Bucket List

Recently, we were discussing the definition of ‘bucket list’… one student said, “it’s the things you want to do before you die.”  True.  But It is also the list of things I want to accomplish while I am living.  For me, being a few years older, there is a subtle, but ominous, difference.

I spent a few days in Washington DC at the Advanc-Ed National Summit.  It is the organization that accredits ATA CP.  During that time, I crossed off a few bucket list items.  In awe, I visited every national monument in DC; I stood before our great documents in the National Archives; I sat in wonder as I contemplated great thinkers and the Great Architects that founded this country, and built beautiful structures as tributes.  “Amazing places in DC”, check.  Another bucket list item was meeting education icon, Sir Ken Robinson.  I have been a fan for about 5 years.  I have read his books and viewed his TedTalks.  He is an inspiration to the shift in the education paradigm.  If you have ever been trapped in a conversation about education with me, you have probably heard a few Sir Ken quotes (paraphrased of course).  He, too, speaks of inspiring children instead of training them.  And individualizing creative programming instead of continuing the assembly line mentality.   “Sir Ken”, check.

After being inspired by Sir Ken, I found it quite interesting that everyone’s discussions during the summit meetings claimed to aspire to the same goals: 1) we must prepare students to perform in the new landscape, both academically and socially; 2) we must raise standards (well, of course, that IS better than lowering them); 3) we must give our children a sense of purpose; and 4) we must give them the necessary tools to survive in the work world.

Yet, the questions asked are for a future that is yet unknown.  So how does our current education system provide this through a systematic approach?  It doesn’t.  It is a system that was based on antiquity and the industrial age.  It does not aspire to the attributes of the future.  So what does inspire the learners of today for the future?  “Finding the question”, check.

We must begin to realize that our children are the ones with the answers to the future and the ones who will be implementing them.  The best possible thing that we – as parents, teacher, mentors, or coaches – can do is to give our children the opportunities and the support needed to raise them higher than they could go if they were alone or without the means.  We must also inspire them to learn as much as possible every day through our own modeling and by encouraging and honoring their ideas.  “Revealing an answer”, check.

It is really an awesome privilege to raise a child, to be part of the future through the legacy of thought we leave with them.  It is also an awesome responsibility to practice wisdom, patience, awareness, and faith that the acts of supporting, loving and honoring are the most important gifts we can give… to our children and to ourselves.

The top item on my bucket list?   As a small drop in the bucket, I aspire to inspire the greatness of those that have come close to me to live and learn.   Check.

What tops your bucket list?

~Carol

 

 

 

 

Former Grad Update from Notre Dame

from Josh Hagar, ATA CP 2012, ND 2016

Hello from South Bend, Indiana! Life here at Notre Dame has been amazing. I am so happy to be on fall break to have the time to relax, recuperate a bit, and give you all an update on how these last couple months have been. I learned very quickly that life at ND is very busy, and free time as an athlete is rare, or non-existent all together. My schedule consists of classes from 8:30 or 9 (depending on the day) to noon, practice and fitness in the afternoon from about 3 to 7, and studying until I cannot stay awake any longer. One thing you learn quickly here as a student is that going to class and completing homework is simply not enough. Students are expected to spend time outside the classroom during the week learning on their own about concepts of the subjects. As a non-student-athlete, this is a viable expectation, but when 4 hours of my day are cut out because of athletic obligations, it makes things seem nearly impossible. Luckily, Notre Dame has one of (if not, the best) student-athlete support systems in the country. Tutors are offered to student-athletes for nearly every class, contrary to the their common notion, as a time saver, not as a helper in comprehension. While tutors are very helpful in understanding certain materials more deeply, they make things easier and less time consuming in a busy schedule. I was a bit hesitant to get tutors at first, but after consistently staying up to the early hours of the morning studying, I thought it necessary to give them a try. The independent college life, I have found, has been all about decisions, and that is one decision I am glad I have made. I tend to think of school, social life, sports, and sleep as the four S’s of college, and tutors really help out putting some of the school hours into sleeping.

Aside from the day-to-day grind of class, homework, practice, homework, I have been able to enjoy the football weekends, charity events, and tournaments in which the team has participated.

Football weekends are crazy. Notre Dame is a pretty small campus (our total student population is no more than 12,000, graduate and undergraduate students), but our stadium holds over 80,000. So, you do the math, the stadium has capacity for a lot more people than just the students and faculty. By Thursday and Friday of home game weekends, people are already tailgating off campus, and you can tell that the size of the average campus tour increases tenfold. The place comes alive, and becomes more like a circus compared to the normal quiet, serene setting on which the University prides itself. Coming from Austin though and growing up going to UT games, I love the football weekends here. They make me feel right at home.

A cool parallel between ATA and ND is that of service. The Notre Dame community offers a large service component to its students. It is customary for each sports team to have a certain cause for which they raise funds and awareness. For the men’s tennis team, our cause is multiple sclerosis. A few weekends into the semester, we hosted two clinics benefitting MS at our home courts, one of which was for the South Bend community, the other for the Notre Dame community, which included the softball and men’s basketball teams. It was a really fun event and a good way to gain some fans, and get to know some of the other student-athletes on campus. For more information on that particular event, you can check out this link to the full story: http://www.und.com/sports/m-tennis/spec-rel/090913aaa.html.

As for the competitive aspect of the tennis side of my life here at ND, I could not be happier. The fall is a time where teams really try and build off of their previous spring season, and our guys have been working towards that. The guys on the team are awesome, and I have been very impressed with the culture of the team: supportive, diligent, and committed just to name a few attributes.

We’ve had a fun fall tournament schedule so far, including trips to Chicago and Ohio State with ebbs and flows of results. My first opportunity representing the Irish was at the Olympia Fields Country Club Invitational hosted by University of Illinois. This tournament was on clay, a rarity for any college event. While I will admit I was a bit nervous for that tournament, I posted my first few collegiate wins against solid players from Memphis and Illinois, and learned some valuable lessons moving on to the next event a few weeks later, which we were hosting. Other teams that competed in Olympia Fields were Texas, Virginia, Memphis, and Kentucky.

I have come to realize the perks of home court advantage in college tennis. For our tournament, the Bobby Bayliss Invitational, there were players from Louisville, Cleveland State, Michigan State, and Western Michigan. As a hosting player, however, your schedule is almost the same. For example, you sleep in you own dorm room on campus, you eat the same meals in the dining halls, and you can go to your locker in between matches. Everything in the tournament is just the same as it is during the week when we practice, which makes me much more relaxed. I had a great weekend, posting a 3-1 singles record, 2-1 doubles record, and being recognized as the most outstanding player! If you care to look, the whole article is here: http://www.und.com/sports/m-tennis/spec-rel/100713aab.html.

