Blog – Page 18 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

ATA CP Senior Payton Holden Commits To Princeton University

ATA College Prep Senior Payton Holden recently announced that he plans to pursue his academic and athletic careers at Princeton University – the number 1 ranked national university – next fall.

“The main thing that drew me to Princeton was the high academic level,” Payton said. “No one in my family has ever attended the Ivy and I think it will be a life-changing experience.”

Payton first came to ATA nearly nine years ago, learning QuickStart tennis skills and having fun with the game. Today, Payton is amid his 5^th year in the ATA College Prep program, has blossomed into a top national-level tennis player and is a standout student in a challenging academic environment.

“Payton Holden is the sort of young man ATA and ATA College Prep were designed to help,” Coach Jack Newman said. “He struck his first ball as a wide-eyed 9 year old and has been a top US junior tennis competitor the entire 9 years since. With his latest accomplishment of committing to Princeton University, Payton joins the ranks of ATA players who have used their tennis and academics to leverage their college choice. He joins former students like Jeff Offerdahl (Vanderbilt), Grayson Broadus and Josh Hagar (Notre Dame), Spencer Chiu (Pomona) and Camilla Trapness (Amherst) in an exciting adventure of college tennis and academics.”

Athletically, Payton will join a Princeton Tigers team that competes in the Ivy League alongside schools like Harvard and Yale. The group finished 2015 ranked 36 in the nation, logging a record of 19-8.

“I am so excited for the team aspect of college tennis,” Payton said. “Anyone who knows me will say that I am a people-person, and being with a group of 10-12 guys all working towards the same goal will create something special in the end.”

Academically, Princeton is the number 1 ranked national university according to U.S. News & World Reports. For Payton, it is the opportunity to grow that he is most excited about.

“I am excited to have my mind blown,” he said. “School will be extremely difficult and I am excited to see how I handle it and how it changes me as a person.”

Payton started this school year as a junior, but decided to graduate early when the opportunity became available. This is one example of how CP works to maximize students’ college opportunities through individualization and planning.

“One of our foundational principles is to provide opportunities that help a child move from where he is to where he wants to go,” CP Director Carol Hagar said. “Because of our flexible learning schedule and individual academic planning, Payton was able to explore advanced placement, high school credit courses at a very young age. He began typical high school freshman courses during his 7th grade year at CP and has been able to continue at an accelerated pace. Now he is exercising his option to graduate a year early and attend the school of his dreams, Princeton University.”

In his years at CP, it is learning to get the most out of himself that stands out to Payton as what will stick with him moving forward.

“ATA CP has taught me the responsibility to manage my own time,” Payton said. “Its schedule is similar to a college schedule, so it has made me comfortable with learning certain topics on my own between classes and completing school work while on the road.”

While Payton logged long hours to earn his place at Princeton, he gives credit to his long-time coach, Jack Newman, for the long-term plan and ultimately opening the door.

“Coach Newman is a college process guru,” Payton said. “He knows everyone, but more importantly every coach knows who he is and respects him as a coach. He has a very good reputation with college coaches and it allows him to get his students more opportunities.”

Beyond forehands and physics, Payton will head to Princeton armed with other tools that he also credits to his time at ATA.

“ATA has taught me a strong work ethic and to enjoy the struggles on and off the court,” Payton said. “When you encounter any adversity and overcome it, you grow as a person/player.”

Congratulations, Payton, and go Tigers! Join the community at ATA on Nov 11th to celebrate Payton at his official Signing Ceremony party.

15th Annual Pro-Am Shootout – ‘One Of Our Best Ever’

The 15^th annual Austin Tennis Academy Pro-Am Shootout brought the ATA community together last weekend, featuring a banquet on Friday evening and a pro-am Calcutta-style tennis tournament on Saturday.

“This year’s SHOOTOUT was one of our best ever,” ATA CEO Jack Newman said. “The dinner and auction was exciting. The PRO-AM tennis was competitive. Players, coaches and patrons all had a fun time competing in tennis. Great Weekend!!!”

The weekend benefits the Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation, which helps support deserving student-athletes who are pursuing a disciplined lifestyle to reach their highest level of accomplishment.

The Friday-night banquet, hosted at the Sonesta Hotel, featured a cocktail hour with silent auction items on display, followed by a presentation and live auction over dinner.

