Blog – Page 8 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

WTA Player Returns Home To ATA To Coach

The Austin Tennis Academy is excited to announce the addition of one of its alums, who spent the past 10 years playing on the WTA pro circuit, to the ranks of full-time coach in our programs. Ashley Weinhold trained at ATA as a junior player, as well as a pro player.

“No ATA student has been as clear about their goal from an early age as Ashley Weinhold,” said Coach Jack Newman, CEO and Owner of Austin Tennis Academy. “Her number one goal from the age of eight years old was to be a professional tennis athlete. She maintained clarity about that goal throughout her junior tennis career, and then applied the work ethic necessary to reach it. Her professional attitude and drive started early. The end result was to become top 200 in singles, top 100 in doubles and to compete in the game’s biggest stage: the Grand Slams.”

Spending a decade on the tour after reaching the pinnacle in junior tennis, winning the USTA’s G18’s Hard Court Nationals, translates into a wealth of experience, knowledge, and standards Weinhold says she’s excited to impart on players at ATA. “My standards might be a little different than everyone’s standards just because of the world I’ve been around,” said Weinhold. “There are things I like to hold people accountable for – things like footwork, your effort, your attitude, and hold players to a certain standard that you can’t get away with certain things, even if you’re playing college tennis your college coach isn’t going to want to see. I might be hard some times on the the players, but I hope later in life they realize it was because I care and it was good for them.”

While she admits it’s going to take a little bit to get used to stepping on the court as a coach not a player, Weinhold feels blessed to be making her coaching debut at a place she calls home.

Click here if you would like to know more about Ashley.

ATA Adds Tennis Locker App To Improve Methods

Dear Parents,

As you know, the Austin Tennis Academy is constantly seeking better, more advanced training methods to make our tennis program the leader among juniors tennis programs. Given this commitment, it only made sense for us to select Tennis Locker as our official player development app.

What is Tennis Locker—and what does this mean for you and your child?

Tennis Locker is an app that combines cutting-edge technology with insightful analytics to help us develop smarter, faster, and better athletes than ever before. It also keeps parents more connected, engaged, and informed—ultimately allowing us to offer a better experience to you and your child.

Some of our favorite features include:

● Easy Attendance Tracking — Coaches will record attendance with a quick tap of the finger, and you’ll have easy access to see when your player attended practice.

● Systematic Daily Evals — During or after practice, coaches will rate athletes on 4 different metrics, and you can check in at anytime to see how your player is performing and improving over time.

● Accurate Fitness Testing — All fitness tests will be recorded using the Tennis Locker app, so you and your player can view specific test results and trends throughout the season.

● Documented Practice Matches — Coaches will use Tennis Locker to assign practice match opponents, ensuring your player plays a wide variety of skill levels. Plus, win/loss records will automatically be recorded for you and your player to view at any time.

● Motivational Leaderboards — As a fun way to keep players striving for more, your player will be able to view program leaderboards based on performance metrics, practice match history, and more.

● Insightful Analytics — Tennis Locker uses charts and graphs to show you, your player, and our coaches how your athlete is improving over time, what to focus on in the next practice, and more.

● Clear Goals & Progression — Coaches can assign individualized goals to athletes, complete with push notifications to remind your player to work hard even outside of practice.

● Full Events Calendar — All ATA events will be conveniently stored within the app, so you can check on upcoming events and deadlines anytime, anywhere.

● Easier Communication — Thanks to Tennis Locker’s handy push notifications, you’ll never miss another important message about canceled practices, sales in our pro shop, upcoming events, tournament deadlines and more!

● FREE to Parents & Players — We’re excited to invest in Tennis Locker to offer you and your player a better training experience. We’re even more excited to announce that Tennis Locker is absolutely free for parents and players!

Many of you already are using tennis locker. For those who do not currently use the App, please keep an eye out for a follow up email in the next few days that will include a link to download the Free Tennis Locker app for iPhone and Android, as well as important login details.

Parents of players under 13 will also receive additional information in regards to providing your consent, which must be given in order for us to use Tennis Locker as part of your child’s training.

