Pictures From The Annual Walk For Water Event At ATA

The Austin Tennis Academy players, parents, and coaches participated in the annual Walk For Water event on the ATA campus yesterday afternoon as part of the 2017 Playing For Glimmer campaign.

The group carried jerry cans full of water on a course around the facility designed to mimic what women and girls in rural Ethiopia do daily to fetch water, oftentimes walking for hours on much tougher terrain carrying 40-pounds at a time.

After the walk, the group came together to watch a short video on ATA alum Breck Spencer, who traveled to Ethiopia and experienced the actual walk for water:

Breck and Donna’s Walk for Water | March 7, 2012 from A Glimmer of Hope on Vimeo.

Many ATA students have created their own campaigns to help contribute to the overall ATA effort. After watching the video, Coach Newman encouraged all students to get involved in some way.

Learn more about the overall Playing For Glimmer Campaign here. Scroll down to view all of the student campaigns.

Below is a gallery of pictures from the 2017 Walk For Water at ATA.

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

Clark, Luke, Emerson and Sophia Qualify Over The Weekend

Four ATA Academy players – Clark White, Luke Riezebeek, Emerson Hammes and Sophia Maier – qualified into the next competitive division of USTA Texas junior tennis last weekend. Clark and Luke won their way into SuperChamps, while Emerson and Sophia worked their way into the Champs division.

“Emerson and Sophia have both done a great job so far this year!” Coach Brandon Davis said. “They have really put in the hard work and have been willing to make changes in their games that have helped their improvement rate go through the roof. You can see every week they keep getting better and better. I am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish in the future, with continued hard work and dedication they will be winning big events down the road!”

Coach Brian Notis offered his thoughts on Luke and Clark:

“Less than 2 months after his 11th birthday, Luke put it all together to win the Austin CMZ. Luke has worked really hard to improve the quality of his ball and become rock solid. He is trusting his game more and competing well even when he’s not playing his best.

By his own admission, Clark’s accomplishment this weekend comes ahead of schedule. Clark has worked extremely hard to make significant technical improvements in his game over the past few months and is beginning to trust himself to hit a bigger ball and dictate play more. Clark is engaged in his own development at a level very few 12-year-olds are and it shows in his progress.

I’m really proud of both Luke and Clark for working hard to reach their goals and know both will be ready to dive into new challenges. Watch out for both these guys in supers!”

Huge congratulations to Sophia, Emerson, Clark, and Luke! Keep it up!!

You’re Invited! ATA Walk For Water This Wednesday 5pm

As part of the 2017 Playing for Glimmer Campaign, players, coaches and families of ATA (Austin Tennis Academy) are participating in the annual ATA Walk for Water on Wednesday, Dec 6 at 5:00 p.m. We will meet at the creek behind ATA and kids and adults can take a turn carrying water in red Jerry cans.

The Walk for Water is a way to experience what life is like for women and girls in Ethiopia who fetch water daily for their village, oftentimes walking several hours with a jug or jerry can weighing close to 40 pounds!

The ATA has helped Glimmer of Hope for many years and several families have traveled to Ethiopia to see completed projects (water wells, schools and health posts) that were funded by ATA efforts.

Former ATA student Breck Spencer visited Ethiopia and took the actual walk; you can see his video here:

https://vimeo.com/38044208

In addition to raising awareness through the Walk for Water, several players are raising funds for this year’s Playing for Glimmer Campaign, click here to see them all.

https://glimmer.org/campaign/playing-glimmer-ata

We hope to see you on Wednesday!

Alumni Updates: Meghan O’Malley Checks In From U.S. Naval Academy

 

Greetings from Annapolis and the US Naval Academy! I hope that you and the entire ATA community are doing well!

We are in the midst of Beat Army Week – it’s a fun, intense week full of crazy pranks and “spirit missions” in the middle of the night, all leading up to the game on Saturday in Philadelphia. The game represents an exciting day for Navy and Army Football as well as our country.

I’ve been pretty busy these past 18 months! My Academy experience started on I-Day in June 2016, with Plebe Summer – six weeks of the most strenuous physical and mental training I had ever encountered. As tough as it was, I felt prepared because of my time at ATA. I took with me the mental training tools I learned from our ATA coaches and practiced on the court.

