One of the primary objectives of the Austin Tennis Academy is to assist each athlete in making the perfect college choice. For three former ATA athletes, Austin’s St. Edward’s University became that perfect choice.

Brett Powers, currently a junior at St. Edward’s, was recently named Heartland Conference Player of The Year. He compiled a 12-11 record at #1 singles, and a 14-10 record at #1 doubles. Powers jumped to the top singles spot after competing at lines 5 and 6 his freshman year, and line 2 his sophomore year. Along with his athletic success, Powers has achieved academically as well. Last semester, Powers earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, which was the highest of anyone on the team.

“My time at ATA taught me to be goal oriented from an early age,” Powers said. “I was always taught to constantly work toward short term and long term goals, and that translates very well to the college level where as a team you are constantly working for greater achievements.”

Mary Bain, a freshman at St. Edward’s University, was named to the All-Heartland Conference Team. Bain has compiled a 12-7 singles record at number 3 and 4 singles, and a 14-7 doubles record at the number 2 spot.

Also receiving honors, former ATA athlete and current St. Edward’s junior, Boris Barrios, was named to the All-Heartland Conference Team.

Powers, Barrios and Bain will lead the St. Edward’s men's and women's teams in their Regional tournaments starting this coming weekend. Each hopes to earn a chance to fly to Florida to compete in the National tournament the following week.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior Adam Slagter (Austin, Texas) was named the 2009 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winner for Penn State this week. This is the first time Slagter has won the award for the Nittany Lions. Last year, senior Brendan Lynch (North Potomac, Md.) garnered the award.

Slagter made a nice return to the spring lineup this year after missing the fall with an ankle injury. The Texas native had 73 wins for his career in singles, tied for 13th with former teammate James Dwyer. Slagter set a program record during the 2005-06 season when he notched 30 singles wins in a season, one that may never be broken.

Additionally, the senior captain climbed up in the record books again on April 17 when him and freshman teammate Jason Lee (Melbourne, Australia) upset Wisconsin's 19th-ranked doubles pairing of Moritz Bauman and Marek Michalicka. With the doubles win, Slagter moved into second place alone for most career doubles wins with 69. Slagter, who is majoring in business, is 10-12 this season, with most of his action coming in the No. 1 and 2 bouts. He has teamed up with Lee to go 14-12 in doubles.

Slagter has also been recognized by the Big Ten for his academics, as he received Academic All-Big Ten in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Additionally, he received the Holmes Cathrall Coaches Award in 2007.

Penn State finished this season with a 14-13 record, the programs seventh consecutive winning season. The Nittany Lions reached the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in 2009, before losing to Illinois.

Thanks for having me out at ATA for the scholarship shootout. It was a lot of fun and really good to see everyone again. Its been far to long. Everything out there looks really great and from what I've heard people are playing well.

Looking back on everything from where I am in my life right now I realize how I took things for granted back then. You and the coaches out there do an amazing job preparing players for college life in all aspects. Not only in fitness and playing, but also in encouraging us to do well in school. College Life is very stressful, hectic, and overwhelming for most students, but since I learned early from you coaches and previous players from ATA, I am able to stay ahead and do well in my tennis and academics, and still be able to enjoy the many social opportunities that college has to offer. The one thing that I can say that is different from high school is that in college, YOU HAVE TO DO THE WORK. In tennis and especially in school. I remember in high school I could get away with doing homework 10 minutes before class and not studying for tests but still receiving an A somehow, but when it comes to college I have to do things way in advance to be able to make the high grades I want and not get behind because of my tennis travels. And because of ATA I feel used to the intense tennis and fitness.

On a side note, I have also been volunteering as a mentor/tutor at Dawson Elementary, a small school having 90% of their students living in poverty, and it has given me some real perspective on my life. I cant believe how lucky I am to have grown up in a loving, supporting, encouraging atmosphere where everything was pretty easy sailing. After working with the students and learning about their lives and what they have to go through every day, I can truly see what an amazing life I have. As many of us from ATA have heard from elders many times before, ATA is a blessing that only us lucky ones get to have and it should be appreciated every day.

Anyways, I hope the rest of the year goes well for everyone and that I will get to see you all very soon.

Thanks again,

Mary

p.s. i better see you all out here at St. Edwards in the spring for some of my matches! :)

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.

