parenting – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

Deadline Almost Here for Little Mo South Regionals

Friday (August 13) at 11:30 PM is the deadline to get your child registered to play in the Little Mo South Regionals tournament coming up on August 21-23. The South Regionals is open to any USA player (ages 8-12) and will be held at the Arlington Tennis Center. There are already more than 200 players registered to compete.

11:30 PM FRIDAY AUGUST 13 DEADLINE: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Any “Little Mo” player who wins their yellow ball division will receive a special travel grant during the tournament. Travel grants will also be awarded to the 2nd place, 3rd place, and 4th place players in each of the yellow ball divisions.

The top four yellow ball players (semifinalists) in each age division from each of the four Regionals will advance to the Nationals, forming a 16 draw size in each age division. If you advance to the semifinal round (top 4) in your age division at the Regionals and you (and your parent/coach) have followed the Code of Conduct, you will receive your Nationals invitation (with a special code needed for registration) by email from the MCB office following the event. While the green dot players will not be able to advance to the Nationals, we might consider them as replacement players if there is an opening in the yellow ball divisions.

Once again this year, Little Mo Nationals will be held at Austin Tennis Academy September 24-27.

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.

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.

Catching Up With…

After nearly 20 years, ATA has many alumni who continue to play a big role in our community, which Coach Newman calls ‘The Pack’. In this article, we check in with one of the first to attend ATA and go to ATA College Prep.

What is your name and where do you currently live? My name is Josh Hagar and I live in Chicago, IL

Which years did you attend ATA and/or ATA CP? ATA from 2006-2012, and ATA College Prep since its inception until I graduated, so 2007 through 2012.

Where did you attend college? University of Notre Dame

What are you doing now? I work for an up-and-coming wealth management technology firm based in Chicago called GeoWealth.

If you could go back to your junior tennis career, would there be anything you would do differently or would tell your younger self? I was fortunate to have great mentors in my junior career, for which I am forever thankful, so there is not too much I regret. These mentors include my parents, the ATA coaching staff, and countless others. That said, I would challenge my younger self to always enjoy the ebbs and flows that make the junior development process what it is. It’s easy to get discouraged in low moments, but throughout your career you will win plenty of matches (which are cause for celebration) and you will have dozens of setbacks, whether it be losses, injuries, or the like. They all play a crucial role in your personal development, so enjoy the good times and embrace the difficult moments – see those as challenges and opportunities to grow. In hindsight, I am fondest of my highlights just as much as I am my setbacks.

What was your most memorable moment or significant highlight in college and/or playing college tennis? A few come to mind, but beating the #1 team in the country at home during my junior year and playing in the NCAA tournaments (team and individual) top the list.

Looking back, what would you say is the biggest impact your time at ATA has had on your life? I’m paraphrasing, but Lou Holtz once said about Notre Dame: “for those who have been, they need no explanation. For those who have not, no explanation will suffice.” Of all the tennis programs I have visited in the world, I have never seen one that exhibits the qualities that the ATA community has. Not only does the culture promote excellence in all facets of life, but it also encourages students to be selfless with each other, give back to those less fortunate, and represent something bigger than themselves. I do my best to embody those qualities on a daily basis, but it’s hard to put into words what the biggest impact ATA has had on my life. No explanation will truly suffice.

Who is/was your favorite professional tennis player? It’s tough not to say Federer, but I’ve always been most impressed by Djokovic.

Do you still play tennis, even compete? I don’t compete anymore, but I do coach college-bound junior players in the Chicago area.

What’s the best piece of advice given to you by one of your coaches? Judge the result, but trust the process.

Did you have any superstitions in your junior/collegiate tennis career and if so, what were they? Not particularly. After playing in fairly difficult environments, you learn to adapt to whatever is thrown your way. I never put much energy into superstitions.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to junior players regarding going through the college selection process? Three pieces of advice in no particular order: do your research, don’t rush the decision, and make finding the right fit your #1 priority

ATA’s May Newsletter Is In Your Inbox

ATA’s latest newsletter went out late this afternoon. The digital document is loaded with, among other things, information about summer tennis, summer courses being provided by ATA College Prep, a preview of graduation ceremonies for ATACP seniors, and the Alumni Spotlight featuring Jeffrey Offerdahl.