As tough as Plebe summer was, my Plebe Academic year (or Freshman Year) was tougher. I balanced taking 20 credit hours with military and tennis team requirements. Academics at the USNA are very challenging and like nothing I’d ever experienced. My first week of chemistry covered what I experienced during an entire semester in high school. The focus is on math and science, and while I’m a Political Science major, I still must take 4 semesters of chemistry, physics, and calculus. Midshipmen are required to graduate in four years so typically midshipmen take 18-20 credit hours each semester. There are no breaks for athletes.

Playing tennis for the Navy is a dream come true, but where it was my focus in high school, it is now a very small part of my overall Academy experience. Our practices are much shorter than other teams primarily because of the military and academic requirements. I’ve come to appreciate what the coaches at ATA always told us. Playing tennis is a privilege and I am fortunate to be able to this as well as my experience at ATA and College Prep to prepare me for life beyond tennis. I use the lessons I’ve learned on the tennis court to position me to achieve success in all aspects of my life.  

Military requirements are a huge part of my Academy life. Not only do I take classes like navigation and seamanship, but I have real military duties like standing watch, marching in parades, and training exercises. During my Plebe (freshman) Year, I was at the con of a Naval Vessel, sailing in the Chesapeake Bay.

Last summer, I spent a month on the USS Normandy, a navy cruiser in our Atlantic Fleet. I lived and worked among enlisted men and women and saw first-hand the dedication and hard work required to keep our Navy strong. I learned that a Navy ship can be a very complex and dangerous place to work and if I am to lead in our fleet effectively, I must understand, respect, and appreciate even the lowest ranking members of our Navy. Their success will determine my success, and more importantly, keep us safe in dangerous situations.

As for life as Midshipman, I am part of the USNA student body, called the Brigade of Midshipman. I am part of a company, and I will live on a floor with my company mates for all four years of my time here. We are a team, accountable as a group to each other and to the entire student body of Midshipmen. If one person makes a mistake, we are all punished. We take care of each other and the bonds we have formed are stronger because of it. This year, I have a leadership role in my company which has been a tremendous learning opportunity for me.

As I think back to the last 18 months, I know that I would not be here if it weren’t for ATA. I remember sitting down with Coach Newman when I was accepted to ATA’s Academy program as a 10-year-old. He talked to me about dreaming big and working hard. Those two things enabled me to be here. I think back to all of my lessons with Coach Doug, Coach Kendall, and the teachers at CP. I carry so many lessons with me. Believing that I belong is huge. It’s important to get the little things right. Doing the right thing matters – even when it’s hard, even when no one is watching. Here I’ve had to work harder than I’ve ever worked.

To the players of ATA, I have some advice. Appreciate each moment you are there, even the times that are tough. Challenge yourself as it will prepare you for the next steps in life. Appreciate and commit to your journey. Define success, don’t let success define you. Take care of your teammates. Wear the ATA shirts with pride; they represent that you are part of something greater than yourself. Dream Big.

Go Navy! Beat Army!!

Meghan O’Malley

Alumni Updates: Marcus Sweeney Checks In From Wesleyan

Dear Coach Newman and ATA,

 

I hope that the past months have treated everyone well. I have been doing my best to follow along with tournament results, practice MVP’s, and of course college commitments from ATA players online. Very exciting! As for my tennis, the fall tennis season ended a few weeks ago, so now we are in the offseason. What this means is that coaches are not allowed to supervise or run practice from now until we return in January. However, with strong senior leadership and a very ambitious team, it is expected that we play tennis indoors 5 times a week, whether it be full team sessions or in smaller groups, and to be in the gym 4-5 times a week as well. My classes require a lot of hard work and a couple hours of TA (teacher’s assistant) sessions every week to complete the workload, but I am enjoying it nonetheless. At the moment, I am on track to graduate with a double major in Economics and Physics, with a concentration in Government. I am also writing this email to answer some questions that Coach Newman gave to my fellow graduates and me. Coach Newman asked each of us,

What would I have done differently as a junior tennis player to be more ready for college?

 

What are the things that are most surprising about college and college tennis?