If you have any questions or concerns, as always, we are here for you. Thank you for choosing the Austin Tennis Academy. We are excited to continue using the TennisLocker App to engage our players on a totally different level on and off the court.

With best regards,
Jack Newman

Austin Tennis Academy

Nico Jamison Featured in Article by USTA Intermountain Colorado

WRITTEN BY: USTA CO HQ

It’s been said that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree, and in the case of 5-star recruit, Nico Jamison (Nicholas Jamison III), the tennis ball doesn’t fall far from the family tennis tree.

Well-known in tennis circles for his competitive AND courteous nature, the 15-year-old, who attends Frontier Academy in Greeley (which doesn’t have a tennis team), will most likely play for Greeley West High School. Nico’s father, Nicholas Jamison II, also played there and won a state title.

Nico finished 4th in singles and won doubles at the Intermountain Sectional Level 3 that was in Denver in June. He has competed strongly in a number of national events, collecting dozens of wins and numerous podium finishes (top-6). He was also the 2018 USTA Colorado Boys Sportsmanship Award Winner.

Having tried many sports as a younger child, including hockey, baseball and soccer, Nico said tennis was the only sport he had a true interest in.

Describing himself as a stronger doubles player than singles player, his appreciation for the camaraderie and friendship side of tennis comes through clearly when asked about where it comes from in him to be so competitive, while also being recognized for his strong sportsmanship.

“It comes from being able to know when you are on the court it’s time to compete”, he said. “Be a humble winner- it’s your time to shine, your time to find a way to win. But off the court it’s time to be friends with other players.”

Nico lights up when talking about his tennis friends including but not limited to Lawrence Li, (his frequent doubles partner), Andy Schuiling , Valerie Negin, Hardy Owen, Caden Hasler, and Adam Kartzinel. He also appreciates the hard work and commitment of coaches, Austin Mayo and Jack Newman.

In fact, his favorite moment ever on the court came last year at the quarter finals of winter nationals winning an extremely tight match doubles match with Li, closing it out with a serve and put away volley.

“That was a great moment for both of us,” Nico said.

Planting the sportsmanship seed early in his life, mother Jennifer Jamison, who came from a dance background taught Nico to “respect the court, respect your equipment and most of all, respect the opportunity you’ve been given to play the game.”

“Nico loved working really hard,” she said. “He had the drive and the self-motivation to allow us to support him in his goals.”

Supporting him meant committing as a family to the time, tournaments, and coaches needed to get to the next level.

Entering into his freshman year of high school, Nico relays a maturity beyond his years, talking about why some players have poor sportsmanship.

“I think that can happen when the desire to win in tennis is just too big,” he said. In that case, there are probably better options for you.”

He also explains that it’s not just what you do on the tennis court that helps get you to the next level.

“The results do not just appear. The results appear after weeks, months, and sometimes years of hard work on and off the court, Nico said.

New Service For ATA’s CP and Academy Players

The Austin Tennis Academy is pleased to announce the addition of health care services to all college prep and academy players starting August 1, 2019. We have teamed with Texas State University’s Department of Health and Human Performance to contract one graduate assistant athletic training student. This new addition will allow us to provide multi-disciplinary care to our student-athletes in injury management and collaborate with the current professionals at the academy on sport performance.

Athletic trainers (ATs) are highly qualified, multi-skilled health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers work under the direction of a physician as prescribed by state licensure statutes. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association, Health Resources Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services as an allied health care profession. For more information on athletic training please visit this link.

Woocheol Choung will join our team in August 2019. He has two bachelor’s degrees: Bachelor of Science in Health & Human Fitness Management from Woosong University in Daejoen, Korea and a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Weber State University in Ogden, UT. While working part time as a graduate assistant with the Austin Tennis Academy, he will be pursing his Master of Science in Athletic Training from Texas State University. He will work under the direction of a licensed physician in Austin, Texas. Details on the physician Woocheol will be collaborating with will be sent in a future email.

The addition of these new medical services calls for all College Prep students to complete a pre-participation evaluation form. Each student-athlete will need to have an annual physical dated after April 30^th, 2019. The physical form (click here for the 2019 physical form) must be completed prior to the first day of school in August. All academy players participating in after school tennis can provide the physical form specific to your independent school district. Academy players should also turn in a physical form to ATA prior to the start of the Fall semester.

