We voted on team captains before Thursday's practice. We had five well qualified candidates speak their mind as to why they are fit to be a team captain this year.
Before voting, I set expectations of how a captain should be voted for. The captain should be a person that you trust. He should be a person you respect and will follow. He should be a hard worker who leads by example. Leadership does not have an age or a skill level. It is something that is given to you when it is earned.
The team voted and our captains are selected as follows:
Senior - Ahmad Sheffield
Junior - Drayton Wade
These two fine, young men will be held accountable as our leaders this year. I expect that they will help to keep practices focused. They should motivate their teammates to work hard to become better people and players. They will lead our team in warm-up routines and post-practice/match stretching. They will know their teammates as well as anyone and will assist me with any team issues.
While any of the candidates would have certainly made outstanding captains, I am pleased with the team's vote. It was a close race and all candidates clearly are respected by their peers. If you were not chosen as a captain this year, it does not mean that you cannot be a leader. Continue to work hard and set an example for your teammates and they will follow you, regardless of the title you hold or the position you possess.
See you all Monday...Go Trojans!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Practice Update
Just wanted as to update everyone on where we are at as a team in terms of practice.
We have started to go through round around robins of competition with one another to try to determine roster spots. Over the next 4 weeks we'll have about a dozen "challenge" types of matches. Each day will be a different style of competition. Day 1 was 10-point tiebreakers, today is 7-point tiebreakers, and tomorrow will be mini sets.
We'll devote 1 day per week to drills and instruction through the month of February. The other days will all be opportunities for the players to compete with one another for roster positions. Remember, there are 3 or 4 opportunities to move up each week. If you don't move today, there is nothing saying that you won't tomorrow. Come March, we should have our roster order fairly secure.
Also, it seems the flu bug is spreading through the school. PLEASE be very mindful at practice to not share cups. Ideally we should all be bringing a water bottle to practice each day so we don't have 20 little cups being left around. PLEASE make sure that you are being smart about your health at home and during school. Take 30 seconds between classes to wash your hands!
Our schedule is complete and is posted to the left. We have confirmed dates with Rock Hill high and I am happy to have our city rival as our last match of the season. I have also posted our roster to the site below the schedule.
Uniform order was placed on Friday February 6. The Nike rep has given me a 10-13 day turnaround on getting our group's order back to us. I'll let everyone know of any delays, but I am anticipating our stuff to arrive no later than February 20th.
Go Trojans!
We have started to go through round around robins of competition with one another to try to determine roster spots. Over the next 4 weeks we'll have about a dozen "challenge" types of matches. Each day will be a different style of competition. Day 1 was 10-point tiebreakers, today is 7-point tiebreakers, and tomorrow will be mini sets.
We'll devote 1 day per week to drills and instruction through the month of February. The other days will all be opportunities for the players to compete with one another for roster positions. Remember, there are 3 or 4 opportunities to move up each week. If you don't move today, there is nothing saying that you won't tomorrow. Come March, we should have our roster order fairly secure.
Also, it seems the flu bug is spreading through the school. PLEASE be very mindful at practice to not share cups. Ideally we should all be bringing a water bottle to practice each day so we don't have 20 little cups being left around. PLEASE make sure that you are being smart about your health at home and during school. Take 30 seconds between classes to wash your hands!
Our schedule is complete and is posted to the left. We have confirmed dates with Rock Hill high and I am happy to have our city rival as our last match of the season. I have also posted our roster to the site below the schedule.
Uniform order was placed on Friday February 6. The Nike rep has given me a 10-13 day turnaround on getting our group's order back to us. I'll let everyone know of any delays, but I am anticipating our stuff to arrive no later than February 20th.
Go Trojans!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Boy's Meeting Recap
Good to see everyone last night at our introductory meeting. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces and getting to know new folks. We had a total of 19 attendees last night which would provide Northwestern with one of the larger tennis teams in the state. To recap what I went over last night:
Physicals: All boys participating in any sport at Northwestern are required to have a physical form completed and turned in prior to any participation. Forms were distributed for those that needed them. The following link has a pdf of the physical form: http://www.sctenniscoaches2.com/images/sctennis/Physical%20Forms.pdf
- this is not something that I can make an exception for
Conditioning: Starting Monday 1/12 we will have open conditioning for the tennis team on Mondays and Wednesdays in January. Anyone is welcome to come that has had a physical form turned in this school year. Meet at the tennis courts at 4:00 and sessions will last about an hour and a half.
