Simple As This: A Great Article

We need this attitude. From every one of us...

From Tennis Thoughts

Asserting Themselves in the Face of Defeat

I just ran across this article on Wozniacki by James Martin of Tennis.com. On the surface, the article might appear to equate offense with power. “She needs to hit harder and go for more winners.’ But if you read a little deeper you will see that there is more to it than that.

James Martin also talks about a mindset. It is an assertive mindset that distinguishes the true champions. Sampras does not have the most powerful serve. Federer does not have the most powerful strokes. They hit hard but there are others who can hit harder. They both have fluidity and variety. In fact, if you think about Federer, Sampras and McEnroe everyone would agree they have incredible hands. So does Borg and so does Nadal. It is not as natural but they have used variety to augment their games. And all of them used offense. But the overall theme of the article seems to bottle up the essence of a higher level of tennis.

In fact, I really think that Federer is the king of variety and strategy. He just uses all his weapons to move people around the court and then hits an easy winner. He is also not afraid to attack. There are times were seems to be shanking his backhand but will continue attacking. The same with his forehand. He is willing to lose a match but he will not give up attacking. In fact, you can watch Federer vs. Nadal in the Wimbledon final in 2008.

You probably saw Nadal falling to the ground and Federer missing a forehand after a somewhat awkward bounce. But what was Federer doing. He was hitting an aggressive approach shot. And that was on the last point of the match. He missed and the rest is history but he did not back down and stop attacking. If you watch the great players they will keep attacking until the very end. But they attack in all sorts of ways. Federer is the king at this because he uses variety to confuse opponents and create openings.

Martin points out that Wozniacki has reached a level of success with a pretty simple plan. She gets everything back and just outlasts her opponent. The problem is that the true champions will do more. They will assert themselves even if it means losing. He suggests that this is a necessary step that is needed for Wozniacki to begin winning tournaments.

There is one last thing that is interesting. Both Federer and Sampras seemed to arrive a little later (if we exclude Sampras USO at 19). Sampras talks about the fact that he was never afraid to lose. This might be part of the key. They might lose but this does not shake their self belief. Some people have even commented on Serena Williams as never admitting that she lost. It is is almost as if she could have won had she just had a little more time. Now it is not that they don’t know they lost. They know they lost. But I suspect that they quickly search for a reason and then try to rectify this. Champions may actually be defined in how they respond to losses. Federer seems to have actually improved his backhand in the last year. Lendl took the whole summer to prepare for Wimbledon and made it to the finals. Martin points out Bill Tilden actually developed a whole new weapon. Sampras switched his backhand in order to be able to approach and volley better. These things all indicate a certain mindset. It is indicative of them taking control and asserting themselves even in the face of defeat. It does not always guarantee victory. But it does guarantee that they will lose on their own terms. And for many of the best champions this assertive mindset led to victory more often than defeat.

Friday Tourney Talk

Above is the Sectional history, and I'd say it is pretty interesting. I don't know when the current Sectional was put together, but it must have been around 1991. For quite awhile, Goshen dominated things. But after 2000, it has been very balanced.

In this decade, Fairfield has four titles, NorthWood three, then Goshen, Jimtown and us with one. I love the balance there. Everybody has won in the past 10 years. That is a very rare thing in Sectionals throughout the state, and I think it makes it more fun. I mean, Homestead has won 31 straight Sectional championships, so you can imagine how fun and rewarding it will be to win one more.

This year's Sectional should retain that balance, that competitiveness. Goshen, Fairfield, ourselves and NorthWood bring back significant pieces from last year's teams. That means players with Sectional experience. That should mean a competitive atmosphere for each tourney matchup. Even Jimtown, who loses quite a few pieces, has JV players who saw large amounts of varsity playing time.

I'd love to see another decade begin with a Bethany Christian championship. But I really hope that the level of competition stays equal. That's what makes it fun, and that is what should push us on.

I hope that it is already pushing some of you to put in the work. Because sweet is the reward!

Friday Tourney Talk

My Top Ten Tennis State Tournament Memories

#10 : DeKalb vs. Angola, 1996 : My first Sectional as a player, lost my only match and realized the intensity picks up at this time of the year.

#09 : Goshen vs. Bethany Christian, 2003 : My first Sectional as a coach, lost my first match and realized you can't win with just emotion, you have to build talent.

#08 : NorthWood vs. DeKalb, 2007 : After losing in the Sectional final to NorthWood, we went to the Regional and watched them almost beat DeKalb. That's when we knew we were an upper level program too.

#07 : Seth Troyer and Jordan Mumaw's Individual Run : Won the Individual Sectional at #1 doubles, and advanced to play LaPorte. LaPorte was 18-3 and we were 9-8, but we only lost 4-6, 4-6.

#06 : Howe Military vs. Angola, 1998 : I won 9 straight games in this first round matchup without losing a point, until I double-faulted! That's a golden set for you counting at home.

#05 : NorthWood vs. Bethany Christian, 2007 : Our first Sectional final, and a day we learned that it takes intensity and talent to win a Sectional. We fell but only 3-2.

#04 : Fairfield vs. Bethany Christian, 2008 : The match we almost choked. Take nothing for granted, we beat them 5-0 only ten days before, and were down 1-5 in a third set with a chance to lose. Thank goodness we didn't.

#03 : Goshen vs. Bethany Christian, 2007 : To reach the Sectional final, we defeated Goshen 3-2 as Johnny and Jeremy fought off three match points in a third set tiebreaker to seal our victory.

#02 : Fairfield vs. Bethany Christian, 2007 : Having lost 5-0 in the regular season, we were down 2-1 in the team match, and Jonny Shenk and Luke Hostetter were both down a set in the matches remaining on the court. Two third set comebacks later, we had defeated the Sectional favorite and won our first Sectional match.

#01 : NorthWood vs. Bethany Christian, 2008 : We caught our breath, upped our intensity and turned around the 2007 result. And we got to hold up Bethany Christian's first tennis Sectional championship, a feeling I look forward to again!

