Blog – Page 17 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

ATA Hires New Academy and Fitness Coach

ATA recently hired new academy and fitness coach Josh Rifkin, who is from Fort Wayne, Indiana and who has been involved with competitive tennis his entire life. Following his junior career, Josh became the winningestmen’s tennis player in the history of Ithaca College, as well as the first ever Division III All-American in doubles at his college.

Josh’s journey with ATA began in the summer of 2011 after deciding he wanted to pursue a professional tenniscareer. After some research, he came across ATA and took a visit. Immediately after visiting, he felt a strong connection and knew this was the place he wanted to train. After about one year of training, and gaining a great deal of elite level tennis knowledge, Josh decided to take a coaching job back home in Fort Wayne. Throughout his time at ATA, Josh found a passion in the integration of tennis coaching and training for tennis performance enhancement. As a result, he realized he wanted to give more to his students than just tennis. This led Josh to begin pursuing an education andcareer in the health and fitness world. This new career path led Josh to founding his own private health and fitness business where he primarily worked with competitive junior tennis players.

Josh’s relationship with ATA did not end after he decided to go back home to take the teaching job in Fort Wayne. In fact, Josh visited ATA at least once a year to reconnect with the coaches and continue to learn and grow as a tennis coach and fitness professional. During Josh’s most recent visit in September 2015, he was offered an opportunity to become a part of the ATA coaching team.

This was a difficult decision for Josh, as he had established himself with a coaching job and a fitness business back home in Fort Wayne. The decision came down to where Josh thought he could personally and professionally grow the most. A big factor in the decision making process was the players and coaches he would be able to work with, as well as the unique culture ATA has to offer. When Josh came to train as a 22 year old, and when he recently accepted the job offer at 26, he felt a warmness and family environment at ATA that is not easy to come by. The tight knit culture, emphasis on values, character building, community and concept of “living the sport”made the decision a smart one for Josh. It is where he felt he could live his passion of combining his desire to share his love of tennis and fitness while continuing to learn andgrow as a professional.

At ATA Josh will be coaching the academy players and will work with the junior academy and junior development programs. In addition, Josh will help run the academy fitness program. He will also be giving private tennis lessons as well as private fitness training sessions.

Josh’s credentials include:

B.S. Ithaca College

C.H.E.K. Practitioner Level II (Corrective High Performance Exercise Kinesiology)

United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Elite Professional

Certified Etcheberry Coach (Strength, Conditioning and Movement in Tennis)

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)- Performance Enhancement Specialist

C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level II

Save Your Spot In Spring Break Tennis Camp

2016 Spring Break Tennis Training Camps

This Spring Break, your child can take advantage of the Austin Tennis Academy’s tennis camps to progress at a rapid rate. These camps are designed to provide the greatest development of your child’s physical, mental, technical, and tactical performance levels. Sign up now for a full week or a single day!

Sessions

March 14-18, 2016

Times

QuickStart Camp 9:00am – 10:30am (age 5-8)
Morning Camp 9:00am – 12:00pm
Tournament Tough Training Camp 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Cost

QuickStart Camp $175/week ($40/day drop-in)
Morning Camp $300/week ($80/day drop-in)
Tournament Tough Training Camp $375/week ($90/day drop-in)

QuickStart Camp

9:00am – 10:30am ($175 per week or $40 per day)
The QuickStart 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 ($300 per week or $80 per day)
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 ($375 per week or $90 per day)
Tournament players will improve their game by using competitive game situations, technical training and point play, as well as movement and flexibility training. This camp is limited to Champ and Superchamp-level. ATA Academy players will be training at this time.

Policies

Registration must be made online.
Payment in advance is required to reserve your slot.
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.
Lunch may be purchased if ordered in advance for $7.
Players may leave credit card on file to cover pro shop purchases, lunch, etc.
Private housing may be available. Email info@austintennisacademy.com to inquire.
Early drop-off and late pick-up is available upon request for $50 per week.