Practice: The first mandatory practice is Monday 2/2. I distributed a calender to everyone to outline the time commitment that our team will require. I understand that some boys are involved in other outside activities, but I would expect that no boy would miss more than three practices in a season. If a boy is unable to commit to that, I would ask that boy not to participate in tennis. I am a firm believer in rewarding those that work hard, arrive on time, and commit to the team. I would not reward a boy with a spot on the team if they cannot give a commitment to the team.
Matches: A match schedule was handed out and it is also posted to the left. We currently have 13 matches scheduled and I anticipate a 15 match schedule once dates with Rock Hill high school are confirmed. For all matches, with the exception of Gaffney, boys need to be dressed in uniform at the courts no later than 4:15 for 5:00 start times. The Gaffney trip will require an early dismissal for us to travel.
Uniforms: The school will provide a home and away jersey to each boy that will be property of NHS. Those will be required to be turned in at seasons end unless you wish to purchase them. A black short (plain, with no stripes) will be required of each player to wear for matches.
Other Clothing: I will select a set of warm ups, short and long sleeve tee shirts available for purchase in a player package. I will secure quotes to provide an accurate dollar figure, but I will anticipate a total package cost under $125. We will order all uniform and clothing items in a bulk order the first week of practice and payment will be needed by Wednesday 2/4. I will also provide prices for additional items a la carte, if desired. I will also provide quotes on shoes and match shorts.
Player Equipment: NHS provides tennis balls, courts, and practice equipment to the team. Each player is expected to have their own tennis racket(s). A tennis specific shoe with a non-marking sole is also required. No running shoes please. Running shoes will wear out quickly and are not safe for the cutting that happens on a tennis court.
If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me by email or phone. Both were provided at the meeting. I look forward to another good spring of tennis at Northwestern.
Go Trojans!
Physicals: All boys participating in any sport at Northwestern are required to have a physical form completed and turned in prior to any participation. Forms were distributed for those that needed them. The following link has a pdf of the physical form: http://www.sctenniscoaches2.com/images/sctennis/Physical%20Forms.pdf
- this is not something that I can make an exception for
Conditioning: Starting Monday 1/12 we will have open conditioning for the tennis team on Mondays and Wednesdays in January. Anyone is welcome to come that has had a physical form turned in this school year. Meet at the tennis courts at 4:00 and sessions will last about an hour and a half.
Practice: The first mandatory practice is Monday 2/2. I distributed a calender to everyone to outline the time commitment that our team will require. I understand that some boys are involved in other outside activities, but I would expect that no boy would miss more than three practices in a season. If a boy is unable to commit to that, I would ask that boy not to participate in tennis. I am a firm believer in rewarding those that work hard, arrive on time, and commit to the team. I would not reward a boy with a spot on the team if they cannot give a commitment to the team.
Matches: A match schedule was handed out and it is also posted to the left. We currently have 13 matches scheduled and I anticipate a 15 match schedule once dates with Rock Hill high school are confirmed. For all matches, with the exception of Gaffney, boys need to be dressed in uniform at the courts no later than 4:15 for 5:00 start times. The Gaffney trip will require an early dismissal for us to travel.
Uniforms: The school will provide a home and away jersey to each boy that will be property of NHS. Those will be required to be turned in at seasons end unless you wish to purchase them. A black short (plain, with no stripes) will be required of each player to wear for matches.
Other Clothing: I will select a set of warm ups, short and long sleeve tee shirts available for purchase in a player package. I will secure quotes to provide an accurate dollar figure, but I will anticipate a total package cost under $125. We will order all uniform and clothing items in a bulk order the first week of practice and payment will be needed by Wednesday 2/4. I will also provide prices for additional items a la carte, if desired. I will also provide quotes on shoes and match shorts.
Player Equipment: NHS provides tennis balls, courts, and practice equipment to the team. Each player is expected to have their own tennis racket(s). A tennis specific shoe with a non-marking sole is also required. No running shoes please. Running shoes will wear out quickly and are not safe for the cutting that happens on a tennis court.