Jeff Blatt opened the evening by presenting a check to the A Glimmer of Hope Foundation‘s Donna Berber as part of the ATA’s continued support of the organization.

Later, the annual named scholarships were handed out and each of the recipients were honored.

Here are the 2015-2016 scholarship recipients:

Esmerelda Werbeck Scholarship – Kristin Kerrigan

Lindsey Pereira Leadership Scholarship – Hunter Bleser

Roger Gubser Scholarship – Callie Creath

Sterling Wilson Scholarship – Kyler Bender

Cameron Dabaghi Scholarship – Erik Kerrigan

On Saturday, the community hit the courts for a day of competitive team-tennis amongst friends and family.

At the end, it was Leftys Rule, a team led by Estevam Strecker and Charlie Shin that finished in first place. Strecker commented on the weekend overall.

“Anytime we can focus on doing something for someone else it is a great thing,” Strecker said. “I enjoy going to sleep knowing that my day mattered, that in a very small way I made a difference in someone else’s life. The Shootout is a really cool opportunity to accomplish that. Tennis is the greatest sport on earth and I dedicated my life to it, so being able to use tennis to improve the lives of people in need is an extremely rewarding thing.”

If you would still like to contribute to the Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation there is still time! Also – don’t forget about the raffle for the 2016 Jeep Wrangler!

Tickets are still available. Just contact Deb Cahill at Deb.Cahill@AustinTennisAcademy.com.

UT Neuroscientist To Speak To CP Students Tuesday

Dr. Kimberley Raab-Graham, a Professor of Neuroscience and a Principal Investigator in the Center for Learning and Memory at the University of Texas in Austin, will speak to the ATA College Prep students and teachers on campus this Tuesday.

Kimberly_Raab-Graham

“Dr. Raab-Graham and her graduate students will give a presentation to our students describing some of their work, and how our memory works,” CP teacher Summer Messer said. “Students will also be broken into small groups for learning activities.”

Her group researches molecular mechanisms used during learning and memory, focusing on how synapses transform the makeup of protein in a site-specific manner in response to changes in the activities of neurons. Their goal is to discover how different cellular mechanisms are manipulated in mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Raab-Graham’s research has been published in several scientific journals including Molecular Psychiatry, Neurobiology of Disease, and Journal of Cell Biology.

“We are excited for the opportunity to host and hear from Neuroscientists performing cutting edge research in their field,” Messer said.

For more information on Dr. Raab-Graham and her research go to https://clm.utexas.edu/krglab.

ATA’s Ryan Leman: The World’s Fastest Stringer, And So Much More

ATA’s head stringer Ryan Leman recently claimed his spot as the fastest tennis racquet stringer in the world at the International Alliance of Racket Technicians (IART) symposium. He followed that up by captivating an audience of Little Mo Nationals families with a breathtaking fire-spinning performance last week. Next week, Ryan will host a Circadian Sound Meditation at a music festival in Austin.

“There are many things in the works right now, I don’t like to be bored,” Ryan said. “Things are happening, and it’s beautiful.”

While Ryan has been stringing at ATA for the past 4 years, he was introduced to the craft as a young tennis player in Flower Mound, TX. His coach also happened to be an extremely fast stringer, and Ryan was instantly fascinated.

“I would watch him anytime I could while asking a million questions,” Ryan said. “Eventually he let me get on the machine and immediately I was addicted to timing myself and getting faster.”

Eight years later, Ryan has strung over 20,000 racquets. Last month, he traveled to Florida to attend the IART symposium. The annual event brings together the worlds best stringers and pro shop owners for an array of professional development opportunities, while featuring a Speed Stringing Contest. Ryan took home the title this year with a time of 8 minutes, 45 seconds.

Ryan also recently earned his certification as a Master Racquet Technician – the highest possible certification in the United States.

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“Stringing has become a meditative experience for me now,” Ryan said.

While he has a lot happening beyond stringing, it is a love of learning that is the common thread throughout. He channels this through his various passions, producing a fascinating mix of depth and creative expression.

Fire spinning, maybe the most dangerous of Ryan’s pursuits, involves baton-like sticks with wicks on either end that he uses to manipulate fire in ways that inspire awe in anyone watching.

“It is a very grounding and meditative experience, just like stringing, where you are in the moment right here, right now. If you mess up, you get burned. And it’s a great lesson for life: prepare yourself and your time will come with the staff. If you practice and know what moves you can do, when you light it on fire you have full confidence in the ability of your flow.”