2019 End-of-Year Party

Thank you once again to the Malyshev’s for allowing the ATA community to come together at their home for our 16th Annual End-of-Year Party.

If you missed the event or want to take another look, here are some pictures of the speakers and award winners from throughout the evening, as well as the video that closed out the night.

Coach Of The Year – Ryan Rowe

Parent Of The Year – Sheri Gordon. Abigail is pictured above accepting the award for her mother.

Most Improved Award – Jack I.

Most Improved Award – Tony K

Most Improved Award – Kenna E.

Most Improved Award – Coco W.

Mentor Award – Jett W.

Mentor Award – Abigail G.

Mentor Award – Callie C.

Mentor Award – Keana M. (not pictured)

Student-Athlete Award – Shriniket

Student-Athlete Award – Sarah S.

Student-Athlete Award – Sasha M.

Student-Athlete Award – Bailey F.

Spirit of ATA Award – Juan A.

Spirit of ATA Award – Clark S.

Spirit of ATA Award – James C.

Spirit of ATA Award – Coco W.

Spirit of ATA Award – Brooklyn P.

Ambassador Award – Caroline W.

Ambassador Award – Jett W.

Work Ethic Award – Larry L.

Work Ethic Award – Elliot W

Work Ethic Award – Caroline W.

Work Ethic Award – Callie C.

Work Ethic Award – Bailey F.

Competitor Award – Julianna C.

Competitor Award – Tony K.

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Callie C.

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Bailey F.

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Caroline W.

MVP Award – Bailey F.

MVP Award – Callie C.

MVP Award – Caroline W.

This event, along with a few others, is a staple in the ATA calendar that not only builds community but provides yet another opportunity for our students to grow by practicing something that often makes them uncomfortable: public speaking. Three of our alums and nine of our seniors gave speeches during the event.

The night ended with a music video highlighting the 2018-2019 year at ATA. Take a look:

Congratulations ATA College Prep Class of 2019!

ATA College Prep is a unique learning environment that produces extraordinary results and this year’s ceremony and graduating class were no exceptions. Bailey Forgus will attend the University of Chicago; Callie Creath will attend the University of Tennessee, and James Burdick will attend Babson College.

Years of dedication, discipline and a great deal of heart have opened these doors for these young graduates. A new tradition began this year with the ceremony taking place under a tent on court 3. Having graduation on campus where the graduates have grown up allows friends and family members to better understand the ATA College Prep experience.

The ceremony consisted of commemorative videos chronicling each graduate’s development and highlighting memorable moments, followed by a special mentor selected to speak on their behalf, and then each graduate addressed the community, honoring those that contributed to making this moment possible.

ATA College Prep Humanities Lead, Tommy Collins gave the keynote address and sent our graduates off with a powerful parting message:

“By coming to CP, and signing on to the universities where you are headed, you are committing to a life of discernment, of critical thinking, and of engagement. Valuing and living by those attributes are often incongruous with the world around you. “

After receiving their diplomas and moving their tassels to the left, in traditional form, the graduates pass down the responsibility of leadership and mentorship to the rising seniors, symbolically represented by the passing of the ATA ball.

Prior to the graduation ceremony, guests enjoyed the ATACP Annual Art Exhibit, featuring creative artwork created by students throughout the year.

“It’s always so gratifying to see the students’ work all framed and hung on the wall—you might say that a piece of art isn’t truly finished until it’s on display, being shared with others.” – Shaela Rutherford, CP art instuctor.

For more photos capturing this special event, visit the ATA College Prep Facebook and Instagram pages.

Thank you to the entire community for celebrating and being part of this memorable evening honoring Bailey, Callie and James!

