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Two great tournaments and one great party

9/30/2012

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Junior Varsity Takes First in Conference Tournament
First off, c
ongratulations to our Junior Varsity team in winning their invitational on Saturday.  We one the majority of our flights, and from what I heard, played very well.  A few years ago I've stopped thinking about you guys as a Junior Varsity, and I try to look at the team as our Future Varsity.  Through that perspective, these tournaments become very important.   Some of the boys who competed for us yesterday will be wearing a varsity uniform someday and will be competing for Conference and Regional Titles.  Many of the kids they played against will be our opponents when that day comes.  It's good to know that we are in a position to beat them.  

Varsity Takes Second at Forest Hills Northern Invitational
Our Varsity performed very well also this weekend.  We beat Grand Rapids Catholic Central 8-0.  They are one of West Michigan's top 10 teams.  An 8-0 win against them is an accomplishment. Kyle Harper deserves special recognition for the match.  Joey Ellis is certainly one of the areas top 10 players, and Kyle beat him over the weekend.  More than that, the match was a great example of how superior conditioning and a stronger mental game can make the difference when talent is equal.  Kyle, I'm very proud of you.  Even though you've been part of this program for a very long time, know that I never take for granted all you give to the team.  

Against Forest Hills Northern we were equally strong, particularly in doubles.  Northern is known for having the GREAT doubles.  All four doubles matches went to third sets, and we won two of them.  It was fun to look up and down the courts and see the huge improvement you've made throughout the season.  Our energy was consistently high.  We played correct doubles from start to finish.  We executed the shots properly.  Lots of first serves in, lots of well-struck volleys, lots of crashing the net, and even a few chest bumps!!!  Other teams could have learned a lot from watching you and Northern go at it all morning long.  

Another Thank You to the VanDynes
Mrs. VanDyne, thank you so much for opening your house up to the boys, coaches, and parents.  The reality is that in ten years, most of the boys aren't going to remember playing at Forest Hills Northern today.  It will all blur together with the hundreds of matches they played as a kid.  However, they probably will remember the special events like the ones you put on last night.  There's a million good reasons to be involved with sports.  One of the best is that it allows us to create special moments that we'll look back on and be able to say, "hey, that was fun".  So thank you.

Have a good weekend everyone.  -Coach
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Pool Party Saturday after the Tournament

9/27/2012

6 Comments

 
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The VanDyne's have once again opened up their house for a party after the tournament on Saturday.  Here are the full details of the day:


Tournament:  We leave from transportation at 7:10am.  We arrive at FHN a little before 8:00am.  Play will begin promptly at 8:30.  All play will occur at FHN high school.  We will play FHN and Grand Rapids Catholic Central.  It will be a tournament format, so approximately 4-5 of our flights will be on at any given time.  Their will be a 5th doubles as well through the whole day, which will be fun to see. I expect the event to end by 3:00 PM.  After that, we will go to transportation, then head to the VanDynes.  My goal is to be at their house by kickoff of the Michigan game (don't expect to see me at the ping pong table often).  


*Just as a heads up, practice will end at 4:30 PM tomorrow as well.  We will have some big weeks coming up with Conference, Regionals, and the State Finals...I want to make sure we are still refreshed and looking forward to hitting the courts each day.  

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West Ottawa 6, Rockford 2

9/27/2012

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Well done Boys,  
This was a very well played match by both teams.  Honestly, I have a lot of respect for how both ourselves and Rockford competed.  Both teams were very vocal, but in a pumped up way, not a rude way.  Both teams fought for every point all match long.  Both teams did not want to lose and were willing to work very hard to make sure it didn't happen.  
If there's one thing I took from the match, it's that we need to show them the right amount of respect when we see them again at conference and regionals.  Just because we beat them yesterday doesn't mean it's a given the next time.  We'll have to make sure we are ready to play.
Parents, thanks for how well you travel.  I counted more West Ottawa parents at the match than Rockford parents...and they had plenty of parents present.  It's pretty cool to see all of you supporting the boys match after match.  

