Blog – Page 11 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

Alumni Updates: Meghan O’Malley Checks In From U.S. Naval Academy

Greetings from Annapolis and the US Naval Academy! I hope that you and the entire ATA community are doing well!

We are in the midst of Beat Army Week – it’s a fun, intense week full of crazy pranks and “spirit missions” in the middle of the night, all leading up to the game on Saturday in Philadelphia. The game represents an exciting day for Navy and Army Football as well as our country.

I’ve been pretty busy these past 18 months! My Academy experience started on I-Day in June 2016, with Plebe Summer – six weeks of the most strenuous physical and mental training I had ever encountered. As tough as it was, I felt prepared because of my time at ATA. I took with me the mental training tools I learned from our ATA coaches and practiced on the court.

As tough as Plebe summer was, my Plebe Academic year (or Freshman Year) was tougher. I balanced taking 20 credit hours with military and tennis team requirements. Academics at the USNA are very challenging and like nothing I’d ever experienced. My first week of chemistry covered what I experienced during an entire semester in high school. The focus is on math and science, and while I’m a Political Science major, I still must take 4 semesters of chemistry, physics, and calculus. Midshipmen are required to graduate in four years so typically midshipmen take 18-20 credit hours each semester. There are no breaks for athletes.

Playing tennis for the Navy is a dream come true, but where it was my focus in high school, it is now a very small part of my overall Academy experience. Our practices are much shorter than other teams primarily because of the military and academic requirements. I’ve come to appreciate what the coaches at ATA always told us. Playing tennis is a privilege and I am fortunate to be able to this as well as my experience at ATA and College Prep to prepare me for life beyond tennis. I use the lessons I’ve learned on the tennis court to position me to achieve success in all aspects of my life.

Military requirements are a huge part of my Academy life. Not only do I take classes like navigation and seamanship, but I have real military duties like standing watch, marching in parades, and training exercises. During my Plebe (freshman) Year, I was at the con of a Naval Vessel, sailing in the Chesapeake Bay.

Last summer, I spent a month on the USS Normandy, a navy cruiser in our Atlantic Fleet. I lived and worked among enlisted men and women and saw first-hand the dedication and hard work required to keep our Navy strong. I learned that a Navy ship can be a very complex and dangerous place to work and if I am to lead in our fleet effectively, I must understand, respect, and appreciate even the lowest ranking members of our Navy. Their success will determine my success, and more importantly, keep us safe in dangerous situations.

As for life as Midshipman, I am part of the USNA student body, called the Brigade of Midshipman. I am part of a company, and I will live on a floor with my company mates for all four years of my time here. We are a team, accountable as a group to each other and to the entire student body of Midshipmen. If one person makes a mistake, we are all punished. We take care of each other and the bonds we have formed are stronger because of it. This year, I have a leadership role in my company which has been a tremendous learning opportunity for me.

As I think back to the last 18 months, I know that I would not be here if it weren’t for ATA. I remember sitting down with Coach Newman when I was accepted to ATA’s Academy program as a 10-year-old. He talked to me about dreaming big and working hard. Those two things enabled me to be here. I think back to all of my lessons with Coach Doug, Coach Kendall, and the teachers at CP. I carry so many lessons with me. Believing that I belong is huge. It’s important to get the little things right. Doing the right thing matters – even when it’s hard, even when no one is watching. Here I’ve had to work harder than I’ve ever worked.

To the players of ATA, I have some advice. Appreciate each moment you are there, even the times that are tough. Challenge yourself as it will prepare you for the next steps in life. Appreciate and commit to your journey. Define success, don’t let success define you. Take care of your teammates. Wear the ATA shirts with pride; they represent that you are part of something greater than yourself. Dream Big.

Go Navy! Beat Army!!