If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me by email or phone. Both were provided at the meeting. I look forward to another good spring of tennis at Northwestern.
Go Trojans!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Boys Tennis Meeting
Who: Boys & parents of boys interested in playing tennis at Northwestern this spring
What: Informational Meeting
When: Thursday January 8th @ 6:30 PM
Where: B Gymnasium at the school
Agenda:
Physicals
Conditioning
Practice Schedule & potential conflicts
Match Schedule (tentative)
Uniforms / Equipment ordering
Regarding physicals, if you have turned in a physical form since May 2008 you are OK. If you have not had a physical since last season, you will need to have the form completed and turned in before any participation.
Physical Form: http://www.sctenniscoaches2.com/images/sctennis/Physical%20Forms.pdf
See you all on Thursday evening...Go Trojans!
What: Informational Meeting
When: Thursday January 8th @ 6:30 PM
Where: B Gymnasium at the school
Agenda:
Physicals
Conditioning
Practice Schedule & potential conflicts
Match Schedule (tentative)
Uniforms / Equipment ordering
Regarding physicals, if you have turned in a physical form since May 2008 you are OK. If you have not had a physical since last season, you will need to have the form completed and turned in before any participation.
Physical Form: http://www.sctenniscoaches2.com/images/sctennis/Physical%20Forms.pdf
See you all on Thursday evening...Go Trojans!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
End of Season Wrap up
It was great to see everyone after a couple weeks away. Again, many thanks to the Cox's & Orr's for all their wonderful efforts to set up the banquet for us. It was a great setting and the food and service was top notch at Old Town Bistro. Also, thank you to Mike Lowery for a wonderful blessing prior to the meal.
To recap the evening, we acknowledged JV and awarded varsity letters. We also acknowledged winners of four individual awards as follows:
The first award handed out was to Hillary Tindall for the Coach's Award. I thank Hillary for being a great team player, always seeking to be a better tennis player, and being willing to help out in any way possible for the team.
The second award handed out was for our Most Improved Player. I
asked the team to vote on whom they felt was the player that had either improved the most from the beginning to the end of the season or from last year to this year. The recipient of this award was Randi Honeycutt.
The next award handed out was to acknowledge the team's best practice player.
The team voted Chandler Green as the player they feel pushes herself and her teammates daily in practice to be a better tennis player.
The final award of the evening was to acknowledge our team's Most Valuable Player. This award was to acknowledge the player whom was most responsible for the success we achieved as a team this season. Her teammates voted Maggie Orr as the MVP of the 2008 Northwestern tennis team.
I spoke with several girls after the presentations were complete and went over some off-season recommendations for improving and training. To pretty much everyone, her is what I would recommend:
1) Keep yourself physically fit year round. Daily running, sit ups, & some weight training will make the biggest difference for most of us.
2) Keep yourself involved with the game. Some girls are already signed up for clinics and lessons. As a rule of thumb, a varsity high school player will work on their game 2-3 times per week. A good high school player will treat tennis as a part time job (20 hrs/week) during the school year and a full time job in the summer (40 hrs/week).
3) Continue to challenge yourself in competition. The Rock Hill Tennis Center puts together team tennis leagues in the spring and summer. Most of the competitive teams in South Caroling have anywhere from 4-11 girls that play competitively in USTA tournaments on a year round basis.
4) I'll be in contact near the end of the school year to go over summer practice plans (June & July). I am envisioning something similar to last summer, but I am thinking about summer conditioning sessions as well. I just don't know what my schedule will be yet so I don't want to confirm anything at this point. Once I know, I'll post something here and email everyone.
Thanks again for a great year. Go Trojans!
To recap the evening, we acknowledged JV and awarded varsity letters. We also acknowledged winners of four individual awards as follows:
The first award handed out was to Hillary Tindall for the Coach's Award. I thank Hillary for being a great team player, always seeking to be a better tennis player, and being willing to help out in any way possible for the team.
The second award handed out was for our Most Improved Player. I
asked the team to vote on whom they felt was the player that had either improved the most from the beginning to the end of the season or from last year to this year. The recipient of this award was Randi Honeycutt.The next award handed out was to acknowledge the team's best practice player.
