Prayers from Angola

This season, we're going to be devoting ourselves to 4 different things:
1. Preparation
2. Faith
3. Obedience
4. Prayer

The definition of prayer that we'll be exploring is the idea that prayer is just honest communication. So in the spirit of that definition, the theme for the match reports is going to be "prayers." They will be my honest communication with you the players and with God. Don't worry if I don't post something about you, it will probably come after another match. These are simply the things that stick out.

But, I'll always start them with a little description...

Last night, we played 3 different segments against the Angola Hornets. The Hornets played admirably, and gave us a different challenge than we are used to. One thing that I admire about Angola's play, year after year, is the confidence and power that they exude. That gave our team something new to deal with, something new to grow from.

And I am emphasizing growth as the point of this season. Winning and losing will happen, so it shouldn't be our focus. Instead, the focus should be on the process of growth. I saw that progress last night. I think the most encouraging factor of the match was that the segment in which the Bruins performed the best was the last. We got better as the match went on. That's the mark of progress.

In the first segment, all of our singles players performed well, within a game of their opponents or actually in the lead. Daniel Robles led the way with a 6-4 win at #2SJV. Ethan Lapp also performed well, holding a 4-1 lead before becoming a bit tentative. At doubles, things didn't go quite as well. Dustin and Lane were pumped up and gained an early lead, then lost some consistency. Brandon and Simon won the first game on Simon's serve, then couldn't get a break of serve.

In the second segment, we changed it up and picked it up. The JV singles players cruised through their matches, with scores of 8-1, 6-2, and 6-1. Byeong Min Lim switched to #2S and after a slow start began to get back to his line painting, consistent ways. Brandon Nguyen went from doubles to singles and after a nervy start, settled down and hit great shots and attacked well. At doubles, Jonathon Yousey and Jackson King got their varsity introduction and did well, but couldn't finish games. Simon and Lane competed with energy, but again couldn't quite find the final touch.

In the final segment, things got turned up. Byeong played his best tennis (in turn, pulling the best out of his opponent as well). Jacob Gonsalves looked comfortable at #3S, being energetic and consistent. Brandon Nguyen took his singles confidence into #1D with Simon, and they played the most entertaining doubles points of the night. In reality, everybody began to play toward their best in this last segment.

So, a good night. A growing night. A night of great preparation. As the night went on, we turned to each other. We maintained perspective. We learned to trust. That made it a step in the right direction.

My Prayer
for Byeong...
is that you will have fun with playing #1 singles this season. You've been so well prepared for this. I pray that you will work through the nerves by remembering the simplicity of the game - move your feet, concentrate on your swing, enjoy the result. I pray that your resulting joy will lead our team in that same direction.

for Brandon...
is that you will continue to carry the confidence you developed in the singles match over into other parts of the year. I hope you will carry it into doubles matches, into practice, into challenges, into the school, into your classes. I pray that you will get into a rhythm of using YOUR strengths and enjoying it.

for Simon...
is that you will remember the spirit of Hans Miller. It was great to see Hans and Jesse at the scrimmage last night, I hope their support will help you remember how fun tennis is. How great it is to laugh, and skip, and move your feet, and go for it. I saw you move in that direction in the last two segments, I pray that you will lead our team into that joy.

for Jacob...
is that you will continue to trust the process. I have seen the ideas of red-yellow-green taking root in your mind and in your game. I know that you are starting to believe you can take the next step. I pray you continue to commit to not judging yourself based on score, but based on energy, effort and consistency.

for our team...
is pretty simple. I'd love to see our faith in Jesus grow this year. So I pray that early in this season, we will turn to Jesus. I pray we'll take the first step in moving toward Jesus, using our gifts for the brothers on the team. I pray that we'll trust God, even with what we don't yet know. And I pray that we'll take those unknowns to God.

God, be the breath of growth and change in us. Be the seed of unexpected hope this year. Let us rejoice, in You, Jesus!

For the moments of beauty in last night's match, I will have to recognize that some of the most beautiful shots in the scrimmage came from our opponents. The shot that Ethan's first match ended on was one of the best shots I've seen in high school tennis, and I'm not sure his opponent could do it again in one hundred tries. However, Jaxson Davis ripped a passing shot back past Ethan from his forehand side that could not have been more perfectly angled, and Jaxson was almost running into the next court over when he did it.

However, let's award one to the Bruins as well. If I'm only giving one, I'd have to say that it goes to Brandon Nguyen. During his singles match, Brandon played a point where he worked Eric Nafziger of Angola deep to both corners. Then, Brandon got a short ball and approached. When Nafziger ran down the approach on his forehand side, Brandon picked up the short hopping return and side stepped to his left, near his backhand sideline. Brandon then hit a straight and smooth drop shot to the other side of the court that Nafziger simply shook his head at. A great point, and a safe shot I'd love to see Brandon use even more!

Letters from Elkhart Central

Background,
I realize that most days I've just been writing letters and not really describing what happened in the match. This was a really good story that I want to tell a little bit.

Elkhart Central came into this evening as the 5th ranked team in District 2. District 2 covers the northeast corner of the state, from south of Fort Wayne to all of the Elkhart county schools. So, that's a fancy way of saying they are a very good team. Going into the match, I knew that we had a good opportunity.

The matches started out very tense. Every position was close except for Sol's #3S match (that would change :-). We held slight leads at #2S and #1D and were down slightly at #2D and #1S. All of sudden, Byeong broke through and took a 3-2 lead into a 5-2 lead at #2S. His strokes and especially his accuracy began to break his opponent, who became more and more frustrated as the match progressed. Byeong took the first set and Elkhart's #2 could never really mount a challenge in the 2nd set.

The same pattern then followed at #1D. Holding a 4-3 lead we turned 2 games in a row to take the set. All of a sudden the floodgates opened and Hans and Simon were putting away volleys and gaining lots of points off errors. In the second set, the Blazers could not really fight back and we actually won the second set 6-0. So the Bruins had two points and needed only one more.