FOREST HILLS NORTHERN INFORMATION - Boys need to be at transportation at 7:10am.  There will be a 5th doubles.  Warmups start at 8am sharp, play begins at 8:30 sharp.  Dave Sukup runs the tournament, so it's guarenteed to be organized.  We play Northern and Catholic Central, two good schools with coaches whom I have a great amount of respect for.  Afterwards there will be a....PARTY AT THE VANDYNES!!!!!
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Tennis Odds and Ends

9/24/2012

4 Comments

 
Parents and Players,

Here's what has happened lately around the tennis courts of WO:

1.  Grand Haven (8-0 win).  After a poor day against Grandville, the boys came back on Thursday and played what I believe to be our best performance of the year.  All 8 flights played very fundamental tennis AND had great energy at the same time.  It cost me some bee stings, but it was worth it to see great tennis (Nick Schnobel, yours hurt really bad for a long time, so expect to be on cart duty for the next few days!!!).  

2.  Rockford.  It's two days away and we need to be ready.  After watching the way we played last Thursday, I'm very confident in our boys.  

3.  Boosters Apparel Orders.  Several players and some parents have expressed that their order did not arrive.  Obviously we need to take care of this, so here's what the plan is:
     1.  Reply with a comment on this blog your name, and exactly what you needed that you 
          didn't get (not just the type, but the size as well).
     2.  Once the replies have come in, I will compile a list and get it over to the clothing
          company.  
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Be ready to bring it at practice tomorrow...

9/17/2012

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...like you've never brought it before.  That's all I've got for tonight.  Have a good night everyone and I'll see you after school.           -Coach
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Ann Arbor Quad

9/13/2012

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Parents/Players,

The following is our outline for the day:

5:15am  -  Departure from Transportation
                (Kids eat breakfast in the vans, maybe bagels/cream cheese?)
8:00am  -  Arrive at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School 
8:30am  -  Play begins (I couldn't convince them to push the start back to 9:00, but I got them 
                to agree to 8:30).

*At this time we will play St. Joseph, Ann Arbor Pioneer, and Detroit Catholic Central in a tournament format, so each person could be playing against a different school at any given time.  

4:00pm ish - Departure.  Sometime on the way home we will stop for dinner, likely at a sit-down restaurant (don't worry boys, not TGI Fridays).  

What's at stake: 
   1.  Our State Ranking -  We do well, it goes up.  We do poorly, don't expect a ranking when
        the next ones come out.  
   2.  State Seeds - You beat the best teams in Michigan, you likely get seeded at the State
        Finals.  A seed guarantees you don't face another seeded opponent until the Quarterfinals,
        and maybe the Semis.  
   3.  Pride - If you want to be a great team, you have to beat great teams.  We've beaten some
        very strong programs this year, and we get 3 more chances on Saturday.    
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West Ottawa 8, East Kentwood 0

9/12/2012

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Players/Parents,

The OK-Red Conference season began today.  Here's an overview of how the Red fared today:

West Ottawa beat East Kentwood 8-0
Grandville beat Grand Haven 5-3
Rockford beat Hudsonville 8-0

I was very impressed with the play of our team today.  We served at a very high percentage.  We volleyed.  We stepped into our returns better than we previously did.  Our volleying is what I'm most impressed with.  The swinging has stopped, and it resulted in fewer deuces/easier games for us. 

Our next conference duel will be against Grandville, in what we know will be a very difficult match.  The two previous years have ended in a 4-4 time with them.  If we want to win we need to come ready to play.  Period.  We will have Ann Arbor, Detroit Catholic Central, and St. Joseph as a tune up, so we should definitely be ready to go.

Also, I'd like to say a thank you to our parents.  I do not take for granted that every match our bleachers are filled with parents.  To consistently be a great program, three things need to happen(in order of importance):

1.  Our players must outwork the players of other teams.
2.  Our parents must be more involved than parents of other teams.
3.  Our coaches must outwork the coaches of other teams.

If all three of those things happen, logically we should continue to win.  So, parents, thank you for being so involved.  You make it very easy for me to have success as a coach, and I appreciate you a great deal.  

Have a good night,

Coach  
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A Post Like No Other Post!