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While Ryan connects with stringing and fire spinning at a depth that reveals to him truths about life, he also strives to connect with people.

Ryan is also a massage therapist and recently got his License from The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School.

“I love this healing modality as it allows me to connect with my friends, clients, and just about every person,” Ryan said. “Because lets be honest, who couldn’t use a massage?”

Whether it is through massage, or driving for Uber, or producing a film called Underworld (yes, he’s also a film producer), Ryan is constantly learning, constantly making connections, and constantly expressing himself.

For much of his life, Ryan has found inspiration in a few key thoughts: first, Wayne Dyer: “Love what you do, do what you love.” Next, Abraham Lincoln: “I will prepare myself and my time will come.” Lastly, Michael Garfield: “Imagination is our greatest natural resource.”

“I have looked at these few quotes for the majority of my life and I feel it is exactly what ATA is about. Prepare yourself, let the coaches and people around you help with your process, and the right situation will manifest, so make sure you dream big. And if you aren’t doing what you love, then what are you doing?”

It is also the people that make ATA his top choice of all the places he’s worked.

“What makes ATA stand out is the rest are the staff members and their dedication to the players. We have an amazing team of resources. When you mix so much talent in one academy it makes for an incredible learning environment.”

Learn More About Ryan Rowe

Ryan comes from Chicago where he has been coaching since 2009. He helped with the adult and junior programs. His main focus was on traveling with high level juniors to tournaments. Before he started coaching, he played his collegiate with our Junior Development Director Brandon Davis at the University of Illinois. He was a two time All American and NCAA Doubles Champion with team mate Kevin Anderson, who is currently top 10 in the world professionally. Ryan was ranked number 1 in the country in doubles in college and as high as 8 in singles! After college he played professionally and was career high 726 in singles and 489 in doubles.

Ryan Rowe joined the Austin Tennis Academy Team in August 2015. He works full time with our College Prep, Academy, Junior Academy, and Junior Development programs.

2 Qualify for Champs from San Antonio ZAT

Congrats to Ross Cockrell and Devan Sabapathy for qualifying for Champs from the last ZAT tournament in San Antonio. Ross won the Boys 12s white draw and Devan made it to the finals of Boys 12s red draw. Also, Jack Marcus made it to the semis of Boys 12s and Clark Sweeney won the Boys 14s consolation.

Ross Cockrell 1st place in ZAT

ATA College Prep Senior Hunter Bleser Commits To U Of Virginia

Hunter Bleser, a senior at ATA College Prep, recently accepted a full scholarship offer from the University of Virginia, where she will extend her academic and athletic careers beginning next fall.

“Virginia, for me, hit a home run in every aspect that I was looking for in a college,” Hunter said. “They have an incredible athletic program and are one of the top ranked schools in the country academically.

The University of Virginia was ranked the number 3 best public university in the United States according to the 2016 U.S. News and World Report rankings. Founded by Thomas Jefferson as a research university in Charlottesville, UVA enrolls about 15 thousand undergraduates and another 6 thousand graduates on campus.

“I’m excited to push my mind to its full capabilities and to have the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the brightest people out there,” said Hunter.

On the court, Hunter will look to contribute to a Cavalier team that finished the 2015 season ranked 9^th in the country. Athletically, Hunter said she is most excited to push her limits and improve.

“To have the long days where I know I’m going to be completely exhausted when I get back to my room every night and to have the practices where I feel like I’m going to die. That to me is the best part.”

Her choice ultimately came down to the University of Kansas and the University of Minnesota besides UVA. For Hunter, Virginia presented the best opportunity to excel to her full potential both academically and athletically, which is what she is most looking forward to at the next level.

“Initially though, I would have to say the academics are what drew me to it. The great athletics program was just icing on the cake,” Hunter said.

Hunter joined the ATA College Prep program the summer before her senior year. She has thrived in a program that focuses on direct preparation for the environment of high-level academics and athletics into which its students will move.

“ATA CP is different from my previous school because it is more accommodating to my busy schedule but in a college set up. The longer classes and the block schedule really makes you work harder and focus more than my previous school did. The teachers here are more understanding with my busy schedule but they make a point not to take it easy on me just because of that. ATA CP definitely gets you ready for a more college-like setting than your typical public school.”