Except that the other positions had gone the other way. Jesse had lost the first set and now found himself down 1-4 in the second. Ryan and Ethan had lost a very tight first set 4-6, but now were down 1-5 in the second. Sol had won the first easily but now was down 2-5 in the second. These final matches made me very proud however.

Jesse turned off the voices in his head and played confident tennis. He turned his 1-4 deficit into a tight second set, getting to 4-5. At 4-5 he had some openings to get the match back to 5-5, but couldn't convert. Central finished it at 6-4 in the second set, but Jesse fought back and didn't give up. And speaking of not giving up, #2D found their game before it was too late. They came back from 1-5 between great net and baseline play, behind confident play, and tied the match at 5-5. Despite their comeback, the Blazers regrouped and won the set. Still, I can't say how proud it made me to watch #2D not throw in the towel, but instead return to how they wanted to play.

Speaking of playing how he wanted to, Sol had gut check time. He entered a third set with the knowledge that it all came down to him. And went down 2-0 to a free swinging competitor in Curtis Hill (who also played a great match under pressure). Despite this, Sol just played every point. Focusing on how he was playing, he got 3 games in a row to take the 3-2 lead. It went back and forth on serve until Sol led 5-4. With great aggression, he built himself an advantage. Twice Curtis Hill denied Sol's match points but Sol stayed aggressive in the deuces and never let Hill get an advantage. In the end, Hill unfortunately double-faulted for Sol to win the match.

It was a fun varsity match. It was intense. It had nerves. I was proud of how we pushed through! Now onto the letters...

Dear Team,
That was the best victory of the season. We played aggressive, we played well, we kept our nerve under pressure, we fought back when we were down, and we even learned and grew in the middle of our matches. I was really proud of the attitude that I saw from the whole team.

I was talking to several of the parents during Sol's final match, who were saying how intense this was, coming down to the last match on the courts. What I told them was that win or lose, 5 years from now Sol will look back at this match and remember how awesome it was. Especially if he plays how he wants to play. These are the types of matches that we play for, because they are so much fun.

And so I was feeling very conflicted at the end of Sol's match. I was very intense, because I'm a competitor and want to win. But underneath that I was very relaxed. I had already gotten out of the night what I wanted to see from it - our good attitude, our fight, and growth. It was fun, it enabled me to smile and stand back and take in the beauty of that last match. All of you guys there watching, all of their team watching, two #3S players pounding the ball back and forth(!).  It was such a high quality match. And I was actually happy.

The funny thing is that for as well as tonight went, for as much as we grew and learned and performed under the pressure - we still didn't play our best. Up and down the line from JV to varsity, there were things to improve. And yet we fought through, didn't get down, relaxed and dealt with the point in front of us.

Good job team. What a fun match that was!

Dear Sol,
It's funny the way that God helps us grow. On Tuesday, at Blackhawk, I'm sure that you didn't want to play a tight second set. I'm sure you didn't want to get tied up at 5-5. But then you relaxed, pulled through, hit aggressive and won 8 points in a row.

How well that served you tonight. In the third set, you played the way you want to play. You looked pumped up, but at the same time you looked relaxed and focused on just the next point. As a result, you played some of the best tennis I've ever seen at #3 singles. Well stroked, well attacked, well executed. Remember this feeling. It was epic!

Dear Curtis Hill,
All that I just said about Sol, I could say about you. You were an awesome competitor, you kept your cool, and you played with aggression under pressure. You are the type of player I admire. I loved that you had so much positive self-talk going on in between points. You kept your composure and you attacked every point. I loved it. Thanks for an awesome match.

Dear Jesse, Ryan, and Ethan,
In matches against good teams, it's easy to get discouraged when things don't go our way. In your matches tonight, you all experienced things not going your way. But then you breathed deeply, cleared your thoughts, and came back. So often, the scores of close matches will read like this: 6-4, 6-0 or 7-6, 6-1. That's because when the first set and first games of the second are lost, the losing player becomes despondent and gives in. I was so proud of you for fighting your frustration, letting go of your fear, and getting back to your best tennis. Great job.

Dear Jacob,
Before your match, I told you that you were going to win. I confess, I knew nothing about your opponent. I had no idea if he'd be awesome or awful. Turned out he was pretty good. But what I do know is you, and you are awesome. Never forget that you are a great player. Let that motivate your play.

Dear Lane and Brandon,
These things happen. You won your first and then lost the second to a weaker team. Learn from Sol, Ryan, Jesse, Ethan and more tonight. When you get tight, remember what it feels like to play your best. Take a deep breath, then go play the next point. And the next point only. Then do it all over again. I love watching you play your best. Go to your next match and find your joy in your next point.

Dear God,
You are a God of wonder. And I realized this night that I need to stare into that even more. The sunset tonight was a gorgeous orange over the cornfields that are in the midst of harvest right now. That was wonderful. The apples are bright and green and red and ready to be snapped into, which was wonderful, driving past the orchards tonight. Your patience, love, and encouragements are seeping into the hearts of this team right now. Continue to let us know who we are, and where our joy comes from. We are Yours, marked and sealed in Your Holy Spirit, unconditional sons of the Father of wonder. Thank you.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Picking out a moment that made me smile, so I'll have to go with an ace from Hans. We don't have too many aces on our team. Despite being a good team, we don't have too many big serves. We have people who can force errors with their serves, but we haven't racked up very many clean aces.

In the #1D match, the first set was a close affair going back and forth a little bit. Hans and Simon broke serve to take a 5-3 lead and Hans began to serve for the set. The other team was trying to pump themselves up with some "Let's go's!" They won a point on the ad side and got real excited. Hans smiled, walked over to the deuce side, and fired an ace out wide past his opponent. That one good shot sung momentum back to the Bruin #1D. They closed out the set and then the match. One good shot is often all it takes.

