Senior Video

A photo tribute to this year's seniors!

Letters from Sectional, Round 2

BETHANY CHRISTIAN BRUINS - 2014 GOSHEN SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS

Dear Team,
Thank you! That was an unbelievable morning and afternoon of tennis. And I've been so honored to coach you this season. Can't wait for it to continue Monday night. I want to tell you that it took incredible courage, nerves, and belief to do what you did this morning. To turn a 5-0 loss into a win is something most teams never get to say that they've done. It will make this year unforgettable for you.

And above all, the way that you made the brotherhood proud, supporting one another. The first question the newspaper reporter asked me was how we had such a great team spirit. It's always because you've bought into loving one another.

Great job, congratulations! Now, one by one . . .

Dear Hans and Simon,
Boy, did you guys ever set the tone for the match! Down 2-5 in your first set, Seth had the simple observation that it looked like you were thinking too much and not just playing. And so you went and just played aggressive and awesome from there on out. Winning 5 games in a row to capture the first set! Awesome. Epic (to use Simon's words).

And I hadn't told everyone this before this morning, but with the win, Hans Miller now has the most wins for any varsity player in Bethany Christian history (52)! What a way to do it. And smiling the whole time! So proud!

Dear Byeong,
Way to gather yourself under pressure. Against an opponent that you'd lost easily to last time, you came out playing some of your best tennis of the season. I was happy to see you hitting your shots and moving your feet. Then you got a little tentative in the second set and couldn't break serve. When you switched at 4-3, I told you to simply relax and play the way that you wanted to play. You turned the tables quickly and found yourself with a 5-4 lead, serving for the set. You held your nerve incredibly, playing one good point after another. I loved watching your composure and belief as you battled through your match to give us the 2-0 lead.

Dear Jesse,
Of everyone, I might be most proud of how you played today. You came out strong, winning the first set. You were attacking, consistent and just going for it. I loved it. In the second, Hudson began to make less errors and find more spots to be aggressive. In the third set, it looked like you were down and out, losing 5-2 and not being able to find any answers. But you were able to play aggressively, win three straight games and stave off the end of the match. You pushed it to a tiebreaker, where I thought you played very well. In the end, you came up just short of providing our clinching point, but the way you played that match (both mentally and physically) showed just how much you've grown from the first Goshen match. Great match!

Dear Ryan and Ethan,
So, we were up 2-1 when you took the courts and you knew we might need you to win. And you played ridiculously tentatively in the first set. But in the second set, down 3-0, you figured out that you just needed to have fun. To turn it around. I remember my exact words when you crossed over at 3-0, "You're going to be mad at yourselves if you don't just play for fun." I didn't know how you'd respond but I thought that it was true. You responded with excellent play. Ethan, you crushed your groundstrokes and put the pressure on them. Ryan, you volleyed amazingly well and also put them in many difficult positions. Awesome! I'm sorry you didn't get to play a full third set and dropped the super tiebreaker. I think you'd have had a good chance, but you can blame that on . . .

Dear Sol,
Incredible. Early in the season you lost three straight three set matches, and in every one of those you had held a lead. It was simply because you didn't stay aggressive. So throughout the rest of the season, you've honed your game to stay aggressive under pressure and get ready to play today's opponent for the Sectional title. And today, your preparation paid off. You came out and played brilliantly, from your serves to your attacks to your finishing overheads. Again, it was so much fun to watch. I had tears in my eyes as you finished out the Sectional title for us, knowing that you've put in a lot of mental work to get yourself there. Way to go! I was privileged to watch it.

Dear Parents and Fans,
You have no idea how encouraging you were. Playing at a venue like the racquet club where you cannot hear the fans on your big shots is kind of crazy. But looking out and seeing our cheering block with hands in the air, waving in silent applause was unbelievable. I'm sure you helped keep everyone light and ready before they played their matches too. I appreciate all of you, from the JV guys who came along to each parent and grandparent so much! Thanks!