Catching Up on Friday

Next Monday, the Spring sports begin. Baseball players break out gloves and batting helmets, track and field members sweat off the seconds around the track, and golfers used to swing their clubs and make their putts.

What effect does playing a Spring sport have on tennis season. Obviously, playing a Spring sport takes a player away from Open Court activities... but how much does it effect? Well, in the mode of statistics, I put together this analysis.

Winning Percentages (Over my coaching career)
Those who play Spring sports: 64.2%
Those who do not play Spring sports: 59.9%

So, as you can see, those who play a different sport in the Spring have a slightly higher winning percentage in the Fall. The question is, why?

Here's my guess. Playing a sport makes discipline mandatory. You have to show up at practice, you have to work out, you have to run. Not playing a sport allows for laziness. You don't have to go to Open Courts, you don't have to work out, you don't have to stay in shape. And in our undisciplined world, many who don't play a Spring sport find many excuses to not do anything.

On the other hand, those who haven't played a Spring sport and have stayed disciplined have made amazing improvements. Over the years, Jonny Shenk, Austin Loucks, Luke Hostetter, Daniel Buschert, and many more have taken advantage of the Spring season to get on the tennis courts. And their discipline has paid off.

So the name of the game is really hard work. Playing a Spring sport demands it. So if you are lazy and not self-motivated... go play a Spring sport!

If you are not playing a Spring sport, please take advantage of the time. Come play tennis at Open Courts, go play tennis on your own, lift some weights with us. Begin your maturity process for next season by showing discipline.

I'll look forward to seeing what we all do!

Currently playing Spring sports -
Baseballers: Kyle, Russell, Ike
Track and Field: Evan

Are there others?

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up with Parth Patel

As we head into a new season, we'll be adding some new faces. Today we'll learn a little bit about one of our new members.

When did you start playing tennis?
I started in fifth grade, my sisters wanted me to start playing because they had played tennis in high school. I thought it looked fun, so my mom signed me up for lessons at Maple City Racquet Club.

What other sports do you play?
I tried soccer in third grade, but I was terrible and quit. I did cross-country this year, and kind of liked it. And I played basketball all three middle school years, but I'm not planning on playing in high school. I want to focus on one sport in high school, but really on academics.

What will you bring to the Bethany Christian tennis team?
I would say mind-reading, but I quit the mind-reading lesson a couple of months ago.

What are you excited about going into your first season?
Well, I'm most excited about learning more about tennis. After my first years of instruction, I haven't had that much. I just kind of played. I'm excited about tennis camp, of course.

Who inspires you the most?
Batman, because he's awesome, that's why. Do you need any more reason than that?

What would you eat for breakfast if you had your choice of anything?
Pizza, but not just any pizza. Pizza from Singa's Famous Pizzeria in New York. It would just have cheese, because their veggie pizza aren't that good (and I'm vegetarian, high five Blake!)

What song makes you dance, and why?
Beethoven's seventh symphony!

If you could pick one book to send to the moon for aliens to pick up and read on their way by, what would it be and why?
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," because it's awesome. It's one of the first books where Harry takes leadership.

If you were going to give a nickname to Kyle Miller (although you've really never met him or seen him) what would it be?
Nicholai the Destroyer

Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Oh, that's a tough one. Bugs Bunny.

What position would Bugs play if they were on our team?
I've never seen his tennis skills before, but in "Space Jam" with Michael Jordan he is aggressive and smart, plus tall and lanky. I think he'd make a great #1 doubles player. Team him up with Nicholai the Destroyer, that'd be awesome!

What are you shooting for next year, what are your goals?

I know there's no chance of me getting above some of the current players, but I'd like to be one of the top players in my grade. Wherever that puts me is fine.

So, say hey to Parth when you see him. Or leave him a comment here.

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...the Progression of a Program

Last week, I brought up some numbers about how players have performed under pressure, bringing up the stat of 3-2 matches and who was successful in those matches. I'm sure that it didn't go unnoticed that our current class of seniors didn't have unbelievable records in those sort of matches (with some exceptions). You might have also noticed that several of the better players on previous teams (Joel King, Michael Steury, and Jordan Kauffman) had really good records in 3-2 matches. This week we're going to look into that.

The reason they had better records is directly linked to how good the team was. The record in 3-2 matches is not necessarily only an indication of how clutch a player is (partly that is involved) but also the quality of the opponent one is facing.

Let me tell you what I mean by comparing two seasons, 2008 and 2005. In 2008 we played 6 matches where the final score was 3-2, either in our favor or in our opponents favor. In 2005, we played in 5 3-2 matches. Here are a list of the opponents in those two seasons.

2008 -------------------------------- 2005
Northridge ------------------------- Fremont
Concord ---------------------------- Triton
NorthWood ------------------------ NorthWood
Westview --------------------------- Bremen
Fairfield ---------------------------- Tippecanoe Valley
East Noble

Notice anything about the quality of opponents that we were having 3-2 matches with. And 2005 was the pinnacle of the Joel King, Michael Steury, Jordan Kauffman years. Those guys were great players, but were pulling out their 3-2 wins in matches where their opponents were not as capable.

Putting this comparison another way, the winning percentage of the opponents in 3-2 matches:
2008 ---------------------- 2005
71.5% --------------------- 48.8%

So the teams we were playing close to, competing with in 2008 were much better than the teams we were close to in 2005.

What this speaks to is the development of a program. In 2005 we had 3 or 4 guys who were serious about winning as tennis players, and for the most part they were rewarded but the team still suffered. By 2008, I'd say we had 10-12 players who were serious about winning matches and putting in the work that was necessary. Because of this, we jumped to a completely higher level of play. We were playing close matches with Sectional competitors across the board. Every one of our losses this past season were to either Regional champions, Sectional champions, or to Sectional runners-up. This couldn't have been said in previous seasons. No wonder we were able to compete and win our own Sectional.