Moment of Savage Beauty
Undeniably, this point has to come from Sol's match. And there were a lot of good ones. So I'll pick my favorite. On a game point at 3-3, Sol approached the net with a ball to his opponent's backhand. His passing shot popped up toward Sol close to the net and Sol pounded an overhead down into the court for the winner. It had such savage pace on it that it bounced up over the fence, then over the barrier fence behind the court and over the railroad track that ran behind the court. In every tense moment, Sol just kept playing aggressive and right through. Well done!

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 1-6, 4-6 - Eric Burton (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-3, 6-1 - Andrew Salmon (10)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 - Curtis Hill (11)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-3, 6-0 - Scott Hanberg (12)/Will Riblet (12)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 4-6, 5-7 - Adam DeShone (11)/Christian Lankford (11)

Junior Varisty
#1SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 8-4 - Matt Stutzman (11)
#2SJV - Jackson King - 2-8 - Ben Weaver (12)
#3SJV - Joel Yoder - 1-8 - Riley Norris (11)
#4SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 6-2 - Josh Santos (11)
#5SJV - Jackson King - 6-4 - Keith Hartzler (10)
#6SJV - Joel Yoder - 2-6 - Michael Wyse (9)
#1DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-4 - Alex Boyer (11)/Ben Oakley (11)
#2DJV - Dustin Miller/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 3-8 - Langston Johnson (11)/Gabe Lindholm (11)
#3DJV - Daniel Robles/Jonathan Yousey - 8-3
#4DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 3-6 - Jacob Stout (10)/Adam Moom (9)
#5DJV - Dustin Miller/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-0 - Jared Reid (9)/Bryce Daub (9)
#6DJV - Daniel Robles/Jonathan Yousey - 6-3 - Manny Sanchez (11)/???

Letters from Blackhawk Christian

Dear Team,
I was really proud of the way you played in this match. There could be a lot of excuses for not coming out focused and prepared in this game. We had a long drive, we don't know this opponent very well, there was the promise of Magic Wand on the table for after the match... and so on.

But we're doing a better job getting focused from the beginning. And I need to continue to see that grow. Really, what we're trying to do is instill a growth mindset on the season. From today to tomorrow, I need to get better. And we're really seeing that growth.

I saw that growth all over the courts tonight. #1D didn't panic when they went down 3-2 early in their match. Sol was able to finish off an opponent in a tight end of the second set. #2D didn't let their match go into 3 sets. Jacob stayed positive through a close match. Jesse regained confidence after a tough end to the first set. And more...

We still have stuff to work on. We still have things to figure out. But the joy will be in watching ourselves truly improve. Now we've just got to both believe we can (think) and set about doing it with real purpose (action). But tonight was just another night of gaining our confidence and watching ourselves grow.

Dear Mooma and Poopa,
Grandma and grandpa, thanks for coming out to my match. Grandpa, I still believe it is partly your fault that I've got this coaching mentality instilled within my personality. The games you taught me when I was younger taught me how to think like a coach, and I'm glad you both got to see me at work in this match. Also, tennis season is a furious season where I don't get to see friends and family very often. So to get to see you guys in the midst of it tonight was quite a reward. Love you!

Dear Simon,
In this match, I saw a turn in you in the middle of the first set. You went from timid to tenacious, from tentative to attacking, from lobbing to smashing. This turn is a great representation of how you should prepare in warmup to be in the very beginning of every match. In the warmups, feel that turn from tentative to attack, and let that be your mode of operation from the beginning of matches. Excellent job in this match, let's use it as we grow!

Dear Jacob,
Great job tonight in a close match. I was so proud to see you plugging away tonight with a good attitude. You kept that ball in play, you worked the match and in the end, you wore your opponent out and pulled out the win. That's just like we talked about! If you keep committed to hitting that big topspin ball in and in and in, you are going to grind down so many opponents. Congrats on a great job working the right way.

Dear Sol,
That's what it's like to close out a match. Remember how loose that felt. How aggressive. How fun. Recall this feeling when you get in another close match. 8 points in a row to close it out? Awesome.

Dear Magic Wand,
It was good to be back tonight. It's been two years since we stopped in. The ET Sundae was excellent (right Jacob?) and the clowns were still creepy. Like, so creepy that it was actually good to get going. So nice to see you, we'll be back sometime for another very quick visit. I hope I don't see your clowns in my nightmares.

Dear God,
Yes. Come. Be present and growing in us. I can feel myself, even as I write this, bearing down on the tennis part because the tournament time is growing near. Keep our eyes and hearts open to Your Spirit working within us. Because we know that this whole season is Your gift. Thanks!

Moment of Sheer Beauty
As the season goes on, it gets more and more difficult to impress me. I feel like I've seen everything. I've seen Byeong hit passing shots up the line and Sol run down drop volleys. I've seen Hans make big smashes and Ethan win cross court battles. So what made me smile tonight that I haven't seen? Well, it has to be Jacob Gonsalves' close victory at #1SJV. He's won close victories before, but I know he'd been struggling with dealing with the pressure. We talked about working his opponent with his heavy strokes and tonight he did. It was a moment of joy to see him rewarded as the winner.

Moment of Savage Beauty
Back in 2003 when I started coaching, I remember playing Concord for the first time. They mercilessly beat us down at most positions, but I remember vividly one of the #1D points. There was a half lobbed, half shanked return of serve from one of our players and the Minuteman server came forward fast to hit it in the air. He stepped up just behind the service line and let fly with a tweener overhead, not quite above his head but not quite a regular volley. The ball went million miles an hour, and slammed into the fence on the fly. They still beat us 6-0, 6-1. After the match, I told my guys I wanted them to play like that: with aggression and freedom.

