Proud Of Our Alumni!

Boise State's Brent Werbeck has been named the Western Athletic Conference Tennis Player of the Week for the week of Mar. 2-9. This is the first career Player of the Week honor for Werbeck.

Werbeck, a senior from Austin, Texas, (Cedar Park) shined for the Broncos in victories over No. 38 William and Mary and No. 52 San Diego State. In singles action, Werbeck tallied a perfect 3-0 effort at the No. 3 position, first topping Keziel Juneau of William and Mary, 6-2, 6-0, and defeating San Diego State's Andre Felis, 6-1, 6-3, before knocking off No. 97 Omar Altmann of No. 43 Pepperdine in a come-from-behind win, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Coach,

I am writing in regards to the conversation that we had on Sunday. I apologize for the delay in getting this to you but I wanted to write it when I knew I would have an ample amount of time to dedicate to the issues that we talked about.

If I remember correctly our conversation had three main topics. We discussed: 1. Coming of age in the academy while utilizing the lessons of those who came before you 2. The benefits/rewards of being a mentor 3. What it means to be a leader. From my experience (as I'm sure you will agree) the three are strongly interconnected. Though this is true, I still feel it's necessary to touch on each one individually.

Coming of age, or the transition from "younger" to "older" player in the Academy means two things to me. The first deals with a term that older players know and love, Seniority. But with seniority comes responsibility. You have a responsibility to your peers, coaches, past players, and the "ATA community" to act in a way that reflects the core values that the ATA instills. Being accountable to this responsibility is absolutely essential for it ensures the survival of these core values, and continues the legacy of those who came before you. This leads into my second point which involves lessons passed down from previous players. When I became an "older" player in the academy I immediately thought of those that I looked up to when I was younger. A name that always came up was (and still is) Roger Gubser. He was my mentor when I was a younger player, giving me a priceless opportunity to learn and grow. I bring this up because as an older player it is important to remember those that you looked up and the things that they did when they were in your position. Gubser taught my class and I a lot about how to be a good tennis player, but even more about being a quality person. His example was something that my class tried to pass on to the younger kids (you guys) who would eventually fill our shoes. To me, having the responsibility of an "older" player meant all these things. I hope these ideas still alive today.

Related to all this is a very important lesson that you taught me which is that teaching is the ultimate form of learning. As a mentor you have an opportunity to influence a younger player's experience at ATA. Within your time as a mentor you quickly discover that when you teach something, you reinforce your own knowledge and skills. Teaching allows you not only to pass on what you have learned, but also reveals your own strengths and weaknesses. I remember that some of the best practices I had came right after I spent time teaching as a mentor. I remember giving out helpful tips on a stoke, or talking strategy and then going out to practice and playing some of the best tennis. But the most valuable thing gained from being a mentor has nothing to do with tennis. When Gubser was my mentor he taught me a lot about tennis, but the most important thing for me was the friendship that we formed. As a mentor, you will find that the relationships you form with the younger players will teach you a lot about tennis, and even more about yourself.

Being in a position to be a leader was the greatest opportunity that I had at the ATA. First I think it is important to note that I believe that leaders aren't born, they're made. One of the most defining moments for me as a person/player came the day that I received the honor of "leadership award" as voted on by my peers. When I was at the ATA, being a leader meant setting the bar, guiding by example and motivating through actions. To me this meant holding everyone accountable to achieving excellence. Being a leader means you have the most responsibility, the highest standards, and the greatest expectations. Being in a leadership position also means that you will learn more about yourself than you could ever imagine. Being a leader reveals the fabric of who you are and what your made of. It exposes your true character, and makes visible your personal values. When all of these things are exposed, you then have the opportunity to share them with those who look up to you, respect you and see you for who you really are. As a leader, you have the opportunity to call those around you to greatness both on and off the tennis court.

Coach, I hope this is what you were looking for. I know this might be more than what we actually talked about, but what can I say, I just felt inspired by our conversation and started writing. As always, please feel free to let me know if there is anything you would like me to add or touch on more extensively. I hope all is going well and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

-Brent

From Boise State Coach Greg Patton:

I must admit, I am addicted to this stuff. To say that I love the thrill of the battle, and especially the sweet taste of a team victory over a perennial Collegiate Tennis Power would be an understatement.

My head is still swimming and pounding from our 5-1 victory over Stanford here in Palo Alto. This victory over the 9th ranked team now puts our team at 3-0 for the season.