Preparation for and guidance through the college process is a pillar of ATA CP, and was something that stood out to Hunter.

“ATA tremendously helped me in my college process. They explained to me what exactly it is coaches are looking for and encouraged me to play my game just the way it is. They also went above and beyond with helping me get connected to my dream school. I truly owe this program everything and these coaches everything!”

For Lucie Schmidhauser, her primary coach at ATA, Hunter deserves all the credit.

“Hunter impressed me from the start with her willingness to do whatever it takes to get better as a tennis player. She has a big upside that will allow her to be a successful collegiate tennis player at the University of Virginia. Her height, huge forehand and aggressive gamestyle will make her a force to be reckoned with at the highest levels of collegiate play. Hunter is also very coachable, humble and hard-working and these qualities will serve her well in the future, on and off the court.”

ATA College Prep Director Carol Hagar also praised Hunter.

“I am incredibly proud of Hunter! She came to ATA CP in full force and has taken full advantage of all that is offered here. Her positive attitude, academic diligence, and compassion for her classmates will definitely complement her future successes at UVA.”

Congratulations, Hunter!

ATA College Prep: Growing Excellence

Several years ago, as Josh began to invest more time in tennis, and I in the ATA community, I began to envision an educational support system that could better equip Josh for a college future that included tennis. I combined my academic philosophy and love of education with Josh’s love for tennis, and together with Coach Newman’s established ATA vision, we created the seeds of the community school, which is now ATA College Prep.

English I/II with Ms Wheat

During the past 7 years, these seeds continue to grow and flourish through many branches. ATA CP is now a fully accredited private school with 12 dedicated instructors. Our curriculum continues to evolve as rapidly as our students’ minds. Our graduates continue to leverage excellent college placement. And our facilities continue to improve to better serve the community.

Spanish class with Ms Flanagan

This summer, the ATA CP classroom facility was moved onto the ATA campus. As with many transitions, it brought along with it growing pains. Offices, pro shop, people and equipment were displaced and scattered in construction. But with the focus of the overarching vision and mission, and guidance of the ATA leadership, the community is in full bloom once again. Courts boast beautiful new surfaces; ATA CP classrooms are light and bright; the new pro shop offers a welcoming front to our members and visitors at the south entrance of the fitness center, which is redesigned for maximum efficiency.

Kristin and Callie practice vocabulary

The Austin Tennis Academy is a community of coaches, teachers, parents, and student athletes committed to living the sport of tennis. The ATA facilities and our entire staff continue to improve so that we may offer the very best in developing tennis, academics and character in junior student athletes and future citizens of significance.

Abigail annotates Emerson as Payton dives into his textbook.

By: Carol Hagar, Director, ATA College Prep

5 Players Place in National Open Tournaments

Honolulu, Hawaii National Open

Abigail Chiu and Alejandro Rodriguez both placed in the BG18 National Open this past weekend. Abigail finished 2nd in singles and 3rd in doubles and Alejandro placed 3rd in doubles.

Austin, TX National Open

Kristin Kerrigan placed 2nd in the G16 doubles National Open. Caroline Wernli won the G12 doubles National Open here is Austin!

Oklahoma City Closed Regional Tournament

Congrats to Wilson Hamilton for winning the B18 singles draw in the Regional 2 USTA tournament.

Excellence Results Oct 3&4

Coach Lucie on G18s:

Hunter Bleser won Girls 18’s A draw, defeating 4 quality players on her way to the title. Her opponent in the finals was Janice Shin, who is currently ranked #2 in Texas and #55 in the nation in Girls 18’s. Hunter continues to improve her aggressive style game and her hard work is paying off.

Abigail Chiu placed 4th in Girls 18’s A draw. Daniela Alvarez finished 5th in her draw, while Andrea Stapper won 2 matches in her draw.

Coach Ryan on B18s:

Wilson won B Draw. Wilson won with his competitive spirit and willingness to out worn his opponents. Everyone he played fought him hard in the first set and collapsed in second because he would not give them a point. Hustling for every ball. He started to attack seconds serves which also put more pressure on them.

Alejandro hurt his back the first game of the event and even being in pain he took care of his injury and fought through the tournament and won the B18s C draw. He went down a set in the first match and could barely serve. But his toughness pulled him through.

