Uncategorized – Page 8 – AUSTIN TENNIS ACADEMY

Alumni Updates: Abigail Chiu Checks in From Dartmouth College

Hi Coach Newman and the ATA community!

I just ended my first quarter at Dartmouth College which was filled with many ups and downs, but overall, a very successful first term. Going to college, I had to settle into many new changes that I faced when I first stepped foot on the Dartmouth campus. These changes consisted of constantly meeting new people, adjusting to a newly decorated dorm room, becoming comfortable with my team and coaches, and learning to live on my own for the first time. It was definitely a culture shock and at times extremely hard for me to adjust to. Being so far from my friends and family is hard, but I am glad to say that I am now really happy and enjoying every moment here. While there are similarities with ATA, there are definitely major differences that have surprised me in both good and bad ways. The first thing I will tell you about college tennis is that once you join the team, you are not so special anymore. The special attention that is given to you at ATA no longer exists. You are now part of a group and everything is divided among a dozen other people so with that being said, be a team player.

The first day of practice I learned the hard way. I was playing a point against a senior, missed a shot and told myself not to miss it again. Later that practice, my coach came up to me and told me that next time, I must tell my teammate that she hit a good shot, and I can honestly tell you that it was an extremely embarrassing, and humiliating feeling. After that practice, I cried walking home because I missed my coaches, my friends, and my family. I did not adjust to this new coaching as well as I had hoped, and I had a hard time balancing my success with my team’s success. But at the same moment, I realized that regardless of whether or not I think I am better than the person across the net, I am going to have to put my head down and work to earn my position on the team. The coaches at your college are not going to care if you’re winning every practice match; they care about you being open-minded to their coaching and most importantly, that you’re supporting each and every teammate including the one you’re competing against.

My advice to you is to start now, and every day leading up to your first college practice. This means constantly cheering on your teammates, high fiving them when they do something good, or pumping them up when they need the encouragement. It doesn’t matter if you had a bad day at school, or there’s something on your mind; your coaches and your teammates chose you to be on that team, so you better be the best teammate you can be. College tennis is a whole new sport because now you’re playing for more than just yourself. You are now playing for an entire team, for the pride of your school, and for the many college tennis teams that came before you. Luckily, I learned quickly the importance of team and was able to apply that to my tennis.

Overall, I had a pretty successful first term, winning my region in doubles and being able to compete at nationals in California. It was a big honor for me to represent Dartmouth at the national level, and a feeling I will never forget. College tennis is something amazing but it’s just one component of your college experience. As far as school is concerned, I would advise you to take classes that you’re interested in because when you’re passionate about the class, school is so enjoyable.

Something that really shocked me about school is that doing homework is one of my favorite things. That sounds extremely nerdy but I promise that if you choose classes that really interest you, those late nights in the library are so fun and worth it. In terms of school work, I also suggest you completing your assignments the day they’re assigned because being a student-athlete, sleep is extremely important. It is also a huge relief to know you’re ahead in school when you have upcoming tournaments or dual matches.

My piece of advice when it comes to the social aspect of college is to be willing to meet all types of people, especially outside of the tennis team. When you go to school, you are surrounded by people with all different types of ethnicities, beliefs, experiences etc. I have only been to college for ten weeks but have already met some of the most interesting people who I know will add great value to my life.

The last thing I can tell you is to really appreciate the relationships you have at home and at ATA. With that being said, try your hardest to strengthen those as best you can before you leave. I went through some terrible days extremely homesick and I promise there’s nothing more you want than to be able to call your friends, coaches, and family. I was struggling on the tennis court because I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to be playing, but luckily Coach Doug and Coach Dio were two people who really helped me get back to where I needed to be. Another thing that may be helpful is to ask your private coach at ATA to develop a good relationship with your future college coach. Your ATA coach knows your tennis game, and you as a person better than your college coach so with that help, you will really benefit yourself well when you’re struggling. That very thing is what makes the Austin Tennis Academy special and if you take advantage of the special people around you, you will always have them when you need them the most.

Good luck to everyone in the upcoming tournaments and in the college search!

Abigail

Two Weeks Of Winter Tennis Camp At ATA – Sign Up Now!