ATA Summer Tennis Camps – Info Here

ATA’s summer tennis camps begin June 10th! We have wonderful camps for kids of all ages and skill levels. Take a look at the video below to get a window into what our camps are like:

Sessions

Summer Grand Slam Camp – June 3-7 – (SuperChamp Only)

Week 1: June 10-14

Week 2: June 17-21

Week 3: June 24-28

Week 4: July 1-3 (Mon – Wed ONLY)

Week 5: July 8-12

Week 6: July 15-19

Week 7: July 22-26

Week 8: July 29- Aug 2

Week 9: Aug 5-9

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)

Click Here To Sign Up For Camps

Payton Holden, CP Alum and Princeton Junior, Earns NCAA Doubles Bid

Former ATACP standout and current Princeton Tiger Payton Holden earned a spot in the 2019 NCAA Doubles National Tournament with partner Ryan Seggerman.

The duo is the 33rd ranked team in the nation by the ITA, and were as high as 17th during the season. They joined the 32 team field after starting as an alternate.

Holden and Seggerman will face the 4th ranked pair of Oli Nolan and Henry Patten from UNC Asheville in the opening round. Play is set to begin Tuesday in Orlando, Florida at the USTA National Campus.

For fun, here is a throwback of Payton in 2009 at ATA…..good luck, tomorrow, Payton!!

ATA Alums Kerrigan, Wright, Bartlett Honored For College Success

Over the past few weeks, a number of ATA’s graduates have earned awards and recognitions for their accomplishments at the next level.

ATA College Prep graduate Kristin Kerrigan, an Air Force Academy Freshman, earned Female Rookie Of The Year in the first annual Bolt Awards – recognizing top performers across all sports as voted on by the cadets.

Georgia Wright, a freshman at Washington & Lee, earned Old Dominion Athletic Conference Rookie Of The Year. Georgia logged 12 wins in singles and 15 in doubles while helping her team to the ODAC conference title.

Chase Bartlett, an ATA College Prep graduate and current St. Edward’s University junior, earned the 2019 Heartland Conference Player of the Year award. Chase rebounded after being sidelined by an injury to end the year ranked top 40 nationally in both singles and doubles.

Congratulations to these three outstanding athletes as well as all of the other ATA grads who are currently competing at the college level!

ATA Upgrades College Prep Classrooms

Over Spring Break, you might have noticed a bit of construction in the Fitness Center. Over those weeks, we made some changes to improve the ATA College Prep classrooms to meet the needs of the growing program.

First, we moved the wall, adding about 8 feet to each of the original spaces. With new carpet, paint, A/C units, replaced whiteboards, and relocated electronics, the space has undergone a major enhancement.

“The classrooms feel brand new,” said Tommy Collins, CP’s Humanities Lead. “The added space makes the rooms brighter and provides enough room for everyone to spread out comfortably.”

The two upgraded classrooms pair with the dedicated school building across campus that houses 3 other classrooms, a common area, and teacher offices. Check out the new spaces the next time you are in the ATA Fitness Center!

ATACP Raises Butterflies For EmilyAnn Theater

This month, ATACP students had the privilege of raising caterpillars to butterflies on the behalf of the Emily Ann theater. The EmilyAnn Theater and Garden was founded in 1998 to celebrate the life of Emily Ann Rolling by providing a permanent home for Shakespeare Under the Stars, a program in which Emily excelled as an actress and costume designer. The mission of the EmilyAnn Theater and Garden is to reinvest in the dignity of the human spirit through the performing arts, the beauty of nature and community fellowship.

After receiving the caterpillars an idea sparked in our critical thinking class and before we knew it the students were hard at work creating a habitat for our new fluttering friends. We successfully raised ten painted ladies to release in our butterfly garden today. With the largest monarch migration underway, we are hoping our butterfly garden will attract some new tenants.

For more information about the Emily Ann Theater and Garden visit:

http://www.emilyann.org/about.html

Chinese Immersion Students Visit ATA College Prep

A group of five middle school students from Taizhou, China recently visited ATA College Prep. Arriving in the United States for a cultural and language exchange program, they first toured San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Stanford University, and the Google and Facebook offices. They then toured Hollywood, La Jolla Beach, and Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum and the Grand Canyon before making their way to Austin, Texas.

Excited students arrived in Austin and joined with their American host families. (A big thank you to the Malyshev family for hosting one of the students during their stay). Students shadowed in local elementary and middle schools, including a day at ATA College Prep. They interacted with CP students while learning in classes, playing American board games, and hitting tennis balls. CP students embraced this experience as an opportunity to learn about a new culture and share pieces of their own. And CP Chinese language students had an opportunity to put their language skills to the test.