Marcus actually won both D draws. They decided to combine them. He only dropped 2 games in he first 2 matches. In the finals the guy surprised him a little and came out strong. He changed up his style a little to lengthen points and make it physical. The guy started cramping in the end of the second set and he make him continue working and he physically and mentally outlasted his opponent.

Garrett Reiter had a good tournament and placed 3rd going 3-1 in his C draw. He lost a tough 3 setter in the semis 7-5 in the third.

Coach Brandon on G16s:

Alex Mjos had a great event making the semifinals of the A draw! On the way she beat the #4 seed 1&1 and played lights out! She has really jumped levels and she will be fun to watch moving forward as she continues to get better.

Being at the girl’s 16s site was a blast. We had 4 girls in the A draw(1/4 of the draw) and 3 in the quarterfinals. We had another 4 girls in B and C draw that had great results as well with Annika making semis of B draw, Synclair winning 3 matches and Kailee and Hannah winning 2 matches. The energy that this group brings to the site every tournament is great! And they continue to improve and push each other to get better!

Coach Vince on B16s and G12s:

Jesse Wikso did a great job this weekend. His positive attitude throughout the tournament was a direct reflection on his results. He made it to the finals without losing a set before losing a tough 3 set battle with the number one player in the state in boys 16’s.

Harrison Chiu, Bailey Forgus and Tyler Anson all had good events. They all went 3 and 1 in their draws in boys 16s. Tyler Anson placed 2nd, Bailey took 3rd and Harrison took 5th.

Sydney Marin beat the number 2 seed in her draw in girls 12’s reaching the semi finals. Her best showing since qualifying to super champs.

Coach Eric on B14s:

Varun reached the finals of the 14s C Draw (White).

Blaine also reached the finals of his respective 14s C Draw (Red), winning tough 3 set battles in the quarters and semifinals and then narrowly losing in the finals after fighting through cramps in a grueling third set. Blaine’s attitude and competitive grit have improved noticeably.

Despite injuring his left thigh in his first round match, Jett Hampton made the semifinals of the Boys 14s B Draw. Jett’s toughness and ability to bear down and compete, despite being injured, should be applauded. I never saw him whine or complain, despite his pain and inability to push off his left leg.

After losing to a quality player in the first round, Matthew won 3 consecutive matches to earn 9th place in his respective Boys 14s C Draw (Blue). Matthew’s game has improved dramatically in recent months.

Juan had a great tournament, earning 6th place in the Boys 14s A Draw. Juan’s serve has improved significantly since the summer and his forehand is becoming a huge weapon. And Juan is now willing to be aggressive under pressure. Big shout-out to Coach Notis for his excellent work with Juan.

Coach Newman on G14s:

Elena Kalogirou won her first two matches, she showed great progress from qualifying from champs a few months ago. Anushka battled in every match, excellent competitiveness from her.

Coach Carrie on B12s:

Jake Riezebeek and James Cockrell both lost in the finals of their backdraw. Jake played great for his first Super. After losing to the top seed in the first round, he fought back in 2 tough matches. His 3rd match went 3 hours and he pulled it out in the third set. Great first Supers for him! James fought hard and also pulled out a three setter in his third match. He is making big strides in his game and it has a lot to do with his attitude and him always working on it on court.

Cody went 1-3 winning his third round, his second win in Supers. He was in every match that he played and had opportunities to turn matches around.

5 ATA players playing “Little Mo” Nationals

“Little Mo” Nationals is a tournament for the top 16 players in the country in the age groups 8,9,10,11 and 12. The tournament has been held at ATA for the past 13 years. To qualify for Nationals one must compete in sectionals and move on to regionals. The top 4 from each regional tournament will qualify for Nationals. Our very own Ashley Weinhold and Blake Davis are former “Little Mo” National winners. ATA will be represented this weekend Oct 16-19 in “Little Mo” Nationals by James Cockrell in B12s, Kerry Lum G12s, Sasha Malysheva in G11s, Sydney Marin in G12s and Cody Schiffman in B11s!

Sydney Marin James Cockrell Kerry Lum Cody Schiffman Sasha Malysheva

Maureen Connolly Brinker “Little Mo”

Maureen Connolly “Little Mo” won the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953. She was the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian Championships, the French Championships, Wimbledon, and the United States Championships. She received the nickname “Little Mo” after accomplishing this triumph at only eighteen years old. Maureen and Nancy Jeffett started the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation after Maureen moved to Dallas in 1968. They started the foundation to provide funds for tennis clinics and to aid juniors who could not afford to compete nationally. Click here to find out more about the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and “Little Mo” Nationals.