Another way of judging the development of the whole program is the JV. In 2005, the JV struggled to a 7-6 record. Luke Hostetter led the team with an 8-3 record at #1 singles JV. Johnny and Jeremy played #1 doubles JV most of the season and were only 5-3-1. As those guys stepped up to varsity they were able to pull off winning seasons in their first years on the varsity level (Luke went 13-6, Johnny went 11-8 and Jeremy went 12-7). This past season, JV was 16-0, beat 2 varsity teams, and was led by 3 undefeated players, and several more with only one loss.

The program is obviously developing and more and more people are serious about tennis, and winning, and working hard. This must continue if we want to stay on the same path. We need 10-12 people serious about tennis throughout the spring and summer. I know of several, I hope the rest of you are ready to committ to the further development of this program!

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...What Jonny Shenk and Joel King Have in Common

Tennis, as it is played in the Indiana high school ranks, consists of two different elements going on simultaneously. It contains both the individual aspect and the team dynamic at the same time. You are individually matched up against an opponent, and you are trying to defeat them without the help of teammates (or just one teammate if it's doubles). However, your result with then either help or hinder your team in winning the match as a squad. It's a great system that can lead to some of the most intense finishes in any sport. Like when the two aspects combine and a team match that is tied at 2-2 comes down to an individual match that is going into it's third set.

Anyways, because these two elements exist within tennis, there are players who excel at each when the pressure is on. Some players excel at winning their own individual matches when they get intense and drag on into tiebreakers and third sets. Then there are other who provide their clutch performances when the team needs them most.

Today, I want to look at two players specifically (and some statistics) who exemplify these molds: Jonny Shenk and Joel King. They are both some of the best examples of clutch players throughout Bethany history, but in different areas.

Jonny has been clutch when it comes to an individual matches. He never wanted to back down from any opponent, and as any of his matches stretched on, you always had a feeling that he was going to be able to pull it out. The statistics back up this observation, a quick look at the varsity record book shows that Jonny is tops in third sets won, and then third in highest percentage of third sets won and tiebreakers won as well. Jonny's record of 8 third sets won is particularly amazing, considering that he racked up these victories in only two years of playing varsity.

In individual matches, those two circumstances put the most pressure on a player, 3rd sets and tiebreakers. Some of my favorite Jonny Shenk memories come from playing in these difficult circumstances. One of my favorite Jonny Shenk matches was his first match as a varsity player, #3 singles against Northridge's Jeremy Runge. In that match he came out and shocked Runge, I think, winning the first set of the match in pretty comfortable fashion. Then in the second set Runge adjusted his game and took Jonny out of his rhythm by making him come to the net. In the third set, Jonny made sure to make the correct strategical choices, choosing to retrieve short balls and then retreat to the baseline, making the game about stamina and consistency. His choices paid off, and he cruised through the third set to victory.

Individual players who can come through in the clutch can learn from Jonny's attitude in that match. Many players would panic when the match turned, because Jonny had won one set easily then lost a close second set. But instead of getting frustrated he got smart. He was able to adjust and persevere, two important qualities of a clutch performer.

Obviously, there are others who have had clutch individual performances. I think of Jared Schwartzentruber and his third set record this year, and his ability to pull through came down to those same qualities, keeping himself mentally focus on what adjustments needed to be made and not panicking.

On the other hand, we have Joel King. I have joked from time to time about "the legend of Joel King," because I believe he is a rather important player in Bruin tennis history. He was an example to most of our seniors when they joined as freshman. So what did they watch him do? Perform his best when the team needed it.

Clutch performances when the team needs you come in somewhat different circumstances from individual. Clutch performances for the team is when the match is 3-2 and you were one of the winners. Or when the match is tied 2-2 or your team is down 1-2 and you have to have that match that is still on the court, yours.

Through his career, Joel was an amazing 8-0 in matches that ended 3-2, whether the team won or lost. When the match was going to come right down to one position, it seems that the team could always count on Joel to pull through in his match. This includes 3 matches that were tied at 2-2 and he pulled out the deciding point. The pressure in these type of matches can be immense. I think the biggest thing that is important in these matches is a true belief that you will win, a focusing on the positive, a getting mentally fired up for every point. Joel was a fiery player, but he also resisted the urge to get down on himself when things weren't going well. Instead he just dug in more in those situations.

Well, those are two players who have done well under pressure. But everyone has had their moment. Here are a list of 3rd set records and 3-2 match records for all varsity players under me.

Player-------------------------3rd Sets------3-2 matches
Ben Mast------------------------ 1-0 ------------ 1-0
Luke Hostetter ----------------- 6-4 ------------ 8-7
Jared Schwartzentruber -------- 6-2 ------------ 6-8
Jonny Shenk -------------------- 8-2 ------------ 5-6
Johnny Kauffman --------------- 2-6 ------------ 3-10
Jeremy Thomas ----------------- 1-3 ------------ 4-10
Daniel Buschert ----------------- 3-5 ------------ 8-2
Mikey Kelly --------------------- 3-3 ------------ 7-3
Matthew Amstutz --------------- 1-1 ------------ 0-0
Wes Klassen --------------------- 3-4 ------------ 3-3
Jordan Kauffman ---------------- 4-9 ------------ 7-3
Jordan Miller -------------------- 0-1 ------------ 2-1
Joel King ------------------------ 6-1 ------------ 8-0
Michael Steury ------------------ 3-6 ------------ 5-1
Mark Bauman ------------------- 0-0 ------------ 1-3
Alex Bullard --------------------- 0-2 ------------ 1-4
Joe Friesen ---------------------- 0-1 ------------ 2-4
Ben Shenk ----------------------- 2-2 ------------ 1-3
Casey Diener -------------------- 0-1 ------------ 0-2
Seth Troyer --------------------- 0-4 ------------ 2-2
Evan Stahley -------------------- 0-2 ------------ 1-1
Colin Yoder ---------------------- 2-0 ------------ 1-1
Jordan Mumaw ------------------ 0-2 ------------ 1-1

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...Reasons to Choose Tennis

So, I've used this space the past couple weeks to introduce you to a couple of middle school students who have decided to play tennis next year. There are a couple more who are for sure playing (Josh Helmuth and Wade Troyer). Then there are a bunch of guys who can't decide.