2017 Winter Tennis Training Camps

This Winter, your child can take advantage of the Austin Tennis Academy’s Winter Camps to progress at a rapid rate. The camps are designed to provide the greatest development of your child’s physical, mental, technical, and tactical performance levels.

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Dates:

Week 1 – December 26th, 2017 – December 29th, 2017

Week 2 – January 1st, 2018 – January 5th, 2018

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 Week 1 (Tue – Fri): $140/week ($40/day drop-in)

QuickStart Camp Week 2: $175/week ($40/day drop-in)

Morning Camp Week 1 (Tue – Fri): $250/week ($80/day drop-in)

Morning Camp Week 2: $275/week ($80/day drop-in)

Tournament Tough Training Camp Week 1 (Tue – Fri): $300/week ($90/day drop-in)

Tournament Tough Training Camp Week 2: $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.

ATACP’s Annika Pandey Named National Merit Commended Student

ATA College Prep senior Annika Pandey has been named a Commended Student in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing her in the top 5{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition.

“This recognition is a tribute to Annika’s long-term dedication to her studies, work ethic, and perseverance,” said ATACP Director Carol Hagar.

Around 50,000 Commended Students are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise, all of whom entered the competition by taking the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“I think the biggest factors that contributed to my success were my parents because they always push me to do my best and set high goals and academics have always been really important to us,” Annika said. “I also think Carol and College Prep have helped me keep up with the material a lot. Mr. Rutherford and Coach Tommy have also kept me really challenged in the classroom so that has definitely helped.”

Annika is currently narrowing her college choice as she moves through her second to last high-school semester. Over the past month, she has visited Claremont McKenna College in California, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and MIT in Boston.

“I really liked all of them, but I found that campus atmosphere and student body were two things that were really important to me so I think I will be making my final decision based on those two criteria,” Annika said.

Wherever she lands, Annika is angling for a well-rounded experience in college. While medical school is the post-grad plan, a major in anything from International Studies to Business or Economics over biology or chemistry spikes her interest most at the moment.

“I want to be challenged in college of course and being in an area where there is a lot to do is important to me,” Annika said. “I’m really excited to be a little bit more independent and sort of gain my footing in the world while learning a lot and spending time with interesting and ambitious people.”

Congratulations, Annika!

ATA Adds Experience, Energy With Coach Shaimaa Elsisi

The Austin Tennis Academy has hired Coach Shaimaa Elsisi as the latest addition to its standout coaching staff, CEO Jack Newman announced recently.

“Shaimaa will be an excellent addition to the ATA coaching staff,” Newman said. “She brings college coaching experience and an incredibly positive, high energy level to practice.”

Elsisi joins the ATA community after spending the past year as the Volunteer Assistant Coach at Baylor University, where she landed after moving from Florida. While in the sunshine state, Shaimaa took the court for Troy University where she competed for the Trojans and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees.

A native of Cairo, Elsisi was one of the top ranked junior players in Egypt before moving to the United States to play college tennis. She helped the Trojans to a winning record each year that she played at Troy.

“Tennis has taught me everything,” Shaimaa said. “Matches have given me mental strength, practice has given me stamina, tournaments have given me social skills, team competition has given me spirit, traveling has given me experience, participation has given me the best friendship…. tennis has given me my soul!”

After serving as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s and women’s teams at Troy, Shaimaa moved on to a head coaching position at Hillsborough Community College where she stayed until relocating to Baylor.

“I am a coach because of my passion for tennis,” Shaimaa said. “I chose to become a coach to give back to the sport, to impact my student-athletes’ lives in a positive way, to help them succeed on and off the court, and to give them the opportunity that my own coaches gave me as a student-athlete.”

That passion she mentions stems from a family full of tennis players including her sister, who is the head coach at Troy, her brother, who coaches professionally back in Egypt, but all started with her father.

Shaimaa, center, pictured with her sister and brother.

“I learned how to walk on a tennis court,” Shaimaa said. “My late father (my favorite person in the whole world) was a tennis coach and he took me to his work every day and I fell in love with tennis because of him! It was our special place! I love tennis and it’s my happy place and every time I stepped on the court in my playing years it felt like it was my first time!”

