Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Thorpe Tennis Has a New Home!
Get the latest updates on all things Thorpe Tennis at the new website, www.thorpetennis.com
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Laguna Blanca Clinches First Condor League Title
Today, the Owls clinched our first Condor League tennis title with a 10-8 victory against the Cate School. The match was full of surprises, upsets, comebacks, and excellent play all around, so it was a fitting way for us to win the title.
Round 1: Laguna 4, Cate 2
In the first round, we got a quick win from Martin Barnick and Jack Espy, which would turn out to be vital to our success today, as they beat recent Ojai Invitational participant Abhay Singh and Thys Northup 6-0. Also victorious were Ben Furukawa and Phillip Hicks in singles, and Eddie Conk/Benji Sorensen pulled out a 7-5 win at #1 doubles after falling behind 3-0 early. Meanwhile, Tristan Prinz had his hands full against Jason Xiao, who had played doubles for Cate all season long, but would go on to sweep our guys today in singles.
Round 2: Laguna 7, Cate 5
The second round was a relative stalemate as Xiao continued his stellar play against Ben, who had numerous 50-plus ball rallies and battled mightily in the loss. Elsewhere, What looked to be a routine win for Tristan (who had triple set-point at 5-1) turned into a 7-5 win and Phillip Hicks pulled out a close win against the Cate #1. In doubles play, Cate struck first with easy wins against our #2-3 teams, before Eddie and Benji came through with another clutch win at the #1 spot.
Round 3: Laguna 10, Cate 8
Round three started off with Cate wins against our #2-3 doubles to even the score at 7-7. Next, Xiao closed out Phillip to sweep his singles matches, but was followed immediately by a third win and sweep from Eddie and Benji at #1 doubles, making the score 8-8 with two matches on-court. With the match on the racquets of Ben and Tristan, I felt confident that we could get it done, but the knowledge that a 9-9 tie would not be going our way game-score wise made for a tense finale. Tristan went up 4-1 quickly, but Ben had his hands full and was down 3-2. As Tristan came off-court with a 6-1 victory, Ben rallied to even the match at 3-3, then go up 4-3. A break of the Cate player's serve put Ben in the drivers seat, but Michael Revord broke back. In the final game, Ben was able to outplay his opponent, who was visibly tiring and he forced several errors to record a 6-4 victory in the deciding match.
I want to highlight the key play from our singles guys, who have played amazing tennis all season, but this match was an awakening for our doubles in particular. After playing well below their potential for the last few weeks, Eddie/Benji and Martin/Jack came through with some of the best tennis I've seen from them and gave us the lift we needed to win. Big credit also goes to Atty Roddick and Justin Palmer for battling with tough Cate opponents all day and to Conrad Perry, who did an excellent job of keeping us all up-to-date and aware of the match-score scenarios. It's a shame Brendon Nylen was off on a journalism trip because part of this victory belongs to him, too (maybe given that particular skill-set I should have gotten him to write this post!).
This victory also belongs to the wonderful, supportive parents at Laguna who have given us everything we need to be successful, as well as Mike Biermann, who has made a real effort to support us and has been out cheering us on at a number of matches. Finally, this win belongs to the Laguna guys who I've already graduated, who laid the groundwork for this day with their efforts and enthusiasm over the previous three years I have been coaching the Owls.
Next stop: CIF D4 Playoffs
Round 1: Laguna 4, Cate 2
In the first round, we got a quick win from Martin Barnick and Jack Espy, which would turn out to be vital to our success today, as they beat recent Ojai Invitational participant Abhay Singh and Thys Northup 6-0. Also victorious were Ben Furukawa and Phillip Hicks in singles, and Eddie Conk/Benji Sorensen pulled out a 7-5 win at #1 doubles after falling behind 3-0 early. Meanwhile, Tristan Prinz had his hands full against Jason Xiao, who had played doubles for Cate all season long, but would go on to sweep our guys today in singles.
Round 2: Laguna 7, Cate 5
The second round was a relative stalemate as Xiao continued his stellar play against Ben, who had numerous 50-plus ball rallies and battled mightily in the loss. Elsewhere, What looked to be a routine win for Tristan (who had triple set-point at 5-1) turned into a 7-5 win and Phillip Hicks pulled out a close win against the Cate #1. In doubles play, Cate struck first with easy wins against our #2-3 teams, before Eddie and Benji came through with another clutch win at the #1 spot.
