Day 3: THE SLUGS

The reason I got into coaching was because of Bob Hansen, the former men's tennis coach at UC Santa Cruz. He was my mentor and 2nd father. Bob was and is the best coach in Division III tennis, if not, all of college tennis. Bob, had many chances to go Division I, but chose to stay at Santa Cruz because of his family. Bob was the best teacher of fundamentals I have ever come in contact with, and way ahead of his time in regards to teaching technique. Bob is the John Wooden of college coaching and he left Santa Cruz because of personal reasons. It's still hard for me to imagine that he's at Middlebury, but, I know that Middlebury is extremely lucky to have him. Bob built a dynasty at Santa Cruz, and his replacement, Bryce Parmelly, is in the unenviable position of replacing him. I give Bryce a lot of credit, considering it's a horrible position to be in. Bryce is definitely the right man for the job and I know that he will do a great job.

It's amazing how perceptions change in a span of 24 hours. After the Kenyon match, our confidence was restored, and our team was looking forward to playing the slugs. We hadn't beaten them in over 5 years so this was a big match. We came out ready to play in doubles. Kahler and Wagner set the tone, jumping on the 2 team from Santa Cruz. At 1, we were on serve, but looked much better after a 2 match warmup. 3 doubles got down an early break, but battled to break back and eventually secure us a win. Going into singles we had managed to open up a 3-0 lead and had broken the spirit of the slugs. Once again, energy was a key to our success in doubles. Our boys would not be denied during doubles and basically overwhelmed them. Kahler and Wagner went 3-0 over the tourney and established themselves as a team to watch over the season. Pottish and Goodwin finally found their stride and showed why they are the 2 best players in the country. Humphreys leadership and Kowalski's fire, was equally impressive as the finished the tourney 2-1. 

Even up 3-0, you can never relax, especially in the format we were playing. Momentum change in the blink of an eye. Pottish, at 1, was playing a very good player, who played 3 at UC Santa Barbara, last season. I watched him in doubles and initially thought that Pottish would be able to man handle him, but, you can never ever judge a book by the cover. He was very good and pressed Pottish for the entire match. Pottish is one of the best competitors I have ever seen in D-III, so despite the fact that he was not playing his best tennis, his ability to focus and compete helped him overcome the challenge from the feisty slug. Wagner at 3, was playing a very cagey player, unorthodox, and got down an early break in the first set, but he managed to right the ship, and helped us get our 4 point. After the Gustavus match, Wagner settled down, and played his best tennis in the finals. Pottish clinched the match and we were now up 5-0. 

One of the hardest things to do in college tennis is to keep your focus and intensity when you are forced to play even when the match has been decided. Kowalski, at 2, had to play a 10 point breaker for the 3rd, against a player, who was able to compete in the individuals last year. Kowalski, lost, but proved that he can be a contributor in this lineup. Halpern at 4, was once again too much for his opponent, and finished the weekend 3-0.  Lavoie-Perusse, at 5, played a guy who was swinging for the fences, and ended up losing in 10 point breaker. After a sloppy first set, he played much better. Ruderman, at 6, once again, got out of the gates slowly, but he is a very good competitor, and was able to secure our 7th point.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank Chris Redmond and Alex Chun, our assistant coaches. They did an amazing job, and what you need to remember, is that they are working for basically free. Most D-III teams do not have an assistant coach let alone 2. These guys come everyday, trying to help our team get better. Chris and Alex, have made Emory tennis a central part of their lives, and we are truly blessed to have them with us. Also, we have Peter Marcinkowski, a senior, who has taken the role of student-assistant. I have been amazed at how committed he has been to helping our players. He is truly one of the best people I know in life, unselfish, and a person you want to have in your life. I also want to thank Nick. He did not play over the weekend, but travelled with us, and was an amazing supporter during our run. It's not easy to watch from the sidelines, but he put the team ahead of his own personal interest, a mark of someone who was raised the right way.

Lastly, winning indoors is awesome, but it's only the 1st act of a long season. We have along way to go as a team, but hopefully, we will stay motivated, and realize, that you don't win NCAA titles in February. Physical and mental preparation is the key and we need to keep the hammer down!