When he's playing well, Simon plays with that aggressive freedom. Tonight, he got an overhead at the net to end the game, with the set tied at 3-3. He stepped forward to take a huge swing, and his opponent was intimidated enough to turn his back. But Simon framed the overhead. It went weakly toward the net player and landed fairly softly in the doubles alley. However, the Braves had no chance of getting it, because they had spun away in fear of his overhead. When we are playing with aggression and freedom, we create intimidation and maybe even frustration. We make the opponents feel under pressure, like they are going to have to play awesome to beat us. That's part of the beauty of "savage" joy or beauty, that if you play with it consistently, even our mistakes can turn out well.

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 4-6, 3-6 - Jeremy Hoover (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-3, 6-1 - Ben Bailey (12)
#3S - Sol Brennmean - 6-2, 7-5 - Drew Hall (9)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-3, 6-2 - Joel Vastbinder (12)/Jared Fiedler (11)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-0, 6-2 - Graham Gnagy (9)/Ross Norton (11)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 8-6 - Joseph Angelo (11)
#2SJV - Jackson King - 8-2 - Bailey Brouwer (11)
#3SJV - Daniel Robles - 8-2 - Anthony Sheron (9)
#1DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-1 - Sam Mossburg (10)/Levi Mossburg (9)

Letters from NorthWood

Dear Team,
It was really fulfilling tonight to have fun. I mean, the whole match was fun. Going into this match I wasn't sure what to expect. We've played good tennis this week but against teams that were a bit down this season. And the one spot where we'd had a little letdown was a position I figured we needed to win against NorthWood. But in the cool crisp night, senior night for the Panthers, it was clear early that we had all come to play with joy.

I knew it from the first point that I saw. Coming out of the bathroom, I jogged up to the courts to see Jesse already at the net, finishing an overhead. On Tuesday, he had been tentative in coming to net. In the match against the Panthers, he was given many opportunities to come forward and took advantage of them. His loose play looked excellent, and I was impressed at how he never had a let up.

At #2S, Byeong started out by losing the first game. It was clear that Byeong had better strokes, but that doesn't always win matches. After a brief reminder to move into the court with penetrating footwork, he rebounded from the first dropped game to win 12 straight. He actually was the first match off the courts, finishing before any JV match had even ended. Jesse followed him less than 10 minutes later.

And then Sol came off the courts as a winner too. Like Byeong, he forgot for awhile that he needed to use penetrating footwork, getting forward into the court and then into the net. But when he found his game late in the first set, well, let's just say he's winning an award today.

So team, here's what was fun about the singles: You looked like you were having fun. And though I call you all my brothers, when I'm watching you have fun like this I feel like a proud parent. Even though Sol's first set was close, I felt like with the joy he was taking in his good shots, he'd be able to pull it out. When you are having fun, it is beautiful.

And the doubles? And the JV? Well, they were fun too. But they get their own letters today!

Dear JV Team,
I was fairly sure you were going to avenge your one JV loss of the season today. But I didn't have any idea that you would come back and win in such dominate form. The first time we played NorthWood, we lost 3-2. We played that match without Ethan Lapp, who has been rotating between the top of JV and the #2D team on varsity. With him playing tonight, I figured you'd get that match and turn it around to win 3-2 at the top positions.

But then Ethan had to play varsity tonight with Landon's injury. And I was still confident that we'd win the JV match - because they had so many players I figured we'd win most of our second matches. Yes, I thought we might still lose the top matches 3-2, but we'd win the majority of the lower ones.

And then you came out and played with joy and purpose. Everyone took early leads and when the dust settled, we'd won those top positions 4-1, playing against the same players with the same basic lineup. I was really proud of everyone who played tonight. By the end of those second matches, we'd piled up a 10-2 win. It was impressive, and another step along the road to building a great-not-good varsity in the coming years. For now, you are experiencing the joy of building that on the JV, now having a record of 11-1-1.

Dear Hans, Simon, Ryan and Ethan,
That was awesome, no?

One team won and one team lost, but it was such good, fun, intense, aggressive, and beautiful tennis to watch. Even on the points that we lost, I found myself applauding and smiling. They came to the net, they served and volleyed, they hit big overheads. . . and then we did too. The #1D second set going into the tiebreak was the best set of doubles tennis I've seen this year, with both teams playing amazing. The #2D whole match was a back and forth competition with rises and falls of aggression and emotion, culminating in Ryan's scream of "Let's go!" when saving a break point in the final game before finishing off two more points to seal the match.

Build from this. Play simple but play big! These matches are the ones to frame in your head and remember how much fun it was to play the way you wanted to against good opponents. Congrats to you guys for playing so well, and thanks to NorthWood for playing the same way to make it so much fun.

Dear Jackson,
I was inspired by your determination tonight. The first time I got down to watch your match was in a game where you were down love-40. Your opponent hit a ball that ticked the top of the net and it looked like you'd lost the game, but you scraped the ground to pop the ball over the net and he hit the short ball out. You then proceeded to come all the way back and win that game.

That point was a perfect picture of you tonight. You had a goal, to beat the guy who had beaten you at the Jimtown Invite. But instead of obsessing about the end goal, you put the work in on every single point. You focused on just what was right in front of you. And in doing so, you succeeded.

Dear Jacob,
Great match today. I thought that you did what we talked about beautifully to open the match. Your "Five Errors" type of shots are devastating, and I think you could even challenge Lucas's amazing 105 shots in that drill with the consistency you are developing. I know that you want to win, but remember that's never the point. The point is: "On this point, I want to play the way that I want to." And I thought that you did that excellently tonight. In fact, several people tonight told me that they noticed you were playing some awesome points tonight. Great job!