Erik and Jake’s Signing Ceremonies

Erik Kerrigan and Jake Berber – both had their signing ceremonies last night which were held in the ATA fitness center. They were surrounded by their families, as well as the ATA community to help them begin their transition to college.

Erik Kerrigan signed his National Letter of Intent with the University of Chicago. He will play tennis for the Maroons starting in the Fall. He also received an academic scholarship for his outstanding SAT score of 2350! The university has a 7.8{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} acceptance rate and only 10 percent of the accepted students get scholarships. The University of Chicago is ranked #4 according to US News and has had 89 Nobel Prize winners. Coach Strecker and Coach Newman shared stories about Erik and his time at ATA, congratulating him on the accomplishments he has had in his junior career thus far. Erik also stood up and thanked his family, coaches, friends, teachers at College Prep and the ATA community for supporting him through his journey at ATA.

Jake Berber signed his National Letter of Intent with Claremont McKenna College. He will play tennis for the Stags in the Fall. Jake’s brother and Coach Newman are both alumni of Claremont McKenna College. Forbes ranked Claremont McKenna as the 6th best liberal arts college and 18th best college in the nation. Claremont has 1,349 students with a 9.7{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} acceptance rate. Coach Brandon and Coach Newman had many stories to share from Jake’s experience at ATA since Jake was 5 years old. Coach Brandon knows the Berber family well, as he grew up playing tennis with Jake’s older brothers. Coach Newman had a few stories from his time at ATA but really spoke for Jake’s character. He was told that Jake was one of nine recruits for the Stags. When his future teammates had to pick who they wanted for a teammate, Jake was number 1 on all the players lists. Jake makes friends wherever he goes and is very well liked because of his calm, friendly and understanding personality. Jake has been a top 50 nationally ranked player since he was 12 years old. Combining his tennis abilities and his character, the Stags will have a great future teammate. Jake thanked his family, coaches, friends and ATA community for helping him get through some tough times and also sharing good times throughout his experience at ATA.

Congrats to both Erik and Jake on their accomplishments and their bright futures at their respective institutions!

Parent Seminar with David Benzel Jan 14, 6pm

USTA National Winter Championships Recap

Under the guidance of Coach Newman and Coach Notis, 17 players represented ATA at the USTA National Winter Championships in Phoenix (Boys and Girls 16’s&18’s) and Tuscon (Boys and Girls 12’s&14’s).

Boys 12’s – James Cockrell

Girls 12’s – Sasha Malysheva, Caroline Wernli

Boys 14’s – Juan Abboud, Harrison Chiu

Girls 14’s – Anushka Dania, Megha Dania

Boys 16’s – Jesse Wikso

Girls 16’s – Callie Creath, Kristin Kerrigan

Boys 18’s – Chase Bartlett, Jake Berber, Payton Holden, Erik Kerrigan, Alejandro Rodriguez

Girls 18’s –Hunter Bleser, Abigail Chiu

Several ATA seniors distinguished themselves in the 18’s draw of Winter Nationals. Payton Holden rebounded from a first-round singles loss to win 5 matches in the consolation draw and finish in the Top 24. Hunter Bleser defeated a #17 seed in her first-round singles match whom she lost to a few months ago. Perhaps more importantly, the Head Coach of University of Virginia (where Hunter will be attending this fall) told Coach Newman that he was excited about the improvement Hunter has made in her game since the summer. Erik Kerrigan also advanced himself with his future coaches at the University of Chicago by upsetting the #3 seeds in doubles with his partner Eric Morris. Another senior, Jake Berber, also stepped up and reestablished himself as a national level player by winning 2 singles matches in the backdraw.

