Sports Nutrition...

Recently, quite a few student athletes have approached me and expressed an interest in sports nutrition. Specifically they wonder what and how much to eat and when to eat it. This is very important for today's student athlete. I promise to address this issue in a future post and am certainly willing to work with individual athletes to help them achieve their personal goals. However, as for now, I am only able to recommend the Brazilian BBQ diet.

So tasty!
Too much eaten and nuff said...

NCAA Regional Brackets Announced...

In a bit of a surprise, the Clippers will face off in the first round against former ECC conference foe Adelphi University. Rounds 1 and 2 will be played at Queens College (NY) May 6th and 7th (click here for regional bracket).

If you are free, hop on the magic bus and come on over the Throgs Neck Bridge to QC and support the Clippers.

Nuff said...

Magical Mystery Tour...

Nuff said...

Coming soon to tennis courts near you...

Leaving Bronxville 5/7/10. Hop on board and enjoy the ride!

Nuff said...

Magic 8 Ball says...

Many Clipper Tennis fans have been asking me about our chances to win the 2010 NCAA National Men's Tennis Championship in May. Since there are so many factors involved, I feel it is best to consult a higher power, the Magic 8 Ball. Simply ask the Magic 8 ball your question and click on it for the answer.


Nuff said...

Athletic Banquet...

Tonight we celebrated athletics and the 2009-2010 year of the student athlete. In what I believe to be the most important athletic function of the year, Concordia held its Sports Awards Dinner, and a good time was had by all.

It is always nice to see the young adults dressed in vestments other than sweats and athletic gear and to present the accomplishments that they have achieved throughout the year. All teams were well represented and it truly has been a good year for sports teams in Clipperville.

As usual John Bahr prepared a fine message which proved to be inspirational. Also, a tasty meal was served just the way I like it...free!!! In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. "The time is always right to do what is right." I must admit that the hard working athletic department staff did a really nice job with the evening and made everyone in attendance feel like they are apart of something special here at the college.

As far as the tennis team is concerned, Coach Neil prepared and delivered his customary 30 minute presentation. Some joke about the length of the Tarangioli production was in the air but I really believe it is important to spend some time praising our tennis family for their many fine accomplishments over the course of the season. People should know about the greatness that they have achieved both on and off the court.

Of course the highlight of every athletic banquet is the presentation of the awards. Andreas Lindell was presented with the Male Freshman of the Year award. Andreas has had a terrific start to his career as a Clipper and we expect great things from him in the future. He is a special young man capable of great success. Also, Alex Grubin was awarded the highest honor the department awards a male student athlete, the Mickey Byrne Award. Always a pleasure to see the Murphy family in attendance to present this special honor. Alex truly deserves this award and we hope it is just the first of many honors to come his way in the next few weeks.

In addition, my new friend Yuliya Plevako of the women's tennis team was presented with the Female Freshman of the Year Award. Yuliya was become famous for her ability to win matches in speedy fashion.

Lastly, and something that is very special to me, Cristina Oliveira of the women's tennis team, received the Esther Petzke Rockhill Award for excellence in women's athletics. As you may have guessed, this award is named for my mother, who established a special tradition of athletics in the Christian tradition here at the college. I really love being able to present this award each year and am really quite pleased when it is presented to such a fine young woman like Cristina. I am very proud of my parents and their contributions to Concordia Athletics and hope that I am able to continue what they started in my own small way.

I seem to have created a monster with my "Magic Bus" theme. That being said, if you are looking for a hobby or for an athletic program to support, hop on the Magic Bus of CC Athletics.

Thanks and congratulations to all of the many fine student athletes and the faculty and staff lending their support. This college has provided so much for me and I really enjoy my mission here and being associated with you all. Best of luck to all graduating seniors. Be well.

I guess that is about all I have tonight.

Nuff said...

Magic Bus...

CACC Champs!!!

Hop on the Magic Bus and celebrate a CACC Championship. The Clippers traveled to Philadelphia once again and captured the title defeating Philadelphia University 5-0 (click here for boxscore).

This finally completes our undefeated 14-0 conference slate which translates into an overall CACC match record of 117-2, or as I like to call it 117-Dane (I am just saying). Philly U. came to play hard today and we are thankful for that. Coach Cha had the Rams fired up and inspired to give their best effort. That they did. We were able to sweep the doubles, but it certainly was the closest group of pro-sets of our three meetings on the year. Wasting little time, Tamas and Andreas cruised in singles to get us to the finish line in the race to five without yielding a point to our opponents. The Clippers were comfortably ahead on all other courts when the racquets went down signifying the victory.

With the Championship, Concordia will now have an automatic bid into the NCAA II tournament in May. It is expected that we will be the #1 seed in the region and a favorite to return to the National Final 16 in Orlando for the 6th consecutive year.