Dear God,
Thanks. Not necessarily for the Sectional title, but for continuing to develop and grow us as people. We've come a long way as men since the beginning of the season. That is the Holy Spirit's work in us and nothing else. I thank You that we are secure in Your love. No matter what happens, we are Your sons. Because of that, we sing Your praises. Nothing on the court, in fact nothing at all, compares to the peace and the affirmation we can have when we receive Your love. Thank You.

Moments of Sheer and Savage Beauty
Of course, it was the moment that we clinched the Sectional Title! While all the matches had their beautiful moments, this match ended on Sol's service game when he ripped a topspun forehand high into his opponent's backhand corner. The ball bounded just in front of the line and left the Redskin player stretching for the ball to his backhand. He didn't get enough on the attempted shot and it fell just in front of the net, in front of Sol's hands that were pumping in victory. I clapped and smiled and felt so grateful for the way that we had played. I turned to the crowd outside the window and pumped my fists as they waved their hands in silent applause. Truly a great moment!

SCORES

#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (4) - Hudson Kay (11)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 6-4 - Evan Beck (11)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-3, 6-2 - Luke Rush (11)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 7-5, 6-3 - Logan Troyer (10)/Zach Troyer (12)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 1-6, 6-4, (5-10) - Peter Vukovich (12)/Zach Ganger (12)

Letters from Bremen

Dear Team,
Let me start by saying good job! We've raised our record to 13-2 and the JV to 15-1-1. We took care of business on a night that always feels a little odd. It is the last competition for us in a long stretch. Do you realize that over the last 8 days we've played 8 matches? So if you felt a little competition weary in your play last night, that's probably why!

Of course, let's think about what we've done in those 8 matches. Both varsity and JV picked up 5 dual wins. The varsity won a team championship at Merrillville and 3 individual titles, while the JV picked up a 3rd place in the Fremont Invite - where Jacob Gonsalves got 2nd. That's a pretty impressive stretch! In fact, it's close to perfect.

All I've been asking this season is that we focus on how we want to play and get better. I think this part of the season says that we did. In our 5 dual matches, we defeated 4 teams with winning records. Between the matches and the tourney, the varsity team bested two district ranked opponents (Elkhart Central and then Centerville at Merrillville). No one on the varsity has a losing record. The JV team has at least two players who have broken the record for most JV wins in a season (set just last year by Ethan Lapp).

And while that's been awesome, the wear and tear showed a little bit last night. I'd say that at each position, we didn't quite play "how we want to." Still, it was a good showing. We won the matches we needed to in order to get the wins and we didn't make it a nerve-wracking ending in doing so. We sang Sarasponda in a most unorderly and out-of-tune fashion and drove away from Bremen with a win.

Dear Jesse,
Excellent match tonight. As I told you in the hallway at school, this was a good victory over a good opponent. I'm most proud of the way that you were able to keep your calm in the third set. After not playing your best and battling negativity in the second set, he won the first game of the third. And yet you didn't get too far down. Bremen's coach shouted to his player in starting the second game of the set that it was a big game. He was right, after that second game lasted 10 minutes, you won it. Then you turned around and quickly won the 3rd game to take a 2-1 lead. And 10 minutes later, the whole match was over. You seized momentum did a great job.

I don't think I've ever really complimented you enough for the way you've handled the #1S position this year. You now have more wins than Abe piled up last year, with at least 3 matches to go. And Abe was a solid #1. You are more than solid, you are good. I'm glad your hard work got paid off last night. I think there may be even better things ahead.

Dear Byeong,
Good recovery, but from now on, let's keep track of the score better :-) Same could be said for Sol and Jesse, who both lost track of the score at points tonight. Honestly though, that was a weird situation in the middle of your match, and I'm sure it was hard to handle. You felt like you had won a set, and then all the sudden it was back to 5-3 in the first, and you had to win it all over again. Great job getting in control of your emotions again, and then finishing things out with 7 straight games. These "mental wins" should serve as a good memory bank if you are under pressure again. You've done it under pressure before, remember how well you can play in these situations and play with confidence when they come again.