Round 3: Laguna 10, Cate 8
Round three started off with Cate wins against our #2-3 doubles to even the score at 7-7. Next, Xiao closed out Phillip to sweep his singles matches, but was followed immediately by a third win and sweep from Eddie and Benji at #1 doubles, making the score 8-8 with two matches on-court. With the match on the racquets of Ben and Tristan, I felt confident that we could get it done, but the knowledge that a 9-9 tie would not be going our way game-score wise made for a tense finale. Tristan went up 4-1 quickly, but Ben had his hands full and was down 3-2. As Tristan came off-court with a 6-1 victory, Ben rallied to even the match at 3-3, then go up 4-3. A break of the Cate player's serve put Ben in the drivers seat, but Michael Revord broke back. In the final game, Ben was able to outplay his opponent, who was visibly tiring and he forced several errors to record a 6-4 victory in the deciding match.
I want to highlight the key play from our singles guys, who have played amazing tennis all season, but this match was an awakening for our doubles in particular. After playing well below their potential for the last few weeks, Eddie/Benji and Martin/Jack came through with some of the best tennis I've seen from them and gave us the lift we needed to win. Big credit also goes to Atty Roddick and Justin Palmer for battling with tough Cate opponents all day and to Conrad Perry, who did an excellent job of keeping us all up-to-date and aware of the match-score scenarios. It's a shame Brendon Nylen was off on a journalism trip because part of this victory belongs to him, too (maybe given that particular skill-set I should have gotten him to write this post!).
This victory also belongs to the wonderful, supportive parents at Laguna who have given us everything we need to be successful, as well as Mike Biermann, who has made a real effort to support us and has been out cheering us on at a number of matches. Finally, this win belongs to the Laguna guys who I've already graduated, who laid the groundwork for this day with their efforts and enthusiasm over the previous three years I have been coaching the Owls.
Next stop: CIF D4 Playoffs
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Laguna Beats Cate for the First Time!
It's been a long time coming. In my four years coaching the Laguna Blanca boys' tennis team we've experienced our fair share of frustration at the hands of the Cate tennis team. What happened yesterday was definitely one of the best moments I've had as a coach and a member of a tennis team.
Ben Furukawa and Tristan Prinz were dominant. There's no other way to put it. They dropped a combined total of 9 games on their way to adding 3 more wins each to their impressive singles records. They now both sit at 20-1 for the season, but that's not even what's impressive. What makes me proud to be their coach, both at Laguna and privately, is the way they've been doing it. Nothing makes a coach happier than when his players successfully apply what he has taught them.
Tristan has battled a number of injuries and even an exotic parasite since I began coaching him, but his focus and drive is unwavering. He's been in the singles lineup since freshman year, day one, and even when he's struggled physically, he's given everything. He fights for every point, doesn't care how far up or down he is, and he's been doing a great job of executing the strategies we've been working on.
Ben, unlike Tristan, spent his first year and the beginning of his second at Laguna playing doubles. It's hard to believe, but it wasn't until about a year and a half ago that he started to buy into the modern grips and strategies I was teaching him (he's only been playing with a semi-western forehand since late fall of 2011). In that short period, he has become a formidable player who beats opponents with a mix of speed, consistency, and shot-making. Sometimes it's easy to think of Ben as always having been this good, but he has earned this level of play with hard work and just a short period of time.
Phillip Hicks is a rising star in the Condor League, and in Santa Barbara tennis in general. He is an extremely dangerous player with impressive racquet-head speed. During this match against Cate, he proved to us (and more importantly, to himself) while sweeping his matches that he can blend that raw power with good movement and patience. I was especially impressed with his 6-4 victory over Cate #1 Ahbay Singh, after going down 4-2. The future is very bright for this freshman, who is now 18-3 in singles play this season.
Eddie Conk and Benji Sorensen are good tennis players and great friends, but sometimes that doesn't translate to #1 caliber doubles team. I can honestly say that in previous seasons we've tried this combination with only mixed results. However, despite getting off to a bit of a slow start this season, these guys have proven they belong as the go-to pair in doubles. Now holding a 13-2 record, including a 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 performance against Cate, Eddie and Benji are only just hitting their stride. Yesterday, they showed the intelligent, aggressive net-play that every strong doubles team needs to be successful and I look forward to seeing how this win affects their confidence going forward.
The 11-7 win against Cate, as with every other match we've played this season, featured every available Laguna player. As we head off to Spring Break with a 7-0 record and 2-0 in league, each member of this team can take great satisfaction in knowing they've been a part of each win. It was also great to see so much support from parents and our AD, Mike Biermann. This tennis family is looking strong!
