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Kelly Burns/Casey Foster Named All-State Honorable Mention

6/25/2013

This year two players from West Ottawa were selected All-State Honorable Mention. Kelly Burns, a Junior, is in her second year on Varsity at West Ottawa. Casey Foster, a Sophomore, is also in her second year on Varsity at West Ottawa. As a First Doubles team, they were Regional Champs this year without dropping a set at the Regional Finals. They were State Quarterfinalists. They were named All-Conferece and All-Area, and can now add this to their list of achievements. This is my 6th year coaching at West Ottawa, and these are the first girls I've coached to earn All-State recognition.

Both will be returning to the team next year and will be among a small group working to play the First Singles spot next Spring. For those of you who don't know Kelly or Casey, know that they are both incredibly talented people. They both possess God-given abilities that most aren't given, and they maximize them by working harder than most will work. And outside of all that, they are both just very good people with great personalities. I'm fortunate to be their coach. Congratulations girls!

KELLY BURNS

CASEY FOSTER

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WOcademy Plays Rain or Shine!

6/25/2013

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Hi Parents/Campers,

We have facilities in the HS South Building in case the courts are not playable because of rain. So, we not cancel because of rain; only severe weather. (THE HIGH SCHOOL GROUP, HOWEVER, IS CANCELLED ON RAINY DAYS, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T DO THE THINGS I'D WANT THEM TO DO INDOORS)

A reminder that the HS South Building is the large building by the courts where we play each day. Campers should enter through the athletic entrance, which is the front entrance that is closest to the tennis courts (one of our staff would likely be there to greet them).

Hopefully the weather is great and we can play outdoors, however, last year I've found that some of our funnest days were when rain forced us inside:)

See you all soon,

Pete Schwallier
460-1882

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Grand Haven USTA

6/24/2013

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Parents/Players,

I just received a text this evening from Chris Wilton, who is running a USTA event this weekend in Grand Haven. He is extending the deadline for another day if you are still interested in signing up. Chris does a great job with everything he does, and his email is [email protected] if you are interested in signing up. Generally, I think draws get made on Wednesdays for weekend tournaments, so get to him on Tuesday if you are interested.

Keep working hard everyone!

Coach Schwallier

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WOcademy Starts Today!!!!!

6/17/2013

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Parents / Players,

A reminder that WOcademy will take place at the High School SOUTH courts off 152nd Ave. K-3rd graders go from 9-10am, 4th-8th graders go from 10-noon, and people who signed up for the evening session go from 6-8pm.

I'll see you all soon!

Pete Schwallier

(MVP Athletic Club runs their morning programming for tennis at the High School NORTH courts. If you see activity going up there, that's what that's about...still go to the SOUTH)

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USTA Tournament in Holland Next Weekend!

6/15/2013

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Players,

The Lakeshore Open is being hosted by the Dewitt Tennis Center this year. The deadline is Sunday night by midnight (Fathers Day). This would be a good opportunity for players...a very good opportunity. The tournament is next weekend, June 21-23. For people thinking they want to get more serious about tennis, USTA tournaments are the next step after doing lessons, academies, drills, etc. And it doesn't get much easier than a USTA tournament right in town where you live.

Click Here for details.

Coach

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USTA West Michigan Qualifier Update: Mark, Nick, and Nick

6/8/2013

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First of all, what is the West Michigan Qualifier?
The West Michigan Qualifier is the first round of the USTA National Championships. Anyone who is a member of the USTA can (and probably should) enter into the event. West Michigan is our district, and this year the top 7 players in each age group will qualify for the Midwest Closed. From there, the players who do well at the Midwest closed will qualify for the USTA National Championships, which is actually held in Kalamazoo each year. The winner of the Boys 18's Nationals in Kalamazoo earns a spot into the US Open in the Fall (although if that happens to any of our boys, they will have to pass, because the US Open conflicts with our tryouts).

Who do we have at the Qualifier this Weekend?
This year, Mark VanderStoep, Nick Valentine, and Nick Schnobel are playing in the Boys 16's division. Not only that, but all three of them won their first match and have advanced in the draw. Nick Valentine beat a player from Rockford, which we always like to see. Mark VanderStoep had to play a seed player in the first round, but beat him anyway (I won't call it an upset though, because I believe Mark truly was the stronger player). Nick is one of the seeds in the tournament. He won handily in the first round, and like Valentine and Stoep, he is pushing through the draw one round at a time. Mr. VanderStoep correctly noticed that we are the only boys tennis team to have 3 players win their first match at the Qualifier.

Why play the event, other than to qualify for the Midwest Closed?
1. USTA points. This is a level 4 tournament. If you win a match at the qualifier, even one match, it's worth about as many points as winning a whole level 6 tournament. You want points because it improves your ranking. Impvoring your ranking lets you get seeded in tournaments, which makes it easier to win smaller tournaments, getting you even more points. This lets you enter into more prestigious tournaments, because you have the points to enter. And this makes your ranking go up even higher, which makes college coaches look at you. Basically, the Qualifier can be the start of a ripple effect, provided you have the game to back it up.

2. Experience/Motivation. Every good player in West Michigan will be there....ALL OF THEM. This is your chance to see them all in one place and see how good you really are. Heck, if you don't feel comfortable to sign up and play, drive down and watch. Spend the weekend seeing what the next level of competition looks like. If you aren't motivated to work harder after watching Davis Crocker and Paul Oosterbaan play, tennis probably isn't for you! I would recommend watching this tournament over getting a private lesson in terms of value, and it costs very little to drive down there.

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Banquet Info / State Finals Recap

6/3/2013

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Parents/Players,

Thanks for a great trip this weekend in Midland. As usual, the players conducted themselves very well. This group of girls just very rarely complains about anything. You go with the flow and have a great attitude. You made it very easy to be your coach all year, so thank you. Our last business of the year is the banquet to celebrate our accomplishments, so here's the info:

West Ottawa Tennis Banquet
Tuesday June 4, 2013
South High School Cafeteria 6:30 PM

Freshman bring desserts
Sophomores bring appetizers
Juniors bring Desserts
Seniors bring drinks

RSVP name and total number of people attending to [email protected] or call 616-836-8794 (cell) or 616-738-2168(home) by 6/2/2013

VARSITY PLAYERS: It is expected that EVERY player will bring their uniform and warmups to the banquet. Remembering to do this is important, especially with so many Seniors who won't be in school next week. This means warmups, your new uniform, and your old uniform.

See you soon,

Coach Schwallier

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Are you here to sign your child up for the Lakeshore Elementary Tennis Camp? Click the Button below!

Kelly Burns/Casey Foster Named All-State Honorable Mention

WOcademy Plays Rain or Shine!

Grand Haven USTA

WOcademy Starts Today!!!!!

USTA Tournament in Holland Next Weekend!

USTA West Michigan Qualifier Update: Mark, Nick, and Nick

Banquet Info / State Finals Recap

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