Staff – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

USTA AWARDS TOP HONOR TO AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

Austin Tennis Academy is one of 41 Tennis Facilities from Across the Country Honored for Excellence

ORLANDO, Fla., August 28, 2024 – The USTA today announced that the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas, is one of 41 winners in the USTA’s annual Outstanding Facility Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country.

Austin Tennis Academy COO Deb Cahill and Coach Brian Notis with Todd Carlson from the USTA at the USTA Outstanding Facility Awards ceremony in the indoor building at the 2024 US Open on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 in Flushing, NY.

“Outstanding tennis facilities like the ATA help us to grow the game at the grassroots level, and we are proud to recognize them for their ongoing impact on the sport of tennis,” said Theodore Loehrke, Managing Director, Section Partnerships, USTA. “The great work of ATA continues to support our shared mission of growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.”

Facilities were judged on the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics (including the use of signs and landscaping); amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities’ participation in grassroots tennis programs.

Nominated facilities were voted on in the following categories: Public Courts that are either small tennis centers with 2-11 courts or large tennis centers with 12 or more courts; Private Facilities that offer both USTA and public programming designed to help grow tennis (small: 2-11 courts; large: 12 or more courts); and Educational Institutions such as colleges, universities, public and private grade schools, middle schools, or high schools. All 2024 award winners will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign, which can be mounted at the facility.

The 2024 USTA Outstanding Facility Award winners are:

Public Courts: Small Tennis Centers (2 to 11 courts)

Academia Puertorriqueña de Tenis (San Juan, P.R.)

Casper Tennis Complex (Casper, Wyo.)

Center Recreation Complex Gallagher Tennis Courts (Lexington, Mass.)

Littleton Golf and Tennis (Littleton, Colo.)

Schaumburg Tennis Plus (Schaumburg, Ill.)

Telluride Racquet Club (Telluride, Colo.)

Waveland Triangle Clay Tennis Courts (Minneapolis)

Public Courts: Large Tennis Centers (12 or more courts)

Arthur L. Allen Tennis Center (Naples, Fla.)

Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning (Bronx, N.Y.)

Darling Tennis Center (Las Vegas)

Denton Tennis and Pickleball Center (Denton, Texas)

Frank Veltri Tennis Center (Plantation, Fla.)

H-E-B Tennis Center Harlingen (Harlingen, Texas)

Leftwich Tennis Center (Memphis, Tenn.)

O’Connor Tennis Center (Montgomery, Ala.)

Pelham Racquet Club (Pelham, Ala.)

Pompano Beach Tennis Center (Pompano Beach, Fla.)

Sioux Park Tennis Facility (Rapid City, S.D.)

Washington Tennis & Education Foundation East Campus (Washington, D.C.)

*named USTA Featured Facility of the Year

Small Private Facilities (2-11 courts)

Alpine Hills Tennis & Swimming Club (Portola Valley, Calif.)

CourtSense at Bogota Racquet Club (Bogota, N.J.)

Dedham Health and Athletic Complex (Dedham, Mass.)

Forest Highlands Golf Club (Flagstaff, Ariz.)

Life Time Frisco (Frisco, Texas)

North Carolina State University Club (Raleigh, N.C.)

Pearson Automotive Tennis Club (Zionsville, Ind.)

Sea Pines Country Club (Hilton Head Island, S.C.)

Tennis Addiction Sports Club (Exton, Pa.)

Large Private Facilities (12 or more courts)

Austin Tennis Academy (Austin, Texas)

Canebrake Country Club (Hattiesburg Miss.)

Genesis Health Clubs – Saw Mill Club (Mt. Kisco, N.Y.)

Germantown Cricket Club (Philadelphia)

New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club (New Orleans)

Omni Amelia Island Resort (Fernandina Beach, Fla.)

Educational Institutions

Barbara S. Wynne Tennis Center (Indianapolis)

Grand Haven High School (Grand Haven, Mich.)

IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Lichtenberg Tennis Center (West Point, N.Y.)

Mark Reilly Tennis Center (Jeffersonville, Ind.)

Middle Tennessee State University Tennis Complex

PayCargo Tennis Center (Miami)

USTA HONORS AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY COACH

ATA’s very own Brian Notis is being recognized by the United States Tennis Association – USTA – for his 30 years of service as a tournament director. In light of this month being National Tennis Month, the USTA chose May as the perfect time to present Notis with its Blue Ribbon Tournament Director Award.