So today I'm opening up the comments section. Leave me as many reasons that you can think of that these undecided athletes should be a part of the tennis team. They can be tennis related or Bethany tennis team related. When all the comments are in, I'll list some of the best reasons here on the main post.

Thanks all of participating in this little recruiting exercise!

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...5 Questions for 2009 Freshman Ike Lehman

How many matches did you come to last year, who did you enjoy watching and why?

I came to one match during the season, the sectional championship, and the regional match. I enjoyed watching Luke Hostetter play because his matches were always much more fast pace then the other matches. I liked watching any doubles matches because of the attaching style of play the doubles had. I also liked watching the sophomores, freshmen, and juniors. I like to watch them because I will be playing with them next year.

What sticks out about the sectional and regional matches?

I remember going to watch the regional match and when we were up and looking like we were going to win, Ryan Minter and I ran around the nearby track. It was only the next day that I found out that we had lost. In the sectional, I thought it was a very exiting match because the game before was against Fairfield, my old school. The championship match was where I first realized that Luke grunts like Serena Williams when he hits the ball.

What attracted you to play tennis in high school?

When I was in fifth grade I had a choice to either go to the Bethany soccer camp or tennis camp, because i was not old enough to go to the baseball camp which was my first choice. I chose the tennis camp because I thought it would be a lot like baseball, you swing the racket and hit the ball, but I did not know all the different strokes were nothing like baseball. But I got hooked on it anyway with all the fun extra games we had at the camp.

What's your favorite tennis story Matt has told in class?

I would have to say the story about 2008 summer team camp when Blake would look for the hiders while he sung songs, and Russell hid in the dishwasher. I couldn't believe how funny Blake seemed in Mr. Miller's stories because Blake would have NEVER done that the week before in our baseball game together.

How do you expect the team to do next year, yourself included?

I think we will be strong next year with the JV going undefeated in 2008. We could be even stronger when next years juniors are seniors. I thought I would do okay my freshmen year as a JV player, and that assumption is based on how good I am compared to the rest of the class. But I recently went to an open gym with other high schooler players, Blake and Ben, and I looked pretty bad playing next to them. And some JV players will be as good Blake or even Ben, and I don't know how much I will improve through practices next year, so I really don't know how well I will do.

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With... Coach Matt's Fifth Grade Poetry?
I wrote this "poem" in fifth grade, so you can see I've been obsessed with sports for awhile. Still, pretty prophetic for an 11 year old, no? Not claiming it's good, but it's pretty true.

It all starts with a dream, a goal to achieve.
As a young child the dream begins a
and sometimes ends if one
is not dedicated enough.

The next stage is practice,
even before you are on a team.
If you want to be the best
you must give it all you've got.

Then the team practice starts,
within an organized league.
The competition starts
and the will to win is seen.
This is the stage, where you learn
to support each other as a team.

The fourth stage you start
to compete with rival towns.
You have to beat them badly,
so they fear you from now on.

The fifth stage is a tournament,
the chance to win your first championship.
The sorrow of defeat is sadder,
the joy of victory greater.
With the first championship comes
an intense desire to win something more glorious.

The sixth stage is dominance
of the teams on your schedule.
No team comes close to you.
No team has a chance.
You crush the conference teams.
The sectional is next.

The seventh stage is the challenge,
where you put together what you've learned.
Everyone has to be at their best.
The championship beckons,
is your team up to the test?

by Matt Miller, 1992.

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With... 5 Questions for 2009 Freshman Ryan Minter

1. Why are you deciding to play tennis next year?
Because I like playing tennis and the tennis team does a lot of fun things. I played soccer in middle school because there was no tennis team, but tennis is better than soccer.

2. Who do you already know that is on the tennis team?
Austin Loucks, from working the concession stand together last night! Russell, because my sister had a couple of parties and everybody remembers Russell.

3. What do you think of the things you've already done with the team (like concession stands and open courts)?
They were really fun because everybody included me like a member of the team even though I haven't officially joined yet. That makes me feel good, because, I don't know...

4. What are your tennis goals for next year?
I would like to win half of my matches, and I know I'll be playing JV, so maybe that will be possible.

5. What are you most looking forward to?
Team camp, because I get to go seek people during hide-and-go-seek. And I'm going to be awesome at it, even if Russell hides in a dryer.

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...a JV Perspective on the 2008 Sectional Championship

"Observing Sectionals" by Ben Mast

The Saturday morning of the Bethany Christian Team of 2008's sectional victory was an amazing day. We all know what happened: Struggle, frustration, worry, against Fairfield, but then finally pulling it out. Easily beating Northwood, playing really well, having a lot of fun, and a sectional victory to top it off.

But I never took the sectional victory as a personal triumph. I struggled all season with this whole not really being on the varsity but still 'being' on the varsity idea (I know some of you know what I mean), and this struggle was even more apparent during sectionals. I celebrated the sectional victory as an observer, not a player. I took absolutely no ownership personally for the victory (which makes a lot of sense) even though often people tried to congratulate me. I didn't do it. I didn't play. Don't try to give me a piece of the victory cake. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous or a little frustrated that my talents hadn't taken me far enough to share in this moment. And my envy tainted my joy of the historical day.

By writing this, I'm being honest. I'm absolutely not intending to take away from the victory. It was an incredible day; an incredible feeling when Mikey and Daniel pulled out the Fairfield win, when Johnny and Jeremy played one of their best matches all year in the sectional championship, when Luke lifted the sectional championship trophy above his head. It was incredible. But it wasn't mine.