As these three months have now passed since I've been at college, I've begun to settle in and adjust to the college life. My new found independence and the pressures which accompany it have been exciting yet quite a challenge. I never thought that choosing my own path would be such a hassle. This hassle though has been well worth the work and dedication it took to get here. I love everything about Texas Tech, the coach and the team has been a perfect fit for me, classes are challenging but I'm working hard and making good grades, and I've surprisingly found time for a social life too.

My decision to redshirt(Red shirting is practicing with the team, but not playing any matches to preserve a year of playing eligibility) this year has worked out extremely well, I've been able to adapt much easier to the demands of class and playing on the team. Even during the fall, the travel time makes it tough to keep on track with school and staying on top of everything. I'm looking forward to the spring season and watching our team compete, while I won't be playing I'll be having to work even harder on my fitness and being in the best shape possible. The physical demands of college tennis are far greater than junior tennis.

Going from being the oldest person at ATA and now being the youngest on the team here at Tech has been an interesting experience, one that has given me a great perspective on the importance of leadership. Coming here to Lubbock as a somewhat clueless freshman I've had to rely a great deal on the leadership and advice of the older, more experienced players on the team. They've helped me with a great range of issues, not just tennis. So for the older players back at ATA, take this time of your junior career to be such a leader and in doing so strengthen yourself and also the others around you, taking the ATA team with you to another level.

Good Luck Everybody and Wreck 'em Tech!

-Ethan

Along with Brent, I also had a great conversation with Jack and some ATA players on their way back from a tournament last weekend. The question was: How would you describe your transition from a younger kid in the academy who looked up to the older kids as leaders to developing into a leader yourself who others looked up to? It didn't take me long to look back and remember those moments because they happen to be some of my fondest memories in the academy.

Although it seems like there is so much more to learn as a younger kid looking up to the older ones, the truth is actually that you learn just as much (if not more) about yourself and about others when you are in the leadership position. Like Brent said, "Being in a position to be a leader was the greatest opportunity that I had at the ATA." I 100% agree with that statement.

Believe me, it was fun, but it was also a challenge. As a leader, there are expectations that people set for you and ones that you set for yourself. You are in complete responsibility to not only strive to meet these expectations, but to also raise the bar and reach for higher ones. The sky is the limit!!! That is where it becomes fun. You never know how great of a leader you can be until you test yourself. I walked into ATA as a freshman and completely unexpectedly, I was awarded MVP at the end of my freshmen year by my fellow teammates.

After realizing how special it was to receive that award, I wanted to become the best leader that I possibly could. The next three years, I was able to enjoy the growth and develop of becoming that leader. I raised my own standards and always tried to be a leader on and off the court. And by doing so, I learned so much about myself. Remember that taking on a leadership position, is a very special role that will help you for the rest of your life. It did not stop for me at ATA.

To this day as a college tennis player, I continue to try and be the best leader I can and still learn more and more about what that means to me and those around me. It's an honor to be a leader.

Lindsey Pereira

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]]> http://www.austintennisacademy.com/alumni/archives/2007/02/what_makes_the.html http://www.austintennisacademy.com/alumni/archives/2007/02/what_makes_the.html Brent Werbeck Sat, 10 Feb 2007 09:30:54 -0600 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

It’s been a while since I’ve been around the ATA, or spoken with anyone in the loop, but I was just recently reading all of the exciting news that’s been coming out of the ATA from the past few months and thought it would be a good time to check in. Additionally, I’ve been reading the letters that other ATA alumni have sent to the ATA in the past, and realized that I hadn’t thrown in my two cents on the ‘college experience’; I thought that I might try to share some thoughts from my experiences as well, since they will have undoubtedly been different from everyone else’s, seeing as I unfortunately haven’t been playing competitive tennis for a while now. I’m warning you now; this email is going to be long, as I am pretty emotionally tied to the ATA and these thoughts, so read only if you really want to and if you don’t mind taking a while out of your day to listen to my ramblings.

