We recently received an update on the Gonok Village deep borehole well project.

Over the past few months, REST (a Relief Organization of Tigray, and regional non-profit partner of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation) has worked with the Gonok community to establish a WASHCO, which is a very small unit of government created to take care of the water project and a tabia-level board for the new Deep Bore Hole well. The WASHCO includes 10 community members and the tabia board consists of experts on water supply, agriculture and rural development, health institutions, women’s affairs, education, and farming.

This is important because in the past we have not had this level of structured management around our DBH projects. While there has been a WASHCO associated with Glimmer water schemes, the new WASHCO is larger and has defined responsibilities. The tabia board is a new addition to Glimmer DBH project management, and it will help the Gonok community manage the day to day activities associated with the DBH and also act as an advocate for the Gonok community if there are issues that need to be escalated to the woreda level, such as major repairs.

The community has opened a bank account for the DBH, in which the woreda and the community deposit money into as well as any tariffs collected after the DBH is in use.

This is interesting because the money has been collected upfront, which shows that the local government and community are strongly committed to the project!

The project continues to move forward and we are excited to see the conclusion of this massive project in sight. The following will be happening in June and July:

• Site clearing for water distribution points
• Purchasing and supply of local materials, like sand and gravel
• Bidding process for solar pump
• Trench excavation and pipe installation for water distribution network
• Construction of water reservoir stand

Thursday evening the ATA community honored Conor O’Meara, as he signed with DePaul University to join their men’s tennis team for Fall 2015. DePaul University is a Division I school in Chicago, Illinois. He will be pursuing a degree in film. Congratulations Conor!!!

DALLAS 12’s and 14’s

Coach Newman on notable player performances he watched this weekend.  

Harrison Chiu finished 4th in B14 ‘A’ draw, very competitive in matches he lost.  He will compete for sectional title.

Max Schmidhauser scrapped his way to victory in B14 ‘B’ draw, competed extremely well with calm demeanor and great sportsmanship!

Jack Lum playing Monday tennis, extremely clear about his game style.

Megha Dania won the backdraw in G14s ‘A’ draw for her second SCMZ in a row.

Coach Lucie on notable player performances she watched this weekend.

Caroline Wernli won her 2nd straight singles SCMZ in girls 12’s A draw.  She is getting better and her game style is becoming more aggressive.  She handled being the #1 seed with poise and fought her heart out in every match.

Sarah Darbar had a break-through tournament in doubles, winning the girls 12’s A draw with her partner.  Sarah and her partner were impressive with their attacking game styles and their command of the net.

Lily Schiffman got 4th in her singles 14 B draw, winning several matches in match tie breakers, showing consistency and grit.

Ela Raczka and her partner won Girls 14’s A draw doubles crown, dominating the field!

HOUSTON 16’s and 18’s

Coach Brandon on notable player performances he watched this weekend.

Callie did a great job at this event. She beat two girls she had never beaten before and got 5th place in the Girl’s 16s A draw! She really took a step forward in her ability to play committed tennis in difficult situations, and it paid off. I am looking forward to what her summer has in store for her!

Kristin was very close to having a big breakthrough tournament. She lost two extremely close matches against higher ranked players along with winning 2 back draw matches. She is on a great path and I know she will be making some waves throughout the summer this year!

Grayson had a good event winning a three hour war in the QF against a very solid player then turning around and barely losing the SF against eventual winner Aron Pierce. He just ran out of gas in the hot and humid weather but I thought he did a great job of setting himself up for success at Summer Grand Slam.

Bailey did a fantastic job of battling through a shoulder injury and winning his back draw on Monday. He was in a lot of pain and won a difficult match and it was gutsy! I was proud of his performance.

The 12 and under intermediate Junior Team Tennis team, ATA Devastators, took 2nd place in the Texas section this past weekend in New Braunfels! The team played 4 team matches and only dropped 4 sets out of 20.  Gabrielle Flores also took home the Sportsmanship Award for the event, voted on by the opposing teams. ATA also had their 10 and under team, ATA Smashers, competing in the USTA, Texas sectionals.

Pictured above (left to right) Devan Sabapathy, Jake Riezebeek, Neha Dania, Keana Moon, Gabrielle Flores, Adi Iyer, Ross Cockrell and Coach Carrie.

This Thursday May 14th the Men begin and Friday May 15th the Women begin the round of Sweet 16 of the NCAA Team Tennis Championships. Baylor University is hosting the event, which will see the top 16 Men’s and Women’s teams converge on Waco to determine the best team in the nation. Both Men’s and Women’s semifinals will be on Monday, May 18th.