In addition to being an accomplished tennis coach and player, Elsisi is an exceptional student, earning her bachelor’s degree in sport and fitness management with a minor in recreation and her master’s degree in sports and fitness management with a concentration in sports administration. She now applies this love of learning to her students.

“As a coach, I learn everything I can about every student-athlete—not every individual responds in the same way,” Shaimaa said. “My goal is to learn what motivates them and keeps them engaged to give them the opportunity to develop their skill level in a structured learning environment that constantly challenges them while providing them with both encouragement and support.”

Off the court, Shaimaa loves traveling and visiting family and friends. She enjoys playing golf, softball, watching Disney movies with friend’s kids, and reading about nutrition and health issues.

After her first few weeks around ATA, one thing has stuck out to her that distinguishes this place from the rest.

“It’s culture! I loved it right away and I felt home the minute I walked in and I loved how welcoming everyone was right away,” Shaimaa said. “Everyone is very professional and very friendly. Kids are respectful, and they work hard on and off the court. They have great attitudes and are very coachable. The staff is great and passionate about what they do and they care about the kids on and off the court. It’s definitely a place that I can call home and family! I feel very lucky to be part of the ATA family and I’m very grateful to Coach Newman for this wonderful opportunity.”

Welcome to the ATA community, Coach Shaimaa!!

Academy Players Set To Slide Into ClayCourt Nationals

Many of the top Academy players have logged long hours on the Chiu Family Clay Courts at the Austin Tennis Academy over the past weeks. The group has worked to get their footing on a different surface in preparation for the USTA National ClayCourt Championships, beginning this coming weekend. Here are the ATA players who earned a spot in this prestigious event:

Boy’s 18s

Wilson Hamilton

Alejandro Rodriguez

Bailey Forgus

Boy’s 16s

Juan Abboud

Harrison Chiu

Max Schmidhouser

Boy’s 14s

James Cockrell

Nico Jamison

Boy’s 12s

Ross Cockrell

Girl’s 18s

Annika Pandey

Callie Creath

Girl’s 16s

Anushka Dania

Megha Dania

Caroline Wernli

Jaclyn Cockrell

Girl’s 14s

Santianna Chrysopoulo

Sasha Malashava

Good luck to all of the ATA athletes competing over the next week, and check back here for updates and results after the events!

Extra Week Of Summer Camp Aug 14-18

ATA Summer Tennis Camps are in full swing! From QuickStart to Afternoon Tournament Tough Camp, kids of all ages and levels are having a great time while quickly improving their tennis skills.

We are excited to announce that we are offering an extra week of Summer Camps this summer at the end of our normal schedule. WEEK 10 of camps will take place August 14th – 18th, with all camps available: QuickStart, Morning Camp and Afternoon Camp. Click here to learn more and sign up!

The ATA College Prep Community Honors The Class of 2017

The ATA College Prep community came together last week to celebrate the graduating class of 2017.

Set in the serenity of the Spanish Oaks hills, a few hundred family members and friends of the graduates attended the commencement ceremony. Before Head Coach Doug Davis offered his customary invocation, Director of ATA College Prep Carol Hagar opened the evening and welcomed the guests. An excerpt:

“I hope that during your years at College Prep you have learned to be more mindful of your thoughts, words, and actions… and of their effects on yours and others’ well-being. …that you have learned to help yourself and be of service to others. … that you have learned to be compassionate and optimistic. …that you have learned to possess hope and to engender hope in others. … that you have learned to be grateful for the gifts you have been given and to honor them by continuing to develop them within you.

It is for your transformation that you are here to study and to learn. It has been an honor to witness and participate in a portion of the transformation within each of you. I know that you will choose to forever follow in this way.”

As the sun set behind the trees, the community personally honored and celebrated each graduate. Wilson Hamilton, Alejandro Rodriguez and Abigail Chiu were each recognized through commemorative video tributes, introduced by two loved ones who know them well and finished by addressing the audience with a few words of their own.

Continuing a CP tradition, each graduate selected a Senior Legacy Quote that will be installed as pavers in the campus garden. Their selections are below.

Wilson Hamilton will attend Trinity University in San Antonio next Fall. Long-time friend Chase Bartlett and coach and teacher Brian Notis spoke on behalf of Wilson. Each highlighted the academic transformation and confidence Wilson has accomplished during his time at College Prep.