Juniors Abigail Chiu and Alejandro Rodriguez advanced their recruiting status with college coaches from some of the most academically elite Division I schools in the country. Abigail won 2 matches in the main draw of singles and cemented her reputation as one of the premier doubles players in the country by reaching the quarterfinals of doubles. According to Coach Newman, “Abigail advanced herself with coaches from Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Princeton by competing with a great attitude and showcasing an excellent game style.” During the tournament, Coach Newman had multiple conversations on behalf of Abigail with the Head and Assistant Coaches from Harvard, the Dartmouth Head Coach and the Assistant Coaches from Columbia and Brown. Despite being the last player accepted into the 18’s draw after working his way up the alternate list, Alejandro grinded his way to 3 singles victories in the backdraw, including a win over a #17 seed. According to Coach Newman, “Alejandro helped himself through his outstanding fight and hustle with the Head Coaches from Columbia, Harvard and Northwestern who watched his matches.” Coach Newman made time to have multiple conversations on behalf of Alejandro with each of the coaches from these elite universities.

In addition, Coach Newman spoke to many other college coaches about underclassmen such as Jesse Wikso, Kristin Kerrigan and Callie Creath to lay the groundwork so these coaches know our players before it’s time to be recruited. For example, Coach Newman has already started the college process for 9^th grade Blue Chip recruit Jesse Wikso who competed evenly with the #1 seed in the second round before losing 3-6, 4-6 and then went on to win 2 matches in the backdraw. While Coach Newman is at major national tournaments, he is also talking to college coaches about players who are not at the tournament but who might be a good fit for their school down the line. Through Coach Newman’s long-term approach of developing relationships with college coaches, he is able to open doors and facilitate the college process for ATA players aspiring to compete beyond high school.

In the 14’s draw, Anushka Dania won 3 matches in the consolation bracket after losing her first-round match. Coach Notis remarked on “Anushka’s amazing defensive skills, superior ability to anticipate and intelligent use of variety to keep her opponents off balance.” Harrison Chiu also rebounded from losing his 1^st round singles match (to one of the top players in the country) to win 2 matches in the consolation bracket. But it was Caroline Wernli who shined the brightest in Tuscon in the 12’s draw. Caroline finished in the Top 12 in singles and capped her outstanding tournament by earning a SILVER BALL in doubles with her partner Zoe Hammond from Oklahoma. Coach Notis was blown away by the fact that “Caroline and Zoe played an aggressive brand of doubles finishing many points at the net.” Although Caroline lost a three-hour battle in the round of 16 in singles, Coach Notis was impressed with Caroline’s “unmatched tenacity, consistency, excellent use of the entire court and fighting spirit.” On another promising note, 11-year-old Sasha Malysheva, in her first Level 1 National Championship, demonstrated that she will become a huge threat at the national level in years to come. After watching Sasha begin the tournament by winning her 1^st round singles match against a girl she had lost to six months ago, Coach Notis was impressed with Sasha’s “poise and ability to dictate with her aggressive play.” The future is indeed bright for ATA with young players like Caroline and Sasha leading the charge!

Looking Back… Charging Forward

As we begin a new year, ATA players will be setting their goals for 2016. One of our former students, Kendall Dabaghi was recently written up in Forbes magazine. This got me thinking about our players of the past, many of whom have set and accomplished high goals.

If you walk around the ATA campus, you will see many banners recognizing players from our past.

In case you have not heard about some of these historical moments, I have included a top 10 listing of ATA players and their accomplishments from the past:

(1) Ashley Weinhold (currently playing on the WTA tour) wins Girls 18s National Hard Courts in singles and receives a wildcard into the main draw of the US Open where she played the #4 seed on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Ashley also won 16s Clay Courts in singles the year prior.

(2) Jamie Friedland’s thirty-one match national tournament winning streak in singles catapulted his national ranking in Boys 16s from #156 to #6. The highlight of this winning streak was Jamie winning 9 matches in the back draw and winning consolations of Winter Nationals.

(3) Brandon Davis (former student-athlete and current ATA coach) wins Texas Grand Slam (TGS) 16s singles title and then wins TGS 18s singles title the following year. Brandon went on to play in the NCAA Finals his junior year at the University of Illinois.

