Blog – Page 9 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

Alumni Update: Hannah Harrod Checks In From George Mason

Hi Coach Newman,

I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to send a quick update.

I’m not going to lie, college started off a little rocky for me. Being so far away from home made it hard to adjust, but once school and tennis started time has flown by. I can’t believe it’s already been 7 weeks since I’ve been here. I’ve already made so many new friends and I love my team.

From my time at ATA, and my year having around 12 girls, it has really prepared me for my college team. I’ve learned how to deal with certain situations and in college that have really helped me. My college team brought in some drama from last year, and from being new it was hard to find my place at first. Before our first tournament the team vibe was not positive and I knew I had to stand up for our team. I reached out and made it a point that we are going to have a great year if we endlessly support each other which will then give ourselves the best chance we have. I was nervous to stand up and say something because I’m a Freshman, but ATA taught me how to be a leader and how to make a difference.

For the younger teammates to prepare for college I would say to come in knowing who you are. As you enter in this new place, you get to start all over. No one knows you from high school or your past. So, knowing your morals and values are very important in defining yourself. You have to be strong in who you are because you don’t have that safety net to fall back on like you do at home with your friends.

In high school trying to juggle school, tennis, and friends was complicated, but it taught me how to manage my time. College is all about time management, and thanks to high school and ATA I am able to manage my time very well. Also, ATA’s fitness is way harder than any of my college workouts have been so far. Having dedicated fitness coaches who know what is best for a tennis player is something rare. In saying that, do not take for granted what ATA is providing you with. Thank you Coach Josh and Coach Dio for helping mold us into strong athletes. In college our trainer does not really take our workouts that seriously or know the best things for us to do as tennis players which is unfortunate.

If I could do something different as a Junior to prepare myself better for college tennis I would of not put so much pressure on myself with results or ranking. In college no one cares about your junior results or what tournaments you won when you were 15. What matters is how you fight for your team, not just for yourself. Now you are playing for something much bigger than yourself and you have the responsibility of competing for your school and your team.

GO PATS!!!

Thank you and I hope everyone is doing well!!

Joyfully,
Hannah Harrod

Alumni Update: Georgia Wright Checks In From W&L University

Hi, ATA community and especially younger players,

I am Georgia Wright, a current freshman at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. After starting school at the very beginning of September, I have now gotten a feel of what college is like regarding both the academic but also athletic expectations. I personally love college here and know without a doubt I made the right decision. There is definitely a great sense of balance here and that is just what I wanted in my college experience.

In the classroom, the professors do expect diligence and dedication but I think it is important to remember that they are people as well. Washington and Lee is a smaller school with the classes being around 20 people so it is very easy to form a relationship with the professor, but I recommend no matter how big the class is to make an effort to talk to your professor because it can only help you in your class and grade. In classes, I recommend starting assignments as soon as possible to give yourself time and reduce stress.

Time can be a tricky thing as you think you have much more than you did in high school, which is true because you only go to class for 1-4 hours a day possibly, however, don’t let it get out of hand and just think you have an endless amount of time. Get your stuff done sooner than later and then you do have more time to do whatever you want without stress. Especially playing a college sport, DI, DII, or DIII, you have to do your work in a timely manner because no matter you are expected to perform and show up to every practice. As an athlete you do have less time than a non-athlete however, in my opinion, it really just helps you time manage more. I still have time to do other things that I want to do besides school and tennis in college for sure, just have to allow yourself enough time.

Regarding tennis, I do love my team and my coaches. We have very high goals for this year so the coaches are really expecting the freshman to make a major impact. I just finished my fall season which was around 5 weeks during which I played a grass court tournament in Rhode Island at the International Hall of Fame. I saw Annika and Wilson there so just know you can never “get rid” of your ATA people. Anyways, my team totally resembles my crew of ATA girls and I am so happy that is the case. The practices are different than ATA and I would say easier but I know I am still getting better, however, thank you ATA for preparing me for my college practices. My coaches do expect me to take care of myself, go to the trainer when I need to, and focus while at practice, but meanwhile stay very on top of my work as they know school here is the most important thing. However, don’t let that scare you – all of those things are possible while in college, trust me.