This is the fifth edition since launching the ATA Newsletter back in January and is sent to members of the ATA community. However, if didn’t receive your copy be sure to look in your junk mail folder and mark the newsletter as coming from a safe sender. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, send you request to media@austintennisacademy.com and we’ll get you added.

Click here to view ATA’s May Newsletter.

A Glimpse Inside Summer Offerings For ATA & ATA College Prep

Even though a few details are still being ironed out when it comes to what Austin Tennis Academy will be serving up in lieu of summer camps, things are far enough along to give a little preview of what’s coming this summer for tennis as well as classes being offered by ATA College Prep.

From the beginning of the shutdown caused by Covid19, ATA has proven its ability to react, adapt, and create from scratch innovative ways to help junior players continue to move forward – first from home and then finding a way to safely conduct practices on court. Numerous parents have expressed their appreciation to Coach Jack Newman for his strong leadership, as well as a proactive approach by him and all the coaches for creating new virtual programming which not only kept kids engaged, but also held them accountable during these challenging times.

While practices have moved back on court, physical distancing and other safety protocols remain a top priority. And those realities of what you might call the ‘new normal’ are driving how ATA will operate this summer. Just about everything will be different from past summers; from the size of group practices to the number of coaches involved to a new name for our summer camps. It’s all being revamped.

SUMMER TENNIS

Instead of camps, we’re calling them Summer Semis. And that should give you some idea of the kid-to-coach ratio ATA plans to use this summer. A professional coach will be on each court working with only 4-5 children in order to maintain recommended physical distancing. There will be two different levels offered in the mornings: QuickStart Summer Semis for 6-8 year olds and Orange/Green Summer Semis for 8-11 year olds. The afternoon Summer Semis sessions will be for Academy-level players. Along with providing an environment that’s 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 let’s not forget about fun. Our coaches make learning and playing tennis fun!

SUMMER EDUCATIONAL COURSES

ATA College Prep plans to provide two ‘Train Your Brain’ sessions over the summer months. Whether your child wants to get ahead, strengthen foundational skills, or keep their mind engaged, ATACP will feed their love of learning.

There will be at least 9 classes offered during the first ‘Train Your Brain’ session from June 15-July 9 and probably 10 classes during the second ‘Train Your Brain’ session from July 13-August 6. There will also be a full Geometry course for original high school credit (instructor approval required) which will run from June 1 – August 7. Each of the courses will be taught by expert instructors, limited in size (2-6 students), and available via Zoom or on campus with protocols in place for physical safety and distancing.

ATA has a lot going on this summer. Full details on tennis sessions and academic courses should be released by early next week (week of May 18). On-line registration will open at the same time.

Coach Newman Gives Update Concerning COVID-19

Dear ATA Community,

I am sure you are concerned about the COVID 19 virus pandemic which is now in it’s infant stage in the United States. Italy is a few weeks ahead of the United States in the virus spread. Here is an article from The Lancet. And here’s another article regarding COVID 19 that has some really good information as well as links to other articles which you should read.

Over the past two weeks, I have been in regular communication with Dr Daniel Roe, who is an Austin ER doc and on the front line of this pandemic.
His advice is to create as much social distancing as possible. We are in a position to alter the impact of the COVID 19 virus on our health system by social distancing.

Everything I am reading says we are in a cusp moment over the next two weeks that could make or break our health care system’s ability to handle the people who are hit hardest by getting the virus. I think about my two older brothers who have health issues and I think of Hayden Hobbick who has a compromised immune system because of losing his spleen in his recent automobile accident. I feel a strong level of responsibility to make decisions that insure our health care system can adequately manage the Tsunami of sick people that is headed it’s way.