As I am writing this, I have just returned from Ohio State where we competed in the Regional Championships. I played fairly well, reaching the round of 16 in singles before falling to the current number 3 player in the country (who ended up beating our number 1 guy 7-6 in the third in the finals today…heartbreaking), and the quarterfinals of doubles, losing to the same guy (who also beat our number 1 doubles team 8-7 in the finals, another heartbreaker). While I played good matches throughout the tournament, I was psyched at getting the opportunity to compete at the highest level of college tennis. That’s what any freshman can ask for, right? College tennis is too fun.

Next up on the docket before classes start again on Monday is a trip to Austin! Part of the Notre Dame men’s tennis team is coming down to Austin this Wednesday to compete in the UT Invitational over the weekend. For those who are in town, we would really love for you to come out to watch some great college tennis… and maybe leave your UT gear at home and show your support for the Irish 😉

I really miss everybody at ATA, and am thankful each day for the invaluable lessons I learned in my time as an academy player there. I am doing my best to represent y’all up here in the Midwest!

I could go on and on talking about the past couple months in my time here, but that being said, I am leaving an open invitation for anyone who is in the area and would like to see a behind-the-scenes tour of campus as a student-athlete. The campus is beautiful, and if anyone is ever in the Chicago area and wants to make a day trip down to see good ol’ God country, hit me up! It is only an hour and a half (if that) from the Chicago area.

Until this weekend and Christmas break, Go Irish!

Josh

 

Living the Sport… Parenting Your ATA Athlete

During a recent ATA parent meeting, I observed eager young parents taking in all that they could, and it reminded me of the beginnings of my ATA journey… and little did I know.

I sat next to a tennis mom in the bleachers watching a UT match where her son and my son were on court together as ball boys.  She told me her son was a SuperChamp player at ATA.  I did not grow up in the USTA Texas junior system, and I had no idea what she meant by that.  The next month, my son played a SuperChamp player at the Texas Open.  It was a tough match.  At the time, I had no idea that my son was the underdog and the result was an upset.  The opponent and his mother left the Texas Open immediately after the match so that he could arrive in time to a National tournament in another state.  I thought to myself, ”Seriously… you’re going to drive 9 hours to a tennis tournament?”

Little did I know then what the next few years of life would become as we merged into the world of USTA Texas tennis. And little did I know then, that the next year, I would be driving my son, and the rest of an ATA team, to a national tournament in another state… 9 hours away.

Josh was 12 years old when we came to ATA.  Coach Notis invited him to train at a summer camp before the Grand Slam and then to travel with the team to College Station for the tournament. After the first day of training, Josh came home with stars in his eyes… “Mom, this is the place I want to be… everyone here wants to be great!”  After spending the past 6 months at the neighborhood country club where kids were forced on court by overbearing parents, and who acted out and bullied other players, or spoke disrespectfully to the coaches, I was excited by the possibility of Josh being surrounded by excellence and respectful behaviors.

I traveled to College Station that year and attended the evening ‘team meeting’.  20 something players crammed into a small hotel room where Coach Newman gave one of his infamous and inspirational speeches to an excited and nervous group of athletes. They were wedged into every seat and open space on the floor and bed.  I listened intently to the words he spoke.  I was skeptical of this attitude and process that drove the notion of no holds barred competition into my son’s ears.  But I was intrigued.

Josh played well at sectionals. He brought home the doubles championship trophy and ATA became his home court.

Our weekends became blurs of tournaments.  Church was replaced with another kind of worship – one that demanded time, effort, energy, and the pursuit of excellence on a court of concrete.  Although the language was different, the lessons of character were similar.  As Josh became immersed in the game, I listened to hours of his statistical analysis of professional players’ win loss ratios and whether or not the last shot was the most advantageous choice based on the player’s attributes.  I listened to hours of a Nerf tennis ball hitting the wall in our foyer.  And I watched Josh dance around the house shadowing forehands and performing ‘air’ backhands.  This was a daily practice.

Looking back on the sweet beginnings of Josh’s 6 year process of ATA development, there have been many ups and downs.  But just as with a well-researched and implemented investment, as time passes, the highs and lows eventually create an upward moving curve, gaining momentum and compounding value.  Short term results were not always what were expected… a broken wrist, a cracked growth plate, missing the draw by 1 spot, a stomach virus before the finals, dehydration, team tennis, the International Hall of Fame, a rolled ankle, traveling 800 miles to Nationals as the 1st alternate only to be skipped over due to an administrative error, Zonals, Excellence, ITF’s, college recruiting, tears over losses, joy over wins… and great lessons learned with all.

Josh has worked and continues to work forward.  He has been motivated by older and more experienced players.  He has been trained by some of the most amazing coaches and trainers.  He studies the game.  He studies himself.  And he has rubbed up against quality people of innate integrity and enormous generosity.  He has traveled the globe.  And along the journey, he has learned not only how and why he hits that little yellow ball, but also how and why that little yellow ball has guided him into himself.

If you choose to embark on the journey of tennis at ATA, you will find that it is truly about living the sport.  It is about moving through the levels of play as you move through the levels of self-actualization.  The opportunity is here.  The supporting staff is here.  The facilities are here. The expertise is here. Why you are here and how you show up here is up to you.

Josh’s process has been evident through his power and passion for the game and for his life.  The less apparent process has been my own.  In growing along with my son in this process, I have had the opportunity to practice patience, breathe, have faith in the process, and embrace humility at every turn.

Just as we ask our children to take advantage of all that is before them, so too, can we, as parents, learn from the amazing people and opportunities offered here, by embracing the process, and Living the Sport at the Austin Tennis Academy.

Looking forward! ~Carol

 

The Religion of Tennis

from Carol

The commitment to elite tennis is a challenging one.  It takes a great deal of time, money, faith, and sacrifice along the way.  You may be at the beginning of this process or somewhere in the middle, or perhaps you are coming to the end of youth sports and embarking on the college process.

This journey is not only a commitment from your child, but from you and perhaps even from your entire family.  It changes the dynamic of how you spend your weekends and holidays.  It restructures how you will spend your money and your vacations.  It may also be a challenge to explain to your friends who just don’t quite ‘get it’.

When my son was embarking on the next higher level of commitment, I remember saying to a friend that tennis had become our religion. No longer were we heading off to church on Sunday mornings, but off to another tennis match.  There was a shift in our commitments and focus. I no longer felt that his life was ‘in balance’ since so much more time and energy were focused on tennis and less on other aspects of his life.