Something that I have noticed while here is that it can be very hard to stay in touch with people outside of your school just because you become so preoccupied with your new life here, as you should be. However, it is still important to make an effort to communicate with your best friends even if that is just once a week or two weeks because they are still important. Also with your family, just text them with some updates because as you make all your own decisions now and are living more your own life, they still want to know generally how you are doing.

In retrospect of my ATA career and if I wished I did anything differently, I think I am overall pretty happy with how I both balanced school and tennis but I think the key thing in all of this is: balance. Train hard at practice, work hard at school, but also allow yourself to do things you love while you are home because in college you aren’t there anymore. Also, as I said earlier, balance is very important in college as you now have new classes, new people, new coaches/ team, and new social opportunities.

Current rising juniors and seniors, my advice to you is: do what you love, have fun, and it will all work out. Your hard work will pay off. I hope everyone is well at home!

Sincerely, Georgia Wright

Alumni Update: Roger Chou Checks In From Brown U

Hello ATA,

My name is Roger Chou and I am a freshman at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Now that we are heading into the seventh week of classes, I have a better understanding of Brown’s culture, community, and academic/athletic programs. I am more than happy to say that I absolutely love everything at Brown, from the stunning campus to the student/administrative body to the academic and athletic opportunities. Without a doubt, I made the perfect college choice.

The most noticeable difference from high school, and especially being a college athlete, is time. Having a heavy STEM class schedule is a greater time commitment as most of my classes are accompanied by conference or laboratory sections. I usually have classes from 9/10AM to 2PM and practice from 3/4PM to 6/7PM. If I’m not in class or studying, then I am playing tennis and vice versa. I’ve never had “free time” or a moment when there was nothing to be done. Managing your time effectively is the key to success (I learned this the hard way).

Looking back on my high school years, I wish I had learned to make more decisions by myself. It’s difficult to make your own decisions when coaches, teachers, Asian tiger parents, and peers are constantly pulling you in different directions. Being a college athlete requires a higher level of responsibility and maturity as you don’t have outside resources to help make decisions for you. At the end of the day, you and only you know what is best for yourself and it’s not your job to satisfy another person’s expectations.

ATA prepared me well for my college years. I believe the efforts of the staff and students there will continue to benefit me throughout college and throughout life. I would advise current students to keep working hard and enjoying what they do because no matter what happens during the journey, everything is going to work out.

Best wishes,

Roger.

Alumni Update: Synclair Larson Checks In From Northern Colorado

Hi Coach Newman and ATA,

Hope everyone is doing well. Coach Newman has asked us to write about tips we would give for college and what we would do differently to prepare. I am currently halfway through my first semester of college and let me start with this. Whoever says the first week of college is fun lied. Being in a new place with new people I would be lying if I told you the first week that I was here I didn’t cry on the phone to Coach John. He told me it was all going to work out and yet again he was right. I now consider my teammates my best friends and I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.

One thing I have noticed in college is communication is very important. Communicating with your professors about missed classes and makeup work is a skill that is very necessary in order to stay on top of your school work. Time management and keeping track of classes are also very important. With a given schedule of what is due for the whole semester in the first week, it is your job to stay on top of dates and what you need to get done.

A throwback of Synclair to 2013

As for tennis we just finished our fall season and coming up on off season in a few weeks. ATA has done a great job with teaching how to be an accountable teammate. On my team, if someone is late or not wearing the correct uniform we are all held accountable. College is a lot of fun and freedom, but you get out exactly what you put in whether its school or tennis it’s all on you. If you are deciding between playing college tennis or not I would say do it! Although sometimes it is difficult I have made so many friends by being a student athlete and my team has become a second family to me.

I am beyond happy with my life here at Northern Colorado and I would love to hear from you!

Best,

Synclair

ATACP US Gov, History Students Turn Courts into Colonies

The ATA College Prep juniors and seniors in U.S. Government teamed up with the middle-school U.S. History students to participate in a cooperative learning activity last Friday. Students were given a territory and resources in order to form a colony – their objective was to accumulate enough resources, through negotiations and trade with other colonies, for their colony to thrive.