Dear Lucas,
The last two singles matches have really shown your potential. I've been so impressed at the way you work points, finding angles, forcing short balls. You play with a natural tactician's skill and eye. That's what I love about you as a coach: you think like a coach. Your ball hitting skills have gotten so much better this year too. I can't wait to teach you the other skills and watch you grow even more.

Dear God,
Breathe your joy into us. Revive us with Your Spirit. Bring us back to where we started this year, yearning for sheer and savage joy!

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Best point of this team match occurred in the third set of Jesse's #1S match. It may have been the single point that changed the whole complexion of his match. With Krent Hueni leading 1-0, 30-30 in the game, Jesse and Hueni played one of the longest points that I've seen all year. Back and forth the ball went, both players sticking to the baseline, both players hitting the ball deep, both players staying safe. During the point, Sol turned to me and said this could be a long third set with points like this. I said it could be, or Jesse might get aggressive. Just as I said that, Jesse stepped close to the baseline and hit hard forehand into Hueni's backhand. Hueni gave a ball that bounced weakly by the service line and Jesse struck it into the forehand corner with authority. Hueni hustled over and tried another deep groundstroke, but the pace, speed and placement of Jesse's shot were just enough to help push his ball inches long. Jesse went on to win that game, and the next 5 after.

Moment of Savage Beauty
No shot in anyone's arsenal makes opponents more frustrated than Byeong's drop volley. He hits them into the corner and then gives them no chance to get back. In this match, Byeong's match got tight at 5-4. But in that final game to grab the set, his opponent got frazzled as Byeong put together an excellent series of points. The final point came from hitting deep to the backhand and then finishing with a simple forehand drop volley. It was savage because there was nothing his opponent could do. Sometimes that's the beauty, a perfectly played point that therefore frustrates your opponent because they couldn't play it any better, but still lost the point.

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 - Krent Hueni (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-4, 6-0 - Bryce Devine (11)
#3S - Sol Brennenam - 6-4, 6-0 - Zac Burkholder (9)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 5-7, 5-7 - Austin Ingle (12)/Tommy Foster (11)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-2, 6-0 - Ryker Hand (11)/Chandler Snyder (10)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 5-8 - Bryce Sterling (9)
#2SJV - Jackson King - 8-3 - Jake Strehler (9)
#3SJV - Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 8-0 - Evan Reed (10)
#1DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-4 - Josh Ukinski (11)/Bryce Tolle (9)
#2DJV - Dustin Miller/Jonathan Yousey - 8-1 - Brian Cruz (9)/Jordan Thornton (9)
#3DJV - Daniel Robles/Joel Yoder - 6-8 - Hudson Thornton (10)/Seth Stine (9)

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)/???

Senior Statement #4: Jesse Amstutz

Jesse is another senior with an interesting tennis story. He played varsity his freshman year while also playing soccer. I remember one night at practice, while he was serving, that he yelled “I hate tennis!” By the end of the year, I’m not sure that he meant that. Sophomore year though was spent in Paraguay, and when he returned he chose to commit to tennis instead of soccer.

And what a blessing he has been to me as a coach ever since. He has played throughout the summers, almost daily. He has helped me work with the young kids at our Bright Time summer camps, quickly becoming everyone’s favorite (including my own son). He’s led the team this year from the #1 singles spot, but also in trying to get everyone to work hard at practice.

What I love about Jesse is his good heart. He has struggled at times, he has been frustrated, but I often think that is because he desires the good so intensely. Whether that good is how he’s playing tennis or how people are being treated, he is so committed to it. Over his four years here at Bethany, I’ve seen this good come out more and more, in Jesse’s attitude and service. I’m so proud to have see him grow, and can’t wait to see what more God takes him to.