Webinar hosted by David Benzel recommended by Coach Newman

Invitation to a Growing Champions for Life
Live Webinar – hosted by David Benzel

How to Discuss Performance Issues with Your Child and Remain Friends

Thursday, October 15th, 2015

9 p.m. Eastern

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Join us as we expose the best-kept secrets of how parents can successfully discuss performance issues with their children. Whether you are moderately involved, or extremely involved in your child’s athletic ambitions, the session is loaded with opportunities to have productive conversations with your child about his or her progress. The trick is how to make those conversations safe, non-defensive, and fun enough that you are invited to do it again!

Learn how to set accurate expectations for everyone’s role;

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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.

Do you know someone who could benefit from this webinar? Feel free to forward this invitation on to them.

Thank you for participating and for helping Growing Champions for Life promote a healthy environment for growing confident principle-centered competitors.

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(352) 267-5344

www.growingchampionsforlife.com

Meghan O’Malley Awarded Sportsmanship Award!

Meghan O’Malley was awarded the Nancy Jeffett Sportsmanship award for the Canyon Creek Super Champ in September. She earned it by being a tremendous fighter and giving it her all every point, all while staying calm, collected and respecting her opponent. Congratulations to Meghan for her accomplishment and for representing ATA well.

Team Culture IS the Game by David Benzel

Message from David

Team Culture IS the Game

There’s an exercise done in corporate workshops in which people are divided into teams and each one is given a problem to solve. The teams soon become aware that they don’t have everything they need to solve their problem; in fact the other teams have some of what they need.

Through negotiation and trading eventually a team solves their problem at which point they think the game is over. It’s NOT over. The game’s not over until all teams have what they need, and every team has a responsibility to make that happen. The point of the exercise is that what one team sees as its mission is actually a small part of a larger mission involving others.

Today we have an epidemic of athletic teams that are dedicated only to their own mission, their own egos, and their own scoreboard. This is partially true because we have an abundance of coaches who do not understand that “the game’s not over until we all win.” By that I mean, until every athlete has been given the tools to learn, grow, and develop as a human being, not just an athlete; until every official leaves a game having been shown a full measure of respect; until every child has experienced the uplifting of his/her spirit through the struggle of healthy competition; until the act of competing brings out the best in everyone.

The incident at John Jay High School in which two football players deliberately hit Back Judge Robert Watts in the closing minutes of a game against Marble Falls, demonstrates again how important team culture is as an influence on the thinking of individuals within the team. In this case an assistant coach actually suggested the ambush as a way to “get even” with the referee. What kind of culture is that? It’s the kind that brings out the worst in all of us.

Sports will be played differently, and young men and young women will think differently when coaches take this litmus test about their leadership: “Are my players becoming wiser, healthier, more mature and respectful of others as a result of my leadership? Are they themselves more likely to lead responsibly, and grow true champions for life in the future?”

Parents have the right to insist on credible and honorable leadership from coaches so that young athletes learn to commit themselves to the well-being of other athletes – and officials – even if they’re not on “our team.”

GCFL True Hero Track Partner

Austin Tennis Academy

The Austin Tennis Academy is committed to helping its students maximize their college choice through the tennis experience, and become citizens of significance — not just accomplishment.

In addition to its six day per week after-school academy, ATA is also home to ATA College Prep, a fully accredited private school. ATA College Prep students participate in a morning practice, an afternoon academy program, as well as a full day of teacher driven college prep classes.

ATA has 12 hard courts, two red clay courts as well as 3000 square feet of fitness training space and school and classroom space.

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david@growingchampionsforlife.com

FREE WEBINAR

“How to Discuss Performance Issues with Your Child and Remain Friends”

Thursday, October 15th

9:00 pm EST

45-minute live webinar plus Q&A with David!

Click Here to Register Now!