Older and younger students were paired together, and students were given 45 minutes to complete their mission. Obstacles to overcome were distance, time, shortage of certain resources, and aggression from neighboring colonies.

“The activity was a fun way to access the topics we’ve been talking and reading about in Gov and English while getting out of the classroom and moving around,” said junior Alex Sheddan.

ATACP US Government teacher Jennifer McEwan led the students through the exercise and found it to be a successful learning experience for them.

“This simulation gave students an active, hands-on opportunity to cooperate, negotiate, and problem solve. At the conclusion, parallels were drawn to the colonial experience in the United States and the obstacles of post-revolutionary America. Students enthusiastically participated and had fun while learning!”

2018 ATA Scholarship Shootout – Photos

The 2018 Austin Tennis Academy Scholarship Shootout weekend was fantastic! From the Shootout Party at Sonesta on Friday to the nail-biting victory by team OLD SCHOOL, it was a weekend of fun in support of a great cause. Enjoy some pictures from the weekend:

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ATA College Prep Ahead of the Curve with Student Voter Registration

Each Friday in Leadership, the first class of the ATA College Prep school day that includes all students, the group gathers to discuss current events and selections from the recent news cycle. Led by Math and Science Lead Bryan Rutherford, the students have recently unpacked things like the roles and responsibilities of serving on a jury, the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the wide variety of elected offices on the local, state, and national level, and the nearly 30 year struggle of Macedonia.

In the weeks leading up to the election, Mr. Rutherford uses parts of Leadership for a seminar called ‘Educated Voter’, where all CP students 17 years and 10 months go through the process of registering to vote and learning some of the foundational information necessary to become active, informed voters.

Keith Ingram, Director of the Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of State, recently praised ATA College Prep for being ‘ahead of the curve’ with seminars like these, weekly cultural events meetings in Leadership, and even providing transportation to the polls during Early Voting and on Election Day.

Ingram’s office is currently increasing their push to educate and register first-time voters, and Mr. Rutherford is on board.

“I’ve heard it said that a democratic system ensures that a nation gets exactly the government that it deserves,” Rutherford said. “Our system only works if citizens participate actively by getting informed about the issues and candidates and then showing up to vote. People have fought and died for the right to have a say in the government of their communities, and it’s pretty sad that most Texans eligible to vote don’t bother to turn out for most of our elections. At ATACP we are working to raise engaged, responsible citizens who take ownership of their communities at every level, and one of the ways I do that is by holding seminars for the seventeen- and eighteen-year-old students about upcoming elections and registering them to vote, as Texas says all secondary schools are required to do (though most don’t). I also talk the kids through civics in our weekly discussions of current events so that they can connect things they may hear adults talking about to their lives and futures and start to see how politics affects them.”

Midterm Elections will take place Tuesday, November 6, 2018, with Early Voting beginning Monday, October 22, 2018. The final day to register to vote in that election is Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Want to know what will be on your ballot? Visit www.VoteTexas.gov

21st Annual Little Mo Nationals – Information, Schedule

Welcome to the Austin Tennis Academy! We are excited to host the 21st Annual “Little Mo” Nationals Sept 28-Oct 1 hosted right here at ATA.

Feel free to check here throughout the event for up-to-date information.

Tournament site on TennisLink

2018 Opening Ceremony schedule – Austin Tennis Academy

3:00-3:50 Players hit on ATA courts

3:55 Players move to courts 3&4 area for photos by age division and group photo

4:45 Parents leave to go to court 9 area, kids stay to line-up

5:00-5:10 Players parade and flag procession, music – Olympic theme, Rocky, We are the Champions and say their name

5:10 Welcome to “Little Mo” Nationals – Doug

5:12 National Anthem – Claire Ashton

5:14 America the Beautiful – Claire Ashton

5:16 General Prayer – Cindy Brinker Simmons

5:18 MCB – Carol Weyman

5:21 Guest Speaker – Cindy Brinker Simmons

5:40: Tournament referee – Vickie Wright

5:43 ATA – Doug Davis

5:48 Cowboy Doug – Entertainment “Texas style”

6:10 Tournament Director -Brian Notis – Parting Words
Ceremony should end approx. 6:10 pm.