Let’s start with the challenges first: if I were to summarize my sophomore year in one phrase, I would have to say that phrase would be “a learning experience”. To put it bluntly, I don’t think I’ve ever struggled with anything in my life up to this point as much as I did with balancing a tremendous workload (6 classes), Notre Dame Football (and the associated band responsibilities), managing my social life, planning my future career, staying healthy, and, above all, TRYING TO REMAIN SANE. I’m joking of course about the remaining sane part, but at times the ‘college experience that everyone talks about can be utterly overwhelming; ask any ATA alumnus and I’m absolutely certain they will feel exactly the same way. There are times when you can literally be a week behind in work with three projects and two papers due in a few days and no reprieve in sight, and the only thing you can do is to put your nose to the grindstone and pound it out. Sometimes, when I’m sitting on the 13th floor of the library, exiled in my sound-proof study room, the mounting pressure can get ridiculous, because I know that there are people all over the university studying for the same test, probably working just as hard as me (and probably wanting to punch through a window just like me). These are the moments, though, where I feel like I have an advantage over some other people. Being at the ATA taught me, among other things, the great value of discipline, and the impact that preparedness and consistent hard work can have on the outcome of future events. Even to this day, I find studying late into the night/early morning directly comparable to waking up every other day at 5:30am for those grueling laps around the track at St. Stephen’s, or those painful weight-lifting sessions at Barton Creek in the early days of the ATA, or the equally taxing sessions at Gold’s Gym. I can’t say that I was ever a perfect model of discipline at the ATA; everyone has their weaknesses, and I certainly have quite a few. But I can say that the value of the lessons learned at the ATA did not escape me, and that those lessons are at least as applicable to everyday life as they are to tennis. So that’s take away lesson number one, I suppose: keep on keeping on, because at times that’s all you can do. When times get tough, anyone from the ATA will always have their outstanding discipline and work ethic to fall back to, and that’s something that the vast majority of people entering college and/or everyday life will never have had the chance to develop.

The ‘learning experience’ idea continues with my next thought: there really is something to be said for the ‘never give up’ ideal that seems so overly quoted, at least in my life. Although this motif tends to go hand-in-hand with the earlier thought I had regarding discipline, I think (and my experiences have made it clear) that there is another layer of meaning here that really resonates with me. There’s a uniquely disturbing feeling that I’m sure everyone reading this has felt at some point during their careers, whether it be on the court or in the classroom, or in any other competitive enterprise for that matter: there comes a time when, in the heat of the moment and the battle is raging that you suddenly become concerned that you might lose this one; right there at that very moment, you unintentionally begin to make things much more difficult for yourself as that growing sense of doubt almost unfailingly turns into fear. I know that I myself have experienced this feeling many times, perhaps too many (especially during my countless tennis matches). This is one of those times when discipline and concentration are critical and will certainly help you, but will not necessarily solve the problem. You can be disciplined and stay the course, but those constantly nagging concerns in the back of your mind rarely leave of their own accord, and can really bog you down. I have found that only one thing can help in this circumstance: Belief, and yes that’s belief with a capital B. I’m going to give an example, and yes, it involves ND football; that’s no reason to ignore its validity, even if you’re a UT fan. As you might recall, ND played USC this fall in South Bend; this year was special, what with the re-emergence of ND as a powerhouse magnifying the annual arch-rivalry and all. Anyway, you know the story: a Notre Dame team with underwhelming talent nearly topples what at the time was considered one of the “greatest college football teams of all time”; once again, this shows the stupidity of ESPN, but that’s beside the point. Oddly enough though, when I was standing there on the field watching this unbelievable game play out, I could only attribute the performance of our team to one thing: their undeniable belief that they could win. Looking back on it now, I’ve seen many examples of this throughout my life: Ashley Weinhold beating a panicking Christy Baxley in the Texas Cup when she was only 12 years old to Christy’s 16 is one that will probably stick out permanently in my mind. Having seen numerous similar “upsets” throughout my tennis career, they all seem to come down to one thing: Belief. Perhaps I never felt confident enough in my tennis game to really feel this kind of belief when I played, but standing there on the field, willing my team to victory, I realized that I was thinking differently about competition than I ever had before: even though I wasn’t actually playing, I felt the tangible effect that the crowd’s belief was having on the team, and when I felt that kind of support, I felt like they could not fail. As it turned out, they failed by only the slimmest of margins, a last second touch down gifted to USC by the refs resulting from yet another clutch play by Leinart a few downs before. While the loss of the game was certainly crushing (I still can’t talk about it without getting angry), as time goes on I realize that the day was a successful one for me. It may seem silly to you, but that might have been the day that I first witnessed the power of Belief in relation to my own life, and it may have been the first time that I really felt it as well. Since then, I have made a point of trying to be more confident in my own decisions and actions, and not surprisingly, it has really made a significant impact on my life. It’s difficult to quantify what this kind of belief means, because I think that each person has to feel it for themselves before they understand it. Similarly, if it could be readily explained, I’m sure that I would have learned what Belief actually meant much sooner that at ND, since the coaches at the ATA talk about it and attempt to help people understand and grasp it all the time. Still, if I (in my truthfully unqualified position) were to give any kind of advice to ATA members of any age or experience level, it would be this: Believe in what you can do. People will never stop telling you to do that, and you are probably tired of hearing it, but when you feel it, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Often times, you’ll find that you are capable of things that you didn’t think you were if you simply Believe that you can do it. Try it out some time if you haven’t already; it’s pretty cool. And when the going gets tough and “just Believe” seems like the stupidest advice that you could possible get (come on, this is the classic cynical Danny Saad talking here), don’t just give up on it because things don’t seem to be getting better; that’s the caveat, of course, and this is the part that I always struggled with the most. It’s hard enough to keep focused and try your hardest in the midst of a competitive match, much less muster the strength of will to Believe in yourself. That is part of the value of tennis though, and I guess would be take home lesson number two; each battle has a profound effect on your opinion of yourself, and each battle, regardless of the outcome, is a chance to A) find out what you Believe and B) learn how to Believe in yourself a little more. I personally believe that the ATA teaches this kind of belief as a staple of its mission, something that very few other sports academies can say. That makes me proud to be an alumnus of the ATA, and it should do the same for every student, instructor, coach, parent, or any other member of the ATA family.