This young and growing cultural and language exchange program is championed by ATCP instructor and owner of Westlake Chinese Academy, Mrs. Yang Wang, who expressed that it has been an eye-opening experience for all the students, as well as the Chinese teacher who led their group. Not only have they been exposed to U.S. history, geology, religion, daily American life and food, but also they had the opportunity to put into practice the English they have studied for many years. Mrs. Wang explained that most of the students come from only-child families and had never been away from home. “During this trip, I have seen the kids growing quickly – learning how to take care of themselves, organize their things, and share with others,” said Mrs. Wang. In the future, these children hope to attend a U.S. high school or college. By shadowing American students, they have a firm grasp of the differences (and the similarities) between American prep schools and Chinese prep schools, as well as how to prepare for admissions.

Two of the visiting students were a part of ATACP Director Carol Hagar’s English class last summer as part of this program in Taizhou, China. Linda and Amy were so excited to be reunited with Carol for the day!

“Studying abroad is an ideal opportunity to open the mind and the heart to cultural diversity and to broaden deeper understandings of humanity. ATACP is honored to be a part of this exchange program – connecting people across the world through heartful education. We look forward to many more shared adventures.”, says Carol Hagar.

ATA CP’s BAILEY FORGUS NAMED NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST!

ATA College Prep senior, Bailey Forgus was named a 2019 National Merit Scholar Finalist. To put this award in perspective, approximately 1.6 million students take the PSAT each year. Of the juniors who take the exam, about 16,000 (or 1{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9}) earn scores that qualify them as Semifinalists. This group is narrowed down to 15,000 Finalists.

Although CP students have been commended in previous years, Bailey is ATA College Prep’s first NMS Finalist! This is a testament to Bailey’s commitment to excellence, his tireless effort, and perseverance and qualifies him for a college scholarship.

Bailey has attended College Prep since his 8th-grade year and has been prepared for this moment through learning experiences designed by the inspirational CP staff. So much love, effort, and support have contributed to this accomplishment and all should share in the pride and joy.

“Bailey has earned this award through years of disciplined effort. He made this possible by investing time in time preparation, but also by taking a challenging slate of courses and making the most of his classes throughout his high school career,” commented Bryan Rutherford, CP’s Math & Science Lead.

Bailey will attend the University of Chicago in the fall of 2019. Congratulations Bailey!

Junior Team Tennis Registration – Info

Dear ATA Parents and Players,

Junior Team Tennis Spring season is quickly approaching! JTT is an awesome opportunity for players to compete within a team environment, set goals, be exposed to challenging competition, receive on-court coaching and play for something greater than individual merit. Teams are based on age and development level. It is a perfect first competitive experience for JD and QuickStart players (there is even an 8&U Red Ball division) who have never played tournaments and it is a valuable vehicle for more experienced players to work on various areas of their game. League winners in several levels will represent Austin at the state tournament this May 18-19 in Midland, TX.

The last several seasons have seen multiple ATA teams represented in the state championship as well as the national championships. ATA has won 5 national JTT championships over the past few years and also dozens of state titles!

FAQs

Schedule? Tentative start of the season is February 17th. Matches are played Sunday afternoons and consist of 8 game pro sets (2 sets to 4 in 10U divisions). A typical day begins with a warm-up 30 minutes prior to start time and matches last for approximately two and a half hours. Players should plan to stay through the end of the match and support their teammates. Half of the matches are played at ATA and the other half at the opponent’s sites in Austin.

Commitment? Teams consist of 4-8 players who must commit to playing a majority of the matches. If an occasional conflict arises, it is imperative to communicate with the coach to prevent a default. We schedule JTT matches best we can to not conflict with Challenger, Champ and Superchamp tournaments. For each match, teams are assigned a coach/academy player. There have been times when coaches are traveling and academy players are in tournaments and we may ask the help of a parent.

Cost? $150 for the season and players must be a current member of the USTA or be willing to register. Become a member online at www.usta.com and click on membership. Fee of $20/year includes access to all USTA tournaments, leagues and a subscription to various tennis publications. Any player 10 & Under who needs to register for the first time gets a FREE membership!