AUSTIN ITF – DRAWS, INFORMATION

Welcome to the Austin ITF and the Austin Tennis Academy! This page will host updated draw sheets, the order of play, and other information as the tournament progresses.

DRAWS

BOYS Singles

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BS-6.pdf” download=”all”]

BOYS Doubles

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BD-5.pdf” download=”all”]

GIRLS Singles

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GS-6.pdf” download=”all”]

GIRLS Doubles

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GD-6.pdf” download=”all”]

ORDER OR PLAY

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/OP-9.pdf” download=”all”]

RESULTS

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Results-7.pdf” download=”all”]

Boy’s Singles Qualifying Final Draw

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BQ-3.pdf” download=”all”]

Girl’s Singles Qualifying Final Draw

[embeddoc url=”https://www.austintennisacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/GQ-3.pdf” download=”all”]

August Action Shots from Academy Practice

The Academy players have been busy practicing throughout August for this weekend’s SuperChamp Major Zone. Here are a few pictures from the practices – to see many more, head over to our Facebook page!

Ross ‘the boss’ Cockrell

Harrison ‘h-bomb’ Chiu

Megha ‘meghatron’ Dania

Don’t forget to head over to our Facebook page to see more photos!

18th Annual ATA Pro-Am Scholarship Shootout: Registration, Sponsorships & More!

It’s that time again for a whirlwind weekend of food, forehands, and FUNdraising! In its 18th year, the Shootout has raised over $1million to support dedicated and deserving student-athletes through the Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation.

DATES

Friday, September 7th — Dinner Party & Auction at Sonesta Bee Cave Austin

Saturday, September 8th — Pro-Am Tennis Tournament at ATA

Sunday, September 9th — Pro-Am Rain Date

REGISTER

Click HERE to register!

SPONSORS

This year, we are extending patronage opportunities to local businesses with three levels of sponsorship: Championship, Grand Slam, and Master. If you or a business you know is interested in participating, we want to hear from you!

CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL – $5000 (1 available)

Title Sponsor — (i.e. “AASF Scholarship Shootout sponsored by [Business Name]”)

Championship Court Sponsor (vinyl banner with business logo, court will be referred to by business name)

One (1) reserved 10-top table at the Banquet & Auction (up to 4 optional tournament entries)

GRAND SLAM LEVEL – $3000 (first come — limited availability)

Court Sponsor (vinyl banner with business logo, court will be referred to by business name)

Six (6) tickets to the Banquet & Auction (up to 2 optional tournament entries)

MASTER LEVEL – $1000 (first come — limited availability)

Vinyl banner with business logo on ATA fence during Saturday’s matchplay

Two (2) tickets to the Banquet & Auction (tournament entry additional $100/player)

For questions about in-kind donations, or to sign up as a Sponsor, please reach out to hannahhagarcp@gmail.com.

See you at the 2018 Scholarship Shootout!

Seven ATA Alumni Named ITA Scholar Athletes

Seven Austin Tennis Academy alumni and current standout college students, four of whom graduated from ATA College Prep, earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete status as part of the 2018 ITA All-Academic Awards.

In order to earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status a player must meet the following criteria: 1.) be a varsity letter winner, 2.) have a grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for the current academic year, and 3.) have been enrolled at their present school for at least 2 semesters (including freshman through senior year).

Congratulations to the seven ATA grads and current ITA Scholar-Athletes!

Marcus Sweeney – Wesleyan University

Daniela Alvarez – Wesleyan University

Abigail Chiu – Dartmouth College

Chase Bartlett – St. Edward’s University

Pablo Landa – University of Illinois

Alejandro Rodriguez – University of Chicago

Maggie O’Meara – Utah State University

2018 Summer Tennis Camps – 4 More Weeks!

2018 Summer Tennis Training Camps

This Summer, 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

July 9-13
July 16-20
July 23-27
July 30- Aug 3
Aug 6-10

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.