Balance vs Harmony

As tennis progressed, my ideal image of holistically parenting the well-rounded, balanced child slowly began to morph.  Our dialogs about choices became discussions of why and how this choice was what he wanted to pursue over other options.  At no time during his tennis career was it absolute that he would continue.  He always had the option to stop or lessen, or to dive in deeper. There were times that he questioned his choices and he was given the space to do so.  There were also times that I questioned his choices… and my choices to support him.  My idealistic balance transformed into harmony.

Parenting is a funny thing… there is no right or wrong way of doing it… and what works for one child definitely does not work for another.  But when you want your young daughter to stand up for herself and make her own decision, let her go and do it.  And sometimes, you need to make a decision for your child.  When that is the case, let her know that you will be doing that for her.  At times, that is totally appropriate and necessary, often relieving stress from a situation that is beyond her control.

Having said that, if you are going to allow your child to make the decisions… then you must be totally on board and not waiver from your support … even if it means being somewhat out of balance.  I remember a tennis mom telling me stories of how awful some of her friends were to her because they just could not understand why on earth she would send her son to a tennis academy and pursue his dream of playing D1 college tennis.  She had to defend a choice that she made that was incredibly difficult and heart wrenching… not ever really knowing if she made the ‘right’ choice.  But it was her decision to support her son, regardless of the outcome.

So as parents, let us do everything we can to support our children in their chosen tennis career.  Everything we say can encourage her on her path to success – and success may mean winning matches or it may mean winning at being confident, or it may mean allowing her to be in harmony with her chosen path.  But if we doubt her level of commitment or her ability to succeed, then she will definitely experience doubt in herself.  She needs to know that she is more than her tennis.  She is important because of who she is and what she can bring out of herself and into the world.

It is hard to fully determine or express how very different Josh’s life is because of the USTA/ATA communities and the foundational support he has received… so whether his tennis takes him anywhere beyond where he is today… I would say the journey has been very worth it, not because of his tennis-related results, but because of what he has learned about his abilities and the community of support that he has been fortunate to be part of.

The Expense

From a monetary perspective, it is an expensive journey.  From other aspects, it is a bargain.  But remember, the choice to commit financially to support your son’s or daughter’s tennis and development is your choice, not theirs.  I never made finances part of Josh’s decision, because devoting his time and effort was his part of the commitment; the financial aspect was his father’s and mine.  If your child begins to look at tennis as an investment, it becomes a job and a burden.  While this might be appropriate when he has chosen to play DI tennis and is being paid to play, it is completely inappropriate to expect the same response from a 10, 12 or 16 year old.  I have witnessed many children become angry or apathetic at this age and then quit altogether because the joy of the game has ceased to exist due to the pressures of parents.  Help him keep the playfulness of the game.

In moving forward and moving up in the world of junior tennis, your child’s journey will require more financial and time commitment from your family as she increases in level.  This is not your child’s choice; it is yours.  And having been through it, it is not one to be taken lightly.  You must choose to commit to your part, and let your child commit to hers.  If your child is concerned about how much this costs and whether she is performing at a level that is a good return on the investment, she may not be able to perform at her highest level. (This same rule follows in academics.) Relieving Josh of the responsibilities that are mine or his father’s allows him to be fully committed to his.

I think many children struggle because they want to please all of the voices that speak to them, and that is an impossible task.  This includes the voices of a social life.  Josh  made decisions to miss parties, ACL weekends, family holidays, etc which were never easy decisions.  And he had guidance.  But the ultimate decisions had to come from him – not me, not his dad, not his coach, not his friends. There was never a decision that could please all of those voices.

Parenting is tough… as is growing up… and the manual is not a static one, but an ever-evolving read.  Obviously, we want only the best for our children and we want them to feel successful and happy.  And wanting those things makes you an awesome parent.  Model to your child how to be strong and confident and engaged by doing so every day. Let her grow and know that she is being guided by people who really care for her personal best.

The outcome is a mystery and we can’t yet visit that destination.  But as with any religion, it requires faith so that we can get to the end of the journey with our head and heart in tact.  So let’s help our child build the vision in her own mind, help her set some great goals for herself and then, help her get there.

Have Your Cake & Eat It Too? : College & Beyond

from Carol

Choosing the right college is like baking a cake.  There are many ingredients that go into the mix to create the desired chemistry and tasty outcome.  Colleges can offer: academic challenges, rich cultural experiences, spaces to develop new aspects of personality, a network of mentors, career opportunities, a place to continue developing as an athlete.  The amount that each of these flavorful ingredients weigh in on a final decision varies in as many ways as there are people.

In a recent talk I was giving to a group of parents who were embarking on the college process with their first-born, I asked,  “How many of you, today, would make the same college choice you did when you were 18?  Only 1 person raised his hand.   Hmmm. This suggests that things we think are important at 18 may not hold true when we are 25 or 35 or 45.

On that same note, what we, as parents, think is important for our child may not be the only answer.  We need to remember that we cannot visit the future of our children and that we are most likely making decisions based on our past experiences.

As an example, ATA CP graduate Blake Davis shares some interesting wisdom and reflection on his decisions at 18 and his decisions today.

 

 

 

 

Dear Carol,

This e-mail has been a long time coming. I am currently sitting at my desk with a little bit of down time and thought I would give you an update on where I am, what I am doing, and what I want to do.

I am currently in Houston working for Quantum Resources Management team. We are a management team that works for both a private equity fund and public upstream Master Limited Partnership. QR Energy, the Master Limited Partnership, is a pseudo-subsidiary of QRF (the private equity fund) and by only having one management team this allows us to cut down on General and Administrative costs. For the most part, I have been heavily immersed in liquidity, distributable cash flow, and Capital Expenditure analysis which have led to refined lists of possible mergers/acquisitions. This entire summer has been an amazing opportunity that I am blessed to have been a part of, and I can honestly say that I would not have received this opportunity had it not been for ATA, seeing as —– played a direct role in helping me get my foot in the door.

As for what I want to do, where I want to end up, and my long term goals, I would say that I am shooting for a job in banking after I graduate, whether that is sales and trading or investment banking. With that being said, I am in for a very long and arduous up-hill battle due to the fact that I am coming from a non-target college. For any of ATA’s current students who have a slight idea of the industry that they want to be in after college, I would highly suggest they do a thorough analysis on undergraduate placements in that specific industry. In case you would like to show a current student this e-mail, let me put that last sentence in bold. Do the leg work and look at colleges that have a high placement rate for the industry that you would like to work in. Now I know most teenagers have no idea what they want to do after college, I know I didn’t when I was looking at schools, but if that is the case then my piece of advice would be to search for a school that offers the greatest amount of exit opportunities. That way if you are unsure of what you want to do, at least you will have a lot to choose from.