Since the season ended, I have been trying to figure out what all this means for me, because next year it could be me playing on a beautiful Saturday morning for a sectional championship. After that Saturday, I worked at trying to learn something from each player that participated in the Sectonal, and this is what I've come up with: Luke taught me to play efficiently, Buschert taught me to never give up, Johnny K taught to yell (and obtain an enormous amount of nicknames), Mikey taught me how to play under pressure, Jonny S taught me the value of mental strenght, Jared taught me the importance of detail, Jeremy taught me how to enjoy victory. The entire varsity team taught me to want to win so badly you ... well, you win. They also taught me what wanting to win looks like: hard work, taking the offseason seriously, and having fun.

So thank you all. It was an honor to play and be on a team with you guys.

Winning the sectional was memorable, incredible for all those observers and players alike. But I want to know what it's like to play in a moment like that - to win in a moment like that.

So let's do it again.

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With... 10 Questions with Jordan Kauffman

1. So you are a student at Goshen College now, how has tennis treated you after college? Is a still a part of your life?

I went straight from playing high school tennis to playing collegiate tennis for Goshen College. I am currently training and preparing myself for my upcoming (next fall actually, I don't really think that is considered upcoming, but, whatever) junior season. Tennis has been treating me okay, I guess, I played JV my entire 1st season at GC which was something that I have never experienced since I played all four years on the varsity team in high school. This past year I played three doubles on varsity and didn't do to well. I haven't been that successful at the collegiate level but I am learning loads about my game. I hope to continue playing tennis the rest of my collegiate career and after college as well.

2. As far as your time at Bethany, what match do you remember as "unforgettable" and why?

I would have to say the match my sophomore year at 2nd doubles against Michigan City Marquette at the Laville Invite. It came down to Mike and I having to win our individual match in order to win the tournament for the team. (They won 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, nice comeback!)The other match that I remember very well would have to be my sophomore or junior year when Mike and I beat Northwood, and we as a team beat Northwood that night too.

3. Do you remember any matches that were super disappointing? Why?

Oh yes, I remember after all of my sectional matches I would break down in tears because I was so frustrated with my performances. I never played up to my complete potential while at Bethany which falls all on my shoulders. I had the strokes but I had no were near the mental toughness or composure that I needed. I improved drastically in that area from my freshman to senior seasons while you were my coach. Yet I still have improvements to make in that area so that I can be as successful as I want to be.

4. You played doubles almost your whole career at Bethany. What would you consider your doubles strategy?

My doubles strategy in high school was to get to the net early and beat them using my partners and my volleys and net game. I was always looking for that overhead to smash over the fence. I would have to say that my doubles strategy has changed now that I am playing at college due to the high level of competition that I am playing in college. It is a lot different in terms of competition at the collegiate level, every single player you play was probably a very good player in high school.

5. While on the theme of doubles, you played with a lot of different partners throughout your career (Joe Friesen, Evan Stahley, Casey Diener, Michael Steury, Johnny Kauffman). Be honest, who was your favorite to play with and why?

Michael Steury, hands down. The level of chemistry that Mike and I had was amazing. I fed off of his positive energy and that made me play better when I didn't know that I had it in me.

6. You also played a handful of singles matches, what makes singles and doubles different for you?

During high school I was intimidated by singles to be honest. I had never really had success playing by myself against another person with out a partner. I think singles really stretched me mentally. I relied on my partner to bring positive energy and calming words while playing doubles. Then when I played singles I didn't have that to fall back on. It has changed a lot for me now. I almost feel more comfortable playing singles now because I have know one else to blame when I lose a match.

7. What team tradition (team camp, Night Out videos, praying the lines, midnight practice, Pizza King, Magic Wand, etc.) would you say is the most awesome?

Team camp by far. There is no other high school that I know of that goes to a different town and sleeps in that town for a whole week to train for tennis. I wish we did that now in college but I guess it is different for us.

8. Do you have a favorite memory from team camp in Angola?

Naked Jay (Jay forgot to lock the door to the shower, and Casey Diener snuck in and stole his clothes, towel, everything, so he had to walk back to the room where we were sleeping, through the church. Of course, it was 12:30 at night, so no one else was there. But it was still funny.) If you need a more appropriate memory then hanging out at your parent's house, and doing stuff there.

9. Which team did you love to play when you were at Bethany? Which team did you hate to play? Any individual rivalries that you remember?

I really didn't love playing any team when I think about it. When we played another team all I really cared about was doing my best and not really building relationships with my opponents. I hated playing Concord and Northridge because I was never playing my best tennis at the beginning of the season. I would have to say Goshen because that would have been the school I would have gone to had I not gone to Bethany.

10. What off the court lessons did you learn as a member of Bethany Christian tennis?

Such a great question! The lessons that I learned of the court as a member of BC tennis are the things that will stick with me forever. You taught me so many different things about being a true Christian, caring person, and more specifically a great person. I learned that it doesn't matter the end result as long as you gave it your all. You also taught me to not sweat the small stuff and just let it roll of your back. I didn't really follow this lesson a whole lot while in high school, but now I live by it in college.

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...Senior Memories from Jonny Shenk

Ben Baker has an infamous spot in Bethany tennis lore. Over the two years I played him he became my nemesis of sorts, and despite my desire to win he was probably my favorite opponent of my Bethany career. His enthusiasm, odd exclamations ("ay carumba"), interesting apparel (headband and cross tattoo), and ninja instincts put him in a class of his own. He had dealt me my worse loss of the season sophomore year (8-1) and I had been nervously anticipating our rematch ever since. The match turned out to be about as epic as it possibly could have been.

Northwood was our first good competition in a while and I remember my nerves tingling as they came off their bus onto our courts. I was able to settle down a bit during the warm-ups though, and realize that there was no pressure on me because I could do no worse than I had last time.