Meghan O’Malley

Alumni Updates: Marcus Sweeney Checks In From Wesleyan

Dear Coach Newman and ATA,

I hope that the past months have treated everyone well. I have been doing my best to follow along with tournament results, practice MVP’s, and of course college commitments from ATA players online. Very exciting! As for my tennis, the fall tennis season ended a few weeks ago, so now we are in the offseason. What this means is that coaches are not allowed to supervise or run practice from now until we return in January. However, with strong senior leadership and a very ambitious team, it is expected that we play tennis indoors 5 times a week, whether it be full team sessions or in smaller groups, and to be in the gym 4-5 times a week as well. My classes require a lot of hard work and a couple hours of TA (teacher’s assistant) sessions every week to complete the workload, but I am enjoying it nonetheless. At the moment, I am on track to graduate with a double major in Economics and Physics, with a concentration in Government. I am also writing this email to answer some questions that Coach Newman gave to my fellow graduates and me. Coach Newman asked each of us,

What would I have done differently as a junior tennis player to be more ready for college?

What are the things that are most surprising about college and college tennis?

What advice would you give junior tennis players in preparation for college tennis/ for college in general?

As a junior player, I believe that having played many times within a team environment has been very beneficial to my collegiate readiness. Whether it be high school tennis, a team competition on a Friday, or TEXAS CUP!!!, everyone should be making conscious efforts to encourage their team members. It was astounding to me the number of top 10 nationally ranked division three teams that are extremely below average in supporting their teammates while playing tournament matches. Another major thing I realized shortly after beginning team practices and private lessons in college is that ATA has an extremely knowledgeable coaching staff. As a junior player, I wish that I had more often communicated with my coaches about slight things to work on within my game, so as to have the utmost clarity of my strengths, weaknesses, tactics, and areas to improve upon heading into college.

What is most surprising about college for me, aside from how complicated a washing machine is, is that now more than ever, you get out exactly what you put in. The extra amounts of responsibility and freedom are both a blessing and a curse- it is imperative that you find time to complete your schoolwork before choosing to go out to party on a weekend (not that I do this of course). College is full of distractions, and at an institution such as Wesleyan, you cannot afford to get behind in your studies. So far, I feel that I’ve done a great job with staying on top of my academics, and I’m even more excited for what lies ahead. As for college tennis, I have been very surprised at how amazing our team culture has been here. It was very surprising to me at our fall tournaments how much more connected we seemed than the other schools there. If we were between matches at a tournament, we were expected to actively cheer on our teammates and represent ourselves well. I believe we won many close matches against some amazing players from other schools due to the fact that our player had unrelenting support with each point.

For junior players preparing for college tennis or college in general, I would advise that you make the most of your time at ATA, which has an incredible culture of players coaches and staff that will effectively prepare you for college responsibilities & the highest level of collegiate tennis. I also must stress the importance of being very proactive with your communication towards college coaches- replying quickly to emails (I’m aware of the irony in this situation) and making it clear that you are very interested in the school and tennis program is something that college coaches love to hear and it will separate you from the other recruits. If you are ever unsure of what to say, you can always reach out to the ATA coaches or ATA alumni such as myself for help.

I am beyond content with my college selection, and could not be more thankful for the support from everyone throughout my junior career and now into my collegiate one.

Best regards, and would love to hear from you!

Marcus Sweeney

Alumni Updates: Alej Rodriguez Checks In From UChicago

Hi Coach Newman,

I hope everyone at ATA is well. Here is a quick update in response to your question on the transition from junior player to college athlete.

To begin with, the freedom one is given in college is much different than the freedom one has as a high school student. Accountability is placed solely on you for virtually every aspect of life, whereas in high school adult figures play a role in most day to day activities you partake in. Because there is no longer a parent or teacher making sure you are doing what you need to do, it is very important to learn how to prioritize your assignments and schedule them accordingly. For this reason, I would advise younger students to find ways to plan their day such as using calendar apps or day planners, as this is a very useful skill to have in college.