The final point (see, I told you this was going to be long) that I want to make is of quite a different nature than the others. Perhaps the most unique thing about the ATA (in relation to other sports programs) is the unique sense of ‘family’ that seems so prevalent in the ATA organization. Everyone - whether it’s from the youngest players to the older mentors, from the coaches to the parents, or from the supporters to the volunteers - is part of the ATA family, and each and every person (in my experience) respects and appreciates each other. Sure, there are squabbles and misunderstandings; tempers flare, fights break out, and things sometimes get said that shouldn’t have been. Still, everyone is joined by a common goal: to best the best that they can be. I believe that the “ATA family” appreciates that common goal more than most other institutions, and the combined effort of everybody to all get there together is what makes the ATA such a wonderful and powerful place. Truly sappy sentimentalism, I know; still, I feel confident in making the assertion that very few other groups of people in my life will ever have the same kind of profound impact on me that my colleagues, coaches, and friends at the ATA had on me. You will undoubtedly carry that sense of family with you wherever you go, and you will be surprised at the places that it will turn out to mean something. For example, on the very first day of classes at Notre Dame during my freshman year, I rolled into chemistry wearing one of the same ATA shirts that I had worn to practice countless times. Within one minute of sitting down at my desk in a room of more than 75 people, one guy came down to me and introduced himself, solely because he recognized the ATA symbol and what it stood for. He said that he had seen a lot of ATA people play before, having once been a nationally-ranked tennis player himself before a career-ending injury, and he just wanted to say that he respected our players and thought we had a special organization. I was stunned to say the least, but at the same time incredibly proud that someone outside of our small little bubble in Texas appreciated what the ATA stood for. It had occurred to me before that when you put on that ATA shirt, people associate you with a whole group of people, rather than just concentrating on you, but I’d never really experienced it quite so concretely. I was so happy in that moment to be associated with the ATA family, and I’m sure that you will appreciate the same feeling in time if you don’t already. As it so happens, the ATA even followed me to Paris this summer. I was in the middle of studying in France for 6 weeks when I happened to be in the same museum as Melissa and Alexis Weinnig, and Mary Bain. It was so great to see people so far from home that I knew and that had shared some of the same pivotal experiences as me; plus, I was so tired of not being able to speak English with people that seeing some old friends really made my day! It just goes to show you that the ATA family can be any- and everywhere, and that it not only means something to people at home, but also to people all over the world.

There you have it: a way too comprehensive summary of my first two years at Notre Dame. There’s a ton more to tell, but considering how fried my brain is after writing this, I’m sure that yours is just as fried from reading it. I hope that everything is going well at the ATA, and that this message is finding everyone enjoying the summer vacation. Best wishes for continued success, and here’s hoping that I can get out of my office cubicle and out to the ATA sometime soon!