The team voted Chandler Green as the player they feel pushes herself and her teammates daily in practice to be a better tennis player.The final award of the evening was to acknowledge our team's Most Valuable Player. This award was to acknowledge the player whom was most responsible for the success we achieved as a team this season. Her teammates voted Maggie Orr as the MVP of the 2008 Northwestern tennis team.
I spoke with several girls after the presentations were complete and went over some off-season recommendations for improving and training. To pretty much everyone, her is what I would recommend:
1) Keep yourself physically fit year round. Daily running, sit ups, & some weight training will make the biggest difference for most of us.
2) Keep yourself involved with the game. Some girls are already signed up for clinics and lessons. As a rule of thumb, a varsity high school player will work on their game 2-3 times per week. A good high school player will treat tennis as a part time job (20 hrs/week) during the school year and a full time job in the summer (40 hrs/week).
3) Continue to challenge yourself in competition. The Rock Hill Tennis Center puts together team tennis leagues in the spring and summer. Most of the competitive teams in South Caroling have anywhere from 4-11 girls that play competitively in USTA tournaments on a year round basis.
4) I'll be in contact near the end of the school year to go over summer practice plans (June & July). I am envisioning something similar to last summer, but I am thinking about summer conditioning sessions as well. I just don't know what my schedule will be yet so I don't want to confirm anything at this point. Once I know, I'll post something here and email everyone.
Thanks again for a great year. Go Trojans!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Lady Trojan's Season Comes to an End at Blythewood
The first round of playoffs was not kind to the Lady Trojans as we suffered a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Blythewood. The defeat ends our season with an overall record of 8-11.
Our end of season banquet will be at Old Town Bistro on Main St in downtown Rock Hill on Sunday November 9 at 5:00PM. Cost per person is $22 each and all parties need to RSVP to Alicia Cox, arcox@comporium.net and pay Alicia for your party's attendees.
Go Trojans!
Box Score:
1s: Amanda Maletek (B) def Chandler Green 6-2, 6-1
2s: Lee Ferrell (B) def Maggie Orr 6-0, 6-1
3s: Alyssa Urprung (B) def Brittany Whitrock 6-0, 6-0
4s: Taneisha Mickle (B) def Ruth Anne Burnette 6-4, 6-3
5s: Mikaela King (B) def Joanna Kohn 6-0, 6-0
1d: DNP
2d: Jessica Chavis / Lindsey Trombley (B) def Courtney Cox / Katie Lowery 8-3
Our end of season banquet will be at Old Town Bistro on Main St in downtown Rock Hill on Sunday November 9 at 5:00PM. Cost per person is $22 each and all parties need to RSVP to Alicia Cox, arcox@comporium.net and pay Alicia for your party's attendees.
Go Trojans!
Box Score:
1s: Amanda Maletek (B) def Chandler Green 6-2, 6-1
2s: Lee Ferrell (B) def Maggie Orr 6-0, 6-1
3s: Alyssa Urprung (B) def Brittany Whitrock 6-0, 6-0
4s: Taneisha Mickle (B) def Ruth Anne Burnette 6-4, 6-3
5s: Mikaela King (B) def Joanna Kohn 6-0, 6-0
1d: DNP
2d: Jessica Chavis / Lindsey Trombley (B) def Courtney Cox / Katie Lowery 8-3
Monday, October 27, 2008
SCHSL Releases High School Tennis Brackets
The South Carolina High School League has released the playoff brackets for girls tennis. Our Trojans will travel to Blythewood High School for our first round match. Should we prevail against the Bengals from Blythewood, we will travel to and take on the winner of Dorman vs. Easley in round 2.
The full bracket can be viewed here:
http://www.schsl.org/2008-Brackets/gte%20aaaa.html
Also, I believe that Mrs. Cox has confirmed our end of season banquet at the Old Town Bistro in Rock Hill. Cost is estimated at $22 per person and the event will be held at 5:00 PM on Sunday November 9th. Further details will follow.
Go Trojans!
The full bracket can be viewed here:
http://www.schsl.org/2008-Brackets/gte%20aaaa.html
Also, I believe that Mrs. Cox has confirmed our end of season banquet at the Old Town Bistro in Rock Hill. Cost is estimated at $22 per person and the event will be held at 5:00 PM on Sunday November 9th. Further details will follow.
Go Trojans!
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