(4) Stephanie Kusano wins back-to-back singles titles in 18s at TGS, and later went on to lead Cal-Berkley to the NCAA semifinals her senior year.

(5) Josh Hagar (currently in his junior year at Notre Dame) goes from not having any scholarship offers worth considering due to being injured 9 months of his junior year to receiving offers from Notre Dame, Northwestern, Harvard, Princeton and Rice the following year. Josh went on to star at Notre Dame, playing line #2 singles by his sophomore year.

(6) Josh Hagar launches the Playing for Glimmer campaign and raised $150,000 for Glimmer that funded 5 wells, 1 reservoir, a health post, and 2 schools. This inspired Breck Spencer to create and spearhead the Walk for Water event that raised over $20,000 two years after the Playing for Glimmer campaign was initiated.

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(7) Eliot Blatt gave $4,000 of his own Bar-Mitzvah money to fund a well in Ethiopia, and then raised an additional $10,000 in donations for A Glimmer of Hope.

(8) Payton Holden (current ATACP student-athlete) sweeps the 16s Singles and Doubles Titles at TGS.

(9) Abigail Chiu (current ATACP student-athlete) wins Easter Bowl 14s doubles title and then reaches the doubles finals the following year in Girls 16s.

(10) After overcoming three knee surgeries, Blake Davis grinded his way to a 6th place finish at 18s Clay Court Nationals and later earned a full scholarship to Florida State University where he played Line #2 Singles and Line #1 Doubles for most of his career. Upon graduation, he landed a premier job with Wells Fargo Wealth Management division.

An inspiring fact supplied by Coach Brandon Davis: during the first year of ATA while we were building this facility and training players at Barton Creek Country Club, Stephanie Kusano, Brandon Davis, Blake Davis and Ashley Weinhold swept the following Super Champ titles in their respective age groups: Excellence, Corpus Christi SCMZ, Dallas SCMZ, and TGS.

With this firepower in our past, we look forward to charging the current and next crops of ATA tennis athletes to reach high for their tennis goals.

Happy New Year!!

Jack Newman

CEO

Austin Tennis Academy

Meet CP Teacher And Award-Winning Actress Taylor Flanagan

For the past 41 years, the B. Iden Payne Awards have recognized outstanding work from the theatre community in Austin. Among the honorees this year, the award for Outstanding Featured Actress went to Taylor Flanagan for her performance as young Gabrielle York in When The Rain Stops Falling. On top of putting on award-winning performances, Taylor leads the Theatre and Spanish classes at ATA College Prep.

“Taylor is a quick study and has been able to effectively play multiple roles at College Prep – from registrar to event planner to general organizer to an inspirational Spanish teacher,” said CP Director Carol Hagar. “But it is in her roles as Theatre teacher, director and actress that we see her fully represented. Her ability to integrate the arts into each of her classes not only increases student enjoyment of the class, but also stimulates brain targets, memory retrieval, and the neuroscience of learning. As an extension of applied learning and exposure to the arts, we look forward to CP students attending Austin’s production of Dracula and seeing Mrs. Flanagan perform live and on stage.”

Taylor adds this accolade to an already impressive resume in Austin theatre. She won her first Payne award for Outstanding Youth Performer for her role in The Visit. She also starred in dance-based show Parents/Kids Dance Party, as well as scripted shows like Casket of Passing Fancy, All Too Human, Sun and Moon, and dozens more.

“I am really touched that people were affected enough by this show and my performance to give them special recognition,” Taylor said. “And I was extremely honored to be nominated alongside the other actresses in my category. Being named in the same category as these women was a big deal for me.”

While it’s been a busy year for her on stage – she played Mina in Dracula at The Vortex last month – Taylor’s foundations in theatre date back to classes when she was 5 years old growing up in Austin. Around that time she met Carol Hagar.