In terms of the practice environment, the transition to college from ATA has been very easy. Similar to ATA, the emphasis revolves around improvement as a team and everyone is very encouraging to those they are practicing with. The main difference is that this encouragement is more verbal than at ATA, and I would urge current ATA players to start practicing this type of engagement with those on their court as well as those on courts around them. Every collegiate practice is loud from start to finish, and it is important that you can contribute to that type of atmosphere comfortably and confidently.

I have felt very prepared to face the challenges that arise throughout college life due to my time at ATA and ATA CP, and I am confident current players will feel the same once they begin their collegiate journey.

Best wishes to everyone in the ATA community.

Sincerely,

Alejandro Rodriguez

Alumni Updates: CP’s Chase Bartlett Checks In From St. Ed’s

Coach Newman,

I hope that both you and the rest of the ATA community are doing well. I am emailing you just to give a brief update on how my third semester at St. Edward’s University has gone thus far.

It has been a busy semester, to say the least. I have been taking 18 credit hours but it has been very manageable; I have still hung on to the 4.0. In fact, I’m upset that I still have a 4.0. As busy as I have been the past year, I am growing frustrated and concerned that I am wasting my time as a student-athlete if I do not allow myself to fail. I have become more committed to growing as a person, which I think is only possible if I challenge myself to fall beyond what I am capable of. With that being said, I have decided to attempt to double major in Theology and English and I have picked up a German minor as well. In hopes of completing this, I am planning to study abroad in German this coming summer.

As far as tennis is concerned, I have also seen some improvement. My time at ATA this summer helped me improve a lot. To speak in tennis language, I think my UTR went up at least half a point in the three tournaments that I played. Unfortunately, I had two absolutely heartbreaking losses in Regionals—I worked extremely hard to prepare myself to win that tournament and I ended up losing close matches in the quarterfinals of both singles and doubles. It served as a reminder for me that it is all about the process and not the result; as a player, I prepared the best I could and even did the best job controlling the things that I could control at regionals itself, it just wasn’t enough. It was out of my control. I think I am currently ranked in singles and no. 3 in doubles in the region.

Outside of tennis and school, I have gotten involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and am one of the two representatives of the tennis team. While I first joined for the intent of having it on my résumé, I am now considering getting more involved in it and trying to make a difference in how the teams at St. Edward’s University interact with each other and how we can impact our community.

As I write, I am in Washington D.C. at the National Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. Out of all three divisions, there are about 460,000 student-athletes in NCAA competition, and only 300 get invited. I am the only athlete from St. Edward’s to attend this year (and I believe that there is only one other baseball player who came from my conference). I have gotten to meet some of the best leaders from the biggest conferences like PAC 12 and Big Ten, as well as many of the leaders from lesser known schools in the country. Let me just say—being a good leader has absolutely nothing to do with your athletic ability. There is nothing that differentiates these students in any way.

I am here until Sunday evening, but if there is anything I have learned thus far it’s that good leaders do NOT have to be good at everything. They do, however, need to be great at doing what they do well. Each of the students I have met this weekend has values that are different than mine and they are proficient in different areas; biologically, their minds work differently and their personalities give them different strengths. However, that is unimportant because they are all exceptional leaders in their own ways. Each and every one of them maximizes what they are good at, and it’s never about them—it’s always about their team and their community. I’m sure I’ll be taught many more lessons over the next few days and I hope to bring them back to my team and the other teams at St. Eds in some way or another.

Regards

Chase Bartlett

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.

Photos From The 2017 ATA Scholarship Shootout

What a fantastic weekend! This year’s Grand Slam Shootout Pro-Am was chock full of fun. From Danny Walker’s stories at the Shootout Party at the Sonesta Friday evening to Larry Whitson’s 17th appearance in the event, to 20 first time Shootout players, to the fantastic tennis played by current players and coaches, ATA, St Stephen’s and Fretz program alumni players.

The live auction was a blast and the silent auction finished strong. Our fundraising looks to be one of our strongest years in the past 10 year’s shootouts.

Thank you to everyone who supported and participated. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Life-long friends and doubles partners Jeff Offerdahl and Chase Curry joined forces for a strong alumni team.