You have to hand it to the CACC as they kindly presented the team with individual plaques and watches as well as a team banner, trophy and plaque displaying our team photo. In addition, we were treated to cheese steaks after the match at Chubby's. Very tasty indeed and just what I needed after a day full of absolutely no exercise whatsoever.

A special thanks to Magic Bus riders Ivan and Erin. We are so pleased that you guys made the trip to lend support and witness the event. Thanks for all of your love and effort throughout the year. We could not enjoy such success without the contributions of the many folks in the athletic department and we hope to make you all proud going forward.

Next up for the Clippers is the annual athletic banquet tomorrow. This is a special event that allows us to celebrate all athletes and their contributions while representing the school. Congratulations in advance to you all and especially those winning major awards.
It has been a season that I will always remember. I have been so blessed over the years to be associated with so many fine folks, both players and staff. I will not soon forget the opportunity to meet and play a role in so many young people's lives. I hope that I have had a positive impact on this program that has meant so much to me. However, that being said we still have some work left to do this season. I hope that the proper dedication and preparation will lead us to our ultimate goal.
It's about time to say nuff said...
Nuff said...

Earth Day...

I am off to Philadelphia in just a short while for the CACC final. However, you do not have to be a Clipper tennis fan to respect the earth...our home. Yes that's right, today is Earth Day, a day to celebrate the environment. As a result, I wish you all a Happy Earth Day! Today is a special day to promote respect for life on earth and specifically to remember to do your part to prevent pollution of our land, air and water.

Be well everybody.Nuff said...

On to the final...

OK Clipper fans, get ready for the CACC final. We defeated USP for the second time in three days today 6-0 in one of the two CACC semi-final matches (click here for boxscore).

We will travel back to Philadelphia, PA for the CACC final which will be played on the campus of Chestnut Hill College. Philadelphia University, the #2 seed in the tournament, will be our opponent, as they easily defeated Chestnut Hill College 5-0 in today's other semi-final. In case you were wondering, we defeated PU twice already this season by the scores of 8-1 and 9-0.

With a CACC tournament championship, we would receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in May. Of course, being the #1 team in the region, we are a sure bet (D5*L) to receive an at large bid even with an unlikely loss Thursday. In any case, we hope to return to Bronxville with a banner, the watches, a plaque, a trophy and a full stomach courtesy of Pat's King of Steaks.

Today's match was also the last home match for senior Alex Grubin. As usual, he did not disappoint. Alex won both singles and doubles allowing only two games on the day. Join me in congratulating Alex on a great career as a Clipper and lets hope there is more good tennis yet to come culminating in an NCAA II National Championship in May.

Thanks Alex for all of your contributions. Best of luck in the future.

Nuff said...

There is always hope with Pope...

One of the great things about being apart of the Concordia Tennis family is that I meet so many terrific talented people along the way. One such person is Christopher Pope. Chris has served the college as professor of photography, and also graciously provides the athletic department with top-notch professional photographs of athletes in competition.

For your enjoyment, you can view the Pope Photography web page by clicking on the logo above or here. In order to view hundreds of Concordia Tennis pics simply click on the "Order Photos" toggle and type in "Tennis", select "Concordia College Men's Tennis 2010", type in your e-mail and get ready to view the proofs.

If you see any that you like and would like to have a copy for yourself, by all means feel-free to contact Chris and order them. If you have any questions, let me know and I will help you obtain what you need.

Thanks so much Chris for all that you do for us!

Nuff said...

CACC Tournament Preview...

Tomorrow begins the CACC Men's Tennis post season tournament. Click here for the official tournament preview.

In addition, Raphael Namias was named CACC Player of the Week (Click here for press release).

Nuff said...

20 wins...

Good news folks, I get to announce a twenty win season. We were able to win two more matches today, going 3-0 for the weekend, to eclipse the 20 win mark. In our morning match we defeated the University of the Sciences (PA) 9-0 (click here for boxscore).

The Clippers welcomed back Andreas today for the doubles and thus we were able to return to our normal pairings. Racking up points early and often, we swept all three positions allowing only two games to USP. Resting Alex and Andreas for the morning singles, we were still able to gather all six matches completing the shutout. As usual, USP fought to the finish and demonstrated the good sportsmanship. It is now likely that we will face them for the third time this season on Tuesday back on our courts in the semi-final of the CACC.

After a short break and a some team pizza, we faced off against NCAA I Bryant University. We have been looking forward to playing BU as we knew that they would bring a competitive team to Bronxville for the match. Once again we started fast and swept the doubles. The singles matches proved to be competitive in a few spots but we were still able to finish the day on the plus side of an
8-1 score (click here for boxscore).