“I’ve known Carol since I can remember,” Taylor said. “We were a part of the same homeschooling community (Austin Area Homeschoolers). This group was really close-knit, so I grew up with a huge extended family of peers, teachers and mentors. I also grew up taking theatre classes with her kids, so she’s been there for some of my most embarrassing and exhilarating moments onstage. And now, as my boss, she continues to see me through some of my greatest challenges and successes on a daily basis.”

The two qualities that resonate from Taylor’s background with Carol are also what feed her continued passion for theatre: opportunities to learn and shared community.

“Every play is an opportunity to learn something new. I have learned so much in rehearsal: projection, stage combat, dialects, Shakespearean verse, history, psychology, geography, singing, memorization techniques, different ways people overcome hardship, marketing tactics, stretching, empathy, golf, recipes for fake blood, you name it,” Taylor said. “I love the connection you make with your team and the wonderful conversations that theatre can spark with people.”

On top of leading Theatre at CP, Taylor also teaches Spanish. She was initially drawn to the language so she could communicate with all of the Spanish speakers in Austin, but dove in on a scholarly level in college.

“I did various study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries and taught Spanish-speaking children in elementary schools in Peru, Guatemala and right here in Austin before I started teaching Spanish as a foreign language at ATA CP,” Taylor said.

Taylor brings a passionate dedication to her students through her engaging and warm personality. It is no surprise that as she thrives in her role as a teacher, those two core characteristics are still common themes in her life: learning and community.

“CP sees everyone as a whole person,” Taylor said. “I’ve seen it in our approach to our students, but I’ve also felt it as a teacher here. The CP environment regularly helps me look beyond my degree and certifications to learn, grow, and share more of my potential as a teacher and as a person. It is a very empowering place to work and I am extremely grateful for my College Prep family.”

Tonight, Taylor begins rehearsals for her next role in As You Like It with Shrewd Productions at Trinity Street Theatre running Feb 19-March 5th. Learn more here.

ATA Winter Camp Dec 28-Jan 1

Get a ton of tennis in over break and sign up for ATA Winter Camp that is starting Dec 28 and goes through Jan 1. Click here to learn more and sign up.

December SCMZ ATA wins 4 draws!

Caroline Wernli had a outstanding event. She was the runner up in G14 A draw singles, won the G14 doubles, and won the sportsmanship award. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Jesse Wikso won both of his B18 B draw singles and doubles.

Callie Creath won the G18 B draw doubles.

Other notable results from this past weekend:

Jake Riezebeek has been stepping up his game and got 4th place in B12s B draw, this is his 2nd tournament in a row that he has reached the semi finals.

Sarah Darbar had a great tournament and got 2nd place in G14 B draw doubles and reached the quarters in singles.

ATA CP Senior Erik Kerrigan Commits To University Of Chicago

ATA College Prep Senior Erik Kerrigan announced to his classmates and teachers last week that he plans to attend the University Of Chicago next fall – the number 4-ranked national university and the number 3-ranked NCAA Division III tennis program in the country.

“I am looking forward to stretching my mind and expanding my horizons at one of the top 5 universities in the world,” Erik said.

Earlier this month, Erik was also named a Commended Student in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program.

About 34,000 Commended Students were recognized this year for their exceptional academic promise. Commended students placed among the to 5{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} of more that 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“I felt very prepared for the test,” Erik said. “The best way to do well on these tests is to do enough practice that you have effectively seen any kind of problem that will be asked.”

Erik specifically appreciated the guidance he received from ATA CP’s math and science specialist, Bryan Rutherford.

“Mr. Rutherford did a fantastic job when I came to him asking for help. He provided me with practice materials and was willing to take some of his free time to go over problems with me.”

Erik has been part of the ATA program for 6 years, and began ATA CP as a sophomore. Since beginning College Prep, Erik has become one of the best tennis players in the state. He is learning the importance of managing his time and his energy, thinking creatively and mastering problem solving, all of which are important preparation for a successful collegiate scholar-athlete.