Sydney Williams and her dad teamed up as one of many parent-child teams this weekend.

Ryan Berber joined forces with Josh Hagar to form another strong ATA alumni team.

Tyler Anson and Laura Schlockman high five after one of many high-quality points.

To see many more pictures, head over to the ATA Facebook page!

2017 ATA Scholarship Shootout – THIS WEEKEND

The 2017 Austin Tennis Academy Scholarship Shootout is THIS WEEKEND! On Friday, the community will convene for an evening of fun including dinner & drinks, silent and live auction items, team announcements and auctions and much more, all at the Sonesta Hotel beginning at 5:30. On Saturday, the Pro-Am Doubles Calcutta tennis tournament will serve it up on the ATA courts bright and early and will unfold through the day.

The entire weekend benefits the Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation, providing need-based financial aid for the wonderful programming that happens year-round at the Austin Tennis Academy.

To get you excited, here are a few pictures from the doubles action last year:

ATA CEO Jack Newman springs into a kick serve during the finals with partner Bailey Forgus at the net.

ATA College Prep student Callie Creath and partner Chad Loup are all smiles after winning a long point.

ATA College Prep student Juan De Dios Abboud and his father teamed up at line 1 doubles.

Academy player Marcus Sweeney joined forces with his father to create a dynamic duo on the court last weekend.

ATA’s Brian Notis joined forces with his student and Academy player Blaine Kanak for the doubles event.

We hope to see all of you this weekend at the 17th annual ATA Scholarship Shootout!

Josh Hagar talks Glimmer impact, kicks off new campaign

A foundational principle of the Austin Tennis Academy culture is giving back. The staff works to surround all students with opportunities to participate in and contribute to the world around them. Last week, ATA College Prep and recent Notre Dame graduate Josh Hagar joined Academy practice to tell his story of spearheading the Playing For Glimmer Campaign, while urging the next generation to step up and get involved.

“No program I’ve ever been a part of anywhere in the world has something like this where they acknowledge where they are and try to do something to give back,” explained Hagar, who is now playing tennis professionally. “I’m here to talk to all of you about kicking off this year’s campaign.”

ATA has set the goal to raise $100,000 to go towards a new school and 3 new water wells in the villages of Gondar. This is the next step in a pledge ATA CEO Jack Newman made to A Glimmer of Hope about 12 years ago to raise $1 million for those most in need in rural Ethiopia. The campaign recently surpassed $600,000 of the $1 million goal.

Santiago Montoya, an ATA alum and current part of the Glimmer team, explained how every dollar makes a difference.

“Ethiopia is around 100 million people, 80 million live outside of the city. 30 million of those are living on under $1 per day,” Santi said. “Those are the people we are helping.”

By partnering with Glimmer, the community will send 100{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} of the money raised to these school and clean water projects.

“The power of clean water – combined with a quality education – means that hundreds of children will have the opportunity to thrive. The projects funded by the Austin Tennis Academy will make an immediate and lasting difference as part of Glimmer’s work in the Villages of Gondar.” – Glimmer.org

After introducing Josh, Coach Newman closed the discussion by again urging each Academy player to consider participating.

“My goal is that everyone has a campaign page,” Newman said. “Whatever the dollar amount you raise is immaterial. I would like each of you to get engaged and do something.”

Take a look at the overall ATA campaign page for this year by clicking here, and scroll through some of the campaign pages started by ATA students towards the bottom.

ATACP’s Annika Pandey Named National Merit Commended Student

ATA College Prep senior Annika Pandey has been named a Commended Student in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing her in the top 5{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition.

“This recognition is a tribute to Annika’s long-term dedication to her studies, work ethic, and perseverance,” said ATACP Director Carol Hagar.

Around 50,000 Commended Students are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise, all of whom entered the competition by taking the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“I think the biggest factors that contributed to my success were my parents because they always push me to do my best and set high goals and academics have always been really important to us,” Annika said. “I also think Carol and College Prep have helped me keep up with the material a lot. Mr. Rutherford and Coach Tommy have also kept me really challenged in the classroom so that has definitely helped.”