Psalm 37
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Previous Senior Statements
Ryan Duckworth
Sol Brenneman
Hans Miller

Letters from Mishawaka Marian

Dear Team,
Let's call it a winning night, okay? We were leading at all positions when the rain struck. Then we went on to have a blast eating hamburgers and brats, downing cake and homemade ice cream. That sounds like a winning night.

As far as our play went, you are continuing to impress me. Byeong was a mere six points from victory after playing only 21 minutes. The rest of us had put our 21 minutes to good use too, as we were leading by a set at 4 of the 5 positions (and Jesse was up big, but not finished, with his 1st set). This wouldn't have happened at the beginning of the season. We are learning to take care of our mental preparation and go out and play the way we want to play.

That sounds like winning also. So we'll call it a winning night.

Dear Seniors,
You are an outstanding group of young men. In choosing my words about you, I was inspired by the fruits of the Holy Spirit that I see so strongly in your lives. You are men of patience, goodness, faithfulness, peace and joy (and more - those were just the ones I identified). And I say this with all sincerity despite it's sappiness... I love you all. Thanks for diving in to this group of guys, and giving it your all. Can't wait to finish this season out in joy with you!

Dear Parents,
I was overwhelmed by your help last night. Decorating the courts, hanging banners, dumping straw down for my coaching area, putting up new scorecards, cooking dinner, preparing senior gifts... I was so surprised and humbled that I don't think I probably said enough to thank you. Many of your kind words were also appreciated. You do much more than is necessary, but you help make the tennis team excellent with that extra work. We couldn't be who we are without all of you.




Dear God,
In the difficulties of rain outs and rushing around to make things work, it's easy to get hassled and harried and upset. And then aim that frustration at You. Thank You for reminding us that You are actually our place of rest. Last night, the tennis got canceled but the more important thing went on: Our celebration of how You are forming us into Your character. You are at work in the lives of this team, help us to see it and to follow You. Amen.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Only 5 matches got onto the courts last night, so less choices would seemingly make it easy on me. However, we were playing so well last night that I didn't get to see a lot of long points, the ones that often stick in my mind. But for a beautiful player, we need to look no further than Byeong Min Lim. His serves last night we things of beauty, curving down suddenly into the box and slicing into the body of his opponent. Time after time Byeong won quick service games as his serves forced early errors or short balls that he came and finished. It nice to see him play so smoothly, though I wish he could have finished the last six points!

Moment of Savage Beauty
Ethan Lapp has been playing great. I just don't know that we'd always call it savage. This is the part of his game that will continue to grow as he gets more matches at varsity singles. But tonight, I began to see him end points emphatically more often. In the first game of the match, with Ryan serving, the Bruins saw the score go to deuce several times. We looked a little tight, starting the match, and I didn't want to see this game go the wrong way. After an error from the Knights, we had the advantage and Ethan got a backhand overhead in the next point. Swinging with authority, he slapped the backhand between the Knight players and into the hitting wall to seal the close game for the Bruins. There was never really another close game after that.

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 4-2 - David Hicks (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 4-0 - Sam Cressey (12)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-1, 1-0 - Max White (10)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-0, 1-0 - Zac Ericson (12)/Cameron Rafinski (9)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-0, 1-0 - Domonik Rafinski (9)/Evan Kovatch (10)

Letters, September 12

Dear Team,
The last two nights of practice have been cold and rainy, yet I think they've been two of our best practices. The goal of the season is to play how we want to play, and we're definitely moving in that direction. Take the confidence of these past two practices into the matches that we play in the next few nights.

Dear Landon,
No lying, I was crushed to hear that your injury is going to keep you from competing. As a senior, I have loved your commitment to the team and to tennis. I'm sad I don't get to see that as much on the court for awhile. But I'm calling you right now to another important role. This team is still looking for a vocal leader. Let that be you. Take over this team, both in practice and at matches. Push us along to greatness. You have the God-given leadership ability to do it.