As far as school, it is going well. My focus has begun to transition away from academics and more to job placement, but I have been able to maintain my grades with fairly little stress. My Major GPA is a 3.8 and my cumulative is a 3.5. As long as I keep my head together this last year, it looks like I will graduate Cum Laude which is kind of cool. As for tennis, I am looking forward to my senior year. My doubles partner and I will be heading into the season ranked number 5 in the nation and will have a legitimate chance at winning a national championship. I am looking forward to this year both athletically and academically and it will be interesting to see what I make of it. If you (or any others that read this) have any questions, feel free to give me a ring, I’d be more than happy to give my two cents on the tennis/college journey.

Sincerely,

Blake Davis

ATA CP Class of 2009

 

 

 

Four Agreements

from Carol

Each time the holidays approach, I am reminded of family gatherings when I was a young child.  The beautiful moments of food, frolicking and football were always scattered among a few arguments about God or politics or the best make and model of a favorite car.  Things haven’t changed much, and although these conversations are mostly unimportant and inconsequential, they evoke some pretty powerful words and emotions.

CP is a small school and I often {jokingly} say that it is like Thanksgiving… every day.  Meaning, that due to the intimacy level, the students often speak and act toward one another like siblings or close family members.  On a daily basis, there are students helping students, playing a chess game or two, walking and grooming the animals, and collaborating on a project.  There is also the occasional argument.  With awareness, these disagreements can be used as excellent learning opportunities.

One such moment occurred recently –  some of our students experienced some family/brotherly arguments and altercations. While it is never appropriate to be disrespectful, it does happen.

We took this opportunity to discuss, in small groups, the following items:

1) Our words are as powerful as our fists and both need to be respectfully honored and controlled.

2) Our actions and behaviors have the ability to build up each other and the group, or tear them down.

3) Confronting our shortcomings and speaking our understanding and apologies to one another face to face, and acknowledging our own insecurities can be humbling and provide healing.

Although there are times that behaviors occur and things are said that are not appropriate and certainly not expressing the highest version of ourselves, we learn to be compassionate, patient, and an exemplary part of a larger community.

Let is remember to focus on the long term positive expectations of character that we hold for our children, instead of on the temporary and occasional lapse or regression.

And, of course, let us remember to always model that which we want followed.

I am reminded of the Four Agreements of Toltec wisdom: 1) be impeccable with your word; 2) don’t take anything personally; 3) don’t make assumptions; 4) always do your best.

I encourage you to share and discuss these with your children at your next family gathering.  If you are interested in reading the book with your family… it will serve you and your family well… with many giving thanks.

 

 

 

 

Happy Parenting: 15 Things to Let Go of

Because parenthood is challenging, we can sometimes forget how to just be happy in the midst of it all.

Consider which of these 15 items keeps you from happy parenting. Let them go. Allow yourself to be a happy parent for your child—and yourself!

1. Give up “supposed to”

We were conditioned by our own early family experiences to believe that parenthood or childhood are supposed to look a certain way. But if you hold onto the way things are “supposed” to be, you may miss enjoying how they actually are. Be willing to question what you prioritize as a parent and why.

2. Give up on keeping score

What does your mental score-card keep track of… Which parent does more? Who’s most consistent? Which mom contributes most in your child’s class? Who’s most involved in your homeschool group?

Keeping score wastes energy. Just do what you feel inspired and able to do. Don’t feel obligated by others’ contributions. Don’t obligate them to live up to yours.

3. Give up force

As a parent you have a responsibility to set boundaries. But if a child consistently resists a certain boundary, don’t just force them to comply. Ask yourself and your child, “Why?”

Think of yourself as your child’s trusted and effective guide, not their dictator. When they experience you this way, they’re more likely to listen, which means less struggle and frustration for both of you.

4. Give up yelling

If you’re not a yeller, this one isn’t for you. But if you tend to yell when upset, consider this question: Has yelling strengthened your relationship with your child?

Yelling usually happens in anger and it often frightens and intimidates children. It destroys trust and a child’s feeling of safety. Pay attention to times and circumstances when you yell and then commit to changing those scenarios in the future.

5. Give up your need to look perfect

No such thing as a perfect parent. Embrace your imperfections. Laugh at yourself. The best parents are willing to always learn, change and improve.

6. Give up worry

Compulsive worrying doesn’t make your child any safer. It doesn’t make you any happier. And it teaches your children to live in fear. Release your worries and cultivate gratitude for your child’s safety in the present moment.

7. Give up one-size-fits-all rules

Every child is unique. What works for one won’t always work for another. Certain standard rules apply across the board (for example, everyone needs to speak respectfully). But consider the possibility that being a fair parent doesn’t mean doing the exact same thing in the exact same way for every child.

8. Give up the food fight

If you demand a certain number of bites from your children, you set yourself up for struggle at the table—and you set your children up for struggles with food later in life.

Guide, direct, encourage, and prepare healthy food. Let your child voice their preferences. Focus on healthy overall patterns, rather than forcing a certain regimen at a specific meal.

9. Give up your role as events coordinator

If you feel like parenthood is a treadmill you can’t keep up with, you may be taking too much responsibility for your children’s time. Make plans that are supportive to your children’s development, but don’t map out every minute for them.

Downtime is supportive to many children. Moments of boredom allow children to take responsibility for their own time. Make resources available and then let your children create the experience they want. You’ll all be happier.

10. Give up unhealthy self-sacrifice

As a parent, you generously give love, time, and attention. But you shouldn’t give up your core self just because you’re a parent. When you ignore your basic needs, you teach your children that when they grow up, they shouldn’t take care of themselves.

11. Give up guilt

Parents sometimes fall into the self-sacrifice trap because they feel unnecessary guilt. Guilt can be useful if you use it to recognize where you need to make changes. But overwhelming, paralyzing guilt that makes you feel worthless as a person or parent doesn’t accomplish anything. You are enough, just as you are.

12. Give up one-sided decisions

As the parent, you often have the final say. But you and your child will both be happier if it’s not the only say. When age-appropriate, involve your child in decisions that will affect them. By showing children the decision-making process, you’ll empower them to make their own good decisions in the future.

13. Give up negative messages

So many messages are repeated to children: you’re too loud, you’re too quiet, you ask too many questions, you’re exhausting, you’re demanding, you’re too talkative, you should make more friends, quit moving, speak up, settle down, smile more.