As we look toward the second half of the season, we must appreciate but not dwell on our victories. We mustn't become complacent or fall out of practice. These are the greatest road-blocks we have left, but they are entirely within our control. For now, though, celebrate the win!
-Trevor
Ben Furukawa and Tristan Prinz were dominant. There's no other way to put it. They dropped a combined total of 9 games on their way to adding 3 more wins each to their impressive singles records. They now both sit at 20-1 for the season, but that's not even what's impressive. What makes me proud to be their coach, both at Laguna and privately, is the way they've been doing it. Nothing makes a coach happier than when his players successfully apply what he has taught them.
Tristan has battled a number of injuries and even an exotic parasite since I began coaching him, but his focus and drive is unwavering. He's been in the singles lineup since freshman year, day one, and even when he's struggled physically, he's given everything. He fights for every point, doesn't care how far up or down he is, and he's been doing a great job of executing the strategies we've been working on.
Ben, unlike Tristan, spent his first year and the beginning of his second at Laguna playing doubles. It's hard to believe, but it wasn't until about a year and a half ago that he started to buy into the modern grips and strategies I was teaching him (he's only been playing with a semi-western forehand since late fall of 2011). In that short period, he has become a formidable player who beats opponents with a mix of speed, consistency, and shot-making. Sometimes it's easy to think of Ben as always having been this good, but he has earned this level of play with hard work and just a short period of time.
Phillip Hicks is a rising star in the Condor League, and in Santa Barbara tennis in general. He is an extremely dangerous player with impressive racquet-head speed. During this match against Cate, he proved to us (and more importantly, to himself) while sweeping his matches that he can blend that raw power with good movement and patience. I was especially impressed with his 6-4 victory over Cate #1 Ahbay Singh, after going down 4-2. The future is very bright for this freshman, who is now 18-3 in singles play this season.
Eddie Conk and Benji Sorensen are good tennis players and great friends, but sometimes that doesn't translate to #1 caliber doubles team. I can honestly say that in previous seasons we've tried this combination with only mixed results. However, despite getting off to a bit of a slow start this season, these guys have proven they belong as the go-to pair in doubles. Now holding a 13-2 record, including a 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 performance against Cate, Eddie and Benji are only just hitting their stride. Yesterday, they showed the intelligent, aggressive net-play that every strong doubles team needs to be successful and I look forward to seeing how this win affects their confidence going forward.
The 11-7 win against Cate, as with every other match we've played this season, featured every available Laguna player. As we head off to Spring Break with a 7-0 record and 2-0 in league, each member of this team can take great satisfaction in knowing they've been a part of each win. It was also great to see so much support from parents and our AD, Mike Biermann. This tennis family is looking strong!
As we look toward the second half of the season, we must appreciate but not dwell on our victories. We mustn't become complacent or fall out of practice. These are the greatest road-blocks we have left, but they are entirely within our control. For now, though, celebrate the win!
-Trevor
Friday, March 1, 2013
Owls beat Nordoff + Photo-tour of a Laguna Warm-up
It was another joyous victory to be sure, but I also had the opportunity to document part of what goes on before we start the matches: the infamous Owl warm-up. So, without further delay, a photo-tour of what goes on before every practice and every match.
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| We have different players leading the warm-up each day, but on match day it's usually a team captain. |
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| Jack appears to be pretty excited about split-leg squats. |
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| The Owl is an inquisitive bird and sometimes direct eye-contact with the camera is unavoidable. |
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| It's a deep burn. |
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| Justin Palmer with an early lead over Brendon Nylen in the high-kick form category. |
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| Brendon's not having any of it. |
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| An impressive retort from Brendon leaves the contest at a draw...for now. |
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| The alpha bird assumes his rightful position at the center of the stretching circle. |
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| The other birds carry on their business as usual. |
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| But the alpha relishes his moment at the center of the circle. |
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| Is that a challenge from freshman Owl Atty Roddick in the background? Very impressive trunk-twisting technique! |
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| It seems that Brendon will receive no serious challenges on the day. Another victory. |
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| Perhaps in the future freshman phenom Phillip Hicks will make his way to the middle. |
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| Jack's got the forward momentum working in his favor on this shot. |
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| Martin Barnick shows us the work he's put in during the off-season. Looking sharp! |
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| Phillip shows us a nice kick serve: toss left, pushing up and left-to-right with a wrist flick at the end. |
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| Phillip throws the kick-toss for the first serve...Noooo!!! |
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| Patented Tristan Prinz kick-serve. |
All for now. We'll be in action again next week at Muni against Bishop Diego on Tuesday and in Ojai against Besant Hill on Wednesday.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Well, the 2013 Laguna Boys' season is finally underway and off to a good start.
