to…” “We can…” and “Just do it”
Show a sense of urgency, embrace challenges, and are always driven to improve

Where do most of your reactions to adversity fall? How about the people on your team?

In the book, Adversity Quotient, Dr. Paul Stoltz identifies three factors at the root of most responses. They are genetics, upbringing, and faith. And he asks these questions to help establish how much each aspect influences you.

Did your parents supply you with enough of the Pioneer genes that you automatically respond to adversity by working hard to overcome whatever it is?
Did your childhood environment provide you with real-life examples of people triumphing over their obstacles so that your response is “I am the kind of person that does that too.”?
Have you developed a positive, optimistic, hope-filled belief that the right attitude, coupled with hard work, always pays off with a victory or a lesson learned?

As a leader, you don’t have control over “nature and nurture” that your followers experienced growing up. However, you can provide a simple PROCESS to grow their faith in the PIONEER response. This mindset will equip them with the tools to face adversity like a pioneer.

Teach them to have this internal conversation when faced with adversity:

1. Listen to your first response and ask yourself, “Does this kind of thinking help me generate a Pioneer approach to this obstacle, or is it a pity party?”

2. Next, ask yourself, “How can I reframe this or look at it differently to gain a new perspective?”

3. Finally, say to yourself, “I wonder what options are available to me that will propel us over, around, or through this obstacle.” To wonder is to activate the creative part of your brain, where “Ah-ha” type ideas come from.

Get Registered for ATA’s One-day UTR Event

Wednesday (October 30) is the last day to register to play in ATA’s one-day UTR event on Saturday, November 2nd. The cut-off time for entries is 8 PM. Click here to register.

Level Based Divisions will be set up in 8 player compass draws when possible. Alternate non-elimination format will be used if some draws are smaller than 8 players. Adults, juniors, boys, girls, men, women, all welcome to participate.

Matches will be best of 3 short sets (sets to 4), ad scoring with a 10 point match tiebreak for the 3rd set. The goal is to get everyone 3 matches. One of the draws will be played on our beautiful Italian red clay courts. The plan is for the draw with players primarily in the UTR range of 5-7 to play on the clay.

This will be a “Verified UTR” one day event on Saturday. Sunday will be a backup weather day. No coaching will be allowed and officials will be present.

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.

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.

Nico Jamison Featured in Article by USTA Intermountain Colorado

WRITTEN BY: USTA CO HQ

It’s been said that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree, and in the case of 5-star recruit, Nico Jamison (Nicholas Jamison III), the tennis ball doesn’t fall far from the family tennis tree.

Well-known in tennis circles for his competitive AND courteous nature, the 15-year-old, who attends Frontier Academy in Greeley (which doesn’t have a tennis team), will most likely play for Greeley West High School. Nico’s father, Nicholas Jamison II, also played there and won a state title.

Nico finished 4th in singles and won doubles at the Intermountain Sectional Level 3 that was in Denver in June. He has competed strongly in a number of national events, collecting dozens of wins and numerous podium finishes (top-6). He was also the 2018 USTA Colorado Boys Sportsmanship Award Winner.

Having tried many sports as a younger child, including hockey, baseball and soccer, Nico said tennis was the only sport he had a true interest in.

Describing himself as a stronger doubles player than singles player, his appreciation for the camaraderie and friendship side of tennis comes through clearly when asked about where it comes from in him to be so competitive, while also being recognized for his strong sportsmanship.

“It comes from being able to know when you are on the court it’s time to compete”, he said. “Be a humble winner- it’s your time to shine, your time to find a way to win. But off the court it’s time to be friends with other players.”

Nico lights up when talking about his tennis friends including but not limited to Lawrence Li, (his frequent doubles partner), Andy Schuiling , Valerie Negin, Hardy Owen, Caden Hasler, and Adam Kartzinel. He also appreciates the hard work and commitment of coaches, Austin Mayo and Jack Newman.

In fact, his favorite moment ever on the court came last year at the quarter finals of winter nationals winning an extremely tight match doubles match with Li, closing it out with a serve and put away volley.

“That was a great moment for both of us,” Nico said.

Planting the sportsmanship seed early in his life, mother Jennifer Jamison, who came from a dance background taught Nico to “respect the court, respect your equipment and most of all, respect the opportunity you’ve been given to play the game.”

“Nico loved working really hard,” she said. “He had the drive and the self-motivation to allow us to support him in his goals.”

Supporting him meant committing as a family to the time, tournaments, and coaches needed to get to the next level.

Entering into his freshman year of high school, Nico relays a maturity beyond his years, talking about why some players have poor sportsmanship.

“I think that can happen when the desire to win in tennis is just too big,” he said. In that case, there are probably better options for you.”

He also explains that it’s not just what you do on the tennis court that helps get you to the next level.

“The results do not just appear. The results appear after weeks, months, and sometimes years of hard work on and off the court, Nico said.

New Service For ATA’s CP and Academy Players

The Austin Tennis Academy is pleased to announce the addition of health care services to all college prep and academy players starting August 1, 2019. We have teamed with Texas State University’s Department of Health and Human Performance to contract one graduate assistant athletic training student. This new addition will allow us to provide multi-disciplinary care to our student-athletes in injury management and collaborate with the current professionals at the academy on sport performance.

Athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers work under the direction of a physician as prescribed by state licensure statutes. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association, Health Resources Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services as an allied health care profession. For more information on athletic training please visit this link.

Woocheol Choung will join our team in August 2019. He has two bachelor’s degrees: Bachelor of Science in Health & Human Fitness Management from Woosong University in Daejoen, Korea and a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Weber State University in Ogden, UT. While working part time as a graduate assistant with the Austin Tennis Academy, he will be pursing his Master of Science in Athletic Training from Texas State University. He will work under the direction of a licensed physician in Austin, Texas. Details on the physician Woocheol will be collaborating with will be sent in a future email.

The addition of these new medical services calls for all College Prep students to complete a pre-participation evaluation form. Each student-athlete will need to have an annual physical dated after April 30^th, 2019. The physical form (click here for the 2019 physical form) must be completed prior to the first day of school in August. All academy players participating in after school tennis can provide the physical form specific to your independent school district. Academy players should also turn in a physical form to ATA prior to the start of the Fall semester.

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 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.

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