“Coach Brian Notis is, hands-down, the best tournament Director in the United States” said Jack Newman, Owner and CEO of Austin Tennis Academy. “He(Notis) has run tournaments of all sizes and types. He understands the tournaments software and he understands the tournament participants and their families. ATA could not be prouder, and believe this is a well-deserved award.”

The Blue Ribbon Tournament Director honor was first awarded in 2015 to recognize top junior tournament directors in the country, and then the program stalled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coach Notis is the first person to receive this award in four years.

“I’m both honored and humbled to receive this national award,” said Coach Brian Notis. “I’m so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from so many great folks who have challenged me to raise the bar for our tournaments including Coach Newman and my Winter Nationals DNA team.”

Click here if you would like to read the USTA article about honoring Coach Notis.

ATA HOSTS 2024 GRADUATION AND 2024 END OF YEAR PARTY

As the 2023-24 school year draws to a close, Austin Tennis Academy and ATA College Prep will be hosting two special events coming up later in May: Commencement and the End of Year Party for Academy. Both events will be held on the grounds of the tennis center.

Graduation will take place the evening of Wednesday, May 22 in celebration of CP’s graduating class of 2024: Kenna Erickson, Ethan Martelli, Graycen Edwards, and Kendall Cedar.

Doors will open at 6:30 PM for viewing of the Senior Tables with Commencement beginning at 7:00. There will be a dessert reception immediately following the ceremony.

Then, the following evening, Thursday, May 23, it’s the annual End of Year Party.

Happy Hour begins at 6:00 PM followed by heavy Hors d’oeuvres with the official program getting started between 7:15-7:30 PM. This annual event is where Academy players find out who’s earned which Academy Awards for the year.

Junior Tennis Player & Parent Virtual Conference Features Coach Newman

A great educational opportunity for junior tennis players and their parents is coming up on Sunday, June 9 ~ the Junior Tennis Player and Parent Virtual Conference. The online event, organized by Lisa Stone of Parenting Aces and Danielle McNamara, former Yale Women’s Tennis Coach and current recruiting consultant, is focused on helping junior tennis players and their parents learn valuable tips and strategies on how to successfully navigate the junior tennis pathway.

The inaugural conference will feature some of the most successful and experienced junior and college tennis coaches in the country, leading experts in sports performance and tennis industry representatives. In fact, ATA’s very own Jack Newman is one of the coaches tapped to speak at the event. “I’m very excited about being part of this conference,” said Coach Jack Newman, ATA Owner and CEO.

The online event will last three hours – from 9:00 – 12:00 EDT – and the cost to attend is $30. Now here’s one of the biggest perks to registering for the event – even if you can’t attend the entire time period or be a part of it at all on June 9, all of the event’s sessions will be recorded and made available to conference registrants following the event. The organizers say whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, this conference is perfect for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of today’s competitive junior tennis landscape and how to navigate it.

Click here to register.

ATA PLAYERS SIGNING TO PLAY COLLEGIATE TENNIS

One of the most significant events in a junior tennis player’s career is their Signing Ceremony, and there are two ATA seniors we will be celebrating this coming Thursday, February 15.

Ross Cockrell will be signing to play tennis at Colorado College in Colorado Springs in the fall and Tucker Taylor will head to Roger Williams University in Rhode Island to begin his college tennis career.

We’re proud of the work and dedication these two have put in necessary to realize their dreams of playing collegiate tennis, and we hope you’ll join us for their Signing Ceremony. There will be speeches, lots of laughs, even a few tears shed, and of course, cake.

Join the celebration Thursday at 6:00 pm at Austin Tennis Academy.

JACK NEWMAN RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS HONOR

Coach Jack Newman is known as one of the finest and longest-tenured junior development coaches in the United States. He founded tennis programs at Fretz Tennis Center in Dallas, at St. Stephen’s school in Austin, and finally, the Austin Tennis Academy. And anyone who knows Coach Newman knows he’s a man who has left an indelible mark on not only tennis, but hundreds and hundreds of people. In recognition of who he is, what he’s done, the difference he’s made, and the impact on lives he’s had, the USPTA Texas presented Coach Newman with the Tut Bartzen Lifetime Achievement Award.