“The biggest positives about CP for me include small classes, easy to access teachers, and lack of busywork,” Erik said. “All work assigned will help you grow, not just take up time.”

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Erik’s daily routine at CP begins with a morning workout 7:45-9:30AM. He steps off the court and into school, selects a taco for breakfast and prepares for his CP Leadership meeting. Following a college block schedule, he moves from Computer Science to Debate to English Literature to Government to French on MW&F, and from Linear Algebra to Anatomy & Physiology on T & Th. His private lessons and fitness programming are interwoven throughout his days. Often, he finished with afternoon practice from 4-6PM and fitness from 6-7PM.

“I like that at CP, you can always find your teachers for help, and that classes don’t assign a lot of homework simply to take up time, they assign what needs to be known.”

This rigorous academic load is designed to prepare Erik and the other students for what comes next at a top-tier academic school. The intensity of two-a-day workouts, small group intensives, and individualized lessons are preparing him for elite college fitness training.

Erik will join a Men’s Varsity team at UChicago that competes in the NCAA DIII and consistently finishes in the top 5 nationally.

“I am looking forward to the challenge of making the lineup at a team contending for a National title, and being a leader on that team going forward.”

According to U.S. News & World Reports, the University of Chicago ties with Stanford and Columbia as the number 4-ranked national university. Erik will predictably step into a competitive environment with some of the brightest young adults in the world, including future teammate and ATA CP alum Liam Leddy.

“We’re very excited to have Erik joining us next year,” Liam said. “While I will have graduated by the time Erik gets to campus, it’s nice to know that ATA CP will still have representation on the team and at the university. I know that Erik will better the team, and UChicago will better him on and, most importantly, off the court.”

While the experience of living away from family and having a new setting around him are exciting, ultimately, it is the people he will spend his time with that set U of Chicago apart from other options.

“I think the combination of being near a big city, coupled with a great group of guys on the team, and a laid back coach made it a perfect combination for me.”

Denver and Kerry Qualify for Supers

This past weekend in the Austin CMZ, Denver Holden and Kerry Lum qualified for Supers. Denver is the youngest ATA super champ and he gave himself a great birthday present and won his draw to qualify. Kerry Lum made it to the semifinals and has enough points to qualify.

Coach Norm on Denver:

According to Coach Norm, “Denver showed tremendous grit and maintained a high level of energy while coming back to win his semifinal match after losing the first set and being down 2-5 in the second set. Denver fought his guts out and won 5 consecutive games to close out the second set, and then decisively won the third set.” Denver’s positive attitude, strong body language and fighting spirit were also displayed in his straight set victory in the finals. The fact that Denver Super-qualified on his 11th birthday, three months after he Champ-qualified, made it even sweeter. As Coach Norm assessed, “Denver is playing at another level and is on a big upswing.”

Coach Eric on Kerry:

Kerry’s path to Super-qualifying since she Champed-up in February has been marked by steady progress in her game and tournament results. In the last two CMZs, Kerry has displayed much improved footwork and a willingness to be more aggressive. Kerry has also learned to open up the court with sharply angled rollers and well executed drop shots. Coach Lucie believes yet another reason for Kerry’s improved tournament results is that “she is becoming quite the competitor, pumping her fist after great points and never giving up.” Kerry moves into SuperChamps with increased confidence and lots of positive momentum.

Sports: The Road to Somewhere – Just Not Where You Thought by Amy Pazahanick

This month’s article, from Growing Champions for Life, is by Amy Pazahanick. The article is about how sports help prepare the athlete for life ahead even though most will not be professionals in their sport. The article also gives some tips to parents at the end to read more click here.

Also, register for the free 45min webinar on “How to Help Your Child Conquer Fear,” on Dec 17th at 9pm EST.

Click here to register

Jake Riezebeek Earns Sportsmanship Award!