Dear Ethan,
I'm so glad to have you on this team because you've worked so hard. You were as dedicated as anyone during the offseason. You've been at every practice, extra session, summer open court, and succeeded thus far on the varsity. Go attack the rest of this season with confidence. Form a sheer and savage team with Ryan and find your joy!

Dear Jesse,
Tonight, as you play and participate as a teammate, find your joy. I'm borrowing that phrase from Seth, but do the things that make tennis fun. Do the things that make you laugh. Do the things that make you feel awesome. You may struggle, you may breeze through. But ultimately, I will always remember you for the process you've already gone through. From freshman season where nothing seemed to go right, to the maturing during your sophomore year in Paraguay, to your decision and commitment to tennis over the past two seasons, to your work with the kids in Bright Times the last two years (who love you!) and the time you put in for our team this year (often being the rallying partner with Ethan and Simon). Seeing that growth is where I find my joy.

Dear God,
You've given us incredible gifts. Gifts of family, gifts of tennis brothers, gifts of talent, gifts of weather, gifts of good food and even things like support from our maintenance staff who graciously repainted our courts this summer. Even with the difficult things, like injuries and difficult losses and losses of concentration and too much homework (to grade), I'm still so grateful. But honestly, I've been most grateful for Your presence. You've been there for me to talk to when I've been down and when I've been thankful. I love You, and being able to be honest with You has been the best part of this season. As it gets intense, and comes to an end, remind us all of the things that don't come to an end. Which is only You.

Letters from Prairie Heights

Dear Team,
Tonight was a good match to get back into the swing of things. We've been talking the last couple of days about getting better, and the first place to start was our mentality. Too often we've let the beginning of our match dictate our intensity, instead of focusing no matter what the score or the opponent. That mental intensity, that mental focus, is part of concentrating on the point, on how we are playing, rather than whether we're winning or losing.

You guys all did a great job of staying in the game tonight. I could feel the focus from most of you throughout the match. You were just trying to play good tennis points. The matches went quickly and you finished them off without too many hitches.

We'll need to continue to have this type of attitude when we are playing matches that are closer in score. We'll need to continue to be relaxed when we're tied at 5-5 in the second set, rather than up 5-0. I think we'd all agree that the matches that are 2-2 team score, 5-5 match score and you are still on the court with everything to play for - those matches are the most fun. Tonight was a good tune-up for those type of matches. Let's continue the focus.

Dear Jesse,
I appreciate your encouragement for teammates tonight. During your match, I loved that you cheered for #1 doubles and #2 doubles. Being vocal in general is not something that comes easy to this team, but it is so important. So I love that you looked up as you changed sides, watched a point or two, and gave a vocal lift to the players around you. This is all part of being a leader, and I hope the rest of our team follows this lead. Keep it up in practice too. There can never be too much positive talk.

Dear Junior Varsity,
Sorry. I don't like matches like this where only 2 of you get to play. We usually do our best to get you as many matches as possible during the season, because you have a lot of success (7-1-1 is your record now) and you've got to be ready for the coming seasons. And those two things go together. I hope your confidence is being built by the wins you are racking up, even though tonight wasn't particularly helpful.

Dear Gatorade,
When you turn to ice your are a lot of fun. It's like eating a snow cone! Except, it's really hard to get you out of your bottle, because you want to stick to the sides. And it's really hard to get you out while I'm driving a big old bus down the road. But I think you might have the opportunity at a new product here, if you could figure out. I mean, who wouldn't want to walk off the court after a hard 3-set win and be met by their teammates to give them hugs and Gatorade snow cones!