You can comment on the exact same behavior in a positive way. For example, you can see the trait of, “You’re too talkative,” as “You really make friends easily.”

14. Give up your own childhood story

What did you experience that you most want your children to avoid? Being teased at school? Lack of money? Feeling not-enough? Your fears may actually set up that same pattern to be re-created. Don’t trap your children now in your fears of the past. Let them go. Create what you want, not what you don’t want.

15. Give up on giving up

I’ve heard from parents who worry that they’ve damaged their child, or that they’ve made a mistake that will last a lifetime. I’ve said this many times:

It’s never too late to be a better parent.

Whether your children are 4 or 40, they respond to genuine love from their parents. The effects of mistakes may take a little longer to overcome if your child is older, but it’s never impossible to show up as the happy, supportive parent that you are meant to be. Don’t give up! You have everything you need to be a good parent.

Ok, deep breath.

It’s time to let go of whatever keeps you stuck and let the happiness in!

http://thechildwhisperer.com/15-things-give-up-happy-parent/#sthash.nX2x0RII.dpuf

Micro Managing Children

This article from Psychology Today explains the dangers that come from parents micro-managing their child’s education (and other aspects of life) without the substance of  confidence to back it up.  Of course we all want the best for our children – to provide the very best opportunities – but the most pampered and force-fed child is not always the most prepared.  The one that has learned how to play the game, or better yet, learned how to manipulate mom and dad to manipulate the game often find out later they were playing the wrong game.

Perhaps proper preparation means that we allow them to fall down and then have the courage to get back up.  Perhaps it is important to let them face the fear and confront someone and even apologize for doing wrong.

Let’s grow our children with integrity, confidence and knowledge of truth.   Give them support to succeed but don’t mow down every sticker bush, and weed out every inch of the path along the way.

Encourage them to pick up a tool and work their own garden.  Let them fail.  Let them succeed.  They know the difference when it is their own.  And this will give them the confidence to manage their own important moments as well as enjoy playing the game.

Train Your Brain

This summer, students are keeping fit with periodic Train Your Brain sessions.  From SAT prep to math refreshers to read and discuss workshops, these short programs focus on engaging topics that strengthen stamina for thought processes.

For those of you who participated in Session 1 SAT Prep… read on!  For those of you who did not, don’t worry, there might be a few tidbits for you too.  And you can always join us during the next session July 29 – Aug 2.

___________

Greetings, ATA players and families! I hope you had a good time Training Your Brain and preparing for the PSAT/SAT last week. As the summer continues, we have some recommendations for ways that you can continue to build your skills and stay sharp.

Rec 1   Read

The best single thing you can do this summer (or in life, generally) to become smarter is to read books, and then talk about what you’ve read with other people. So, our main recommendation is to choose a good book that you’re interested in and read a little of it each day, and then make some time to talk about it with someone; you could discuss it with your parents, your siblings, your friends (maybe they could read the same book?), or anyone else who has the time. At ATACP one of our goals is to build life-long readers, and there’s no time to start like the present!

Rec 2   Speak Volumes

Another good idea is to keep up the vocabulary work that you started last week. Keep making and using flash cards, app entries, or whatever tool you’re using to strengthen your vocab. Take a little time each day to study new words, and then look for them in the world— you’ll probably start seeing them in the news, reading them in books, and hearing them on the radio. Try using them in your own conversation! Find just the right word to express what you’re thinking.

Rec 3   Review College Board

Finally, hold onto the materials you used in this class— the white binder and the blue practice test book. Begin looking on the College Board website  for an SAT test date that will work for your family, and get signed up. Those of you who are taking the official PSAT this year, check with your school to make sure that you are registered to take it.

Rec 4  Test Your Best

About a month before you take either test, start looking through these materials again. Read through the notes in the binder (there’s more info in there that we didn’t get to this time) and take practice sections or even full tests in the blue book, focusing on whichever topic(s) you know you need the most work on. A week or two before your official test, try to make some time on a weekend to take a complete practice test— do it all in one sitting, and time yourself (it takes about three and a half hours). Give yourself the experience of taking a test of that length all at once, and make sure you prepare for it by eating right, getting plenty of sleep, and staying hydrated. Then, take your official test and blow it away!

For now, have a great summer! We’re looking forward to seeing you again!

Contact hannahhagarcp@gmail.com to register for the next Train Your Brain session July 29-Aug 2.

 

Silence is KEY… on Focusing

As most of you know, CP begins the day with a reflective reading or a moment of silence.  And Academy practices begins with ALPHA – a silent moment of visualization and focus.  Why do we do this?  Because this meditative technique engages the mind-body and precedes true learning.

This youtube video on Mind Science by Dan Rather describes the effects of meditation on the mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=FkXtz72hjDI&feature=player_embedded#

Silence is Key for Learning

Meditation is an age-old tradition practiced by Tibetan monks
(among many others) that affords us the ability to relax and enter a state of
conscious awareness and being.  This practice can be used to calm, alter, and
redirect certain behaviors. Mediation also increases the function of the brain,
which determines the mind’s ability to process.  Alternatively, stress and fatigue move the brain into a
primitive mode of functioning, which adversely affects its ability for higher
order thinking.

Brain plasticity in the field of neuroscience has proven that the brain is malleable and has the ability to constantly evolve.  Recent studies show that meditation has a direct and positive effect on our brain’s plasticity levels by raising brain fitness and wave production.  Meditation increases the thickness
in parts of the brain that deal with increased attention and processing sensory
input, as well as reversing the effects of aging.  Obviously, one can extrapolate the value this practice can have on the
learning process.

So, this means that we were not born smart or average or dumb.  It means WE have the ability to increase our brain’s ability to learn.  That is powerful!

Train Your Brain

So let’s try an experiment to increase our brain’s cognitive
and plasticity levels. This is an exercise that can be altered to fit any
circumstance, but as with any other training, daily practice is key.

Introduce yourself to a meditation practice by
setting aside 10 minutes, twice daily (first thing in the morning, and just
before bed are ideal times)– it provides the parentheses of the day.  Although there are many ways to do
this, the most common is to sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor with
your back straight.  Set a timer. Close
your eyes and repeat a favorite inspirational verse, phrase or word silently in
your mind to develop the positive track that your mind can settle into. Relax.
Breathe normally and comfortably.
Allow the ‘jumping monkeys’ in your mind to stop.  Redirect wandering thoughts by gently
repeating your word or phrase.

