Magic makes the "Y"...

A little John Wall dance too...

Ocean Gallery or Bust...

If you believe in the power of prayer, put you hands together as the team is scheduled to fly to Florida tomorrow 2/27 at 8am. A quick check of the weather in Saint Augustine, FL reveals temps only in the high 50's and low 60's, which is below normal for this time of the year. However, I can't complain as I would rather swing a tennis racquet and not a snow shovel.

I can only hope that the good folks at Jet Blue will have the ability to get us on a plane and in the air to our destination. With any good fortune, I will be in the jacuzzi at this time tomorrow. Woo hoo.

Nuff said...

Clippers win opening match...

The Clippers will take the court for the first time this season, today 2/21/2010, versus NCAA I Monmouth University. First serve is scheduled for 2pm.

Check back during the match for live updates...

Doubles:

#1 Alex Grubin / Andrey Boldarev CC def. Laurence Heads / David Sherwood MU 8-3
#2 Tamas Dobrotka / Andreas Lindell CC def. Harvey Bhalla / Oliver Grimbly MU 8-2
#3 Felix Missal / Raphael Namias CC def. MU by default

Concordia leads 3-0 after the doubles. Order of finish (3,2,1).

Singles:

#1 Dobrotka CC def. Heads MU 6-3, 1-0 ret.
#2 Namias CC def. Sherwood MU 6-3, 6-0
#3 Missal CC def. Bhalla MU 6-1, 6-3
#4 Lindell CC def. Ben Dashiell MU 6-1, 6-2
#5 Dane Ostilly CC def. Grimbly MU 6-0, 7-6 (11-9)
#6 Shaolin Chandam CC def. MU by default

Order of finish (6,1,3,4,2,5)
Match score 9-0 Concordia
Season record 1-0

Nuff said...

Shaolin Chandam

Concordia welcomes Shaolin Chandam to it's tennis team for the spring 2010 season. Hailing from India, Shaolin boasts a current All India Tennis Association (AITA) ranking of #142 nationally.

Shaolin, a crafty left-hander, is expected to add depth to the Clipper lineup and should be in line for plenty of playing time.

Nuff said...

It's a girl...

Congratulations to the entire Grubin family as Alex's brother Mirko and wife were recently blessed with the arrival of a baby girl. Zoja Grubin was born at 8 pounds, 2 ounces and is reportedly doing well.

Alex is very excited about the new edition to the family and will now be introduced in the lineup as Uncle Alex Grubin.

Alex truly is a Family Guy.

Nuff said...

Let the games begin...

2/10/2010

The outlook is bad for outdoor tennis anytime soon...

Recruiting trip to San Juan...

Hola! Making the extreme sacrifice, I have traveled south to the island of Puerto Rico and am staying in San Juan. Of course, as far as the IRS is concerned, I make this trip to search out the best prospective student athletes to fortify my team for next season. Yeah sure, a deductible recruiting trip, wouldn’t that be swell.

Of course, I know that the team is happy as Coach Tarangioli has taken over the conditioning sessions. In his advanced age, the "kinder and gentler" Coach Neil has emerged and is quite a bit softer on the fellas than yours truly. In any event, the fitness program, laden with plyometric drills and a heck of a lot of running, is just what we need to escalate our conditioning to a level comparable with the top teams in the nation.

Time sure flies. It is already approaching mid February. It is hard to believe that many of the southern teams will begin their slate this week. This, of course, is quite a disadvantage to us as they are able to play in the out-of-doors while we are not able to do so until we arrive in Florida for our spring trip...just two days prior to our first match versus the number two squad in the country, Barry University.

It is truly an exciting time for a new team equipped with several new players from many lands. It has been quite enjoyable to see the group bond together, and also, to witness their progress on the court.

A few items of note:

We will travel down to Queens College on Friday, 2/19 to see our friend Coach Schwartz and his players for a pre-season festival of tennis. We have been competing in practice against ourselves but it will be good for the players to get some sets in with another team. Also, we have our season and home opener scheduled for Sunday, 2/21 versus Monmouth College, with the action scheduled to begin at 2pm. The Clippers were able to coast past the Muhawks, coached by my old college foe, Mickey Cook, last season 7-0. As the superbowl will mark the completion of the NFL season this Sunday, 2/7, I expect that you all will have plenty of Sunday time to stop by the Meyers Tennis Center and support the team. Hope to see you there.

Hasta luego, nuff said...