Here are our initial responses:

– We are cancelling our morning camp and afternoon Academy practice for the following week. The weather forecast is for wet weather and that would mean having kids inside which is a good environment to have an asymptomatic kid with COVID 19 infect quite a few others. We must do things to flatten the curve.

– We will take this week to see how much spread of the virus there is then make a decision on the following week.

– We are working on private lesson protocols which would include keeping 10-12 feet apart and no handling of tennis balls. We encourage kids to contact their primary coaches to do private lessons. We encourage families to play tennis together and our facility will be open for your use.

– We will continue with aggressive, multiple times per day cleaning of surfaces.

We encourage each of you to educate yourself concerning the following, all of which are explained in the article above: what it means that COVID 19 is a novel virus, understand the idea of exponential spread (click here for an explainer), understand the concept of personal risk vs. systemic risk, understand the idea of mitigation and how social isolation impacts the spread of the virus.

This is an unprecedented time. We are living through a moment in time that will be captured in the future history books. Let us all be aware of our responsibilities to the communities we serve.

Respectfully,
Jack Newman
CEO
Austin Tennis Academy

COVID-19 Update From USTA Texas

Update as of March 12, 2020; 2:05 pm

Due to rising concerns and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, USTA Texas has decided to suspend sanctioned tournament play through the end of March 2020.

We will update this information weekly to keep you informed regarding upcoming events in April 2020 and beyond.

All entry fees will be refunded for the suspended events through March 2020. Please be patient as we work to issue refunds over the coming weeks.

Thank you for your understanding as we work through this unprecedented situation.

Official updates from USTA Texas will be posted on this page.

Coach Newman Addresses the novel Corona Virus, Covid-19

Dear parents, players and patrons,

Like you, I have been tracking and thinking about the novel Corona Virus COVID-19. We have been discussing our plan of action for the past few weeks, consulting local health professionals and our advisory team as well as seeking the input of parents.

I wanted to share with you our plan of action concerning the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.

First of all, young people seem to be fairly safe from COVID-19. Those who get the virus recover from it without much difficulty. However, from the CDC, those with higher risk are: older adults, and people who have chronic medical conditions like Heart disease, Diabetes, or Lung disease.

We want to be responsible members of our community and help slow the spread and reduce the impact of this virus if we can. As of today we will be implementing the following measures:

Any staff or student who is sick should stay home or will be asked to go home if showing symptoms of virus.

Mandatory hand washing. We are asking coaches and players to wash their hands before and after practice. We will also be providing hand sanitizer wipes and gel.

We will continue cleaning and disinfecting surfaces 2x per day.

We will replace handshaking with elbow bumps or racquet touches.

We will continue to monitor state and local health departments for information regarding any COV-19 outbreaks in our local community.

Although we do not foresee this occurring at this time, the possibility of temporarily canceling school or tennis programing might become necessary to help curtail the spread of the virus. We also respect the decision parents need to make for the health and well-being of their children and extended families.

We will be looking to local health officials to determine if, when, and for how long to take any further steps.

Some common sense advice from Coach Dio:

1. Drink plenty of water. Half of your body weight in ounces
2. Go to bed on time. 1030 pm-2:30 am = immune system repairs. 2:30am-6:30 am = your physical body repairs.
3. Exercise, but don’t over exercise
4. Eat healthy foods. Choices!
5. Think positive
6. Practice breathing- calm down
7. WASH HANDS!!! For 20 seconds with SOAP

It’s not time to fear; it’s time to prepare our immune system! And that should be done everyday.

We will keep you advised as we know more about our local situation.

I have attached a PDF of LTISD Superintendent Brad Lancaster’s email to his community that I think makes good common sense.

Let me know if you have any questions or concern.

Sincerely,
Jack Newman
CEO
Austin Tennis Academy

Register Now For Free Webinar

Have you walked away from a conversation with your young athlete and thought, “That didn’t go very well.”? Or perhaps you and your spouse would like to have more constructive and less defensive, talks with your kids about lots of things. This webinar will give you specific strategies for improving family communication.