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the number of matches per season, because it depends upon how many teams in the city register and how well the team does.

HOW TO REGISTER

Please reply to our JTT Coordinator, Coach Carrie at carrie.kalapala@austintennisacademy.com to register or if you have any questions. Coach Carrie will be putting teams together and players need to sign up by Feb 1st, if you would like your son/daughter to be part of JTT. Schedules will go out after JTT captains meeting on February 11th. Please include when signing up player’s level (See below), birthdate, and USTA membership number. Player must be eligible in their age bracket until the end of the season May 31st.

Levels:

USTA Ratings

8U Red Ball

10U Orange Beginner

10U Orange Intermediate (Plays challengers)

10U Green

12U Green ball

12U 1.9 & Below

12U 2.4 & Below

14U 2.4 & Above

14U 2.9 & Below

14U 3.4 & Below

18U 2.9 & Below

18U 3.4 & Below

ATA College Prep : Did You Know?

Did you know?

ATACP is an independent private school, the youngest and smallest program fully accredited by Advanc-Ed (the largest accrediting body in the world), the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools, and TEPSAC (Texas).

Our 2015-2018 graduates’ SAT score ranges are far above the national average and rank number two of all surveyed private and public schools in Austin.

Reading/Writing: 600-780 Math: 600-800.

ATACP curriculum and pedagogy does not teach to standardized tests, but our students perform well.

Recent graduates have been admitted to University of Chicago, Pomona, Princeton, Amherst, Notre Dame, Us Air Force and US Naval Academies.

CP has an online communication system for assignments, grades and messaging between students, teachers, parents, and coaches. Staff members collaborate weekly to discuss and best serve each student. The average class size is 8.

Students participate in a Leadership program to practice self-awareness, goal setting, and intrinsic motivation that includes neuro-targeted learning and metacognitive skills through daily inspirational reading, written reflection, and Socratic dialog.

Students lead a Mentor-Mentee program and peer tutoring in math labs and study halls enhance collaboration skills and increase understanding of previously learned skills.

We host monthly Field Trips and Guest Speakers.

Students read an average of 8 novels per year and analyze, annotate, discuss, and write research papers and reflections on numerous supplementary poems and short stories each year.

Students use day planners and follow a college schedule, which encourages time management and organization as they learn to manage their study hall times and lessen after school homework.

We foster a Growth Mindset. We teach students that learning is a life-long process and grows with time and effort. We focus on effort, attitude, and work ethic.

If you would like to learn more about ATA College Prep, visit our classes, or arrange a shadow day for your child, please contact Carol.Hagar@AustinTennisAcademy.com.

Happy Learning!

2018 ATA Holiday Party Pictures

Take a look back at some highlights from the 2018 ATA Holiday Party!

Gallery Notice : Images have either not been selected or couldn't be found

2018-2019 Winter Tennis Camps at ATA

Winter Tennis Camps at ATA are around the corner! We have options for kids of all ages and levels. The camps are designed to provide the greatest development of your child’s physical, mental, technical, and tactical performance levels.

Dates:

December 31st, 2018 – January 4th, 2019

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 $175/week ($40/day drop-in)

Morning Camp $300/week ($80/day drop-in)

Tournament Tough Training Camp $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.

ATA 18U Advanced Dream Team Wins JTT National Championship

Austin Tennis Academy’s 18 and Under Junior Team Tennis ‘Dream Team’ secured their spot as the nations top team last week in Florida. The JTT National Championships brings together the top 32 teams from around the country – the ‘Dream Team’ represented the Texas Section, taking down Ohio out of the Midwest Section in the Finals.

“JTT nationals is probably my favorite tournament ever,” said Dream Team member Caroline Wernli. “The energy was so high the entire weekend, everyone was playing amazing tennis, and the teamwork and support were amazing. The best moment was definitely the finals warm-up; we were listening to music and getting so hyped because we knew we had a chance to win a championship.”

This year’s championship team consisted of Callie Creath, Caroline Wernli, Megha and Anushka Dania, Bailey Forgus, Juan Abboud and Blaine Kanak. Two of the Dream Team members – ATA College Prep seniors Bailey Forgus and Callie Creath – logged their 2nd JTT national title after winning the same event in 14s back in 2014.