Dear Rest of the Team,
I'm writing this on Saturday afternoon, and my kids are all starting to wake up from naps. I have so much more that I want to say to you. I loved the way that Jonathan Yousey volleyed and finished points at the net today. I loved how the varsity and JV guys gathered on the bleachers (maybe for warmth) and cheered on the last two matches that were left. I loved how Lucas and Dustin controlled their doubles match, playing at a higher position than they previously have. I loved Joel Yoder's unexpected volleys. I loved Daniel's hustle and willingness to go right back on after a long singles match. I loved Lane and Brandon's continued rise as a doubles team. I loved Landon's enthusiasm as a new coach, and Bryce's continued work as my devoted "Sheer and Savage Point Watcher." It was fun! I am incredibly thankful for all of you.

Dear God,
Thank you. You are good. You are loving. You are kind. You are our protector. And none of that has anything to do with tennis. Your essence is to build the best in us. I confess, we don't always align ourselves with that vision. We often have other ideas of what we want. But I'm very thankful for times where we are able to display your character, because when we live the ways of Your kingdom, it is very beautiful. Please, continue to help us grow. We've talked about getting better at tennis, building toward our best. God, grow our character as well. In Jesus we pray, amen.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
I've thought this or said this many times throughout the year, but when Sol is truly on his game, it's about the most exciting singles you can watch. Sol's athleticism, speed, and shotmaking ability is almost unmatched (almost, because Byeong can whip a forehand from his shoelaces sometimes). Tonight Sol was in rare form. In fact, Bryce was making a list of the contenders for this award, and 4 of the 7 points he listed were from Sol's match. Under pressure tonight, Sol came up with the most beautiful points. At the end of the first set and then to seal the match, Sol played similar points. He approached to his opponent's forehand. The passing shot went back up the line, and Sol met it with a spinning backhand volley. The volley was at such a sharp angle, there was no point in even running for it. In the first set it gave Sol a set point, in the second it won him the match.

Moment of Savage Beauty
Since we've really been trying to think about building the process and not just focusing on the result, how about I give this award to a character trait that was displayed today and not just a single point? Jackson displayed incredible determination today. And determination is one of those qualities that has a little bit of savageness to it. When that savageness is focused toward each point, toward the way that we want to play, it becomes a very difficult thing to stop. I loved watching and hearing this from Jackson, and it's the type of thing I can't wait to see from many of the rest of you as well. This type of focus is something the varsity can use headed into Sectional. It is filled with confidence (I can beat my opponent), effort (I will get to that ball), and focus (I will play my way with joy on this point).

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-1, 6-1 - Jared Hoffman (9)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 6-0 - Ryan Menzie (12)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-4, 6-2 - Evan Nix (12)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 4-6, 6-7 (6) - Quinn Stillson (12)/Caleb Yoder (12)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-4, 7-5 - Nick Myers/Devyn Maugel

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 5-8 - Cooper Clark (12)
#2SJV - Jackson King - 9-7 - Court Clark (10)
#3SJV - Daniel Robles - 8-4 - Nate Nunemaker (11)
#4SJV - Jackson King - 8-3 - Cameron Stillson (10)
#5SJV - Dustin Miller - 8-3 - Chandler Gillam (10)
#6SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 6-1 - Zach Snider (11)
#1DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-6 - Brock Beehler (11)/Spencer Abel (12)
#2DJV - Dustin Miller/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 8-5 - Sean Linhart (12)/Jarrett Skaggs (11)
#3DJV - Jonathan Yousey/Joel Yoder - 7-9 - Breyden Stankovich (10)/Brant Mast (9)
#4DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-0 - Trevor Klotz (9)/Matt Checkley (10)
#5DJV - Jonathan Yousey/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-0 - Drew Flickinger (9)/Jacob Mestach (9)
#6DJV - Daniel Robles/Joel Yoder - 6-1 - Nick Sherk (10)/Brennan Yoder (9)

Letters from Northridge

Dear Team,
Congratulations on another good night of tennis. From the moment this match started, I felt good about it. We've been emphasizing the importance of starting a match with intensity, and tonight I felt like we were focused and intense from the beginning. At every position we took early leads, I believe we led either 4-1 or 5-2 in every first set, and we were able to finish off those sets without too much drama. Then we were able to carry that momentum into the second set in every position except #2 doubles (who just figured they would rather play longer on a beautiful night rather than sit and watch :-)

On the JV level, Northridge had one of the most talented teams we've played. They have a very talented freshman class and a few others who round out their team. But we met that level well in our matches. I was also glad to actually get some time to coach you guys, I felt like many of you responded well to our little tweaks. The JV match actually came down to the freshman, when they were on the court we had to have one of them win in order to seal our 9th JV win. So what happened? Of course, 2 of the 3 won! It was encouraging to see us getting better and playing this well against a solid opponent.

What we need, all the way through the team now, is consistency. Tonight's match felt remarkably similar to Triton on Saturday. These have been matches where we've come out focused on how we want to play. That has to continue to be our trademark throughout the rest of this season. And then truly, we'll get even better if along with that consistent mindset we become more consistent in our play. Errors are still what makes us lose points. The more we are able to smaggressively keep the ball in play, the more we'll play exactly like we want to.

Dear Ryan,
You're really understanding what it means to play under pressure. It was a beautiful thing tonight to watch you in the close out game on your serve. Up 5-3, you relaxed. No double faults. Two big net winners, including one of the craziest points of the night that you ended with a scissor kick overhead. But even more impressive I think was match point. Up 40-30, you decided to serve and volley. When the return came back at about shoulder height, you popped a volley down the line, straight at their onrushing player for a quick winner to end any suspense. That ease led to beautiful play tonight, and a wonderful end to your match.

Dear Northridge,
Thank you for your incredible competiveness. I know that you were without your normal #1 singles player tonight. That makes a huge difference in the match. Many of you played positions that you normally had not. However, you competed and did yourselves proud. You are also a team with few seniors, so a team that we won't necessarily be looking forward to facing in the coming years.