The weather was kind to us and allowed us a window to play the match (hallelujah!). We decided to play the singles first (we usually begin with the three doubles) since the forecast called for more rain in the late afternoon.

Due to the on and off rain, our singles matches started an hour later than the scheduled 1pm starting time. Due to the wet courts here in Palo Alto, we could only start our #1 and #2 singles (the Shields brothers). Stanford jumped to a quick lead by winning the first set in both matches, but then Piotr Dilaj came to rescue the day, by joining the fray and taking his first set 6-1. Whew, it gave us a chance to recollect ourselves. Once these three matches were starting their second sets, our #4, #5, and #6 players, Eric Roberson, Blake Boswell, and Brent Werbeck went to work in their singles matches. There was great pressure on them, for they all went on their courts knowing that our top two players had lost their first set.

All I can say, is once those three went on the courts, there was a determination and resolve on all six courts. From that moment on all of our players played with a calm confidence and quickly captured the momentum of the matches.

Although we lost three of the six first sets, the pendulum was quickly swinging in our favor and I could feel the confidence emitting from the racquets.

First, Clancy at #2 singles raised his level and played a very consistent and deliberate match which got him the second set, and carried him to a 6-2 win in the 3rd set.

Luke at #1 singles quickly turned the tide of his match from the energy of his brother (who was on the adjacent court) and won the 2nd set 6-1, and then jumped to a quick lead in the third which carried him to a 6-3 win in the third set.

The first player off the court with a Bronco win was Piotr Dilaj (won 6-1, 6-2). Clancy then made the match 2-0 for Boise State by his third set win.

Then you could feel how close a major victory for the Broncos was. Eric Roberson at #4 and Brent Werbeck at #6 both won their matches simultaneously to seal our team victory. (Eric won 6-1, 6-2 and Brent won 6-3, 6-3). Luke then was finishing up his stellar play with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win at #1. Score now 5-0. And I think all of us were tingling all over to know that we had just defeated a top ten team in their home.

Freshman Blake Boswell had a tremendous match but fell short of victory 7-5, 7-6. The great thing about Boise State Team matches is that when a player might lose his match, if the team wins, that player has just as much joy as his teammates. I know that the sting of a loss at Stanford was soothed by the team victory.

Special thanks to the Boise State Women's Gymnastics team who came out and provided such great energy and support to our men. Nothing provides greater inspiration and motivation than the talented and wonderful female athletes of Boise State. (We went to their meet with San Jose State last night, and they reciprocated with a vitalizing enthusiasm).

Also, we want to thank the wonderful families who housed and cared for our players during our stay in Northern California. Thanks to my dear friend John Hubbell (coaching comrade of mine during our National Coaching days) who set up the housing with my former teammate Gordon Collins (Manager of the Courtside Athletic Club). Special thanks to the Segall family (Mark, Nikki, Lea, Eli, and Noah) and to the Solomon/Orloff family for providing TLC and warm hospitality.

I hope that many of you were able to watch the webcast of this great victory for Boise State. One of my dreams for the future of Boise State Tennis, is to build a permanent indoor tennis center to replace the Bubbles at the Boas Indoor Tennis Center, and to install cameras on court in order to be able to conduct live webcasts of the matches.

Next up for the 3-0 Broncos is Santa Clara University today (Sunday, Jan. 28) at SCU at 11am.

Again, we are hoping that the rain will stop tonight and provide a sunny day for our match with Santa Clara who is presently 2-0.

Boise State (#25) defeated Stanford (#9)

Singles In order of finish

#3 Piotr Dilaj (BSU) defeated Blake Muller (Stanford) 6-1, 6-2

#2 Clancy Shields (BSU) defeated Richard Wire (Stanford) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2

#6 Brent Werbeck (BSU) defeated Kevin Kaiser (Stanford) 6-3, 6-3

#4 Eric Roberson (BSU) defeated Paul Morrissey (Stanford) 6-1, 6-2

#1 Luke Shields (BSU) defeated Matt Bruch (Stanford) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3

#5 Eric McKean (Stanford) defeated Blake Boswell (BSU) 7-5,7-6

Go Broncos

Coach Newman,

I just wanted to check in a see how everything is going. Things in Boise are going really well right now. I am playing some really good tennis and I have made a ton of progress over the course of the past few months. I love our coach, I love our team and I love being a part of something great.