Practice this effort for 30 days, gradually
increasing your meditation time to 20 minutes at each sitting.  Know that your brain can grow and experience the results.

Applications

A short silent period at the beginning of class, or at the beginning of a lesson, or at the beginning of doing homework can work to set the brain’s intent by visualizing the goal.  Ending your lesson time with another period of silence can emphasizes what was learned.  This creates positive tracking or wiring in the brain.  This technique can also be used for ‘resetting’ when necessary.

The purpose of the silent focus is to allow
the brain to rewire or track the malleable parts that you have been working
with.  For those of you who
ever made bread from scratch… it’s like letting the bread ‘rest’
after kneading it – a key to a successful process.

Onward to Alpha,

~Carol

Independent Curiosity

To the community, from ATA CP Parent, Rachel O’Malley

 

 

 

Dear Carol:

Recently, I was given the advice to approach life with “independent curiosity” by observing, being present without always engaging, being patient about drawing conclusions and refraining from immediate action. Using these skills has been rather enlightening for me. They have enabled me to question previous assumptions and analyze situations using a more compassionate awareness, with the end result being a difference in how Mike and I parent our girls.

With Meghan at ATA CP, Lauren sophomore at Vandegrift and Sarah preparing for middle school next year, I have attended numerous parent meetings, participated in informational parent discussion groups, teacher conferences, etc. These experiences have given me many opportunities to practice this “independent curiosity” in the context of helping our girls live their values, establish goals for themselves, and, most importantly, be happy. Below are my rather haphazard observations on my girls, their learning environments and how it has helped us become better parents.

Meghan: I think back to when Meghan started school at ATA CP as a seventh grader and how she has grown over the course of the past few years. Starting ATA CP (or Hybrid as we called it then), she was largely motivated by fear…afraid to get bad grades, afraid to draw attention to herself, afraid to form conclusions in the event someone might disagree, afraid of not pleasing. Her definition of success was to achieve good grades and blend in (notice no mention of actually learning the topics being taught, finding enjoyment from learning, exploring new ideas or creativity). Admittedly,
Meghan got her definition of success from us as parents and from the school environment where she spent her first seven years of her academic career. Fast forward to today, after spending years at ATA CP  – Meghan still has a very strong sense of achievement, grades and tennis results are still very important, but only one piece of the equation (additionally:)

*         She has made INCREDIBLE strides in her confidence at expressing
herself.

*         She finds ways to learn in nearly every situation. I have seen
this in so many situations; however, a few that have stood out include using
the wind a competitive tool during a tennis match, working with Mr.
Rutherford to make sure she is taking effective Chemistry notes, gleaning
life lessons from Coach Newman as she’s helping him in the morning to
wondering how a display was built in Whole Foods on an errand with you.

*         She is accountable for her actions and is not afraid to take
responsibility when she makes mistakes.

*         She has become one of the most organized people I know, thanks to
all of the hands-on instruction and guidance.

*         She is no longer as afraid of failure and uses it as a way to
improve herself. I remember when she did poorly on her first Biology test
and declared a career in medicine hopeless. You sat with her and taught her
a way to analyze her performance so that she could make changes to her
current study patterns / test taking strategies. She, along with all of the
ATA kids, do this monthly when they analyze their tournament results (see
below)

It might be worth saying that we take for granted that ATA kids analyze their tournament results and make a plan for improving and how this transcends into life. I have watched Meghan live a life of perseverance and resiliency. How many teenagers are accountable to adults for their performance? Yet, I have watched Meghan put thought and effort into her achievements and shortcomings, communicate these to her coaches (all the while opening herself to hearing constructive criticism and advice) then
make a plan for improving. These skills, not common in the general population of teenagers, will serve Meg well when she is an adult.

Lauren: Being a student at a very competitive high school is a bit like swimming with sharks. It’s all about numbers – the number of AP classes she takes, her GPA, her class rank, how many annotations did she put in her literary book, what did she score on the last test, how many absences she has for dance related activities (marked as unexcused) what was the highest score on the last test, will there be a curve….and the list goes on. While there are many, MANY dedicated teachers, and while Lauren is having a positive high school experience, the focus appears to be more on the external achievement than on learning and building character. Lauren made all A’s (and one B) last year, while working at her personal best, saw that as a failure because she wasn’t in the top 10{37ef6ac642fae6f93f343032eb62785d28fa7a25a4a4f0267a12512c541c53a9}. As mentioned, despite the many dedicated, wonderful educators, there was no one she felt comfortable with enough to share her insecurities or give her life lessons. This is not a criticism of the teachers but my sadness in the process. There are simply too many students for many one-on-one connections. Lauren’s saving grace in this system is her intrinsic charm, her persistence, and the support she
receives at home.

She also has the ATA community as a resource. An example of this was how ATA CP and Estevam helped her with her AP Science project. Lauren chose to test the impact of caffeine on the human heart rate, not an easy experiment to conduct. Coach Doug, you, Coach Estevam, and all of the ATA CP students participated. The coaching staff chose this as an opportunity to talk about nutrition, how to achieve peak performance and the pitfalls of using stimulants. While Lauren’s experiment failed in terms of finding concrete results, it was a tremendous learning opportunity to be able to sit one-on-one with Estevam to learn about the effects  of caffeine on the human body (from a true expert), why her experiment failed, what she could have done differently. Later, she learned that many students “faked” their experiments and spent far less time on the activity only to achieve the same grade. While her first reaction was anger and even outrage, she settled at peace, having gratitude that there were people willing to go so far to help her and satisfaction / pride in her hard work. She viewed this experience as
one of the best learning experiences of her 9th grade year Biology class.

Sarah: 5th grade is a rather difficult year at Sarah’s school. In an attempt to prepare students for the rigors of middle school, students are given a lot more responsibility, a lot more homework, and a lot more tough love. While all of this seems positive, it is a brutal process for a child that is an alternative learner. Sarah struggles with auditory learning and I have spent much of this year trying to “teach the teachers” how to “teach” my child. The focus keeps coming back to test scores and grades and defending their processes / grading policies and preparing for the standardized tests.
While I understand the importance of that, I am saddened that we seem to have lost touch that there is a little girl who WANTS to succeed and we, as the adults, need to find a way to help her feel confident and successful while promoting the joy that learning can bring.