The first game was crucial. I wanted to start it off right, but he was determined not to let the guy he had crushed get a lead. We went to several deuces, but finally I pulled it out. I could already tell that it was going to take all my energy and focus to pull the win off. Just as we started the second game a train came rumbling by our 3 singles court and I was able to use this distraction as a home court advantage to pull in another game. Things started getting fierce after that. I was dealing with a blister that was forming through a hole and my sock and I allowed this to distract me enough to go down 5-4. However, my determination was restored after seeing that Mikey and Daniel had pulled off a first set win. I battled back and forced a tie break, which I was able to win 7-2. Then things started to get crazy. Rain started to gradually pick up as we got into the first game of the second set. On game point Ben Baker slipped on the slickness of the court and gave me the perfect chance to get the game with a well placed winner. Instead I hit it in the net. A rain delay was called at this point.

After changing socks during the rain delay I proceeded to lose three games in a row. Having the security of a first set win under my belt took the intensity out of my effort. I realized that I'd have to pick it up if I wanted to stay in the match and started sprinting after balls. It was around this time when I was lunging for a well placed ball down the baseline that I turned my ankle and thought that I heard something pop. Initially this injury served as motivation to get back in the match, to be a wounded fighter, and I was able to bring it back to 3-4.

Then the rains came again and this time they were serious. After huddling in the food tent away from the torrential downpour for a few minutes we resolved to move the match to the Racquet Club. This break gave me more time to think about my ankle, which did indeed hurt a bit, and in the first few games at the Club my distraction showed. Ben Baker easily finished off the second set and went up 2-0 in the third. Matt basically had to tell me to suck it up and forget about anything else besides playing my game. Those were much needed words. I began to battle back desperately but initially it didn't work. I played long point after long point with Ben Baker, but he kept winning them. My frustration reached a high point when I scrambled back to hit a high lob only to see it sail too high into the ceiling. I let it out with a series of yelled "Are you kidding me"s and "What the heck"s. Then on the next point he hit a winner right passed me down the line. My momentum carried me into the wall and in my anger I smashed my racket against it. Luckily for me it only cracked. Also luckily for me Matt didn't call a point penalty. I remember Mikey being very surprised by my behavior on the next court down and trying to calm me down, but at that point I wasn't prepared to go down without a fight.

I still don't know what gave me the ability to turn the tide of the match and begin a comeback, but I know that in this one case I wouldn't have been able to win without the anger that gave me drive and energy. I still didn't necessarily think I was going to win though. I retook the lead at 3-2, but Ben came right back and went up 4-3. It's at this point that I'm surprised I didn't fold and lose the match. My ferocious comeback had failed and he had taken the lead. Somehow I kept fighting. The match had been going for at least two and half hours and almost every shot was accompanied by a grunt. At the end of every point Ben and I would scream a simultaneous "YES!" or "NO!" regardless of whether it had been a winner or a missed overhead. I don't remember any of the individual points clearly, but finally I got to match point. The point was no different from the rest just a series of slowly paced shots hit back and forth, but finally he hit it in the net and the match was over. He lay quietly on the court holding his head in his hands for sometime before coming to shake my hand. "See you at sectionals," was all he said and already at that point I wasn't sure if I'd be able to muster the energy to beat him again, but for now I was just happy to have won.

Sadly the match did not end in a win for the team. Even more sad was the fact that we lost in sectionals as well, where Ben trounced me in two sets. But at least for one day I had my revenge against the notorious Ben Baker (who really isn't that bad of a person).

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...Senior Memories from Luke Hostetter
2007 Sectional Quarterfinal against Fairfield

Looking back at this match, I remember when I lost one of my only close losses my junior year to Fairfield's 1s player during the season. I was confused about what went wrong during the match and was frustrated as well. His name was David Stutzman and he was a very smart player. He is not an obviously smart player. In fact, in many ways, his game resembles Andrew Lanctot's: quiet, consistent, but always critically thinking and never afraid to attack. He could play the big moments well and had an overall solid game.

I also remember announcing the sectional draw at the end of our "Night Out" excursions. Matt had called me and I agreed to make the announcement. I told everyone that we drew Fairfield on Thursday, which on paper is the worst possible draw, seeing as how we lost to Fairfield 0-5 and we did not get the bye. Many people were complaining. However, I was probably the only outright excstatic person there. I was very glad for a chance of revenge on a match I thought I should have won. I tried to rally the troops and sure enough, everyone showed up for sectionals on Thursday.

Well, as was the case this past year, I remember arriving at sectionals feeling like I could go into cardiac arrest at any second due to the ridiculous temperature. Gradually, my body became less numb and the teams could start getting a real warm up.

Once the matches were underway, I realized I had been overconfident. I suddenly remembered what made David Stutzman so deceptively genius. He refused to make mistakes and could run down a suprising number of balls. I should say that when I am playing a match, I get into it. Meaning that I focus on my match and my match only. Sometimes my eyes wander, but in that match, I didn't want them too. I heard Jared complaining a lot (which he improved exponentially by his senior year) and I wasn't getting pumped up by Johnny and Jeremy's personal rave parties (which didn't begin until Northwood senior year in the season). I had now lost the first set. The score was approximately 2-3 in the second set and I was abandoning all hope. Our team was struggling and I didn't feel like anyone believed in themselves, including me. That was when I got the good news. Matt ran over to my fence and I could tell he was somewhat excited but I had no idea why. It was these words that turned the match around for me: "Jonny and 2 dubs are getting competitive...We NEED you..." That was all it took. If I knew that if our team had a chance, I would do everything I could not to screw it up for them.

Finally, I found the serve that I had been working on the past two weeks. I had just been hitting my consistent second serve up until then and now all of the sudden I brought out a flat serve. I think this serve took David off guard. I was now up 5-3 and it was David's turn to serve. Well, he tried to not back down to a challenge and starting hitting flat serves as well. However, he had not been practicing this and he made more errors then me. I took the second set and with it, a ticket to stay in the match.