June Brings Sectional Title, New Supers and Champ Players

June has yielded impressive results for a number of ATA Academy students including a Sectionals doubles championship, a few new Super Champs, a new Champ, and a handful of defeated seeds.

US Air Force Academy bound senior Kristin Kerrigan won the doubles title 6-2, 6-2 at the 2018 Summer Grand Slam.

Also at the Grand Slam, Brown-bound senior Roger Chou was runner-up for the doubles title, losing 4-6, 1-6 to the #1 seeds, before putting up a strong fight against the #5 seed in singles; Chou had split sets in the Quarterfinals of the Boys ’18 Singles before having to retire for injury.

Fresh off her Level 3 championship last month, Callie Creath came into the Summer Grand Slam strong. Creath made it all the way to the Playoffs in Girls 18’s Singles and defeated the #4 and #5 seeds in straight sets along the way.

Also battling it out at the Summer Grand Slam, Megha Dania, Anushka Dania, and Caroline Wernli all made it into the Consolation Quarterfinals in Girls 16’s Singles; Juandedios defeated the #9 seed to earn his spot in the Quarterfinal Qualifiers in Boys 18’s Singles; and Tatum Blalock defeated the #17 seed in the Girls 18’s Singles in an upset (6-3; 4-6; 12-10).

Huge congratulations to Caroline Horn (G18) and James Burdick (B18) who qualified at last weekend’s Champ Major Zone in San Antonio.

Other Major Zone successes include Clark Sweeney who took out the #4 seed on his way to the Semifinals in the Boys 16’s Singles; Mason Hart beat a personal record making it all the way to the Consolation Semifinals in Boys 14’s Singles; and after switching to lefty only four short months ago, Sydney Marin blew through the Girls 16’s Singles Consolation Semifinals 6-0, 6-3, before having to retire in the Consolation Finals due to injury.

Then, with a strong performance at last month’s ZAT, Brendan Lucero earned his way into Champs.

Congratulations to all of the ATA players who competed in tournaments recently! Check back here for updates on upcoming tournaments.

15th Annual ATA End-of-Year Party

Last night, the ATA community came together at the Malashev home to celebrate another year of growth, to recognize the standouts from within, and to look back on the events of the year. 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 presentation that closed out the night.

Coach Of The Year – Carol Hagar

Parent Of The Year – Sheri Gordon

Most Improved Award – Sasha M, Christina G, Clark W, Jett W, Sklar P

Mentor Award – Kristin K, Abigail G

Student-Athlete Award – Annika P, Jett H, Larry L, Shriniket M

Sarah S, Savannah B (not pictured)

Ambassador Award – Juan A, Callie C, Harrison C, Hannah H (not pictured)

Work Ethic Award – Argun W, Caroline W, Larry L, Sydney W, Bailey F

Competitor Award – Callie C, Sophia M

Force Multiplier Leadership Award – Kristin, Callie, Annika, Bailey

MVP Award – Kristin, Juan, Callie, Bailey

This, along with a few others, are staple events in the ATA calendar that not only build community but provides yet another opportunity for our students to grow by practicing something that makes them it often uncomfortable: public speaking.

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The evening finished with a video presentation that highlighted ATA’s original commitment to A Glimmer of Hope as well as the Walk For Water that some ATA student’s put on at our facility. Take a look:

The nightcap was our annual slideshow, featuring action shots from the year and pictures from many of the annual events. Take a look:

Action Shots From Around The Courts

As usual, the courts have been busy around ATA recently. Here are a few shots of the action recently. To see more pictures, head over to our Facebook page!

Emerson locks in on a forehand during a game of 105.

Coach Rowe offers some wisdom to his group during practice.

Annika loads her service motion before connecting with an ace.

Freddy prepares to attack a forehand while hitting in with the CP group.

The ATA Devastators jump for joy after a fun-filled weekend of Junior Team Tennis.

Click over to our FB page for many more pictures!

