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Team Pictures are up!

8/31/2012

This marks a big day for West Ottawa Tennis, as the 2012 Team Pictures are officially up for viewing. Above are our 2012 Seniors in their stunning new Nike Shirts!

- To view all pictures of the 2012 Men's Varsity Team, go to Men's Varsity, and then
click "Meet the Players".
- To view new pictures of our handsome coaching staff, click "Meet the Coaches"
- To see a team shot of our stellar JV team, click anywhere in the JV section.

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Message from April Christie

8/28/2012

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Order forms for t-shirts will be handed out Wednesday or Thursday.
The Varsity team has two design options for apparel.
Parents, families and fans have one design option.
Orders will be due next Wednesday, September 5.
Don't miss this opportunity to wear WO TENNIS pride.

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Team Pictures / Website update / Pioneer Quad

8/27/2012

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Team Picture Information
Varsity - This Wednesday @ 3:30PM at the HS North Courts (because they just look better)
Paperwork will be handed out tomorrow, have it filled out and ready on Wed.

JV - This Wednesday @ practice. Coach Dozeman will have your paperwork for you tomorrow. If you want a package, fill it out and bring it Wednesday.

Website Update
Last year at this time we were averaging about 90 hits on wotennis.com per day. In the Spring, we were averaging in the 200's, but there were a few days where we got over 300 hits. On Sunday, wotennis.com was visited 634 times. This means many people are checking it, and are checking often. It means that people outside of our program are taking an interest in what West Ottawa Tennis is doing. There are simply not enough people in the program alone to support this kind of traffic by itself. The team is getting better and better all the time, and I love being a part of your lives. Thank you everyone for supporting West Ottawa Tennis.

Ann Arbor Pioneer Quad
Tom Pullen, Ann Arbor Pioneer's Coach, asked me on Saturday if West Ottawa would join a quad he is forming on September 15th. The teams would be Detroit Catholic Central, Ann Arbor Pioneer, St. Joseph, and ourselves. To be asked to join a quad of this caliber is a great compliment to our boys. It is short notice, but we cannot turn down a event of this quality. (And yes, Mr. Bethke, I have received permission from Pam to make this trip happen!!!) Parent's and players, we have to keep this date open on our social calendars and be ready to head back out to Ann Arbor. This may involve another hotel stay. It's not a done deal yet, but we are getting close to a contract being signed between the participating schools.

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West Ottawa Takes 4th at Ann Arbor Invitational

8/26/2012

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Well done this weekend! Over the past two days, our boys played the State's best teams, and more than held our own. Here's a recap:

Friday, August 24 (Birmingham Brother Rice) - The experience at Stowe Stadium was amazing. For those who aren't aware, this is where Boy's Super-Nationals are held each year. The winner of the event is considered the nation's top junior, and receives a berth in the main draw of the US Open, which starts tonight. Andy Roddick, Robby Ginepri, Mardy fish, and many others have competed on the same courts we played on in our match with Brother Rice. Brother Rice was the Division 1 State Runner-up last year. This year, they are considered the current favorite to win this year's title.

Saturday, August 25 (Ann Arbor Invitational) - The team was amazing. This is the single most difficult tournament in the State of Michigan. You could argue it's more difficult than the State Finals, since the reigning State Champs for both Division 1 and Division 2 were there. We took 4th place at the event. We finished behind Ann Arbor Huron, Midland Dow, and Portage Central. We tied Bloomfield Hills Andover, and beat Ann Arbor Pioneer, Saline, and Grosse Pointe South. This is the first time a team I've coached has finished an event with more points than Ann Arbor Pioneer. From 2001-2007 they won 7 straight State Championships. Finishing ahead of them is a great accomplishment for our boys.

We need to realize, however, that these teams are the elite programs. Elite programs improve daily. If we think we will beat these teams again simply because we beat them yesterday, we will be very disappointed when we return from the State Finals. We need to get better, and not just a little bit. Every individual on this team needs to stay accountable for their own improvement.

Reminder of how to view results/photos:
1. Go to Men's Varsity
2. Click on Results/Photos
3. Click on "2012 Results and Photos"
4. Click on the event you wish to view

Practice Schedule this week:
Monday: 9-noon
Tuesday-Thursday: 4:00-6:00PM
Friday-Monday: Off for Labor Day

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West Ottawa Wins Junior Varsity Quad

8/24/2012

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Note: To view pictures from Thursday's Quad, go to "Boys JV", then click on "Pictures".

Congrats JV team!! From what Coach Dozeman told me, our boys didn't lose a single flight all day yesterday. I'd say that qualifies as a good day. I was there for the first 2 rounds and was impressed with the play I saw. There are individuals who look noticeably improved since tryouts a couple weeks ago. Court positioning is very good, so kudos to Coach Dozeman for having everyone in the right spots.

I saw two areas to improve:
#1 - Get to your spots faster. Suppose you are trying to get from the baseline to the net. You need to get there faster. The biggest difference between JV and Varsity is that time between shots gets taken away from you. The players who make the best use of this time right now will be best equipped to make the jump next year to varsity. Carlos Martinez is a great example of a person who gets to his spots very, very, quickly. If you are looking for an example of what to do, copy him.

#2 - Support your teammates better. When you and your partner are on court, there should be constant chatter/encouragement across our courts. We need to be constantly giving support to the team. This is how we go from being a bunch of individual players to one, unified team. In this area, I didn't see a great example, and you all need to step up. The next time I visit one of your matches, this is the first thing I'll be looking for.