Annika is currently narrowing her college choice as she moves through her second to last high-school semester. Over the past month, she has visited Claremont McKenna College in California, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and MIT in Boston.

“I really liked all of them, but I found that campus atmosphere and student body were two things that were really important to me so I think I will be making my final decision based on those two criteria,” Annika said.

Wherever she lands, Annika is angling for a well-rounded experience in college. While medical school is the post-grad plan, a major in anything from International Studies to Business or Economics over biology or chemistry spikes her interest most at the moment.

“I want to be challenged in college of course and being in an area where there is a lot to do is important to me,” Annika said. “I’m really excited to be a little bit more independent and sort of gain my footing in the world while learning a lot and spending time with interesting and ambitious people.”

Congratulations, Annika!

2017 ATA Scholarship Shootout: Info, Sponsorship Levels, & More!

The 2017 Austin Tennis Academy Scholarship Shootout is approaching quickly! The festivities this year will mark the 17^th annual party and pro-am tennis tournament in support of ATA and the Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation.

Each year, the community comes together for a fun-filled weekend that raises money to provide need-based financial aid for the wonderful programming that happens year-round at the Austin Tennis Academy.

DATE

Friday, October 27^th – Player Party, Dinner, Silent and Live Auction at Sonesta

Saturday, October 28^th – Pro-Am Team Tennis Tournament at ATA

ENTRY FEE

$300 – 1 tournament entry, 2 tickets to the Player Party

$100 – per person for Player Party only / just watching the tennis on Saturday

$750 – Table of 10 seats at the Player Party / just watching the tennis on Saturday

SPONSORS

Local businesses have the opportunity to support the event as banner sponsors at a variety of levels. This is an excellent opportunity to support the program and families who otherwise couldn’t access it while exposing the wider ATA community to a local brand or business.

Championship Level Sponsor – $3000

3 x 8 Banner with business logo on ATA fences all weekend
4 Tournament Entries
10 total seats at the Player Party
Promotional items at Sponsors table
Recognition on ATA website

Grand Slam Level Sponsor – $2000

3 x 6 Banner with business logo on ATA fences all weekend
2 Tournament Entries
5 total seats at the Player Party
Promotional items at Sponsors table
Recognition on ATA website

Masters Level Sponsor – $1000

3 x 4 Banner with business logo on ATA fences all weekend
1 Tournament Entry
2 Seats at the Player Party
Promotional items at Sponsors table
Recognition on ATA website

Community Level Sponsor – $300

Banner placement with business logo on ATA fences all weekend
Promotional items at Sponsors table

RAFFLE PRIZES

Racquets

Coaches Lessons

Tennis Bags

And more!

SILENT AUCTION –

Lesson Packages

Spa Packages

Coach Newman Dinner

Catered Paella by Cecy Abboud

Ladies Team Clinic with 2 coaches, lunch included

And more! (Anything you or your business would like to offer for an Auction item? Reach out!)

To register for the Shootout tournament and party, please reach out to Deb.Cahill@AustinTennisAcademy.com. For questions or to sign up as a Banner Sponsor, please reach out to Tommy.Collins@AustinTennisAcademy.com.

See you at the 2017 Scholarship Shootout!

ATA College Prep Hustles To Help With Harvey Relief

Over the first week of school, the ATA College Prep community combined their efforts to try to make a small positive impact amid a large and ongoing tragedy. After thousands upon of thousands were displaced from south east Texas following Hurricane Harvey, the CP community focused on families heading to Austin. Together with the Austin Disaster Relief Network, the group donated two packed van loads of essential supplies to those most in need.

In total, ATA College Prep gathered and compiled 30 full Welcome Kits (1 per family), 8 boxes of organized essential supplies, 10 cases of diapers, 14 bags of clothes, blankets and kids toys, 6 cases of baby food and 4 cases of water.