Upcoming Schedule, Events Around ATA

The school year is winding down, the weather is heating up, and Texas Sectionals ‘Summer Grand Slam’ is only a few short weeks away. Students at ATA College Prep and elsewhere are busy taking exams, giving final presentations, and putting finishing touches on papers. At the same time, they are logging crucial practice hours in preparation for the biggest junior tournament in Texas tennis.

While a rich and varied time of year for parents, student-athletes, and staff alike, it is also very full! So, here is some information to help keep track of what is happening around ATA.

MAY 28 – Memorial Day – NO CLASSES AT ATA COLLEGE PREP

MAY 29-31 – FINALS WEEK AT ATA COLLEGE PREP

JUNE 4 – ATA COLLEGE PREP GRADUATION – Check the ATA website for more details soon!

JUNE 7 – ATA END-OF-YEAR ACADEMY AWARDS PARTY (5-9pm) – RSVP to Liss Weinhold at lisa.weinhold@austintennisacademy.com

JUNE 4-8 – SUMMER GRAND SLAM TENNIS CAMP (superchamp only)

JUNE 11 – THE FIRST OF 9 WEEKS OF TENNIS CAMPS BEGIN AT ATA – Camps for all ages and levels begin this week. Click the link above to learn more!

See you at the courts!

ATACP Senior Kristin Kerrigan Earns Top Singles Ranking In Texas

Kristin Kerrigan will head off to the Air Force next fall. First, though, she wanted to accomplish a different long-time goal of hers: reaching the #1 singles ranking in Texas. As of last week, Kristin earned her spot atop the Texas singles rankings.

“While I don’t spend a lot of time focusing on my ranking, it was quite gratifying to rise to #1 in Texas for Girls 18’s, as this has been one of my main goals prior to heading off to compete for the Air Force Academy,” Kristin said.

According to her coach Jack Newman, this accomplishment is the result of consistent work logged over many years:

“Paraphrasing Vince Lombardi,

Becoming #1 in Texas is not a sometimes thing, it’s an all the time thing. You don’t reach a goal of that magnitude without years of dedicated work and practice to hone your technical, tactical, physical and mental skills. Kristin has been one of the most dedicated athletes at the Austin Tennis Academy the past five years. She has worked incredibly hard to accomplish one of her top goals before she heads off the Air Force Academy in June.”

Congratulations, KK!

Meet ATA College Prep’s Math and Science Lead Bryan Rutherford

“…teaches us with engagement and love…”

“…ensures that we understand the knowledge…”

“…makes his classes accessible and fun…”

“…has a genuine passion for the classes he teaches.”

“…an amazing science teacher…”

“…will always make time to explain things to you…”

Bryan Rutherford, ATA College Prep’s Math and Science Lead, has spent his life learning and helping others learn. From west Texas to Rice University, to Oakland and Austin, Bryan tirelessly soaks up what he can about the world and shares it with those around him.

“I have always been curious, and I’ve always really liked for things to make sense and be comprehensible,” Bryan said. “Galileo said something to the effect that “Nature is an open book, written by God, in the language of mathematics,” and that’s what appeals about the sciences to me: rigorous observation and mathematical description make the workings of the world around us understandable.”

Bryan grew up reading novels and history while playing competitive tennis as an only child in Odessa, Texas. After competing on the varsity team for his high school and reaching USTA SuperChamps, Bryan put down the racquet indefinitely and focused on school.

He graduated from his 6A high school as valedictorian, while taking fourteen AP tests along the way: English Language, English Literature, US History, European History, US Government, Microeconomics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics B, Physics C (Mechanics), Physics C (E&M), Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Computer Science A.

“I’ve always been interested in science and engineering, but I’ve also always been interested in literature and history and lots of other things,” Bryan said. “I’d say I got the most encouragement in studying science growing up, and that sort of directed me toward college studies in scientific fields.”

For his college studies, Bryan chose Rice University in Houston. Beyond wanting to stay in Texas, Bryan liked that Rice offers the most academically rigorous undergraduate program in Texas and has a strong tradition of multiple majors.

“The most outstanding part of college in retrospect might be the community of other engaged, curious people who want to have conversations about ideas and pursue their interests deeply.”