Today's action completes the regular season slate. All in all a pretty good campaign for the Clippers. We will now turn our attention to the CACC post season tournament which begins on Tuesday 4/20. We will be the #1 seed and host our semi-final match. With a win, we will advance to the final which will be held on the campus of Chestnut Hill College Thursday 4/22.

More than ever, it is now time for the coaching staff to best prepare the team for post season success. We have set goals and hope to achieve them. However, this will not occur without effort, sacrifice and togetherness...a little luck will help as well.

Please come join us on Tuesday and support the team. This match is a special one as it will be Alex's last home match as a Clipper. As all of you who read this blog know, Alex has meant so much to this program and this college. It will be nice to have a chance to celebrate his achievements. Stop by and see Alex play one last time and wish him good luck in his future. If you have some time, say hello to Coach Dano too.

Nuff said...

Long day, good win...

Well, six hours in the van did not prevent the Clippers from defeating #8 NCAA III Amherst College 7-2 (click here for boxscore) on the campus of Hampshire College. Thankfully, the match was moved to the indoor facility, which usually favors our boys, so the cold and rainy conditions did not prevent the match from being played.

Amherst, coached by former ATP player Chris Garner, gave us exactly what we needed, a good fight. As we prepare for the NCAA tournament in a few weeks, we certainly appreciated good competition and some ability to gain match toughness. Most notably, Alex Grubin is starting to regain the good form in spite of some nagging tendinitis about the knee joint. We hope Alex will continue to find his good tennis and regain his rightful spot atop the D II rankings.

Unfortunately, we were without Andreas today as he was suffering from flu-like symptoms. As a result, Shaolin was called upon to step in and fill the #6 position as well as to team up with Tamas at 3rd doubles. Having never played together, they struggled and lost a tough 8-6 pro-set. However, Shao showed his continued improvement and won his match handily in the singles 6-4, 6-3.

The only tough spot of the day was #3 singles as Felix Missal dropped his match in a match tie-breaker, played in lieu of a third set, 11-9. Felix did experience the good side of the tie breaker earlier in the doubles as he and Raphael squeaked by at 2nd 9-8.

No rest again for the team as we will play two matches Sunday, which is now today, and I am running late for as a result of scripting this blog at this very moment. First up at 10:30am is our last CACC match vs. the University of the Sciences in PA followed by NCAA I Bryant University in the afternoon. Perhaps I will have some time later in the day to finish my laundry.

Stop by and spend some of this gorgeous day at the tennis center supporting the fellas. Feel free to visit with Coach Dano as well.

Nuff said...

Signed...

That's right folks, the next superstar has signed and will be ready to pick up where J-Wall left off. Brandon Knight committed to Kentucky today and helps to ease the sting of a disappointing loss to West Virginia just a few short weeks ago.

Knight has been ranked as the #1 overall recruit for 2010 and is the third player signed by Coach Cal and company so far for the fall. Of course, with the possible departure of five players and projected lottery picks in the upcoming NBA draft, the wildcats needed to reload. Knight joins fellow recruits Enes Kanter and Stacey Poole with more expected in the near future. I will not be surprised if the Cats end up with the #1 class when all is said and done.

I am already looking forward to next season. Go Cats!!!

Nuff said...

We had the Reunz (Henning), he had the runs...

In a recent interview, Yankee relief pitcher Chan Ho Park explains why he had a rough outing in his first appearance, much to the amusement of teammates Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera.

I guess there is more to the game than what is between the lines and between the ears. It's also between the cheeks...



Yikes! Nuff said...

We are streaking...

In the words of Frank "The Tank" from Old School, "come on...we're streaking." Yes indeed, after a disappointing loss to St. John's University last week we are back to our winning ways.

Our fourth win in a row was registered Monday 4/12 versus Queens College, ranked #2 in the NCAA II East Region. Sadly, we really didn't display our best effort and best tennis, yet we were still able to come up victorious 8-1 (click here for boxscore). Queens did come ready to play and should be commended for their energy and effort, but I was quite upset with our level of interest in the match. We will certainly need to apply ourselves, both coaches and players, if we are to do anything special in the weeks to come.
Today we extended the winning streak to five with a lop-sided victory over Post 9-0 (click here for boxscore). This extends our CACC record to a perfect 11-0. I am sure that this will please Kasper and that he will likely post a hearty congratulations to us on Facebook.
In other news, Alex Grubin was named CACC Player of the Week and Andreas Lindell was named CACC Rookie of the Week for the third time. Congratulations to both players.
We will be back on the courts this weekend as we will travel to Amherst to play last year's NCAA III runner-up on Saturday. With little rest, we have a double-header scheduled for the next day, Sunday, featuring our last CACC match versus the University of the Sciences in the morning, followed by NCAA I Bryant University in the afternoon.
With any luck, the beautiful spring weather will continue and plenty of you will stop by the MTC to watch some of the good tennis. As always, pop by and visit Coach Dano.
Nuff said...