The group will continue to engage in opportunities to serve those affected by this disaster throughout the year. Check back here for updates, or feel free to reach out with any possible opportunities or interest to participate.

And, most of all, a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to those of you who donated and/or helped over the last week.

ATA College Prep Students Zip Through Orientation

The 2017-2018 school year at ATA College Prep kicked off late last week with two fun-filled days of orientation. Beyond the standard class schedules and syllabus discussions, the time together was packed with everything from Woosh. Bang. Pow., to tangled human knots, to zip-lining through the Texas hill-country. Here are a few pictures from the fun.

Carol introduces the students to the rules of Woosh. Bang. Pow.

After linking each left arm to a teammate’s right arm who was not immediately next to you, the groups worked to untangle the knot of arms.

Callie, Kristin, Sydney and Jordan smile for a picture while secured to the platform at the top of a tree between lines.

Mac and Alex race through the tree tops on the longest line of the day.

Mac, Jackson, Alex, Christian, Harrison and James casually lean off of the platform as they wait for the next line.

Sophia hangs on as she repels through the trees to the next landing.

The students and teachers enjoyed two action-packed days together and are primed and ready for an amazing start to the year. Check back here for regular updates on the action in the classroom and out as the ATA College Prep year kicks off.

How ATA Can Help With Hurricane Harvey Relief

Dear ATA Players, Parents and Patrons,

We can’t do everything, but we can do something.

One of our goals is to produce citizens of significance, not just accomplishment. Being a good citizen means being a good neighbor. We talk to our students about this all the time and it’s important that we demonstrate character as well as talk about it.

The news from Hurricane Harvey’s impact continues to be hard to fathom. The death toll is going up. The number of people displaced is climbing by 10s of thousands. I know that many of you have family and friends in the area who are suffering, and all of you have some sort of personal connection to this disaster.

As a community, we do our best to respond in ways that contribute positively to our neighbors who are suffering, mourning and vulnerable.

To start, ATA has pledged to match the first $5,000 raised by the community through our partnership with the American Red Cross. If you feel compelled to contribute financially to disaster relief efforts, please follow this link to the ATA campaign page:

https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/austintennis-emp

Secondly, ATA College Prep students are gathering supplies to create welcome kits for displaced families seeking shelter in Austin through the Austin Disaster Relief Network. If you’d like to donate supplies to help with these welcome kits, these are the specific items needed for each kit:

Towel
Washcloth
Soap
Tissue
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Feminine Products
Shampoo
Comb
Blanket
Pillow
Wipes
Baby Bottles/Formula
Diapers
Baby Food
1 plastic container with a lid to hold the above items

Any donations for welcome kits should be dropped off at ATA College Prep before Wednesday the 6th. Feel free to contact Tommy Collins with questions.

Lastly, ATA’s Jackie Zapien is organizing donations to help animals that are ending up in shelters or homeless as a result of Hurricane Harvey. This Sunday, she will be driving a load of supplies to the Houston area to help relief efforts focused on animals. If you are able to donate any dog food, cat food, treats, toys, litter, leashes, blankets, or pet bedding, please drop it off at ATA before this Sunday and she will make sure it is put to good use.

Together as a community, we hope to make a small positive impact on what has become the largest natural disaster this country has ever seen. Thank you all for participating.

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.

Academy Players Set To Slide Into ClayCourt Nationals

Many of the top Academy players have logged long hours on the Chiu Family Clay Courts at the Austin Tennis Academy over the past weeks. The group has worked to get their footing on a different surface in preparation for the USTA National ClayCourt Championships, beginning this coming weekend. Here are the ATA players who earned a spot in this prestigious event:

Boy’s 18s

Wilson Hamilton

Alejandro Rodriguez

Bailey Forgus

Boy’s 16s

Juan Abboud

Harrison Chiu

Max Schmidhouser

Boy’s 14s

James Cockrell

Nico Jamison

Boy’s 12s

Ross Cockrell

Girl’s 18s

Annika Pandey

Callie Creath

Girl’s 16s

Anushka Dania

Megha Dania

Caroline Wernli

Jaclyn Cockrell

Girl’s 14s

Santianna Chrysopoulo

Sasha Malashava

Good luck to all of the ATA athletes competing over the next week, and check back here for updates and results after the events!