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Grayson Broadus Checks In From Notre Dame

Dear Fellow Teammates,

My college experience has been wonderful so far. Overall college life is a lot busier than high school life. I can never afford to waste time. The material or amount of school work isn’t too overwhelming if you stay on top of things. Classes are for the most part pretty large with a 100 plus students and most courses are lecture based. I find it is much more efficient to look at the PowerPoints ahead of time in order to be able to write down more and understand more during class – a practice I was introduced to at ATA College Prep. Studying and learning the material from every class is crucial because we have daily quizzes. The biggest difference between high school and college is that missing class for tournaments is a nightmare of an experience academically, especially because tests have to be taken ahead of time. However, you have all the resources necessary to succeed. Professors are very helpful during their office hours, student-athlete counselors are always checking in on you to help you stay on top of things, and I have tutors available to me whenever I request them. This is essential and has already helped me tremendously. Also cramming last minute is incredibly hard and rarely works based off of what I have heard from fellow students. Lastly, you are trying to work really efficiently in order to get to bed at a decent hour in order to be ready for practice the next day.

College tennis and practice is a lot different than junior tennis practice. Every practice is approached with “dual match intensity.” If you think Coach Doug or Newman yelling at you is rough than you are in for quite an awakening. Practices get very loud and heated. Everyday you have something to prove and if you aren’t giving it your all you will most definitely find yourself losing and receiving quite an earful. However, practices are very fun because people are encouraging you, yelling your name, and recognizing everything you do well. Your teammates are always there to pick you up. On the other hand the coaches are not your “Friends” during practice. The words that are stressed most in practice are physicality and infinite toughness. Practices are incredibly intense with few breaks and you are always fighting the urge to bend over. Fitness is the same way and even tougher. Not taking an ice bath is a mistake.

Even though college is quite intense and packed with work, I love the environment. I couldn’t ask for better teammates, friends, professors, or college campus. If I could change one thing to prepare myself better for college it would be to make the most out of every minute in practice and not go through the motions some days. Even if you may be the one of the best players at practice, in college it is an absolute dog fight no matter what position you played the year before. If you aren’t exhausted after a couple minutes of practicing then you aren’t practicing right. Overall, ATA College Prep was great preparation for college in the classroom and on the court and I am very thankful to have been apart of the community.

I wish all of you luck this year,

Grayson

Parks Wins Bracket in Intercollegiate Tournament

Andrew Parks former College Prep student and ATA academy player went 5-1 this past weekend and won his singles bracket for the Air Force. There were 3 other teams besides the Air Force competing, Utah, Weber State University and Montana State University.

Austin ITF – Thursday Order Of Play

Here is the order of play for Thursday at the Austin ITF – Thursday OOP. Good luck to ATA College Prep’s Abigail Chiu and partner Nadia Gizdova as they take on the top seeds!

ATA CP Students Praise Facility Changes

With the school year well underway at ATA College Prep, the students and teachers are settled into a rhythm in the new facility. In case you missed it, ATA CP Director Carol Hagar described much of the transition that happened over the summer in a recent post.

Now that students are fully focused on everything from French to Physics, they, too, offered their reflections on the changes.

“The new school facility for the ATA College Prep program has greatly altered the way we operate everyday,” said junior Abigail Chiu. “The new and improved buildings give us a more school-like feeling that allows us to access more resources in a more convenient space. Being closer to the courts, with more people/coaches around, has already kept me more accountable, and this is what I most appreciate. Hopefully we can all use this change to our benefit and strive to be even better student athletes.”

Payton Holden, a senior heading to Princeton University next year, echoed Abigail’s sentiment.

“I like the new school building much better because it allows me and the other students to transition from practice/lessons to school very quickly and effortlessly.”

With the school space now on the same campus as the courts, fitness center, pro shop and coaches offices, there is more of a cohesive tone between the major focal points of the program: to strive for excellence in academics, athletics and character. Alejandro Rodriguez, a junior in his second year at CP, agrees.

“ The new school facilities at ATA College Prep have redefined the way that students here study, train, and improve. The close proximity to the courts allows us to play even more than before, and the new facilities are high end, comfortable and make it easy to learn. Very excited about this year and the years to come!”

To learn more about the ATA College Prep program, please contact Carol Hagar at Carol.Hagar@AustinTennisAcademy.com.

Austin ITF – Wednesday Order Of Play

Here is the Order Of Play for Wednesday of the Austin ITF. Good luck to ATA College Prep’s Abigail, Payton and Alejandro!

Austin ITF – Tuesday Order Of Play

The Austin ITF is well underway. Qualifying is complete, and singles started smoothly. To see the order of play for day two, click this link – Tuesday OOP-Revised!

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