Our team is looking really strong this year and we just recently got done dominating our regional tournament which means that we get to host a playoff for a spot as National Indoors. I look at Boise State and I realize how fortunate I am to be in a place that is just like the ATA. It's just like being at the ATA everyday and I couldn't be more thankful for that.

Our team cares for each other, just like the ATA. Our coaches care for us, work for us, live and breath tennis for us, just like the ATA. Outside our campus we have a family-network of people that support us, care about us, and truly want to see us shine, just like the ATA. Being in an environment like this has really been a big factor in all the improvement I have made over the past few months.

Looking at the time that I have been here so far I can say this with full confidence: It doesn't matter if you are looking to champ qualify, super qualify, or win super sectionals. It doesn't matter if you are looking to win a national open, or if you aspire to come home with a GOLD BALL. It doesn't matter if you are looking to play pro tennis, or go to the US Open. Everything you will ever need to achieve any goal your mind is capable of perceiving, is at the ATA. The peer group we (Yes, I do still say we, the ATA will always be a part of my life. Hey, once your in, your in.) have at the ATA, the coaching we have at the ATA, and the family of people that care about us, all add up to something priceless. It then becomes a matter of what YOU are doing on a daily basis to maximize your opportunity while you have it in the palm of your hands. As you know Jack, opportunity is something that I don't take lightly, so I wanted to share with you what I thought were the key things that helped me maximize my opportunity at the ATA.

First, without a doubt I would have to say that the family of people that surrounds the ATA made all my dreams and aspirations possible. Families like the Berbers and the Smiths have made is possible for all of us to train and come together in such a beautiful place like the ATA. The whole family group at the ATA supported me in so many ways on my journey to play college tennis, and I know that I will always have this family for help and guidance in the future. Appreciation for having the opportunity to be a part of the family at the ATA is something that I am thankful for everyday.

To the up and coming stars I would say this, cherish and love the fact that you are a part of a family whose goal is to ensure that everyone succeeds. What you are experiencing now is something that most could only dream of being a part of.

Second, the endless amount of resources that I had at the ATA contributed greatly to me being where I am today. The fact that I was able to pull in so much information from so many different sources made getting better inevitable. The information and resources are there, but like I said before, it becomes a matter of what you are doing on a daily basis to maximize your opportunity. Everything you will ever need is right there in your hands, from sports psychologists to trainers to getting private lessons on the court, its all there. I feel that this was one of my strengths, I was open and willing to take in information wherever it came from.

I had two goals, Kalamazoo (Just thinking of it still gets me excited) and NCAA D-1 tennis, and if anything was presented to me that would help me reach those goals I became a sponge. Stars of the ATA, absorb everything you can, from anywhere you can, every second that you can, every single time you breath with the passion for achieving your goals. Do this and its only a matter of time before it all beings to unfold.

Lastly, I will have to quote you, Jack, from a letter you wrote me that now hangs over my bed. "The more there is to be done, the more important it becomes to solidly focus your efforts. Hurried and scattered actions will rarely get you there any faster. Be patient, stay focused on one task at a time, and you'll make the most progress. Give your efforts the power of focus and momentum, and watch them bring spectacular results."

This to me is something that I really didn't grasp up until my last year and a half at the ATA. This to me has been the most important part of my tennis career thus far. Simply put, the day I found out the exact thing that drove me in tennis, nothing else in the world mattered. It didn't matter if I won or lost, who I was playing or what they were ranked, I even stopped caring if I double faulted (which led to the discovery of what is now my second serve). All I wanted was to find a way to get back to Kalamazoo and compete with the best. My goal was crystal clear. I knew who I wanted to play at Kalamazoo, on what court, and how I would play the last game with each of my opponents. Every time I would think of this goal I would zone, and every action that I took would be with the intentions of working back to Kalamazoo. The private lessons that we would have down on the last court were then seen as my silent pursuit back to Kalamazoo, and it worked. My fellow teammates, find a goal that drives you to wake up everyday. Paint it with the most vibrant colors you have ever seen, and in doing this let go of everything that could hold you back. Learn this now, long before I did, and you will have the ability to reach any height you are willing to climb.

Coach, I definitely miss everyone at the ATA and I can't wait to get back into Austin. Tell everyone that I love them, I miss them, and that I am anxiously waiting to practice with them next Tuesday. I cant wait to come back and kiss the ATA ball. Keep working them hard coach and Ill see you next week.

ATA FOR LIFE,

Brent Werbeck