Good luck, and GO IRISH!

Danny

Let it first be said that that without the ATA I would not be here at the school of my dreams. Without tennis, I could never have gotten into such a prestigious school. But with Eric and Jack guiding me through the college process, I was able to maximize my opportunities.

Classes are unbelievably challenging, every student in every class was one of the best students in their elite private high school, which has its positives and negatives. I have never had to work so hard at anything. It is a huge challenge and time commitment to keep up in your classes, but the work is interesting, and thus far I am experiencing mixed results while learning from each success and setback.

On the tennis court, we have an incredible team. We are one of a few major threats to win a national championship and the energy that brings to practice each day is inspiring. I haven't been playing my best, but learing about being a part of a team at ATA perpared me very well. Many players are selfish and worried only about themselves. Being a part of a team at ATA taught me that there are an infinite number of ways to contribute to the well-being of a team. I see it as my role, whether I start or not, to make a huge impact of our success, and that is only because of the team culture Jack creates.

The greatest part of college has been the relationships with my teammates and the closeness of the team. We are a unit. We live together, we eat together, we support one another, and of course we party together. I couldn't imagine leaving home at my age without a support group like my teammates. The older guys go out of their way to help the freshman time and time again. Between the team and coach, its like having the support of a family there with you, something we are accustomed to at ATA, but most college students dont have. That is an advantage of being a college athlete that isn't spoken of often, but all you young bucks will be able to enjoy.

Finally, and definitely most importantly, COLLEGE IS FUN. The freedom and independence is amazing. You have 24 hours in a day, and it is completly yours to do what your want. You don't have to go to class (although I would highly recommend it), sleep (also recommended), or clean your room (completely overrated.) You can do whatever you want whenever you want and you are surrounded by thousands of people your same age with similar interests who are all looking to have a good time.

Whether you realize it or not, you young ballers are being prepared to succeed in college each day you go to ATA. Enjoy it, appreciate it, and one day you'll be enjoying the time of your life in a great university.

More to come as the Stags pursue our lofty goals in the spring.

ATA for life,

Berbz

PS: Although Santi and I's situations may sound similar, keep in mind that the climate I am living in is actually condusive to human life and I can step outside my room without the immediate threat of frostbite.

PPS: Stag football is absolutely amazing.

I just thought it would be appropriate to send you guys my first report back from South Bend, Indiana. I am currently sitting in my dormitory’s desk, one which is very similar the one in the St. Stephens days (scary). I just got out of practice a little early because I am a little bit under the weather (which is scary because it is about 45 degrees = tropical weather).

I must say Notre Dame is everything I thought of it and more. The school itself is even prettier than I thought. It is amazing how perfectly kept everything is and you can’t tell how they do it unless you have an early morning workout and see the hundreds of workers out doing their job.

The school, academically, is very challenging and arduous in terms of workload, but fortunately the school gives you whatever help you may need in any subject. Thankfully I am doing pretty well and believe it or not some classes are actually fun. It is amazing how much more you learn when you are actually interested in your classes. Even though the average SAT for freshmen in Notre Dame is a 1450, you would be surprised how many kids are barely passing because of their work ethic and time management. It is funny to think about this two key abilities because most people haven’t heard about them or don’t really know what they mean, but Flashing red lights Pop in my head with a big angry Jack Newman face giving me lectures about them over and over again.

Tennis wise, I love it. The team is a bunch of great guys and it was very easy for me to become great friends with them very quickly. I must admit I was a little bit scared and sad about leaving my friends behind, but thankfully these guys have made the transition a little easier. I really like both the head coach and the assistant coach and they remind me a lot about the ATA coaches because you can tell they really care about you as a person. I have personally struggled a little bit with my game, but both the players and the coaches have been extremely supportive and encouraging. I also know that at the moment I have to work twice as hard as anybody in the team if I want to see any playing time because we are very good and very deep in our line up. Yet I can already see my hard work paying off and I am confident I will make huge strides in my game with the help of the people that surround me.

In general, I feel very lucky to be a part of such an amazing prestigious institution and you all know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the ATA family.

Best of luck to everybody in Austin (the best city in the world) and GO IRISH!!!!!!!!!

Santiago Montoya

P.S Notre Dame football is absolutely amazing.