The beginning of my last set was a bit of a blur. By now, I believe Jared had lost and was miserably sitting by the side of his net moping. I was pretty frustrated at this and almost told Matt to tell him to leave. But mind-reading Matt did exactly what I told him to through telepathy and got rid of some negative karma (no offense Jared). 1 doubles had also lost or was very close to it. At the same time, I believe 2 doubles had won at this point. And Jonny was giving me lots of confidence in seeing him dominate with his incontrovertible patience (especially since Jonny and I had an unspoken race to see who would have the best record at the end of the season)

Now, it was 4-4 in the third set of my match. This was one of those crazy games where the score goes back and forth for seemingly infinity. Actually, it was only about 15 minutes. And 15 minutes isn't much compared to infinity. But it was one of those times where I am in the zone. I'm not sure that I have told anyone this before, but in those moments, I am so focused that my head actually hurts. In those moments, I can't hear a thing the crowd says and I am absorbed into a world full of strategy and foot work and essential match toughness skills. I somehow pulled the game out and was up 5-4. Matt gave me his usual advice, "Don't get overconfident. You haven't won yet." Even though this seems obvious, it still helps to get reminded of that. Thankfully though, David Stutzman got a little tight. He made two unforced and one forced error to give me a 40-love lead in the final game. I somehow got distracted and saw Jonny sprinting to the bench to watch me play my last point and I knew that it all came down to me. I played my usual smagressive game and Stutzman made a final unforced error to give our team the comeback of comebacks. I was so exstatic that I dropped my racket and did my crazy "run as fast as you can in the air while punching it as hard as you can" celebration.

That was a great match. I remember jumping into Johnny Kauffman's arms and previewing Johnny and Jeremy's rave parties that were to come. I also remember Karston Hess congratulating me for our team winning the sectional championship and wanting to kill him for being so ignorant (Not really. Karston's cool.) It truly is one of the greatest feelings that sports can offer, no questions asked.

Looking back on the match today, I can now see what it is like to be in David's shoes. I wish I had not been so excited that day, but that is a hard thing to control. I was so caught up in emotion and happy for revenge that I did not realize how I was being the opposite of a blessing. I know that I am kind of killing the good memories that this match brought, but I just feel like I owe David an apology for being so churlish.

I think this tells match also tells us something about life. Sometimes, crap can hit the fan for no apparent reason. Sometimes you "lose" in a situation that you should have "won." A situation like this can be a tough pill to swallow, but if you swallow enough pills you'll eventually die. So, don't do drugs.

Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...Senior Memories from Daniel Buschert
2007 Sectional Semi-Final against Goshen

My Junior year when we faced Goshen in the sectional, we had just beaten Fairfield in the incredible underdog comeback win and Mikey and I realized that we could beat opponents close to our talent level, and that we were needed for the team to win. However Fairfield we knew we could beat, because obvious poor play had thrown away that match, and we knew that we were better when we played aggressively. However we had not faced Goshen before, but we knew that their team on the whole was close to ours, and that the positions it would come down to were 1 singles and 1 & 2 doubles.

The Saturday morning started off cold, and Mikey and I began poorly. We didn't get pumped up, we lost a bunch of key points, some that we couldn't put away. One of the Goshen 2 doubles pair was very fast, running down a lot of our hard putaways, and both could lob well. We quickly were down 5-0 in the first set, and didn't have much confidence or energy, with the cold and the frustration of not having anything to yell about. So Matt called us over to the fence and instead of urging us to get together and get back in the set, he told us we should try our hardest to win the next game on our serve, so that they would serve the game after that, and if we lost, we would start off the second set serving. I remember thinking it would be unfortunate to win 2 and then lose the set, but focused to get the next game anyway, hoping to gain momentum. We got it, and then lost the next a went into the next set. I remember not feeling much pressure, because we were following Matt's plan, and knew we could pick it up. It was advice that was realistically achievable, and made perfect sense.

The other piece of advice he gave us was to get moving, run around the court after lobs, encourage each other. He was slightly blunt with us, telling us we looked asleep on the court, but this helped fire us up to change his perception. We started winning games, finding the energy and confidence we needed. We quickly got to a 5-1 lead, but tightened up as we had all year when we got a lead, and dropped two games. Around this point we also began to see the match unfold as it was expected to, with Jonny and Jared struggling, but the others close. We managed to take the 2nd set, and moved into the third with the same strategy, keeping the ball in but staying aggressive, and running down lobs. We found that we were better than our opponents, when we attacked the net and yelled and got into it. One doubles was the last other match on the court while we moved to a 5-1 lead, and we saw they were also winning.

Once again, we became tentative, and a couple shots just missed. I remember one shot Mikey hit at a match point, his signature overhead from the baseline, that just bounced wide. However, we finally closed off the match at 6-3, with lots of cheering from all the fans, but as we walked back around the fence to watch 1 doubles, there was a quiet, hushed atmosphere. Watching 1 doubles was very tough, but I was boosted by our first 3rd set win, that we could keep our heads and simply follow instructions. This match is one of the best examples of how Matt's advice from the fence can work perfectly. It was also important that we had managed to keep the team's postseason alive, and not falter under the pressure of needing to win.

Catching Up on Friday

Another new feature for the Bethany website, "Catching Up on Friday." This segment will take a look at former members of the team and what they are doing, report and celebrate the best memories of our graduating seniors, or talk about what happened in the past week of current Bethany tennis players. This might be the most difficult for me to keep up, because it will require help and response from others. We'll see, but let's get it started!

Catching Up With...Bethany Players Who Played College Tennis
This year we have several players from the varsity team contemplating competitive tennis beyond high school. As I have been filling out recommendation forms for some of these guys, it got me thinking about the history of Bethany graduates who have played college tennis. So I thought I'd run us through a little history.


Daniel Lanctot, Bethany Graduate '98 - continued tennis career at Goshen College
- Daniel is the older brother of current Bethany assistant coach Andrew Lanctot. Lanctot family has a huge connection to Bethany tennis, as father Don Lanctot was the coach of the '99 and '00 squads that came the closest to Sectional victories and sister Rachel led the girl's team to their first Sectional win several years back. Daniel was actually my doubles partner in my junior year at Goshen, and we ran up quite a good record together. We were 8-2 after being teamed together midway into Daniel's senior season. This sweet picture is from that senior season. My favorite memory about playing with Daniel is his serve. He would foot fault by about two feet every time he served, and nobody ever called him on it. Weird?