Dear God,
In the midst of the season it can be easy to lose You. Right now, everything seems so urgent. We have few practices to get better. We have a bunch of matches left that we feel the need to win. We have school work piling up. I want to rush home to spend time with my family. Truth is, the urgency comes from our desire to be in control of everything. I want to declare over our team another truth - You are in control. Please use us as Your servants. Please help us build up one another. Amen.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Hans Miller is a player of sheer beauty. Honestly, when he is on, it's unbelievable to watch. He slams serves in, finishes volleys with precision and whacks overheads into the fence. His forehands find all sorts of incredible angles and he plays with a flowing, friendly confidence. He just has a lot of fun. Tonight, he did it in a new and interesting way. Backed up against the baseline, Hans lifted a lob high into the air. It bounced precariously close to the baseline. His opponents thought for a second about calling it out, but it caught the line. The next second, they were looking up as the ball bounced over their heads and out of the court, high above their ability to reach. We've overheaded a lot of balls over the fence, but tonight was our first lob that leaped the links.

Moment of Savage Beauty
Simon Hurst shows flashes of being the best doubles player Bethany Christian has ever seen. He's just a sophomore, so there's plenty of time to live into that. But he's already collected more of these "Moments of Beauty" than any other BC player. Tonight, he collects another one with a gorgeously aggressive baseline shot. After his crushed forehand forced a weak lob, Simon stepped forward from his baseline position and let loose on a baseline overhead. Not only did he hit it cleanly and hard, he hit it at a wide slicing angle leaving the Panthers no chance to return. These moments, powerful baseline overheads and forehands blasted up the line, are the flashes. Simon will be one of the best as his consistency grows along with his aggression.

SCORES

Varsity

#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-0, 6-1 - Tyler Johnson
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-0, 6-0 - Chandler Sailor

#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-0, 6-0 - Lukas McClanahan

#1D - Hans Miller/Landon Weldy - 6-1, 6-1 - Logan Walter/Justin O'Connor

#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Simon Hurst - 6-1, 6-0 - Justin Sutera/Cory Hollifield

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Ethan Lapp - 8-0

#2SJV - Brandon Nguyen - 8-0

Letters, August 22

Dear Varsity, 
We started the match playing much better tonight, with much better confidence and attitude. I loved your honesty throughout the matches, trying the best you could to keep yourself in control of your mentality and strategy. My favorite thing was the way we were dealing with adversity. Both #1D and #1S had chances to put away the first set and were denied, yet stayed calm and positive and took the advantage again. Sol lost the first set, then responded by fighting through the next games, making the long and continuing to compete. It was fun to coach last night!

Dear Jesse Amstutz,
You said my three favorite words last night, and they really hold the key to how good you can get this season. I'm sure you know which words I'm talking about, "This is fun." Tennis is fun, and when we play like it is we play so much better. And you were playing excellent last night. I'm glad you enjoyed it!




Dear Junior Varsity,
When a good team is put in front of you, it is an opportunity. Those matches are the ones who will remember forever. Let me tell you my story:

Sophomore year of college I got drawn in the conference tournament against the #1 seed from Taylor University, who had beaten 6-2, 6-1 in the regular season. He was a hard serving lefty who liked to serve and volley. He also happened to be the coach's son. We played late at night because it was raining, and all of the tournament matches had been moved from 12 outdoor courts to 5 indoor courts. We were almost the last match off. He was supposed to beat me and was really good, so I just went for it. Every return I tried to put at his feet. Every serve I tried to pound it or place it in difficult places. If I lost, I was going to lose playing confidently. And if I lost, well, I was supposed to anyway. I won the first set 6-0 and because it was the conference tournament and several teams wanted Taylor to lose, I had a lot of fans cheering me on. I kept up the play in the second set, and my opponent got frustrated, but he also played better. He ended up beating me 6-4 in the second set and also in the third. But that match taught me how to play. Over the next two years I only lost about 5-6 singles matches, because I learned to play this loose confident style.

Last night, you played a talented and experienced team. No freshman were on that team, and only a couple of sophomores. They were good. But we looked mentally intimidated. When we you play good opponents, don't be scared of losing. Instead, enjoy the awesome points! If you win them, you might get your opponent frustrated. If he gets frustrated, you might win! It's nothing but a great opportunity, so smile and go get them.