Extra Week Of Summer Camp Aug 14-18

ATA Summer Tennis Camps are in full swing! From QuickStart to Afternoon Tournament Tough Camp, kids of all ages and levels are having a great time while quickly improving their tennis skills.

We are excited to announce that we are offering an extra week of Summer Camps this summer at the end of our normal schedule. WEEK 10 of camps will take place August 14th – 18th, with all camps available: QuickStart, Morning Camp and Afternoon Camp. Click here to learn more and sign up!

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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The ATA College Prep Community Honors The Class of 2017

The ATA College Prep community came together last week to celebrate the graduating class of 2017.

Set in the serenity of the Spanish Oaks hills, a few hundred family members and friends of the graduates attended the commencement ceremony. Before Head Coach Doug Davis offered his customary invocation, Director of ATA College Prep Carol Hagar opened the evening and welcomed the guests. An excerpt:

“I hope that during your years at College Prep you have learned to be more mindful of your thoughts, words, and actions… and of their effects on yours and others’ well-being. …that you have learned to help yourself and be of service to others. … that you have learned to be compassionate and optimistic. …that you have learned to possess hope and to engender hope in others. … that you have learned to be grateful for the gifts you have been given and to honor them by continuing to develop them within you.

It is for your transformation that you are here to study and to learn. It has been an honor to witness and participate in a portion of the transformation within each of you. I know that you will choose to forever follow in this way.”

As the sun set behind the trees, the community personally honored and celebrated each graduate. Wilson Hamilton, Alejandro Rodriguez and Abigail Chiu were each recognized through commemorative video tributes, introduced by two loved ones who know them well and finished by addressing the audience with a few words of their own.

Continuing a CP tradition, each graduate selected a Senior Legacy Quote that will be installed as pavers in the campus garden. Their selections are below.

Wilson Hamilton will attend Trinity University in San Antonio next Fall. Long-time friend Chase Bartlett and coach and teacher Brian Notis spoke on behalf of Wilson. Each highlighted the academic transformation and confidence Wilson has accomplished during his time at College Prep.

No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how hard you fall… you are never out of the fight. -Marcus Luttrell

Alejandro Rodriguez will attend the University of Chicago next Fall. Teacher and coach Tommy Collins and mentor Clifford Chiu spoke on his behalf and reflected upon Alejandro’s tireless efforts to reach excellence in study, relationship and as an athlete.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. -Winston Churchill

Abigail Chiu will attend Dartmouth College next Fall. Coach Doug Davis and brother Harrison Chiu spoke on her behalf. Each shared the lessons of perseverance and compassion that they have learned from Abigail.

Be great, not ordinary. Embrace diversity, not security. Live fully, not fearfully. Once chance you write your story; make it one worth reading. ~Abigail Chiu

Following the presentation of the graduates, Santiago Montoya, current Glimmer Chief Investment Officer and ATA alum, offered the commencement address. Reflecting on some of his past failures, he reminded the graduates to fall forward and embrace great attempts that may fall seemingly short. And that these are the moments that teach us the greatest wisdom.

CEO Jack Newman closed the graduation ceremony by initiating the Passing Of Leadership To The Class of 2018. This tradition of handing off the ATA ball symbolizes the handoff of responsibility for leadership within the greater Academy group for the next year.

A year from now, this group of leaders will look to continue the CP tradition of 100{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} college matriculation to some of the top schools in the world.

Following the ceremony, the group once again came together in community to share a meal surrounded by story tables celebrating each senior and their past accomplishments.

Congratulations to each of the ATA College Prep graduates of the class of 2017! Check the ATA College Prep Facebook page for more pictures from the evening.

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