Dear Jacob,
I was so proud of you last night. I think you have to understand how excellent the end of your match was, and why it is so encouraging moving forward. At the beginning of the year, we talked about the Triangle that it takes to win a match - Mental game, strategy, and technique. When I got down to your court you were down 1-4, and by the time I had a chance to talk to you, you were down 1-6. You could have thrown in the towel mentally, but you didn't. You believed you could play better. And so you were working on the mental part of the Triangle. Then, I gave you a strategical instruction to just pretend that you were playing Five Errors. You listened and executed that strategy. And suddenly, you won 3 out of the next 4 games! You did an excellent job turning it around. And now, you have an excellent starting place for the coming matches. You have that last part of your match to recall, focusing on how you played.

Dear Bryce,
It stinks that you can't play, but you are a helpful assistant coach. Every one of your remarks last night were right on. Either things that I had also noticed too or great observations that helped within our matches. Your notes about scores and points were great also. I love having someone to help me keep an eye on things, because even though I pretend that I know everything that is going on in a match, there's often a good bit that I miss. Thanks for your help!

Dear Simon,
Last night you picked up your 6th varsity win of the season, 5 at #1D. That is awesome! Your winning percentage this year is 75%. That would put you 6th on the all time winning percentage charts! When you walk onto the court, walk out with confidence knowing that you always belong there and are just as good as any player you might see on the other side of the net. You know how I know this? Because you've put the work in. In the off-season, in the summer, after practice. Take confidence in how you've prepared and how that has turned out. You are awesome!

Dear Brandon and Lane,
Speaking of awesome... it is so much fun to watch you play together. I want to challenge you guys to something in the rest of the practice season and then into the offseason. You are already really good, I want you to become ELITE. In other words, don't aspire to be good doubles players next varsity season. Instead, aspire to play so much, play so hard, get so much better that next season you will be the best doubles team. You have the strengths and talents. Just keep getting better and better.

Dear God,
I've been reminded recently to love You with all my heart and all my soul and all my strength. That is simply my prayer for the team right now. May we love You with our hearts and our souls and our strengths. Let us think and act on these best things that You've created in us. Let us give our best back to You. Thank You for what You teach us, and let us continue to think about things that are good and true - about humility, passion, servanthood, unity and thankfulness.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
The thing that is the most beautiful to me is when my players are playing to their best abilities in exactly the way they enjoy. I saw that so many places tonight, in Jacob's comeback, in Sol's game clinching point, in Daniel and Jackson's doubles. But the place that stood out to me was Dustin Miller's victory. Dustin's strength is his forehand, and his perfect game dictating the points by using that. In his match tonight, we found that he could break down his opponent by moving him around and then using his forehand to get to his opponent's backhand. We needed Dustin to win his match to seal the JV win and he kept using his perfect strategy, playing how he wanted to play, and winning point after point. At deuce in his final game, he dipped his forehand low over the net to his opponent's backhand which got clipped weakly into the net. He set up a pressure filled match point by aggressively playing his way. It was beautiful. Under the pressure, his opponent unfortunately double faulted. But Dustin had set up that pressure with his earlier play. Way to go!

Moment of Savage Beauty
Many will be nominated, but only one person ever seems to win. Ryan Duckworth, your point today to put #2Ds up 30-0 in your final game (the scissor overhead) was cool. But the point earlier in the match where you ran a volley down behind Landon and put up a lob then chased down the subsequent overhead in the forehand corner of the court, then approached with a ball at your opponent and then finished with an overhead through him... well, that's the definition of playing awesome! That was the perfect picture of move your feet (chasing down everything), relaxing (you still went for the power shot), and having fun. Way to live out your focal point!

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-3, 6-0 - Simon Grevengoed (9)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-2, 6-0 - Sam Hoover (12)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-2, 6-1 - Luke Wogoman (10)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-2, 6-3 - Austen Schmidt (11)/Ted Field (12)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Landon Weldy - 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 - James Dugle (10)/Aadarsh Patel (11)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Ethan Lapp - 8-4 - Logan Corns (9)
#2SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 4-8 - Alex Gingerich (9)
#3SJV - Dustin Miller - 8-3 - Aman Patel (10)
#4SJV - Joel Yoder - 0-6 - Logan Corns (9)
#1DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-3 - Austin Melvin (11)/Jate Cross (11)
#2DJV - Jackson King/Daniel Robles - 8-3 - Eric Firstenburger (9)/Isaiah Zuercher (9)
#3DJV - Jonathan Yousey/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-3 - Eric Firstenburger (9)/Isaiah Zuercher (9)

Letters from Fremont

Dear Varsity Team,
I was impressed tonight with your initial energy. We came out onto the courts flying, I believe we won the first game at every single position and really looked like we were ready to play. Against Goshen on Wednesday, we looked flat as matches started. Today we looked fired up. The fire turned into big first set wins at almost every position, with doubles both winning first sets of 6-0 for #1D and 6-1 at #2D. Byeong Min Lim got a good first set win as well, while Sol Brenneman had to fight it out in a close one. Only Jesse at #1S dropped his first set.

The tides turned a bit in the second sets. I was proud though of how you kept your heads. #1D had to fight off an opponent who suddenly began to play with confidence. Fremont ripped forehands especially and finished off big overheads to challenge Hans and Simon. In a close second set, the #1D match was forced into a third set. At #2S, Byeong Min suddenly found himself down 0-4 to start the second set, which was very surprising considering the ease at which he'd won the first. Feet got a little slow, which happens when we lose our focus. Sol's went back and forth at #3S, only to fall in the second set.

As matches like this become tight, it's important to remember our tactical triangle. What's your strategy? What's your mentality? What are you hitting well? #1D entered the third set with renewed confidence. "Going and getting it" instead of "letting it happen" is a huge part of playing under pressure. #1D began to convert their serves and volleys, they cut off the middle of the net. They made plays. At it turned out for the best in a 6-3 third set win.