Dear Team Moms,
You are great. You cheer for us. You come to the matches. You type up funny sayings that make us smile and put them on our lockers. Then you make great food for us to eat at the matches. It was fun last night to dodge the drips from the deck by the Goshen courts and eat together as a team, long after our opponents had left for home. It was fun to sit and joke and enjoy being with each other, and you really help make this possible. Thanks!

Dear Weather,
You are not so great right now. This week has been very frustrating as we wait to see what happens in the skies. Last night, every time we went to think about loading the bus, it would sprinkle again. Then, in the midst of our tight match, it really rained. I wonder, maybe you are just testing our joy. But you did give us one great gift too, we got to watch the Bryan Brothers together and think about how we get better. That was awesome.

Dear Antigua,
For the second time in a row, we went with a relatively unknown company for our tennis shirts. Last time, with Duc, we were really happy - thought it was even better than Nike or Adidas. Now we went with your jerseys, with their classy collars and all. And they are awesome. "They are like church clothes that feel like pajamas that you can play your tennis matches in." Very happy with the shirt!

Dear God,
May we rejoice in You always! As the season goes along, let us continue to take time for the one thing that is needed - time to sit and listen to You. We can get so busy, with homework, tennis practice, matches, washing our tennis shirts, eating, wasting time . . . let us take deep breaths and remind ourselves of Your presence and power.

Jesse Amstutz

Career Records
Most Wins in a Season: 15 (2013)
Farthest Advanced in State Tourney: Team Regional (2014)
Longest Winning Streak: 4 matches (2013)
Most Sets Won in a Row: 8 sets (2013)
Biggest Win: 6-1, 6-0 (3 times)
Closest Win: 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 (over Austin Stutzman, Goshen, 2013)
Career Tiebreakers Won: 4
Career Tiebreakers Won Percentage: 50.0%
Career 3rd Sets Won: 4
Season 3rd Sets Won: 2 (2012)
Career Games Won Percentage: 52.4%
Season Games Won Percentage: 61.5% (2013)
Career 3rd Sets Won Percentage: 40.0%
Matches Won in a Row w/ a 6-0 Set: 3 (2014)
Matches Won 1st Varsity Season: 4