No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how hard you fall… you are never out of the fight. -Marcus Luttrell

Alejandro Rodriguez will attend the University of Chicago next Fall. Teacher and coach Tommy Collins and mentor Clifford Chiu spoke on his behalf and reflected upon Alejandro’s tireless efforts to reach excellence in study, relationship and as an athlete.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. -Winston Churchill

Abigail Chiu will attend Dartmouth College next Fall. Coach Doug Davis and brother Harrison Chiu spoke on her behalf. Each shared the lessons of perseverance and compassion that they have learned from Abigail.

Be great, not ordinary. Embrace diversity, not security. Live fully, not fearfully. Once chance you write your story; make it one worth reading. ~Abigail Chiu

Following the presentation of the graduates, Santiago Montoya, current Glimmer Chief Investment Officer and ATA alum, offered the commencement address. Reflecting on some of his past failures, he reminded the graduates to fall forward and embrace great attempts that may fall seemingly short. And that these are the moments that teach us the greatest wisdom.

CEO Jack Newman closed the graduation ceremony by initiating the Passing Of Leadership To The Class of 2018. This tradition of handing off the ATA ball symbolizes the handoff of responsibility for leadership within the greater Academy group for the next year.

A year from now, this group of leaders will look to continue the CP tradition of 100{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9} college matriculation to some of the top schools in the world.

Following the ceremony, the group once again came together in community to share a meal surrounded by story tables celebrating each senior and their past accomplishments.

Congratulations to each of the ATA College Prep graduates of the class of 2017! Check the ATA College Prep Facebook page for more pictures from the evening.

Sweeney, Perim, Valenty, Chou To Compete in 6A State Tourney

When the UIL 6A Texas State High School individual tennis tournament unfolds this weekend at Texas A&M University, four ATA Academy players will take the court – all from Westlake High School.

Marcus Sweeney and Loli Perim will combine forces to try to earn a Mixed Doubles title.

AJ Valenty will compete in the Boys Doubles draw.

Roger Chou is set to battle in the Boy’s Singles draw.

With 8 entries in each draw, each will need to win 3 matches to take the State title. The players will serve it up over May 18th and 19th. Good luck to all!!

ATA College Prep – Guest Speaker Series

Throughout the year, ATA College Prep brings in guest speakers who impact our students with thoughtful words of wisdom and inspiration. Often, the stories they tell spark future studies, compassion for others, and ideas for community service projects.

Recent speakers have included: Dr. Reginald Baptiste (cardiothoracic surgeon) and Mrs. Oksana Malesheva (physicist, first generation immigrant, and entrepreneur). Both shared amazing stories about how they grew into and continue to grow in their chosen life passions.

Last Wednesday in Leadership, ATACP students heard from ATA alumnus, Carla Rosenberg, as she shared some of the lessons she learned from tennis that she utilizes in her adult life as a successful entrepreneur. Listed here are her top 15 lessons.

1. Understanding winning and losing

2. Be coachable

3. Be prepared

4. Be decisive

5. You grow the most when you are uncomfortable.

6. Develop others

7. Integrity

8. The power of adjacency

9. Step up when the occasion arises

10. Produce results

11. Everything sends a signal

12. No one is perfect

13. Be flexible

14. Do the little things really well

15. Visualization

Take a look at her full speech:

Excellence is never an accident; it is always the result of HIGH INTENTION, DETERMINED EFFORT, and SKILLED EXECUTION. ~Carla Rosenberg

ATA Hosts, Coaches, Participates in USTA Early Development Camp

This past weekend, Austin Tennis Academy hosted the first Orange Ball USTA Early Development Camp of 2017. ATA coaches John Schoenmakers and Chad Loup joined other area coaches to create a collaborative environment for these Austin-area Orange Ball players. Many ATA athletes participated: Murari Ambati, Sklar Phillips, Pace Phillips, Sienna Sweeney, Anya Vikram, Tenzin Zorilla, Charles McEwan, Shaye Grant and Dane Grant.

EDC’s are a USTA Player Development National Camp Structure that aims to provide opportunities for the top U10 athletes and players in similar areas to train together.