“I felt immensely proud to be representing Texas with my teammates,” Forgus said. “The feeling of winning for my friends and the section was far more satisfying than winning at an individual tournament.”

While the Advanced team competed in their event, ATA’s Intermediate team fought for their own national title, ultimately bringing home the 2nd place trophy. The two teams played at the same facility throughout the event and were able to support each other throughout like they do daily at ATA.

“Seeing James and Alex really step up and play some amazing tennis after all of the hard work they’ve put in over the last few years was one of the best parts of the event,” Bailey said.

Juan Abboud echoed the team-focused takeaways.

“Winning the national championship with my teammates was the best feeling. Representing the State of Texas…sharing the same bank of courts as the intermediate team and cheering them on till the very end…it was truly a remarkable experience!”

If you missed the event, the entire Finals match is available to watch right here:

Alumni Update: Annika Pandey Checks In From UChicago

Hi everyone!

My name is Annika Pandey and I am a first-year at the University of Chicago. We have just finished our 5th week of classes and midterm exams. Tennis is in “offseason”, which means we no longer have official practice with our coaches, but we do have “captain’s practices” and lifts with our trainer. During our fall season, we played two tournaments, one in Rhode Island and one in Michigan, our ITA Regionals. Overall, my college experience has been really great so far.

One thing I want to talk about is sacrifice. As a student-athlete, I know all of you are already familiar with this concept, but sacrifice has become a huge part of my life in college. I have so many responsibilities I need to take care of on a daily basis. In college, you will find that you have school and tennis to take care of, which in my opinion, should be your top priorities. Then you have extracurricular activities and clubs, social life, career advancement opportunities, and sleep and mental/physical health to consider as well. There are not enough hours in the day or days in the week to do everything you have to or want to do. You are going to have to make sacrifices on a daily basis in order to do what’s best for you or your team. When I first got to UChicago, I didn’t understand this. I thought I would be able to do everything I wanted or had to do. I tried to do everything and I ended up exhausted, stressed, and unhappy, while not even accomplishing what I wanted. Now that I’ve acclimated to college life, I get that I can’t do everything. It is so so important to have your priorities straight and use your time efficiently and effectively.

A piece of advice I have for y’all as you prepare for college is to develop strong communication skills. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be an effective communicator. Learning to communicate with others can literally change your entire college experience. Whether it’s communicating with professors or TAs (become friends with your TAs!! They grade everything in your classes and basically control your fate), coaches, or students, you can open so many doors for yourself. One thing I’ve learned at UChicago is that your ability to communicate and make connections with people is just as and sometimes more important than your grades. The relationships you build now could end up getting you an incredible internship over the summer that translates into a job post-graduation.

The final thing I want to say is to appreciate what you have right now. When I was in high school I couldn’t wait to go to college, move away from home, and be independent. While college is awesome, it’s a whole different ball game. It can be really hard at first when you don’t have a support system around you to help you through tough times. The ATA community is so supportive, and I think you’ll find that when you go to college, you won’t have the same environment to rely on all the time. School is really hard, tennis is a demanding time commitment, and everything else going on can really take a toll on you. You’ll learn to juggle everything eventually, but it’s definitely a struggle at first. Be grateful for everything you have right now because it’s all definitely very special and finite. College is kind of like being thrown into the deep end of a pool where you have to learn to swim with little or no help from others. I promise once you learn to swim it’ll be so fun and great and an incredible experience though!!

I would love to answer any questions anyone has about college or the college process so please feel free to contact me if you want to talk!

Best,

Annika Pandey

Pictures From The Courts and The Classrooms

Below are a few recent pictures from ATA College Prep tennis practices and classes. To see many more, head over to our social media pages! Links at the bottom:

Juan gets set for a forehand. Later in this point, he hit a perfect tweener – camera guy wasn’t ready, though…

Sydney locks in on a backhand.

The English I students focus on an in-class writing assignment.

Kaylee and Harrison…and a lizard.

To see more tennis photos, click here!

To see more photos from classes and around campus, click here!

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