The ATA Learning Environment: I know I don’t fully understand what goes on behind the scenes to make ATA and ATA CP a success. I do know that it’s no coincidence that every coach and teacher seem to be in sync with my girls’ strengths and weaknesses, goals, success stories and setbacks. Just looking at any ATA player’s technical tennis game, I see evidence that our coaches are the best at teaching the game of tennis, but their reach goes far beyond the tennis court. This mindset and dedication is also true for the ATA CP classrooms. I can recall Mike’s comment after a meeting with you that there is such a sense of peace when your children are being taught by people who love and look out for them as human beings. Some examples:

*         Kendall probably knows Meghan better than Meghan knows herself.
Some of the sweetest things I remember are: cleaning out Meghan’s tennis bag and finding a note from Kendall telling her she believed in her, seeing a text message to Meg on her first day of middle school, calling on Kendall to help Meg navigate the “girl drama and politics.” There are so many examples of this.

*         Kendall has helped Sarah from thinking she was “hopeless” at tennis to now identifying herself as a tennis player and pouring her whole heart into her competitive matches and improving her game.

*         Doug sends Meghan texts asking if she’d praised God and done her mental training for the day as well as sending me a request to pray for Meghan’s confidence in competition.

*         The ATA CP teachers putting fun and value into learning. Meghan has had science class in her bathing suit at the creek, history class at the Alamo, pottery classes across central Texas, career day at SeaWorld, philosophy discussions at Panera Bread, and the list goes on and on.

How We’ve Grown As Parents: Sitting in David Benzel’s presentation, I recalled in the not-so-distant past when my parental actions included a fair share of helicopter mom and tiger mom behaviors. Gradually, I have shifted based on a myriad of situations and influences (ATA being a strong one). Meghan came home and told me that her Psychology Class would be reading Jim Loehr’s book, The Only Way to Win. Having read some his prior books, I started reading this one. Not surprisingly, it is full of valuable guidance on how to win at the game of life. He states that sports is like a laboratory of life and doing something for only extrinsic rewards leads to emptiness. He argues our joy doesn’t always come with the end result that defines us but it is what we become as a result of the chase. The life lessons my children are learning in their chase are invaluable, and many times immeasurable. I try to remember this when I’m sitting in the meetings I referenced above. It’s about the journey, not the numbers. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that low grades, poor tournament results, and lower than expected report cards didn’t still worry me. They still do, maybe more than they should. However, as I look at USTA rankings, GPA’s, class rankings, test grades and the like, my children’s success can be measured in far greater terms than the “numbers.”

You live that, you’ve helped me to embrace that, and I will always be grateful for how you’re helping shape our girls.

Thank you, Rachel

 

Poison ’til You Puke

When I was in 7th grade, my classmate was caught smoking cigarettes by her father.  He did not yell or scream; he did not tell her she was ruining her life; he did not lecture her on the dangers of smoking.  Instead he sat her down in the living room and had her smoke a cigarette in front of him… one after another… and then another.  She basically had to smoke until she threw up.  As she related this story to me the next day (embarrassed and a bit green), I was horrified.  What kind of father would do this to his child?   However, the result was… she never smoked again ( at least not through middle and high school).  Dad was a genius.  He imprinted upon her the taste of smoking until you puke.

On a similar note:

As a culminating event to our year long study and education of healthy nutrition for the elite athlete, today began the Belly Brain Experiment at CP.  There have been some very interesting observations in both behavior, attitude and performance.

Please read on.

As you know, a goal of CP is to develop the best possible version of each individual.  And because the things we ingest through the senses transforms us, CP takes great care in providing daily nutrition (intellectually, spiritually, physically) that serves the thinking, compassionate athlete.

Today, we offered something very different – a free reign of ‘food’ choices that are the antithesis of healthy.  (I use the term ‘food’ loosely here.)  Donuts, gummy bears, soda, starburst, Capri Sun, chocolate milk, Chips ahoy, (quite honestly there were things I did not recognize… but some of the students did!) served as post workout choices.  This is compared to the usual CP post workout foods: bagels, cream cheese, peanut butter, nuts, fruit, boiled eggs, smoothies, tacos. Lunch today was fried chicken strips and Kraft mac&cheese, compared to regular CP lunches of fresh meats and vegetables.

Some of the students dug in, some grazed, some refused. Healthy choices were also available all day.

The changes in behavior were astonishing – giddy, giggling, angry, foul-mouthed, sleepy, lethargic, vomited, could not add 3+4 (literally), begged for ‘real food’ (which was available all day), complained of not feeling well.  Academy practice was a disaster for these kids, too.

So what is the lesson?  Hopefully this will serve as a visceral experience that will imprint on them that the choices they make impact personal performance, attitude, and happiness.  Garbage in, garbage out… awesome in , awesome out.

Why are we doing this?  To EMPOWER your children.  Hopefully, they will begin to understand the POWER they have over who they are and how they behave, by these simple choices.

Below is a great article on gut health.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/5-steps-to-kill-hidden-ba_b_739213.html

~Carol

Belly Brain Experiment is Underway

Led by Dio Miranda, and with the support of coaches, parents, and teachers alike, next week the students of ATA CP will embark on the “Belly/Brain Experiment”.  This will be a five-day lesson exploring the effect of different types of foods on the mental, physical and emotional state of the athlete’s body.

We will begin Tuesday with the more unfavorable meal choices – donuts, fried chicken, soda, various candies – move into Wednesday as a normal meal day at CP; on Thursday we will provide a plethora of healthier options – fresh fruit and vegetables, juices, roast chicken and beef and mixed nuts (basically, a normal day at CP). Friday, Dio will spend an hour discussing the benefits and detriments of sugars, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and how the students felt – physically, mentally and emotionally – Monday through Friday.

This experiment is by no means mandatory; no one will be forced to consume anything they do not wish to consume. The goal is to encourage our student athletes to be mindful and aware of how certain types of foods shape their attitude and behavior both in academics and on the court.

We will announce the “Belly Brain Experiment” to the students this Friday.

 

Rituals

from Coach Newman

I recently posted to my Facebook page that one of the best parts of my job is participating in the community building events that surround the Austin Tennis Academy.  A week ago Sunday it was participating in Esmeralda’s run.  Tonight is was being the Master of Ceremonies for three ATA Seniors signing their national  letters of intent to play college tennis.  Allie Carlisle: UT Tyler, Austin Priess: Abilene Christian University and Austin Mayo, Northern Colorado University all went through their ceremony this evening.