Early Development Orange Ball Camps include a progression of themes that help with overall tennis and athletic development of the young players involved, and also include an informative and interactive parent presentation.

“The EDC is a great introduction into the Team USA training pathway of USTA player Development,” said Coach Loup. “We look forward to seeing these youngsters in our Academy one day, and even in Team USA National PD camps.”

ATA College Prep’s Chiu, Rodriguez Named CATA Players Of The Year

Each year, the Capital Area Tennis Association (CATA) recognizes outstanding junior tennis players with a variety of awards. The tennis community comes together for an evening at the CATA Junior Awards Banquet to celebrate the winners of each distinction.

At this year’s banquet, ATA College Prep seniors Abigail Chiu and Alejandro Rodriguez will both be recognized as winners of female and male CATA Player of the Year for 2016/2017.

“I was honestly surprised when I heard I won,” Alejandro said. “So many high level players have received this award in the past, and to now be in that grouping is really special.”

A big part of the CATA awards is the example the winners have and continue to set for the younger tennis players throughout the Texas tennis community. While their paths to success speak for themselves as examples, Abi and Alej offered a few words directly for the younger student-athletes.

“To the up-and-coming juniors, my advice would be to find the right people to be in your corner,” Abigail said. “When you find the right people, you find yourself enjoying the process more, and that has always been the most important thing to me.”

For Alejandro’s advice to the younger generation, the focus is on the future.

“For me, I think the most important thing for up and coming juniors to learn is how to translate lessons from the court to all of the other areas of their lives. If you can apply the discipline, hard work, and resiliency that tennis teaches onto other areas of life, you can really excel at whatever it is you choose to do.”

While these are individual distinctions, winning the same award as seniors, and doing it together, makes it extra special for such close friends.

“It’s great to be able to win this with Abigail because I have seen first-hand the hard work and discipline she puts in to reach the level of success she has,” Alejandro said. “We have shared many great memories in the past, and with college approaching so quickly it is very special to create another one like this.”

This year, the CATA Junior Awards Banquet will be on Sunday, April 30 at the Crown Plaza Hotel. In looking back, both Abi and Alej again recognized the support system around them as a key factor in their success.

“I would of course have to credit my personal coaches: Brandon, Doug, and Dio for being the main three key people since I was 13 years old,” Abigail said. “Everyone has sacrificed, and put in their efforts towards me and my journey, but nobody more than those three.”

Alejandro agreed.

“Tennis might be a sport an individual sport but there is no way to make it all by yourself. I wouldn’t have achieved nearly as much without the amazing coaching staff at ATA. My primary coaches Brandon Davis and Dio Miranda have both been an incredible source of wisdom to tap into, my parents have been infallible in their support, and my teammates at the academy are a constant source of motivation. It really is a team effort.”

Congratulate Abigail and Alejandro the next time you see them before they head off to Dartmouth and UChicago!

Designed Learning Experiences – Surprising Stoichiometry

ATA College Prep instructors strive to develop dynamic and stimulating content that is relevant to each student. Learning experiences are designed to engage students through information while adding intellectual, creative, emotional, and physical layers. Focusing on the goals of opening students’ minds and equipping them with the tools to succeed academically, lessons address the HOW and WHY of each learning activity in addition to the WHAT. This article is the first in a series titled Designed Learning Experiences and will feature unique activities that take place within the CP classrooms.

In example, the students in Mr. Rutherford’s Chemistry class use “stoichiometry” (quantitative chemistry) to predict the amount of baking soda needed to fully neutralize a certain amount of vinegar.

Mr. Rutherford explains, “The kids did the math and then tried measuring in the amount of baking soda they predicted (Alex added it so quickly that the fizz overflowed)… and found, to their surprise, that they had predicted way, way more baking soda than necessary because they didn’t realize that “vinegar” is really mostly water and contains only a small amount of acetic acid (the active ingredient).”

Using skills of analysis, prediction, experimentation and calculation, students adjusted their math for the observed revelation, tried again, and correctly predicted the amount of baking soda that would complete the process.