Coach Newman officially received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the USPTA Texas Annual Conference held this year in Irving. “When I was first informed that the Texas Section of the USPTA was honoring me with a lifetime achievement award I had mixed emotions,” said Jack Newman, Owner/CEO, Austin Tennis Academy. “I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I still got a lot of life to live!!!'”

The Tut Bartzen Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a member (Coach Newman has been a member for 40 years) who has demonstrated exemplary achievement in seven areas throughout their career: contributions to the USPTA and USTA; achievements in teaching and playing both on and off the court, contributions of time and expertise to other organizations and/or charities, and commitment to growing the game through published articles, presentations, education, and communications.

“As I’ve thought about this honor what resonated in my mind was all the people who contributed to MY lifetime of achievement,” said Coach Newman. “It starts with a college friend Jerry Schwartz, who invited me to spend the summer at his house when we were in college. I came to Dallas and started working at Fretz Tennis Center.”

“My colleagues at Fretz who aided in MY achievements,” Newman pointed out, “included our boss Babs Givens, coaches Andrea Rains, Joe Dinnoffer, Larry Whitson, Tim Barnard, Jeff Robison, Raymond Gonzales and many others who pushed me to be better. My coaching colleagues met through the DPTA who also contributed to my success included Nony Michulka, Sally Frame, Kathi Eckels, David Redding and David Anderson both doubles partners who carried me. While I was in Dallas I started relationships with others in our business who helped accomplish things including: David Blakely, Cynthia Shipper, Phil Parrish and many others.

Newman added, “When I left Dallas to help my friend Eric Schmidhauser start a program at St. Stephen’s boarding school, I had another group of folks who pushed me to be better. Those colleagues included Eric and Lucie Schmidhausers, Vince Segovia, Deb Cahill, Doug Davis and many others. And when we left St. Stephen’s to strike out on our own and found the Austin Tennis Academy, those same colleagues joined the journey.”

Along the way, Newman acknowledged, there have been many parents who influenced his philosophy including the Melmends, the Stahls, the Youngs, the Hacketts, the Smiths, the Kaufmanns, the Offerdahls and the Gubsers and so, so many more.

“After 20 years at the Austin Tennis Academy,” said Newman, “I have tried to surround myself with coaches and teachers smarter than me and they have added to MY achievements; people like Dio Miranda, Brian Notis, Bryan Rutherford, April Erickson, Doug Davis, Carol Hagar, Deb Cahill, Duey Evans, Vince Segovia, John Schoenmakers, Ryan Rowe, Norm Houston, Shiamaa Elsisi. Additionally, the list of students who became colleagues grows ever longer; coaches like Chase Bartlett, Chase Curry, Brandon Davis, Ashley Weinhold, AJ Garcia, Jake Rother, Tommy Collins. To those I have failed to list who added to this career I apologize, senior moment!”

And finally, Newman said, “As I have said on many occasions the student makes the coach and my students have certainly made me a better coach and person, and helped me accomplish many achievements. That includes folks from ATA stretching all the way back to the Fretz days: Melanie Rogers, Ted Bowie, Carla Rosenberg, Lance Cowart, Andrew Dobbs, Lynden Melmed, Eli Stahl, Doug Moore, Loren Collins, Neil Kenner, Andrew Menter, Craig Ackerman, all three Davis brothers, Roger Gubser, Mattew Bain, Kewa Nichols, Lindsey Pereira, Josh Hagar, Bailey Forgus, Nico Jamison, and so, so many more too numerous to name. My achievements are tied to my relationships with them and their families.”

Also during the 2024 USPTA Texas conference, as a featured speaker, Coach Newman delivered his presentation, ‘Developing Culture that Drives Results.’

Click here to view a ‘Congratulations Video’ for Coach Newman; and click here to read the USPTA’s release about Coach Newman.

CATA NAMES ATA COACH ‘2023 COACH OF THE YEAR’

The Capital Area Tennis Association named Ashley Weindhold its 2023 Coach of the Year. The awards were handed out during CATA’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. Weinhold was out of town during the event so her father, Guy Weinhold, accepted the award in her honor.

CATA holds the event each year to recognize those in the Austin area who make invaluable contributions to the sport as well as the organization both on and off the court.