And Ryan and Ethan, well they also "went and got it." It was a joy to watch Ryan control the net the way he did.

At #2S, Byeong Min started moving his feet and he won a game. Then he won two. In a back and forth pressure filled game, he finished a forehand down the line to take the third game. In fact, from 0-4 down he came back to take a 5-4 lead. But the match wasn't done. Junior Logan Miller denied a match point from Byeong and tied the match up at 5-5. But team, Byeong then relaxed and just played how he wanted to play. If I could bottle that mentality and give it to you all, I would. Byeong looked smooth and in control under pressure. I was glad to see him play that way. His win clinched the match for us! And he deserved that, because he wasn't thinking about that, he was just playing every point.

Dear Junior Varsity Team,
You played another confident match against a good junior varsity team. I was really proud of the way you focused and attacked against opponents that were (in general) more experienced than you were. Now that same confidence level needs to be maintained against players who are at or above your own level. That's the next step to becoming varsity players, which I can't wait to see that step happen. Brandon smashing forehands, Bryce lacing backhands, Lane cracking overheads, Lucas controlling long rallies with his forehand, Daniel chasing everything down, Jonathan popping volleys from the middle of the net, Jacob with his devastating topspin, Dustin's one hand backhand beauties and Joel hitting overheads between his opponents legs. Let's do these things to our own varsity, to other good teams, and grow in the process!

Dear Byeong Min,
I'm grateful for our beginning of the season. I'm grateful that you listen so well. I'm grateful that you keep such a good attitude. I'm grateful that you never quit. You clinched the match for us tonight, coming for 0-4 down in the second set to seal the deciding point. And you did it by focusing on little steps and how you swing. I have nothing for praise for the way you sealed up that match. It was a good one. Your opponent was a great player. Keep up the way your playing. But what I loved even more was what you did after we sang Sarasponda (continued in the next letter . . .)

Dear Byeong Min, Brandon, and Jacob,
After the matches, it is such a joy to see you guys out hitting the ball. You go out and hit after you've played a match simply because hitting a moving tennis ball is fun! I love that. That's the joy and the relaxation I wish we'd bring to all of our competitive matches. I also love that you are hitting more together. I know that right now you are sophomores, and so you are waiting for rides and just killing the time. I hope that as you get older, you continue to stick around late into the sunsets, just killing the tennis ball because it is fun!

Dear God,
Thanks for a good night last night. The weather was great. The match went well. Help us to continue to learn that it isn't about winning and losing but instead about how we play. Just like life is really not about the outcomes, but instead about how we live together. Help us live together like You live amongst us, with goodness, joy, faith and love.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
There is just radiant joy in watching our young guys play. At Goshen I loved watching Dustin and Joel, at Concord it was a blessing to watch Jonathan and Lucas. They play with such intensity and fun. They truly look like they enjoy the game. No where was that more evident than when Lucas and Joel were playing doubles tonight. Lucas crept over to pinch the middle off of one of Joel's serves to the ad court and his opponent lifted a shot down the alley. It looked a sure winner. But there was Joel sprinting across the baseline from his serving position. Just before the ball hit the ground Joel swept it over the net. So surprised was the Fremont player that he netted the volley. He wasn't prepared for the hustle from Joel. The varsity team seated behind the court burst into cheers for the great rundown of the ball. And Joel burst into his smile!

Moment of Savage Beauty
We played an intense match today. Everybody came to play with a fire. Because of that, there were a lot of savage plays. There was Ryan's whole net game. There were Sol's piercing volleys. There were Hans's overheads, Lane's overheads, Bryce's overheads . . . There were lots of points that could be nominated.

But I'm going to recognize Simon Hurst here. His picture is on the award so it seems like he should get it every once in a while right. In the third set tonight, he finally performed the way he wanted to under pressure. At some points, that involved simply putting the ball back into play. But at some points, that involved stepping up to the ball and ripping his forehand. On one point in particular, he stepped into a weak return and crushed it up the line. His opponent stuck out a racket, but the force of Simon's shot knocked the racket backwards and sent the ball straight up in the air. Simon was so into the point, so energized and focused, that he shuffled to the net to finish the ball if the weak shot came over. It didn't but bounced just in front of the net. It was a powerful, confident play made at the right time - by a player who was simply playing how he wanted to.

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 2-6, 1-6 - Blake Trusty (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-2, 7-5 - Logan Miller (11)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-4, 5-7, 2-6 - Brandan Arnos (11)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 - Wade Regedanz (10)/Evan Trusty (9)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-1, 6-2 - Jeremy Seiler (11)/Matt Armstrong (11)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 8-2 - Alberto Figueroa (12)
#2SJV - Jackson King - 8-1 - Joe Conti (10)
#3SJV - Daniel Robles - 8-2 - Thayne Camp (9)
#1DJV - Landon Weldy/Brandon Nguyen - 8-1 - Drew Sullivan (12)/Connor McCann (12)
#2DJV - Bryce Miller/Lane Miller - 8-2 - Kyle Boekhout (12)/Jayce Colclasure (10)
#3DJV - Dustin Miller/Jonathan Yousey - 8-0 - Cole Thomas (9)/Jacy Blades (9)
#4DJV - Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes/Joel Yoder - 2-8 - Jordan Rode (11)/Nathan Midtgard (10)
#5DJV - Jacob Gonsalves/Daniel Robles - 6-1 - Dylan Wesenfelder (9)/Caleb Shannon (9)

Letters, August 8

Dear Ethan Lapp,
What I've loved about you at the start of this tennis season is that you consistently play consistent tennis. In high school, that's going to win you a whole bunch of matches. And you've already started to experience that in practice. We've been talking in devotionals about what everyone can give to the team, and I don't think you probably realize how much a consistent tennis player like yourself is giving to the team. Everyone who plays you is going to get better because they have to hit so many balls. From the best player on the team to the bottom, everyone benefits from hitting with you. And I haven't even mentioned how your personality is appreciated. Your outward expression is the perfect example of our prayer - "Let our ever present calm be evident." All in all you are a steadying and much appreciated member of the team. Thanks for sharing it this first week.