“An important piece of teaching the sciences is surprise,” explained Mr. Rutherford. “By the time kids are in secondary school, they already feel like they have a pretty good intuitive sense of how the world works. Experiments and demonstrations in which something surprising happens shake them out of their complacency and allow them to feel a little wonder and mystery, which is the motivation for studying science. It’s also very satisfying for them to resolve the mystery and incorporate new information into an updated worldview, which is a decent summary of the scientific process.”

Check back in the coming weeks for more examples of the Designed Learning Experiences at ATA College Prep.

Challenger Tournament Schedule

Click here for a listing of the 2016 Challenger tournaments. Click on the tournament code link for more information or to register for a tournament.

Note:

Players may play multiple Challenger’s per month in 12-18 and only one per month in 10’s. Parents, click the link and choose the event that works best for you.

College Prep Students Entered In Children’s Business Fair

The Kids in Business class at ATA College Prep introduces students to entrepreneurial practices and processes, business and marketing plans, and allows them to develop their own products for sale. Implemented through project-based learning, students have free-reign of choice and are guided by exploration and careful questioning to redirect.

“Project-based learning is a powerful and enjoyable way to develop metacognitive skills – such as confidence, decision-making, self-regulation, and autonomy – which are known to increase motivation and self-directed learning,” said ATACP Director Carol Hagar.

Products and businesses designed by entrepreneurial CP students:

JAK’S

JAK’S creates colorful spin art on vinyl records. You can design your own by picking your colors or buy a colorful record that is already made. Also, vinyl record bowls will be for sale. They make great pots for succulents! Come help support Austin Pets Alive and get homemade dog treats!

-Jordan, Abigail and Keana

SCS Designs

SCS Designs makes handcrafted colorful decor for your home. We have a variety of decorated letters that you can hang or stand up, painted canvases with inspirational words and coasters with colorful designs. Come out and help us support A Glimmer of Hope with each purchase made!

-Sasha, Caroline and Sydney

ATACP students Abigail, Sasha, Sydney, Jordan, Keana and Caroline invite YOU to visit and shop their stores this Saturday at the Children’s Business Fair at Pease Mansion, 1606 Niles Road, Saturday, October 25th 10:00am – 12:30pm.

Please come out and show your support for this entrepreneurial event. The students have designed, created and will be marketing unique products. You will be amazed!

Around The Classrooms At ATA College Prep

We are well into the school year at ATA College Prep! From the first test in Psychology, to presentations in English, vocabulary in Spanish, French and Chinese, to origin stories in History, the ATA CP staff is striving daily to challenge the students academically while inciting the curiosity within each. Here are a few pictures from around the classrooms.

The MS English group worked through a fun creative group writing activity. Each student wrote the first paragraph of a short-fiction story where he or she set the scene and introduced a character, then passed their story to the right. Each student contributed one paragraph with different parameters to each story such that at the end, the class had nine complete short stories with a section from each student to share with the group.

The Algebra and PreAlgebra classes used pennies to test the strength of spaghetti strands (first one strand, then two, etc.). The purpose was to discover a linear relationship through experimentation.

The History students got outside to work on their class timeline projects.

Max and Jack lead a team chant at the end of morning practice last week.

Check back here for more pictures and updates from around the campus and as always, see more on our Facebook page!

A Look Inside The Start of ATA College Prep

The ATA College Prep school year is underway! While barely two weeks in, so much has already unfolded. Beginning with Orientation, the students and teachers of the 2016-2017 school year set off on what is sure to be an amazing journey.

At orientation, students enjoyed team building activities and games to get to know each other a little better. After a shortened version of the class schedule to meet with teachers and get accustomed to room assignments, the group enjoyed a trip to the Austin Panic Room. After, they stopped at local favorite Gordough’s for lunch.

Director of ATA College Prep Carol Hagar was excited about what she witnessed at Orientation.

“In the two days of orientation, I witnessed the following character attributes from the CP students: kindness to others, respect for others’ ideas and opinions, willingness to try new things, excellent abilities to work together in a group, and an eagerness to learn.”

The group starts each day with tennis and fitness before transitioning to breakfast and classes. Below, Mac locks in on a forehand volley during a game of ‘105’.

ATA’s Dio Miranda discusses the importance of nutrition with the group and offers some tips on how to improve.

Mrs. Linda and her math class pause for a quick picture.

Psychology students begin work on a self-awareness project.