Jake Riezebeek was awarded the Clarence Mabry Sportsmanship award for the Wichita Falls Super Champ in November. It is an award voted on by the umpires and the tournament staff. He earned it by giving it his all every point, all while staying calm, collected and respecting his opponent. Congratulations to Jake for his accomplishment and for representing ATA well.

Aidan Canada Qualifies for Supers!

Aidan Canada qualified for B12’s Supers in the Dallas doubles champ. Him and his partner Grant took control in the final match and won 6-4,6-2. Aidan will be playing this first SCMZ in College Station this weekend!

Congrats Aidan!!!

12U Intermediate JTT wins State!

Sunday afternoon the 12u intermediate Junior Team Tennis team (Savannah Baptiste, Ross Cockrell, Denver Holden, Jack Marcus and Connor Russell) placed first at the State tournament in Midland, TX! Saturday they played 4 team matches and came out of their round robin as the leader in game percentage won. On Sunday, they played head to head in a bracket of the top 4 teams. They beat TCU in the semis 36-18 games and then had to stop for a rain delay. In the finals, versus SJ Dealey, the format was shortened to 7 point tiebreakers for the 2 doubles matches and 4 singles matches because they only had 1 indoor court. Savannah/Denver started the team off with a 7-5 win and then Ross/Connor finished out the doubles with a 9-7 win! Denver started us in singles with a 7-2 win, Savannah lost a tough breaker 4-7 and Ross finished it off with a 7-2 win to take first place! Jack did not have to play the 4th singles match because the team already won. Coach Carrie said, “The team had a lot of fun this weekend together and they handled the pressure of the final match so well.”

ATA had 2 more teams at the JTT State tournament we had our 10u green ball team (Luke Riezebeek, Clark White, Blake Tollen and Jacob Golden) they placed 5th in their draw! They played some tough teams and played well. Then, we also had our 12u Advanced team (Keana Moon, Jordan Phillips, Jake Riezebeek, Aiden Canada, and James Cockrell). The 12u team ended up bumping up and playing in the 14u advanced draw. They had a lot of stronger and older teams in their draw but stepped up and played great to place 5th! The teams had a ton of fun at the player party on Saturday night.

Connor, Keana and Savannah showing off their painted records!

Register for David Benzel Webinar on Nov 19

“What Your Child Needs to Succeed – Ten Life-Changing Strategies”

Join us as we expose the best-kept secrets of how parents can influence the well-being and happiness of their children. These top ten strategies will impact the entire family by giving you practical activities that shape the day-to-day outlook on good experiences and the not so good. Watch your child’s performance improve in every area of life.
– Learn how to teach your children self-directed character building;
– Discover the techniques and benefits of rewiring negative tendencies;
– Choose the strategies that will help your child improve the athletic journey, regardless of talent;

David will connect the key life skills of the lesson with winning on the field, and in life. The Power Point materials are loaded with practical information worth saving for future reference.

To register Click Here

Hunter Bleser and Payton Holden Sign National Letters of Intent

The fitness center at ATA was packed with the ATA community supporting Hunter Bleser and Payton Holden as they both signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Hunter Bleser has signed with University of Virginia and Payton Holden has signed with Princeton University. They are both seniors at ATA College Prep and will graduate in May 2016.

Hunter has only been at ATA a short while but has made a big impact. Coach Lucie said, “She is a leader and does so by being a good example to others.” Hunter has sacrificed a lot to be a part of the ATA program. She spoke Wednesday night about how she gained a second family/home at ATA, how she now has the opportunity to play at University of Virginia and that the sacrifices and hard work are worth it. Hunter will start at the University of Virginia in the Fall of 2016.

Payton Holden has been at ATA for nine years and has had a very successful career so far. Most of the coaching staff has known Payton since he started at ATA nine years ago as a skinny kid with glasses. Many stories were told some were about how he was the most competitive player and that he wanted to win everything no matter who he was playing. Coach Doug called him a “Racehorse.” Payton is the first player in ATA history to sign with an Ivy League school. Payton is excited to attend Princeton University in the Fall of 2016 and wants to be an impact player.