Learn which topics to discuss and which ones to avoid
Discover how to balance a conversation between two toxic traps
Master the art of connecting with your kids through meaningful dialogue

The How to Improve Sport-Family Conversations webinar will be held on Thursday, March 19 at 8:00 PM CST. It is slated to last 45 minutes as well time for as questions and answers. This month’s Life-Skills Webinar will be hosted by David Benzel, founder of Growing Champions for Life.

Click here to register and save your spot for the event.

Sign Up Your Child For One of ATA’s Camps

Registration is now open for ATA’s Spring Break Tennis Camps happening the week of March 16.

We provide camps for all levels and ages of players, designed to provide the greatest development of your child’s physical, mental, technical, and tactical performance levels.

While our camps run the entire week, we do offer the option to sign up for a single day.

For additional information or to register your child, CLICK HERE.

Please, Take Note

In light of the holidays, we’ve made some adjustments to the hours the ATA Pro Shop will be open starting Monday, December 23rd through Friday, January 3rd. For your convenience, we’ve listed our Holiday Hours just below.

Monday, December 23: 9 AM – 3 PM

Tuesday, December 24: 9 AM – 12 Noon

December 25-26: Closed

Friday, December 27: 5 – 9 PM

December 28-29: 9 AM – 2 PM

Monday, December 30 – Friday, January 3: 8:45 AM – 4:15 PM

Please be aware these hours may vary or our Pro Shop may close during inclement weather.

Happy Holidays!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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:

15th Annual ATA End-of-Year Party

Last night, the ATA community came together at the Malashev home to celebrate another year of growth, to recognize the standouts from within, and to look back on the events of the year. 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 presentation that closed out the night.

Coach Of The Year – Carol Hagar

Parent Of The Year – Sheri Gordon

Most Improved Award – Sasha M, Christina G, Clark W, Jett W, Sklar P

Mentor Award – Kristin K, Abigail G

Student-Athlete Award – Annika P, Jett H, Larry L, Shriniket M

Sarah S, Savannah B (not pictured)

Ambassador Award – Juan A, Callie C, Harrison C, Hannah H (not pictured)

Work Ethic Award – Argun W, Caroline W, Larry L, Sydney W, Bailey F

Competitor Award – Callie C, Sophia M

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Kristin, Callie, Annika, Bailey

MVP Award – Kristin, Juan, Callie, Bailey

This, along with a few others, are staple events in the ATA calendar that not only build community but provides yet another opportunity for our students to grow by practicing something that makes them it often uncomfortable: public speaking.

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The evening finished with a video presentation that highlighted ATA’s original commitment to A Glimmer of Hope as well as the Walk For Water that some ATA student’s put on at our facility. Take a look:

The nightcap was our annual slideshow, featuring action shots from the year and pictures from many of the annual events. Take a look:

Pictures From The Annual Walk For Water Event At ATA

The Austin Tennis Academy players, parents, and coaches participated in the annual Walk For Water event on the ATA campus yesterday afternoon as part of the 2017 Playing For Glimmer campaign.

The group carried jerry cans full of water on a course around the facility designed to mimic what women and girls in rural Ethiopia do daily to fetch water, oftentimes walking for hours on much tougher terrain carrying 40-pounds at a time.

After the walk, the group came together to watch a short video on ATA alum Breck Spencer, who traveled to Ethiopia and experienced the actual walk for water:

Breck and Donna’s Walk for Water | March 7, 2012 from A Glimmer of Hope on Vimeo.

Many ATA students have created their own campaigns to help contribute to the overall ATA effort. After watching the video, Coach Newman encouraged all students to get involved in some way.

Learn more about the overall Playing For Glimmer Campaign here. Scroll down to view all of the student campaigns.

Below is a gallery of pictures from the 2017 Walk For Water at ATA.

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