Students have ample time throughout the week to collaborate and receive additional support during daily group Study Halls.

To see more pictures from the beginning of the year at ATA College Prep now and throughout the year, check out our Facebook page!

ATA’s Lucie Schmidhauser To Be Inducted Into Longhorns Hall Of Honor

ATA’s Lucie Ludvigova Schmidhauser will be one of 13 esteemed former University of Texas student-athletes to be inducted into the Men’s and Women’s Athletic’s Hall of Honor later in October.

“It’s incredibly fulfilling for me to be selected into the University of Texas Athletic Hall of Honor,” Schmidhauser said. “I remember the excitement I felt when I first represented UT as a collegiate athlete. I was so proud to just be a part of UT’s tradition of excellence in athletics, so being selected into this elite circle of athletes is the ultimate honor.”

13 May 1993: Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport

The induction banquet for the 2016 women’s class is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 14. The luncheon ceremony will start at 11:30 a.m. in the Lone Star Room of the Frank Erwin Center.

Below is the bio of Coach Lucie from the TexasSports.com:

Lucie Ludvigova Schmidhauser, Tennis (1993-95)
(Pronunciation: lewd-vih-GO-vah SHMID-how-ser)
A two-time All-American and the 1994 Southwest Conference Player of the Year, Lucie Ludvigova was among the catalysts who led the Longhorns to their second NCAA team title in 1995. Ludvigova joined the Longhorns as a junior during the 1993-94 season. She played her freshman season at Midland Junior College and her sophomore year at NCAA Division II Grand Canyon University, where she won the NCAA singles title. Ludvigova made an immediate impact upon her arrival at Texas, and commenced an impressive stretch of tennis that she carried through the end of her collegiate career. In her first semester at Texas, she became the first Longhorn to win the singles draw at the ITA All-American Championships, as she knocked off Georgia’s Angela Lettiere in the final, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. She went on to claim a second individual national title that semester, as she won the singles crown at the ITA National Indoor Championships. Ludvigova finished the 1993-94 campaign with a 34-6 overall singles record, a mark that still keeps her at No. 5 all-time at UT in single-season winning percentage (.843). League coaches selected Ludvigova as the 1994 Southwest Conference Player of the Year after she helped the Horns win the SWC regular season and tournament titles. Ludvigova helped carry Texas to the semifinals of the team competition at the 1994 NCAA Championships. As the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Championships singles draw, she automatically earned All-America honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). She also earned a berth into the NCAA doubles draw with Farley Taylor in her junior season. Ludvigova starred on the 1994-95 Texas team that saw six Longhorns earn ITA All-America honors. Once again, UT rode into the NCAA Championships on an upswing after winning the SWC regular season and tournament titles. With Ludvigova at No. 2 singles throughout the NCAA Championships, Texas advanced to the NCAA title match for the second time in three seasons. The Longhorns edged Florida, 5-4, in the final and Texas, with help from Ludvigova, won its second national team title in three seasons. Ludvigova earned All-America status once more with her 9-16 seed in the singles draw at the 1995 NCAA Championships, where she won a pair of matches and advanced to the Round of 16. Ludvigova played two years of professional tennis and returned to UT as an assistant coach from 1998-2001. Today, she is a coach at Austin Tennis Academy.

20 ATA Players Earn A Spot in USTA National Hardcourts

The USTA Super National Hardcourts tournaments unfolded earlier this month, with a record 20 ATA Academy players earning a spot in the event – a quarter of the entire Academy group.

The biggest junior USTA tournament of the year, the winners in both Boy’s and Girl’s 18 singles and doubles earns a wildcard into the US OPEN Grand Slam in New York City.

“This summer’s nationals has an excellent showing for ATA players,” ATA CEO Jack Newman said. “This was the single highest number of Academy players participating in a super national event since the program’s inception.”

B16&18 took place in Kalamazoo, MI

Leading the way was Erik Kerrigan and Payton Holden, graduates of ATA College Prep for the Boy’s 18. They both ended their junior career with a great last tournament, before heading to University of Chicago and Princeton to start their college careers.

Erik made it the farthest in the tournament of all Texas players, reaching the round of 32 before losing to the #5. Erik then won his 4th rd consolation match.