We scored a 12-6 win against Orcutt Academy last week that featured a clean sweep from our singles guys (Ben Furukawa, Tristan Prinz, and Phillip Hicks). In addition, Jack Espy and Martin Barnick were in fine form, chipping in two wins and playing the number one team close. I know how hard all five of those guys have been working since last spring so I expected them to play well, but it's still exciting for me to see them get off to a successful start.
Today, we played Rio Mesa in Oxnard. This is a team that beat us pretty easily last year (13-5) so we had modest expectations coming in, but it quickly became clear that we would be in a tight battle all afternoon.
The match was tied 3-3 after the first round thanks in large part to Ben's resounding 6-1 win against Rio Mesa's number one player. In the second round, we only managed to add two wins, so we went into the third round down 5-7. In the final round, we picked up two quick wins in doubles, before dropping sets at number three singles and doubles. With two matches left to play and the score 7-9, Ben came through with a 6-0 win.
At that point, we knew that we were up by a few games if things came down to a tie. However, after going down 4-0 against the number one player from Rio Mesa, Tristan had a long road back to deliver us that necessary 9th win. The score went to 4-1, then 4-3, then Tristan pulled ahead 5-4. After being unable to close out the match on serve, Tristan broke again and then held serve to give us a ninth set and a 75-73 win.
Due credit must also go to Benji Sorensen and Eddie Conk for getting a sweep on the day in doubles. They're just starting to get back into the swing of things after just finishing basketball season but were a big part of our win today.
It was great seeing Chip and Lori Conk coming all the way to Oxnard to root us on today. Thanks for coming out! For the rest of you, hopefully this post will hold you over until our next home match on Friday against Nordoff High School at the Municipal Courts.
No photos for this post, but I may try to snap a few shots before the next one.
-Trevor
We scored a 12-6 win against Orcutt Academy last week that featured a clean sweep from our singles guys (Ben Furukawa, Tristan Prinz, and Phillip Hicks). In addition, Jack Espy and Martin Barnick were in fine form, chipping in two wins and playing the number one team close. I know how hard all five of those guys have been working since last spring so I expected them to play well, but it's still exciting for me to see them get off to a successful start.
Today, we played Rio Mesa in Oxnard. This is a team that beat us pretty easily last year (13-5) so we had modest expectations coming in, but it quickly became clear that we would be in a tight battle all afternoon.
The match was tied 3-3 after the first round thanks in large part to Ben's resounding 6-1 win against Rio Mesa's number one player. In the second round, we only managed to add two wins, so we went into the third round down 5-7. In the final round, we picked up two quick wins in doubles, before dropping sets at number three singles and doubles. With two matches left to play and the score 7-9, Ben came through with a 6-0 win.
At that point, we knew that we were up by a few games if things came down to a tie. However, after going down 4-0 against the number one player from Rio Mesa, Tristan had a long road back to deliver us that necessary 9th win. The score went to 4-1, then 4-3, then Tristan pulled ahead 5-4. After being unable to close out the match on serve, Tristan broke again and then held serve to give us a ninth set and a 75-73 win.
Due credit must also go to Benji Sorensen and Eddie Conk for getting a sweep on the day in doubles. They're just starting to get back into the swing of things after just finishing basketball season but were a big part of our win today.
It was great seeing Chip and Lori Conk coming all the way to Oxnard to root us on today. Thanks for coming out! For the rest of you, hopefully this post will hold you over until our next home match on Friday against Nordoff High School at the Municipal Courts.
No photos for this post, but I may try to snap a few shots before the next one.
-Trevor
Monday, August 6, 2012
Summary of 2011-2012 School Year + Summer
It's been quite a while between updates on the Thorpe Tennis blog, but it certainly hasn't been an uneventful time out on the courts.
After a rough girls' season over at Cate, some of the girls are looking ready to make another run at the playoffs this coming year. I'm excited to see what a healthy Marina Narain can do as a senior and if our last few court sessions are any indicator, Mady Snider is looking very dangerous coming into her final season. I'm also looking forward to seeing what all the hard work Kate Dehlendorf and I have put into her game over the last year will yield.
On the boys' side, I've been working very hard with a number of players who are really turning the corner. It's hard to pick a few guys to mention because there are really quite a few working hard and making gains. In particular, Jack Espy, Martin Barnick, Benji Sorensen, and Ben Furukawa have shown some real progression. Ben just recently won the K&W Junior Satellite Classic in San Diego without dropping a set and has been finishing in the top two of most of the local club tournaments all summer.