Bryan graduated with a B.S in physics and chemistry and a B.A. in literature. He quickly transitioned into a role with Teach For America, teaching math in a public charter secondary school in Oakland, California.

“[Those two years] forced me to learn to manage a classroom and develop curriculum, and it was a good way to learn about the challenges of educating kids from backgrounds very different from my own. In my school in Oakland I got some really good professional guidance from my department head that helped me to develop my manner and attitude as a teacher, and I found that it could be a very rewarding profession.”

In 2010 the state of California’s budget was collapsing, and Bryan’s school needed to lay off some faculty. He’d always intended to eventually move back to Texas, and he had recently gotten into a long-distance relationship with the woman he’s now married to (who was still in Texas).

“So, I made the staff cuts a little easier for my school by resigning and moving to Austin, where Shaela [his now wife] was enrolling in UT to pursue her Master’s in art education,” Bryan said.

Once back in Texas, he did some freelance teaching and tutoring for a year, working at Austin Community College and with a homeschool co-op, where he worked with Marlene Yousef, who taught at ATA College Prep for a number of years.

“Marlene introduced me and Carol, and I started tutoring here in the spring of 2011 and teaching classes that fall,” Bryan said.

Bryan didn’t always know he’d want to be a teacher professionally, but he’s always tutored his classmates and peers. As an upperclassman in college he worked for Rice’s Office of Academic Advising as a Peer Academic Advisor, giving content tutoring and study and scheduling advice to underclassmen (he also occupied a similar role at his residential college), and he worked for three years as a teaching assistant in the Japanese department tutoring first- and second-year students.

“I presume that Teach For America headhunted me based on those experiences because they recruited me during my senior year. I had found that I really enjoyed working with other students as a tutor, and I was already interested in the Peace Corps and Americorps, so I gave Teach For America a try.”

These days, Bryan is midway through his 7th year with ATA College Prep leading the Math and Science departments. He lives in South Austin with his wife, Shaela, who teaches Art at ATACP, and his two daughters, Ena and Naomi.

While he has made a profession out of passing along what he has learned and how to learn it, he, too, is still exploring.

“One of my main hobbies in recent years is writing and improving articles for Wikipedia; I’ve mostly worked on scientific and historical topics and Austin landmarks. I might spend a free afternoon researching and writing an encyclopedia article on an interesting topic that doesn’t have good coverage yet. I also enjoy reading novels and taking long walks by Town Lake, when I can.”

ATACP Alumni Update: Chase Bartlett Checks in From SEU

Throughout the year, the recent ATA graduates send Coach Newman updates of what is happening in their lives in the classroom, on the court, and around campus. Below is a note from ATA College Prep grad and current St. Edward’s University sophomore Chase Bartlett. This one stood out to Coach Newman:

“From time to time I like to share communications that I received from our former students,” Coach Newman said. “I wanted to share this communication with you because I think it is exactly what we are trying to have our students become through their involvement in tennis. His enthusiasm for life, his willingness to put himself out there, and his Drive are all infectious.”

Hi Coach Newman,

I hope this email finds you well. I just wanted to reach out and update you on what’s been going on lately. I think in the last update I sent I told you that I felt things weren’t as challenging as I thought they could be, and that I wanted to add two minors and start doing more things around campus.

Firstly, be careful what you ask for! Haha. This semester has been excruciating at times—I’m taking 7 classes and have become much more involved. I am now a member of Alpha Phi Omega, the nation-wide co-ed service fraternity (and the only athlete in my local chapter, I believe). I have been elected president of St. Edward’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which means that I now have the opportunity to start new initiatives on campus (some events that, executively, I can make mandatory for all teams). Coach Strecker and I are very excited about this and think that we can find some really cool ways to improve the relationships between the athletic teams on campus, as well as finding some big-picture service ideas that could make a difference in the local community. In DII, SAAC also has the ability to vote directly on NCCA rules and play a big role in the legislative process. It’s a pretty cool position, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated on how things change.