Payton Holden made it to the round of 64 by taking out the #31 seed 6-0, 6-1 and earning the tournament’s player of the day award. He then made it to the the 4th rd in the consolation.

“Both Erik and Payton finished their junior tennis careers with great playing,” Newman said. “Both hit out on the ball, played their distinctive brand of tennis and competed with poise and vigor.”

Wilson Hamilton, Granville Kaynor and Alejandro Rodriquez all competed in B18 singles and doubles.

Roger Chou was the only ATA player in the B16 singles and he went 2-2.

Harrison Chiu made it the furthest in B16 doubles. Harrison and his partner Harvey Maughan made it to the rd of 16.

“Harrison Chiu created a legendary life story,” Newman said. “32nd alternate, showed up early for sign in hopes of snagging a doubles spot. A boy walks up to the doubles sign in desk and says “my partner broke his toe I need a new one” and Harrison steps up and says “I can play” the boy agrees. And they make it to the round of 16. Legendary.”

B14 took place in San Antonio, TX

Max Schmidhauser competed in B14 singles and doubles. He went 3-2 in singles play.

B12 took place in Little Rock, AR

James Cockrell and Jake Riezebeek competed in B12 singles and doubles. James went 2-2 in singles and Jake went 1-3 in singles.

G16&18 took place in San Diego, CA

Abigail Chiu led the way for G18 in singles and doubles. Abigail made it to the round of 16 in doubles and went 3-2 in singles play. Abigail, a senior this year at ATA College Prep, will attend Dartmouth in 2017. Alex Mjos also played in the G18 singles and doubles where she made it to the round of 64. She will head to University of Southern Florida next fall.

Callie Creath made it the farthest in Girl’s 16s singles going 3-2. Kristin Kerrigan went 2-2 in singles and Georgia Wright went 0-2 in singles.

G14 took place in Peachtree City, GA

Caroline Wernli went 2-2 in singles and 1-1 in doubles play.

G12 took place in Alpharetta, GA

Sasha Malysheva went 1-3 in singles play.

While this was arguably the best ever year for ATA Academy players ever at Hardcourt Nationals, Coach Newman has but one focus in mind: improving.

“In the next few years, we hope to build on both the number of national competitors we send and the distance they go in their events.”

David Benzel Free Webinar Aug 17

Overcoming Adversity in Sports and Life is the newest webinar by David Benzel and Growing Champions for Life, it is scheduled for Aug 17th at 8pm. Click here to register

ATA College Application & Essay Workshop, Aug 2-5

Dear ATA Seniors:

As the summer leads to its hottest moments, I am sure you are all working toward your end-of-summer goals, making plans for the future, and thinking about what college might look like for YOU. You are about to embark on your last year of high school, and then off to college. This is an amazing time in your life. It is also a very busy time in your life. It is a time of transitioning into young adulthood with new responsibilities. With classes, work, tennis tournaments, college searches, applications, essays, keeping up with responsibilities and chores, you may feel as if you have too little time to accomplish it all during the hours of the day.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed, begin your senior year with less stress. Take some time this summer to knock out your college application and essays.
Register for the College Application and Essay Writing Workshop
Aug 2-5, Tuesday-Friday
10:30am-12:30pm
at ATA College Prep

A course fee of $350 will be billed directly to your ATA account.

You will receive personal attention in completing the Common Application and receive advice and guidance on your Personal Essay. You will also research colleges and gain insight into the best matches based on your personal criteria. This workshop is intended for rising seniors, but rising juniors may also benefit from the college search and writing exercises.

Includes:
Introductory Counseling Session
Personalized Interactive College Search
Crafting an Introductory Letter to Coaches
Review of the Common Application
Selecting Recommenders
Brainstorming Session for Personal Statement & Essays
Practicing Interview Skills for phone and on-campus visits

I recognize many of you will be traveling during all or part of this time, but you are welcome to take advantage of the days you are here and then follow up with private or small group sessions available during the fall.

Remember that all of the work you have invested up to this point is going to pay off and that you are going to find the perfect college experience.

Contact Carol.Hagar@AustinTennisAcademy.com for additional information and to register.

Looking forward!

Carol Hagar
ATA College Prep
512.423.1105

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