2014

11-13 (Varsity)
#1S - Jimtown - Mikey Pawlak (12) - 4-6, 7-6 (0), 1-6
#1S - Concord - Will Boyer (9) - 6-1, 4-6, 2-6
#1S - Goshen - Hudson Kay (11) - 6-7 (1), 2-6
#1S - Fremont - Blake Trusty (12) - 2-6, 1-6
#1S - West Noble - Jared Swank (11) - 6-1, 6-1
#1S - Prairie Heights - Tyler Johnson (11) - 6-0, 6-1
#1S - Triton - Jared Fisher (12) - 6-1, 6-0
#1S - Northridge - Simon Grevengoed (9) - 6-3, 6-0
#1S - Westview - Stephen Gierek (12) 4-6, 2-6
#1S - NorthWood - Jared Huffman (9) - 6-1, 6-1
#1S - Mishawaka Marian - David Hicks (12) - 4-2, ret. from rain
#1S - Blackhawk Christian - Jeremy Hoover (12) - 4-6, 3-6
#1S - Elkhart Central - Eric Burton (12) - 1-6, 4-6
#1S - Highland - Brett Sabo (12) - 4-0, 4-0
#1S - Merrillville - Montriel Shell (12) - 4-0, 5-4 (4)
#1S - Centerville - Brady Wagenknecht (12) - 0-6, 3-6
#1S - Fairfield - Adam Yoder (12) - 0-6, 1-6
#1S - Bremen - Krent Hueni (12) - 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
#1S - Taylor - Camden Kimbler (11) - 4-6, 4-6
#1S - Wabash - Kody Fuller (12) - 6-1, 6-1
#1S - Eastern - Ryan Manfred (10) - 6-1, 6-0
#1S - Jimtown - Mikey Pawlak (12) - 6-2, 4-6, 2-6
#1S - Goshen - Hudson Kay (11) - 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (4)
#1S - East Noble - Austin Mohamedali (10) - 1-6, 1-6
2013: 15-5
#2S - Jimtown - Jacob Gongwer (12) - 5-7, 7-5, 6-1
#2S - Northridge - Clay Schnell (12) - 7-5, 6-3
#2S - Goshen - Austin Stutzman (12) - 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
#2S - Concord - Jared Searer (12) - 4-6, 4-6
#2S - Fremont - Mason Kolberg (12) - 6-2, 6-1
#2S - Prairie Heights - Chandler Sailor (9) - 6-2, 6-0
#2S - Triton - Jared Fisher (11) - 6-4, 6-2
#2S - Westview - Andrew Yoder - 2-6, 2-6
#2S - NorthWood - Luke Stump (11) - 6-1, 6-3
#2S - Marian - Reilly Hicks (12) - 6-3, 1-6, 3-6
#2S - Blackhawk - Ben Bailey (11) - 6-2, 6-0
#2S - Highland - Nick Polster - 6-0, 6-2
#2S - Lowell - David Delgado (11) - 6-1, 6-1
#2S - Portage - Blake Logsdon (12) - 6-2, 7-5
#2S - Fairfield - Adam Yoder (11) - 0-6, 1-6
#2S - Bremen - Bryce DeVine (10) - 6-1, 6-0
#2S - Taylor - Camden Kimbler (10) - 6-3, 6-1
#2S - Wabash - Edward Dillard (12) - 6-2, 6-0
#2S - Eastern - Logan Colwell (12) - 6-2, 6-1
#2S - Fairfield - Adam Yoder (11) - 2-6, 1-6


2012
Spent 2012 season in Paraguay.

2011

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#3S – Northridge - Josh Garfein (10) – 0-6, 0-6

#3S – Goshen – Jorge Hernandez-Walton (12) – 6-1, 6-1

#3S – Rochester – Jonathon Phoun (9) – 4-6, 3-6

#1SJV – Fremont – Tanner Frye (11) – 4-8

#5SJV – Fremont – Zach Easterday (9) – 6-0

#1SJV – Rochester – Justin Schroder (9) – 6-2, 7-6 (6)

#1DJV – Jimtown – Nicolas Floyd (9)/Mikey Pawlak (9) – 5-7, 3-6

#2D – Laville – Chris Nicodemus (10)/Adam Baker (9) – 6-0, 6-0

#2D – Prairie Heights – Braxton Elliot (10)/John Sloan (10) – 6-2, 6-4

#2D – Triton – Wil Rettinger (12)/Jackson Downing (12) – 6-7 (2), 3-6

#2D – Westview – Jamar Weaver (?)/Jonathan Hostetler (12) – 2-6, 2-6

#2D – Lowell – Johnny Goodrich (12)/Delner Fleming (10) – 6-2, 6-7 (9), (10-2)

#2D – Triton – Wil Rettinger (12)/Jackson Downing (12) – 5-7, 1-6

#2D – Highland – Nick Lindsey (12)/Tyler Porter (11) – 2-6, 5-7

#2D – Fairfield – Nick Mohney (12)/Taylor Yoder (11) – 2-6, 2-6

#2D – Bremen – Joe Zeltwanger (11)/Nate Strehler (11) – 3-6, 2-6

#2D – NorthWood – Shawn Stahley (12)/Austin Sanders (10) – 3-6, 6-3, 2-2

#2D – Jimtown – Augie Farwig (11)/Michael Hobbs (12) – 3-6, 4-6

#2D – Fairfield – Taylor Yoder (11)/Marcus Rodes (10) – 6-2, 2-6, 3-6

VARSITY RECORD: 4-10-1

JV RECORD: 2-2