My younger students are also showing great promise. Alex Furukawa has performed well in local tournaments this summer and Daniel Newton made a strong showing in his tournament debut (much better than my 0-10 start when I was his age!!!). These two and a few others I teach are all headed to Laguna Blanca for high school, so this is 2x good news to me! I'm making a prediction for the future of the Condor League now: Laguna will be the dominant force and it's coming soon.
Lately, I have been thinking about how important it is to show improvement over time, especially to those that improve. Sometimes it can be hard to see one's own progression because it happens one day at a time, whereas, looking from the outside (perhaps a parents perspective, watching matches occasionally), change is evident immediately. One way I intend to do this is through more video analysis and archiving, but I also hope to pick this blog back up again. The future is bright and it's important to celebrate and make note as things unfold.
After a rough girls' season over at Cate, some of the girls are looking ready to make another run at the playoffs this coming year. I'm excited to see what a healthy Marina Narain can do as a senior and if our last few court sessions are any indicator, Mady Snider is looking very dangerous coming into her final season. I'm also looking forward to seeing what all the hard work Kate Dehlendorf and I have put into her game over the last year will yield.
On the boys' side, I've been working very hard with a number of players who are really turning the corner. It's hard to pick a few guys to mention because there are really quite a few working hard and making gains. In particular, Jack Espy, Martin Barnick, Benji Sorensen, and Ben Furukawa have shown some real progression. Ben just recently won the K&W Junior Satellite Classic in San Diego without dropping a set and has been finishing in the top two of most of the local club tournaments all summer.
My younger students are also showing great promise. Alex Furukawa has performed well in local tournaments this summer and Daniel Newton made a strong showing in his tournament debut (much better than my 0-10 start when I was his age!!!). These two and a few others I teach are all headed to Laguna Blanca for high school, so this is 2x good news to me! I'm making a prediction for the future of the Condor League now: Laguna will be the dominant force and it's coming soon.
Lately, I have been thinking about how important it is to show improvement over time, especially to those that improve. Sometimes it can be hard to see one's own progression because it happens one day at a time, whereas, looking from the outside (perhaps a parents perspective, watching matches occasionally), change is evident immediately. One way I intend to do this is through more video analysis and archiving, but I also hope to pick this blog back up again. The future is bright and it's important to celebrate and make note as things unfold.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Braemar Summer Jr. Satellite
Well, it's been another successful week for Thorpe Tennis. The weather was warm and some played quite a few matches in the Braemar Satellite one-weekend tournament. By the end of the weekend, the group was able to bring home the runner-up trophy in the Boys' 14's age-group, and the champions' trophy in Boys' 16's doubles. Here's how it happend:On Friday evening, Ben Furukawa started off the weekend with a three-set victory in the 16's age-group, followed closely by a 6-0, 6-0 win from Tristan Prinz in the 14's. Alex Shirokow-Louden also had a strong win in the 16's age-group. Eddie Conk, playing in his first tournament in years, drew a seed in the first round and struggled to find his usual form under tournament conditions, but took a philosophical approach to the match and now looks to improve his groundstroke fluidity before the next tournament.
Play on Saturday began bright and early with a quick win from Prinz and another three-set victory from Furukawa. Shirokow-Louden nearly pulled off an upset against a strong player, winning the first set and holding two match-points before losing his Round of 16 match in the third set. Shirokow-Louden was playing in his first tournament, and though the loss was frustrating, he was happy to have the experience under his belt and now looks forward to several tournaments in July. Later in the day, Ben Furukawa ran up against stiff competition, but Tristan Prinz dismissed his quarterfinal opponent in short order before the two combined for a doubles win in the boys' 16's.
On the final day of play, Prinz opened up with a fine performance against a strong opponent. Play was tight, but Prinz gave no ground and eventually won several close games to finish out the first set and demoralize his opponent. In the second set, Prinz continued to break down his opponents game and took the second set 6-1, earning himself a berth in the Finals.
The Boys' 14's Final was played with great intensity and by the end of the first set, the fatigue of six matches in 48 hours was beginning to take its toll on Prinz. After losing the first set 6-3 and falling behind in the second, he made one last go at leveling the match, reaching 4-4 before succumbing to exhaustion and a strong opponent in the heat of the day. There would be retribution, however, as Prinz and Furukawa teamed up to win the Boys' 16's Doubles Final by a score of 6-1, 6-2.
Thorpe Tennis will next be in action at the Jack Kramer Northridge tournament July 11th-15th.
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