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Ann Arbor Information

8/22/2012

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Here's some information for the upcoming weekend:

Departure time on Friday: 12:30PM from transportation
Meet time and address in Kzoo for Friday (against Brother Rice): Match begins at 3:00 PM
Stowe Stadium Address: 154 Acker Lane, Kalamazoo, MI 49006
Hotel the boys are staying at in Ann Arbor:
Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest
1275 S Huron Street
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
Address of Ann Arbor tournament:
Ann Arbor Pioneer
601 West Stadium Boulevard
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Teams we will be facing in Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Pioneer, Ann Arbor Huron, Midland Dow, Grosse Pointe South, Bloomfield Hills Andover, West Ottawa, Saline, Portage Central

$$ boys need to bring for food, incidentals, etc. - $25-30 should more than suffice. (Sit-down dinner Friday, Breakfast on Saturday, Fast food on the way home...or maybe something a little nicer if we have something to celebrate.)

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Thursday Practice Time Changed

8/22/2012

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Hey boys, we talked about this at practice, but I wanted to give you all one more reminder that practice is moved from 8:30-10:00 AM tomorrow because of the JV Quad. Be there early enough so you can be hitting balls right at 8:30. Varsity players are encouraged to stay and support the JV afterwards, but this is in no way required. Also, I want to thank you all for a good practice. We are in the right spots more often, hitting the right shots, and executing more frequently.

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Okemos Quad

8/20/2012

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Each tournament gets progressively more challenging, and we met some tough teams today. I continually want more out of all of you, but you are improving quickly.

Doubles Players: The energy level today was light years ahead of where we were at the WO Invite. We are serving and volleying better as well. Our snipers are getting more confident at the net, and are providing good cover for the guys charging forward. I see you finding ways to communicate with your partners.

Singles Players: You are continuing to grow as players. I'm starting to see you developing solid game plans. It's becoming easier for me to watch you and know exactly what you are trying to accomplish. My challenge for you is to take complete ownership of your on-court demeanor. Every part of you needs to say that you will not allow yourself to be beaten.

Practice Tuesday-Thursday will be held from 9-noon. Be ready to work hard

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Holland Christian Invitational - 1st Place

8/18/2012

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VARSITY
Well done today. Our Varsity tied Birmingham Groves for 1st Place. Go to "Results / Photos" under the Mens Varsity tab to see complete results, as well as photos of the boys in action.

Singles: Another solid performance. Lot's of intensity during the matches, and some quality wins. The singles players at the invite were tougher, and I feel we stepped up. Be ready to step up again on Monday, because each tournament should get progressively more challenging.

Doubles: Intensity was not lacking today. From all four flights, I'm beginning to see the kind of positive emotion I want in doubles teams. We finished the day strong. We were definitely the highest energy team at the event. On Monday at Okemos, I expect to see you START the day strong, and keep riding that high all afternoon. We haven't really gotten off to energetic starts in either tournament, and this needs to change. At regionals, a slow start means your day is over. The next few tournaments will give us a chance to improve on this.

Parents: I feel like you really brought your "A-game" today. The food rocked, and was probably a huge reason our boys had so much intensity in the 2nd and 3rd rounds today. Also, you really kicked it into gear with the photos. Hopefully everyone checks them out!!!

OKEMOS INFORMATION
Players, be ready to leave from transportation at 6:00 AM, which means be there a few minutes early. I will drive a van, and Mrs. Ballard will drive the other. Mr. Ballard has offered to drive additional players, so we should be set there as well.

  LIKE THIS ON FACEBOOK
You may notice that for the first time ever, there's a button under this blog where you can "like" us on Facebook. Please do this, so everyone can see the sweet pictures/results from your day!!!

JUNIOR VARSITY WINS MONA SHORES INVITATIONAL
Congrats to the Junior Varsity team on winning the Mona Shores Invite today. However, the real accomplishment is that we tied Forest Hills Northern for the win. In my 6 years coaching at West Ottawa, this is the first time our JV has ever played FHN to a draw or better. They are generally recognized as the Premier JV program in West Michigan, and perhaps that won't be the case for much longer. This is a product of the increased commitment so many of our players made last off-season.

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Holland Christian Information

8/17/2012

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Players must arrive no later than 8:00 AM. Play will begin at 8:30 AM.

Coach Dan's Expectations for Singles Players: I need to see you making improvements and show a consistent effort to become a smarter tennis player. The things we worked on in practice will translate to match situations.

Coach Pete's Expectations for Doubles Players: I'm looking for two things. First players will hit "body volleys". Your whole body will move in the direction you wish your shot to go. Second, you will play with greater intensity than you did at the West Ottawa Invite. We have 8 doubles players, and one of them is playing with proper State Finals intensity. If I can get two or three of you to that point by the end of the weekend, that would be good. Try to be one of those people.

Note for Parents: Coach Dan will not be able to drive this year. Although he has zero points on his license, a speeding ticket in 2009 prohibits him from driving a van. We need a driver ASAP for Monday. If you can, please text me and quell my worries.

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Team Pictures are up!

Message from April Christie

Team Pictures / Website update / Pioneer Quad

West Ottawa Takes 4th at Ann Arbor Invitational

West Ottawa Wins Junior Varsity Quad

Ann Arbor Information

Thursday Practice Time Changed

Okemos Quad

Holland Christian Invitational - 1st Place

Holland Christian Information

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