Aaron Wieand, Bethany Graduate '00 - continued tennis career at Eastern Mennonite, then Goshen College
- Aaron Wieand was a four year number one singles player at Bethany, and went on to lead the tennis team at Eastern Mennonite...for one year. Then he decided to transfer back to the good old hometown of Goshen and help lead the Goshen team to several successful years. Aaron was a fun, laid back person with beautiful, technically efficient strokes. I spent two years on the Goshen team with him, and my senior season we actually finished second in the conference. That year he traded back and forth between one and two singles for the Maple Leafs.

Andrew Lanctot, Bethany Graduate '00 - continued tennis career at Goshen College
- Maybe the biggest success story of all the Bethany grads to play college tennis, Andrew left the highly successful Bruin high school teams to join on at Goshen College and be a part of the Maple Leafs most successful teams. Andrew began playing #3 singles at Goshen, but by his senior season he had captured the #1 singles spot. He was also named twice to the All-Conference team while at Goshen. But his biggest achievement was being the assistant coach of this year's Sectional winning Bethany Christian team! Andrew's time at Goshen overlapped with mine, and I remember that he was the player that I had the most confidence in on the court. If there was ever going to be a match that went down to the wire, I always wanted it to be Andrew's match. I think his consistent improvement was a main reason we finished at second in the conference during my senior season.


Aaron Lehman, Bethany Graduate '00 - continued tennis career at Goshen College
- Aaron was a member of the very talented 2000 class at Bethany as well. He didn't immediately begin playing college tennis, but in his junior and senior years at Goshen he was on the squad. Aaron didn't get into the "varsity" action very much at the College, but he brought a lot of energy to practice. He had a really big first serve that was fun to try to return and played with an aggressiveness that is hard to emulate.

Andrew Kauffman, Bethany Graduate '00 - continued tennis career at Goshen College
- I could not find a college picture of Andrew Kauffman, which is too bad. I think (and I may be wrong) that he only played one year at Goshen College. Much like Aaron, he had trouble breaking into the "varsity" lineup and played mostly exhibition matches. But his experience and knowledge were valuable as he became an assistant with the Bethany High School team for the 2006 season. He then also was the Bethany golf coach for two years, so many of the current team has seen him around. He was the first full time assistant coach that I had here at Bethany, and I appreciated that so much.

Tim Yoder, Bethany Graduate '03 - continued tennis career at Goshen College
- Tim is the one player on this list that I never really crossed paths with. I was not at Goshen College when he was on the team, and I became the tennis coach at Bethany the year after he graduated. I know that he led the Bruin team as the number one player for two years, and then played number four singles for Goshen College for two years before playing at a lower spot for his senior season there. By all accounts Tim was a likable, fun-loving guy with a lot of natural talent. He is also a lefty, one of the few that has been involved in tennis for Bethany over the years. He is also the cousin of the next player on the list...



Colin Yoder, Bethany Graduate '04 - continued tennis career at Bluffton University
- Colin was the first player to play #1 singles for me as a coach. He had beautiful strokes, well practiced, and had a successful season with a winning record during my first year as a coach. I encouraged him to pursue tennis in college, but his freshman year of college he decided to play soccer instead. Then during his sophomore year, he went out for the Bluffton tennis team. He played the #6 singles position, as well as #3 doubles. The team had a difficult time that season, only finishing 2-9. After a frustrating season, Colin decided that one year was enough and concentrated more on studies. Colin's sister Sarah is the girl's coach at Bethany now.

Evan Stahley, Bethany Graduate '05 - continued tennis career at Hesston College
- I didn't know that Evan had continued an interest in tennis in college until I jumped on the Hesston College website to see that he had been a manager for the team in his freshman year. Always good to see surprises that mean people are continuing their involvement with tennis.

Joel King, Bethany Graduate '06 - continued tennis career at Goshen College
- One of the best players to ever compete on a Bruin tennis team has followed up his successful high school career with a successful first 3 years of a college career. Jumping into college tennis at #4 singles his freshman year, Joel has continually worked his way up the lineup to a spot at #2 singles this past season, and also won himself a spot on the All-Conference team for the 2008 year. Such a competitor, Joel was known for grinding down his opponents in high school and has done the same at college, pulling a number of upsets over seemingly more talented opponents. Joel has always been a master of the mental game, of overcoming the long-ness or tediousness of a match and staying mentally alert. I'm glad to have been able to get over to the college and match some of his matches, and it still reminds me of the days when he led our team. Read more about Joel on the Goshen website.

Michael Steury, Bethany Graduate '06 - continued tennis career at Hesston College, then at Hesston Collge
- Michael didn't even start playing high school tennis until his sophomore season, but enjoyed two very successful seasons on the varsity his junior and senior years. After being a leader for the tennis team here at Bethany, he went on to Hesston and realized that he had plenty of tennis talent, enough to play for the Larks in his two years in Kansas. He then transferred for his last two years at Goshen College, where this year he split his time between exhibition positions and the bottom of the varsity lineup. You can check out all that the Goshen website has to say about him here.

Jordan Kauffman, Bethany Graduate '07 - continued tennis career at Goshen College
- Jordan was a four year varsity contributor at Bethany. Blessed with excellent hands and a very good service game, Jordan excelled in the doubles positions, racking up 38 varsity wins in his career at Bethany. He played mostly exhibition at Goshen his freshman year, but this past season broke into the "varsity" lineup, partnering Sheldon Good at #3 doubles. Never lacking desire to practice, Jordan will certainly look to move higher next season. You can read more about Jordan here.

So that rounds out the list for now. I expect to be adding more people to this list next year. I'm really proud of the fact that graduates have enjoyed their experience with Bethany tennis so much that they've continued on to the next level. It's always been said that tennis is a lifetime sport, here's hoping that we'll have lots of players that even continue "tennis beyond college."