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ATA Academy players and Westlake High School students Julian and Marcus Sweeney teamed up to earn their way into the Texas UIL State Tennis Tournament.

“It’s fun playing with Marcus because since I am the big brother, I’m calling the shots and running all of the plays,” Julian said. “The most challenging part is keeping our energy up, which is one of the most important things in doubles.”

The duo won four matches at District and another 5 matches at Regionals. With two teams from each Region qualifying, the Sweeney brothers will be one of just 8 teams from across Texas to compete for a State title.

“The most fun thing about playing with my brother is that I know that no matter if we win or lose, I know that we will remember whatever happens for the rest of our lives,” Marcus said. “The most challenging is that on the court, we don’t always get along, and it requires a lot of teamwork to work through the challenging times.”

The Sweeney brothers will take the court at the State Tournament on May 12-13 in College Station, TX. Good luck, boys!!!

ATA CEO Jack Newman was part of a USTA focus group with outgoing player development head Patrick McEnroe as well as director of men’s tennis Jay Berger.  In addition, representatives from the USTA Texas Section and five other coaches from Texas participated in the discussions about TEAM USA tennis, the USTA player development plan to develop US tennis champions.

Newman and McEnroe pose for a picture.

The 2015 USTA National Spring Team Championships unfolded last week, with two ATA players coming home with hardware. ATA teammates Caroline Wernli and Abigail Chiu stayed aligned in Alabama as they competed together to bring home a highly cherished Bronze ball.

“This week in Mobile was something I’ve never experience in junior tennis,” said Abigail. “The team aspect and energy was so special to be apart of, and I’m so happy to have earned third place with our team, the Diamondbacks. I am very excited to bring home a bronze ball, not only for myself, but along side my ATA teammate Caroline.”

Abigail, pictured second from left, and Caroline, fourth from left, pose with their teammates. 

The tournament brings together 256 of the best juniors from around the country with 32 boys and 32 girls representing each age division – 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s. Players are then assigned to 32 teams that include 16 boys and 16 girls and one team coach selected by the USTA.

The event begins with two days of training and education, followed by four days of competition. The Spring Team Championships is a National Level 1 Ranking Tournament – the pinnacle of USTA National competition.

Abigail and Caroline pictured third and second from the right.

Congratulations to all of the players who made it to this prestigious event, and good luck in the upcoming tournaments!

ATA Academy players regularly compete in singles as doubles practice matches to prepare purposefully for each event. Last week, a group of players took the court in a team-tennis style duel match, including both singles and doubles. Below are a few pictures from the action.

Jackson and Kyler share a laugh after winning a point in doubles.

Jack Nichols gets air as he crushes a forehand return.

Shriniket bends a second serve out wide to start a point with partner Josh.

Ela Razcka stares the ball down as it catches the line for a winner.

For more pictures, visit out Facebook page!

This Spring Break, 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, and well have a great time. Sign up now for a full week or a single day!

Sessions

March 16-20, 2015

Times

QuickStart Camp 9:00am – 10:30am (age 5-8)
Morning Camp 9:00am – 12:00pm
Tournament Tough Training Camp 1:00pm – 4:00pm
High Performance 2-A-Day SuperChamp Camp 7:00-10:00am, 1:00-4:00pm^*

Cost

QuickStart Camp $150/week ($40/day drop-in)
Morning Camp $275/week ($80/day drop-in)
Tournament Tough Training Camp $375/week ($90/day drop-in)
High Performance 2-A-Day SuperChamp Camp ($500 per week or $125 per day)

QuickStart Camp

9:00am – 10:30am ($150 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 ($275 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.

High Performance 2-A-Day SuperChamp Camp

7:00 – 10:00am, 1:00 – 4:00pm ($500 per week or $125 per day)
This is a special Spring Break Camp option for high-performance SuperChamp players only. Players will focus on everything from competitive game situations to technical training, as well as strength, movement and flexibility training.

Policies

1. Registration must be made online.
2. Payment in advance is required to reserve your slot.
3. ATA camps are held rain or shine. Indoor sessions are held in the event of inclement weather.
4. No refunds or make-ups for days missed.
5. Weekly rate applies to that particular week only (no carryover).
6. Medical Release and Hold Harmless must be filled out online.
7. Lunch may be purchased if ordered in advance for $7.
8. Players may leave credit card on file to cover pro shop purchases, lunch, etc.
9. Private housing may be available. Email info@austintennisacademy.com to inquire.
10.  Early drop-off and late pick-up is available upon request for $50 per week.