Congratulations to Hunter and Payton!

5 ATA Players Playing for State!

Andrea Stapper, Meghan O’Malley, Blaine Kanak, Kailey Chase and Synclair Larson all have the same goal in mind this year and it is to Win State! These 5 ATA players are all on Vandegrift’s tennis team, which is the first tennis team in school history that is going to the state finals. Vandegrift has had a record breaking season with going 163-0 in districts, which broke the district and the school record. Their team catch phrase is “That’s what you want!” The players are fired up and ready to compete to win. The team will begin their journey to claim the state title with play starting on Wednesday at 11:30 at Texas A&M University varsity courts. They will play College Station A&M consolidated in the semi-final match. The matches are played with doubles first followed by singles, the first team to win 10 matches wins the duel.

Click here for more info and to follow their results.

Vandegrift’s regional t-shirts supporting Wounded Warriors Foundation. Vandegrift was named after Matthew Vandegrift who served and died in Iraq.

Inside An ATA College Prep Morning Practice

The ATA College Prep students take the courts at 7:45am for morning workouts every day. The group, typically led by ATA’s Head Coach Doug Davis, will practice until 9:30, when they grab some breakfast and transition to their first class at 9:45am.

While most will end the day with normal Academy practice from 4-7pm after a full day of classes, the morning practice presents an additional opportunity for the CP student-athletes to focus on specific goals and get individual attention.

Recently, morning practices have been structured with half the group in live-ball situations, while the other half works through three drill courts that are the same each day until the goal is met.

“There are foundational shots and patterns worked on the least in typical daily practice,” Coach Davis said. “We are focused on those shots and patterns that will benefit our players significantly, and we’re focused on them long enough so they can master them.”

The three drill-courts:

3-Shot Combo: Transition shot, with the first volley hit through the court and second volley angled off.

Serving court

“Of course a serve court, because serving is just so important,” Davis said.

Inside-Out Forehand Pattern court

“These are fundamentally important enough that we need to master them and we as coaches are dedicated to sticking with them until then,” Davis said.

Each court has a coach and typically no more than a handful of players at one time. This small ratio allows for the most possible individual attention and the fastest progress.

“We are starting to see results in tournaments,” Davis said.

Chase Bartlett, a senior at CP, agreed that the focused attention is paying off.

“I definitely feel better in transition specifically since focusing on it in practice,” Chase said. “I feel much more comfortable executing transitions and coming to the net recently. And, my inside-out forehand followed by drop shot is getting really good,” Chase said with a smirk as he headed to class.

Five Strategies for Teaching Your Child Life Lessons

This months Growing Champions for Life Winner’s Connections article, by David Benzel, is about strategies for teaching life lessons to your child. The goal for using these strategies is to get your child thinking about what works in life, and to consider their own choices as a pathway to learning to make better ones. Click Here to read more

The 5 Strategies:

Walk the Talk – The most obvious of all, yet often neglected approach is to demonstrate the skill with our own behavior…to teach by example.
Catch Them Doing it Right – Be the observer and “noticer” of admirable behavior by your child and comment on the significance and benefits of it.
Look Out the Window for the Good – Watch for examples of credible behavior in people outside your family and ask your child, “What do you admire about what we just witnessed?”
Look Out the Window for the Not-So-Good – Watch for examples of questionable behavior in people outside your family and ask your child, “What choices might have worked better in that situation?”
Ask Yourself Wonder-FULL Questions – Instead of thinking, “Why is my child so undisciplined?”, or “…so lazy?” ask yourself a question like, “I wonder how I can help my child discover the benefits of self-discipline?” or, “I wonder how I can teach my child to enjoy hard work?”

www.growingchampionsforlife.com

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