 

What advice would you give junior tennis players in preparation for college tennis/ for college in general?

 

As a junior player, I believe that having played many times within a team environment has been very beneficial to my collegiate readiness. Whether it be high school tennis, a team competition on a Friday, or TEXAS CUP!!!, everyone should be making conscious efforts to encourage their team members. It was astounding to me the number of top 10 nationally ranked division three teams that are extremely below average in supporting their teammates while playing tournament matches. Another major thing I realized shortly after beginning team practices and private lessons in college is that ATA has an extremely knowledgeable coaching staff. As a junior player, I wish that I had more often communicated with my coaches about slight things to work on within my game, so as to have the utmost clarity of my strengths, weaknesses, tactics, and areas to improve upon heading into college.

 

What is most surprising about college for me, aside from how complicated a washing machine is, is that now more than ever, you get out exactly what you put in. The extra amounts of responsibility and freedom are both a blessing and a curse- it is imperative that you find time to complete your schoolwork before choosing to go out to party on a weekend (not that I do this of course). College is full of distractions, and at an institution such as Wesleyan, you cannot afford to get behind in your studies. So far, I feel that I’ve done a great job with staying on top of my academics, and I’m even more excited for what lies ahead. As for college tennis, I have been very surprised at how amazing our team culture has been here. It was very surprising to me at our fall tournaments how much more connected we seemed than the other schools there. If we were between matches at a tournament, we were expected to actively cheer on our teammates and represent ourselves well. I believe we won many close matches against some amazing players from other schools due to the fact that our player had unrelenting support with each point.

For junior players preparing for college tennis or college in general, I would advise that you make the most of your time at ATA, which has an incredible culture of players coaches and staff that will effectively prepare you for college responsibilities & the highest level of collegiate tennis. I also must stress the importance of being very proactive with your communication towards college coaches- replying quickly to emails (I’m aware of the irony in this situation) and making it clear that you are very interested in the school and tennis program is something that college coaches love to hear and it will separate you from the other recruits. If you are ever unsure of what to say, you can always reach out to the ATA coaches or ATA alumni such as myself for help.

 

I am beyond content with my college selection, and could not be more thankful for the support from everyone throughout my junior career and now into my collegiate one.

Best regards, and would love to hear from you!

 

Marcus Sweeney

 

Alumni Updates: Alej Rodriguez Checks In From UChicago

 

Hi Coach Newman,

I hope everyone at ATA is well. Here is a quick update in response to your question on the transition from junior player to college athlete.

To begin with, the freedom one is given in college is much different than the freedom one has as a high school student. Accountability is placed solely on you for virtually every aspect of life, whereas in high school adult figures play a role in most day to day activities you partake in. Because there is no longer a parent or teacher making sure you are doing what you need to do, it is very important to learn how to prioritize your assignments and schedule them accordingly. For this reason, I would advise younger students to find ways to plan their day such as using calendar apps or day planners, as this is a very useful skill to have in college.

In terms of the practice environment, the transition to college from ATA has been very easy. Similar to ATA, the emphasis revolves around improvement as a team and everyone is very encouraging to those they are practicing with. The main difference is that this encouragement is more verbal than at ATA, and I would urge current ATA players to start practicing this type of engagement with those on their court as well as those on courts around them. Every collegiate practice is loud from start to finish, and it is important that you can contribute to that type of atmosphere comfortably and confidently.

I have felt very prepared to face the challenges that arise throughout college life due to my time at ATA and ATA CP, and I am confident current players will feel the same once they begin their collegiate journey.

Best wishes to everyone in the ATA community.

Sincerely,

Alejandro Rodriguez

Photo Gallery

Take a look at some photos of the students on the court and in the classroom!

Find Us at
  • 6800 Spanish Oaks Club Blvd. Austin, Texas 78738
  • Just west of the Hill Country Galleria on Hwy 71 past 620, across from McCoy’s
Contact
  • deb.cahill@AustinTennisAcademy.com
  • +1 512.276.2271
  • +1 512.276.2272
Connect

Privacy Settings
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Youtube
Consent to display content from Youtube
Vimeo
Consent to display content from Vimeo
Google Maps
Consent to display content from Google