These events are rituals.  We have a formula, we follow the formula, it is comfortable and it is familiar.  The event starts with me welcoming everyone.  We alternate having these signings on Mon/Wed or Tue/Thur so that both Junior Development and Junior Academy players get to be a part of these inspiring moments.  All ATA Academy players and coaches are present.  Coaches talk about the grads, grads give speeches and then they sign their papers.  Some of the things that make this ceremony a ritual…Each player has a cake a balloons.  The cake always has the logo of their chosen school and the balloons are the colors of the school.  Each player signs their NLI and they sign an ATA pledge.  Players and parents sign the documents with the same pen that every player who has signed papers in the past 10 years has used to sign THEIR papers.  Each player gives a speech.  Many of those speeches are full of emotion, many tears are shed.  Everyone takes pictures and eats cake after each player’s ceremony is complete.

These are certainly special moments for the grads and their families who have spent years, if not a decade in pursuit of the goal of playing college tennis.  However, they are special for everyone else too.  For the younger high school students, they can begin to see themselves up there, giving a speech at their ceremony.  For our JD and JA students, they can begin to picture themselves playing as long as these grads and playing college tennis like these kids are going to do.  It can be inspiring for the younger ones.

It gives us all a chance to celebrate the passion, work, enthusiasm, joy and gratefulness that these young people have set a goal, worked long and hard to achieve it, and are now on their way to setting a new set of goals.  As I said, it is a ritual.

As we were walking out this evening, Coach Doug Davis commented:  “I can’t imagine another tennis program doing these signing ceremonies better”  “We are doing something very special with these events”.  I agree with Coach Davis.  If you made it this evening, thanks for coming.  If you did not, engage your ATA player tonight on what they learned at the signing!  And, we hope to see you at next year’s signings.

 

Community Support Makes the Grade at CP

| Financial Forces | Belly Brain | Art Attack | Big Decisions

Amazing qualities of the people that make up the ATA community are apparent, not only through the breadth of knowledge, but also through the generosity of giving and sharing.  This semester CP students are gaining valuable information from guest instructors, John Spencer, Dio Miranda, Linda Racino, and Susan Steffes.

Financial Forces

ATA patron, John Spencer, offers his expertise and passion by teaching an upper level course on Finance and Economics.  Students are learning 1) practical tools to manage personal finances and 2) basic concepts of corporate financing and accounting principles.  Covering topics as differentiating between wants and needs, ways to acquire and finance each; appreciation and depreciation; assets and liabilities; risk, interest, and present value; annuities, bonds, leverage buyouts and venture capital, and IPO’s.

Lookout world… ATA CP is producing business leaders with knowledge AND compassion.

Belly Brain

Striving to get the most out of the student-athlete by teaching them the best practices to feed the body, Dio Miranda, CHEK certified trainer and nutritionist, shares his expertise and passion by teaching self-awareness through the belly-brain connection.  Students’ food choices affect performance in all aspects of daily life:  1) the body through athletic fortitude and stamina; 2) the mind through electrical stimulation and hydration; and 3) the spirit through attitude and compassion.  Using the results of a self-test questionnaire, students now know their metabolic type, along with instructions of how to best support it with suggested foods and quantities for eeach meal.

Art Attack

As a reinforcement, students hand painted plates designating the percentages of their metabolic type.  Linda Racino, from Art Attack in the Galleria, brought her studio to ATA CP so that students could create their own plates.

Big Decisions

CP parent, instructor, and physical therapist, Susan Steffes, is teaching BIG DECISIONS; a 5 week educational unit covering reproductive anatomy, healthy relationships, se* and its consequences, why abstinence is the best choice for teenagers, prevention of se*ually transmitted infections and pregnancy, and setting and communicating healthy boundaries.  Students in this class are participating in lively activities and discussions to reinforce topics every child (and adult) should be able to discuss respectfully and knowledgably. You may visit the Big Decisions website to learn more about the curriculum.

It takes a village.  ~Carol

 

PLEASE NOTE: If you are interested in sharing your expertise and working with the students of ATA CP, please contact me.  We are looking for people who are excited about what they know and do and would like to pass that on to the next generation.

 

Write Like You Mean It!

“The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you’ve gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you’ve gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you’ve gotten the meaning, you can forget the words.”      ~Chuang-tzu

 

The five-paragraphy essay is a formula.  It does not lend itself to creative thinking.  It asks the writer to contrive thoughts on a given topic into an artificial container.  It has no real purpose after 8th grade.  So what is the purpose of writing?  I recently asked a few students “For whom are you writing that paper?”.  They answer… “Mr or Mrs ___________.”

Well THAT is the problem.  Don’t write it for HIM or for HER… write it for an interested reader!   Write like you know more than the person reading your essay.  Find out something interesting that no one else knows about your topic; become the expert.  Then tell it with excitement!  Your audience is not Mr ______; it is the world.

So… write like you mean it!  ~Carol

 

Skype Bridges Gap Between Classroom and Traveling Students

Austin Tennis Academy and ATA College Prep are constantly striving to grasp the power of technology to better serve its students. Through interaction via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and the ATA website, or analyzing intricate technique with the latest in video sharing technology, ATA works to be at the forefront of using these tools to offer the best possible product to its community.

Today’s middle school World Geography class was another wonderful example of this ongoing effort.  Jesse Wikso, while in Florida at Spring Nationals, Skyped into class to give a presentation on research he’d completed for our unit on Asia.

He was able to access the assignment online through TeacherEase, our student information and classroom management tool, complete the assignment, and present it to the teacher and the class without ever falling behind due to tournament travel.

Great job, Jesse!

Tennis Ball Cannons

from Travis, student contributor

The past few weeks, the Geometry class and the Advanced Algebra class (both taught by Bryan Rutherford) have been constructing Tennis Ball Cannons. They will be powered by a small force of combustion, building up an enough pressure to send the tennis ball soaring.  The devices are made of numerous different parts including large PVC pipes, couplings, screws and spare grill ignition components. They are secured  to rotating stands; a ball gets rammed down the barrel; and BOOM! Little Wilson is on his way. The class who’s cannon shoots the farthest wins!

Stay tuned for the results…

Parent-Teacher Night @ CP

Wow!  Parent-Teacher Night… this community never ceases to amaze me!

If you were a fly on the wall: 1)  you would have witnessed a community of devoted and caring parents sitting side by side, packed like sardines, on the picnic tables in the rec room;  2) you would have heard the passion in our instructors’ voices as they presented course objectives from the simple to the complex; 3) you would have heard WHY we are so passionate about providing our students with healthy and enriching food for their minds, bodies, and spirits and HOW we creatively implement the programs that accomplish it; 4) you would have heard the rooster crow at sundown (literally); 5) you would have viewed the infamous white board walls covered with inspirational, mind-blowing information in Philosophy, Geography and English classes; 6) you would have experienced a piece of the innovation that happens daily behind the red doors at College Prep.

Thank you to everyone for making it a special evening.

~Carol

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