Dear Jacob Gonsalves,
Wow! How much better you've gotten this year. I mean, when you hit those devastating forehands into my backhand corner, I can hardly return them. Throughout the offseason, you've worked on the right things (especially getting your serve in) that allow you to now be competitive in matches with the varsity and high level players. Now I love to have you play with them. Your groundstrokes are certainly at a varsity level. And I loved your answer in devotional time the other day, as I asked what people could share with the team. Most people were taking the true but easier answer of being encouraging, and you shared that you could lend your gentleness to the team. What an overlooked gift gentleness is. I can see that in you as well. Thanks for sharing it!

Dear Daniel Robles,

I can say much the same thing to you as to Jacob. You've continued to improve this year. Your crosscourt rally skills the other day were impressive as I counted a 30 stroke forehand rally with Coach Daniel. But again, more impressive to was what you did outside of tennis. More impressive was what you did relationally. When we picked teams to play Defenders on Thursday, you picked several players with your first picks who often get picked with everyones last pick. That takes awareness and compassion. I love to see that in my tennis brothers. Thank you for thinking of that. And the beautiful thing. . . your team won! Daniel, I appreciate you so much. Thank you for sharing with the team this week.

Dear Team,
Part of this week we talked about fears and wounds. My greatest fear is what others might think of me. I can often be influenced not by what is right for the team, but by the things that those around me want. I make mistakes because of this. I still remember two of my biggest mistakes as a coach came from this fear and weakness. I remember challenging a Bremen player and coach about line calls because my number 1 player was so upset and wanted me to, so I ignored the protocol and was out of line. I still cringe when I think about that. However, I thank you guys for being mature enough to give us a place to talk about these fears and struggles. It is when we deal with the bad together that we really become family.

Dear Jesus,
You are the center. You are the healer. If we have been afraid, angry, ashamed, deceitful, or despairing - our only true wholeness comes from Your hand. I think about the compassion that You had on the widow coming out of the city of Nain in Luke 7. Splagchnon: feeling what she was feeling right down into Your guts. I am thankful that you have that same intense compassion, intense empathy for us as well. You are close to us, our Philippians verse says. You are feeling for us. You can bring us back to wholeness. If our every breath is gratitude, let it be in gratitude to You.

Dear God,
What prayer can I really have? It has been a blessed first week. May we rejoice in You! May we continued to have our hearts, souls, mind and strengths conformed to Your will and desires. Amen.

Jacob Gonsalves

2015

7-9 (Varsity)
#3S - Northridge - Logan Corns (10) - 0-6, 3-6
#3S - Jimtown - Austin Pearison (9) - 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
#3S - Goshen - Simon Myers (10) - 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5
#3S - Concord - Nate Slabach (9) - 2-6, 2-6
#3S - Western - John Sullivan (11) - 3-6, 1-6
#3S - Northwestern - Brevin Sanford - 6-0, 6-1
#3S - Lafayette Central Catholic - Hunter Hollinger - 6-4, 6-4
#3S - Mishawaka Marian - Michael Deranek (11) - 6-0, 6-0
#2S - Prairie Heights - Cory Hollifield (12) - 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (11)
#3S - Triton - Aaron Stitcher (9) - 6-1, 6-1
#3S - Westview - Trey Zabona (11) - 1-6, 3-6
#3S - Blackhawk Christian - Ethan Yourdon (9) - 6-4, 6-4
#3S - Taylor - Bailey Owens - 4-6, 4-6
#3S - Wabash - Alex Driscoll - 0-6, 0-6
#3S - Eastern - Jacob Kinder - 6-7 (4), 0-6
#3S - Goshen - Hugh Birky (11) - 0-6, 1-6
2014

11-8 (JV and Overall)
#2SJV - Jimtown - Jarod Hohl (10) - 8-0
#1SJV - Goshen - Jacob Grewe (10) - 1-8
#1SJV - Fremont - Alberto Figueroa (12) - 8-2
#5DJV - Fremont - Dylan Wesenfelder (9)/Caleb Shannon (9) - 6-1
#1SJV - NorthWood - 2-8
#1SJV - Jimtown - 5-8
#2SJV - Triton - Josh Wagers (10) - 8-2
#2SJV - Northridge - Alex Gingerich (9) - 4-8
#2SJV - Westview - Rafael Flores (10) - 8-2
#1SJV - NorthWood - Cooper Clark (12) - 5-8
#6SJV - NorthWood - Zach Snider (11) - 6-1
#1SJV - Blackhawk Christian - Joseph Angelo (11) - 8-6
#1SJV - Elkhart Central - Matt Stutzman (11) - 8-4
#4SJV - Elkhart Central - Josh Santos (11) - 6-2
#1SJV - Fort Wayne Snider - W
#1SJV - Angola - W
#1SJV - Fort Wayne Leo - L
#1SJV - Fairfield - Aaron Miller (11) - 7-9
#1SJV - Bremen - Bryce Sterling (9) - 5-8

2013

1-3 (JV), 1-0 (Varsity) = 2-3 (Overall)
#4SJV - Goshen - Corbin Harrison (10) - 6-8
#3SJV - Concord - Gideon Butler (9) - 8-6
#3S - Laville - Adam Baker (11) - 6-3, 6-1
#4DJV - NorthWood - Sean Linhart (11)/Jarrett Skaggs (10) - 2-6
#4SJV - Fairfield - Joel Kropf (9) - 3-6