9/9/2012

6 Comments

 
Parents/Players,

This is a loaded post, so let's get it started!!!
1.  Recap of the WO Quad: We won the tournament, the 3rd Tournament we've won this year.  We beat Grand Rapids Christian 6-2, which is a strong program in the West Michigan area.  These are the best results our singles have ever had against them in a few years, and it highlights the commitment to improvement made by our top players.  We had two goals for the tournament:  
    Goal 1:  Finish sets strong.  We definitely did this.  There were may 6-0, 6-1, and 6-2 sets.
                It's good to see that once we got a lead we could seal the deal.  
    Goal 2:  Serve at a high percentage.  This was a mixed bag.  I tracked everyone's first serve
                percentage, and this is a huge area for improvement in our program.  

2.  Thank-you's are in order:  A huge thank you needs to go out to the VanDyne's for hosting a party on Saturday afternoon/evening.  My dad told me a long time ago that to have a successful party, all you need is something good to eat, something fun to do, and good people to do it with.  You gave us lots of all three.  Thank you for your generosity and kindness.  Also, thanks to everyone who helped with concessions.

3.  West Ottawa Tennis is a State-Ranked Program
: This weekend, the press rankings came out and we were voted as the 9th ranked team in Division 1.  This is the first time West Ottawa has held a State ranking by Mlive since 2008.  Rankings don't mean a whole lot to me, but it is still an honor.  It shows that we are perceived as being a top-notch program by people who follow tennis.  It was almost certainly due to our performance in Ann Arbor two weeks ago.  If we are to maintain or improve our ranking, we will certainly have to perform well when we return in a few days.
  
4.  Drivers needed:  We have some away events coming up in the coming weeks, and I need parents to get us there.  Parents, here's your homework: Look at your calendar and see what events you can drive for.  LEAVE A COMMENT IN THIS POST STATING WHICH EVENT YOU CAN BE A DRIVER FOR.  

1.  Saturday, Sept. 15 at Ann Arbor Pioneer Quad (One driver for van and one for extras)
2.  Monday, Sept. 17 at Grandville 
3.  Wed, Sept. 26 at Rockford 
4.  Saturday, Sept 29 at Forest Hills Northern Tri
5.  Saturday, Oct. 6 at OK Red Tourny
6.  Tuesday, Oct. 9 at East Grand Rapids
7.  Thursday, Oct. 11 at Regionals
8.  Thursday, Oct. 18 - Saturday, Oct. 20 at Division 1 State Finals (Midland)
6 Comments

Everything you need to know about Saturday's Invite

9/6/2012

5 Comments

 

Booster Concessions: We are booster concessions from 7:45-11:30 AM while the tournament is going on from 7:45-11:30 AM.  I'm not assigning anyone, rather we will just platoon it 45 minutes-ish at at time.  I'll take the first shift before the tourny starts until I start having to act like a coach.  Whenever you don't have a kid on court, head into the South and take a quick turn with a parent who's company you particularly enjoy.  I've done concessions for Water Polo before...easiest gig in the world:)


Tennis Tournament
:
8:15 AM - Players Arrive

9:00 AM - Play begins

Teams: West Ottawa, Grand Rapids Christian, West Catholic, Kalamazoo Hackett.
Format:  We will use Okemos format in that we will play one team at a time.


More Pool Party Details (see the previous blog for initial details):  
Please bring a towel and your bathing suit if you would like to swim, the pool will be warm.  Please have parents e-mail me at ginavandyne@gmail.com to let me know if they are coming and if they have any questions.
Seniors - bring a side dish (ie. pasta salad, fruit salad, cheesy potatoes)
Juniors and Freshman - bring drinks and a bag of chips
Sophomores - bring dessert
VanDynes will provide the meat :-)
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Party at the VanDyne's!!!

9/5/2012

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The VanDyne's are hosting an exclusive "After Party" following our tournament this Saturday.  

Who's Invited: Varsity Players AND their PARENTS!

This will be a BIG social event in Holland this Saturday and only a select few are invited, so don't miss out...more details to come!

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