Other than being more involved with SAAC and APO, I was also selected to present research I did in the fall at the University of Houston for a research conference, which was a cool experience. Other work I did from fall is being published in the ’17-18 edition of our school’s academic journal (Arete). This is something that I am happy about since only 5-ish people are published per academic year. I’ll try to send you a copy of it as soon as they are published. I have also become a member of Theta Kappa Alpha, the Honors Society for Religious and Theological Studies, and believe that I will be named in the fall a member of the Honors Society for Germanic Studies. I received Outstanding Student of the Year Award for German, along with one of my other teammates.

The best academic highlight of my year was receiving the Summer Academic Excellence Award, which is a scholarship allowing me to study abroad in Germany for two months at Freie Universität Berlin, a school ranked top-75 in the world. I am going to take two language intensive courses there and one course on German culture, which I find really interesting. I am SUPER excited about this, because I’ve wanted to study abroad really badly since my first day on campus, but didn’t think I was going to have time while still playing tennis.

Tennis has also been going well. I been fighting 1-2 injuries this season, but haven’t had to take much time off. Our schedule has also been incredibly intense, and we’ve got a lot of matchplay in. I was ranked as high as #23 a few weeks ago in singles (I’m not sure what I am right now), and have played line-1 singles and doubles every match. We were the Conference Regular Season champs (basically, we won against everyone in our conference before our big tournament). AND, as I’m writing, we’re on our way back from TCU, where we just won the conference tournament!!! We beat St. Mary’s, our rival, 5-2. Luis and I won doubles against a team ranked top 10 in the nation, who we have lost to the other 3 times we played them.

Going to St. Edward’s, I couldn’t understand that a DII conference title would be something worth being excited about; after all, it’s not even nationals, let alone a D1 national championship. Let me just say: that lack of understanding has vanished, along with St. Mary’s hopes of a conference title. I have never felt more satisfied after a win than I did today, and for so many reasons. First, in my freshman year, we were down 1-2 or 0-3 after doubles in literally 95{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} of our matches. We worked so hard to improve our doubles skills as a team over the past year, and today—when we needed it the most—we went up 3-0. It was not luck. Secondly, when you spend two years training with one specific thing in mind (more specifically, a thing that you haven’t been able to get), you’ll find yourself pretty happy with all the excruciating work you’ve put in with your teammates when no one else was watching. Third, and finally, you will recognize how much your DII conference title means when you finish celebrating with your teammates and see your coach 3 courts down with watery eyes (some would say “crying,” but I don’t know how he’d feel about me using that vocabulary). I don’t know why, but that was probably one of the best moments of the year. I’ll get emotional just thinking about it.

There are other highlights from the year, but obviously, I can’t write forever. To conclude though, I got what I wanted. I have failed. I don’t know that I will keep my 4.0 or not—but, I have done so much more cool stuff by putting myself out there. I can let myself rest this summer in Europe.

As always, I hope that everything is going well back at the academy and enjoy seeing everyone when we play there. We will have one final match at ATA this weekend—Regionals—and then the winner of that goes to Nationals the following week. I’d love to see everyone there; it’s always great to have y’all’s support!

All the best,

Chase Bartlett

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2018 Summer Tennis Training Camps

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QuickStart Camp

Morning Camp

Afternoon “Tournament Tough” Camp

MAY 28 – Memorial Day – NO CLASSES AT ATA COLLEGE PREP

MAY 29-31 – FINALS WEEK AT ATA COLLEGE PREP

JUNE 4 – ATA COLLEGE PREP GRADUATION – Check the ATA website for more details soon!

JUNE 7 – ATA END-OF-YEAR ACADEMY AWARDS PARTY (5-9pm) – RSVP to Liss Weinhold at lisa.weinhold@austintennisacademy.com

JUNE 4-8 – SUMMER GRAND SLAM TENNIS CAMP (superchamp only)

JUNE 11 – THE FIRST OF 9 WEEKS OF TENNIS CAMPS BEGIN AT ATA – Camps for all ages and levels begin this week. Click the link above to learn more!

Hi Coach Newman,

All the best,

Chase Bartlett