10 - 0 CACC...

The weekend ended on a good note with the Clippers registering another 9-0 win over Bloomfield College (click here for boxscore). With the beautiful weather present we played the entire match in the out-of-doors and enjoyed the afternoon.

Today's win completed the season sweep over the Bloomfield racquetmen and brought our CACC record to a clean 10-0. With just two conference matches remaining on the schedule, the Clippers have clinched the regular season title and will have the #1 seed, and thus, the home courts in the CACC tournament semifinal 4/20.

In another nice treat, we had a little post match team pizza and some soccer/volleyball on the tennis court. As the welt on Shoalin's rear end will clearly indicate, it is not fun to lose to Andrey.

We are back on the home courts tomorrow versus Queens College with a early start time of 2:30pm. The Knights boast a 12-1 overall record and are currently ranked #2 in the East Region by the NCAA and the ITA. We are looking forward to the challenge Coach Schwartz will bring to Bronxville.

Hope to see you there. Pass by and say hello to Coach Dano and enjoy the good tennis.

Nuff said...

Daily Double...

We traveled to Philadelphia for two matches today, both of which we won handily. Our long day started at 7:00am with breakfast finely catered by John from the local deli. Of course, he was just slightly late with the food so we got on the road a bit behind schedule. We arrived at Philadelphia University for our morning match in time to get in a brief warm-up, and naturally, Coach Neil's inspirational speech. Still stinging from Thursday's tough loss, we got off to a quick start and never looked back, scoring a 9-0 win over the Rams (click here for boxscore).

Importantly, the doubles was a bit improved and we got back to making the good choices. We will need to continue that practice if we expect to succeed at the national level.

After a short lunch break, we were off to nearby Chestnut Hill College. Thanks to the GPS, and some decent written directions, we were able to find the courts located on this beautiful campus loaded with lovely spring foliage.

Even though we had easily defeated CHC just a week ago in Bronxville, the netmen from the Hill, really came to play and gave a very strong and respectable effort today. An effort that this coach certainly appreciated, took notice of and wishes all other CACC teams mirrored. However, our talent eventually overwhelmed their enthusiasm and we completed the match with an 8-1 win (click here for boxscore). Unfortunately, Dane was the lone unlucky loser on the day at #6 singles as he ran into a tough opponent this afternoon. This time out, Dane had a little trouble controlling the topspin, the topspin...

We were also treated to a nice BBQ that some CHC parents hosted during and after the match. Many thanks to those folks, who were extremely kind and generous to our group. They certainly added to our experience and made the day more enjoyable. Thanks again!


We return to the home courts tomorrow to face CACC opponent Bloomfield College. First serve is scheduled for 11:00am. We continue to be undefeated in the CACC with a 9-0 record in our inaugural season and hope to continue the streak tomorrow. Hope to see you all there and don't forget to stop by and say hello to Coach Dano.

Nuff said...

Tough loss...

Well folks, we were finally defeated by our NCAA I opponent St. John's University 4-3 (click here for boxscore).

I certainly had my concerns about this match as St. John's was a much tougher team than what we had been playing since our spring break time in Florida in early March. As a result, it was difficult for our guys to play to their best level. This is understandable.

Also, the loss served as a good lesson to us all that we will have to practice and prepare much better in the future if we expect to compete for the NCAA II title in May. Frankly, there were absolutely some great things displayed on the court but unfortunately, for whatever reason, we had several instances of poor choice making as well. These choices at inopportune moments cost us the match.

The good news is that we still have time to get back to work and return to the good tennis so as to be hungry and ready for the championship events to come.

We will travel back to Philadelphia, PA tomorrow to play two Saturday matches versus Philadelphia University @ 11:00am and Chestnut Hill College @ 3pm. Who knows, if we play well, maybe a trip back to Pat's King of Steaks...

Nuff said...

Canada's Greatest Athlete...

A clean sweep...

Well for the first time in my coaching career we won an entire match without allowing a single game to the opponents. In fact, we did it twice! Yes that's right, we beat Caldwell College twice today 9-0 without allowing a single game in either match (Match #1 Boxscore)(Match #2 Boxscore).

We will travel to St. John's University tomorrow to see my friend and Red Storm coach Eric Rebhuhn and play a completely different level of competition. It will certainly be a challenge for the players to raise their level tomorrow and defeat our NCAA I opponent.

We have defeated St. John's the last two years 5-4 in 2008 and 6-3 in 2009. If we are able to continue the good tennis and win, we will extend our spring match winning streak to 11.

Nuff said...

Clippers defeat USP...

To quote an old favorite, Bob Murphy, former play-by-play announcer for the New York Mets, it's another happy recap as we win another CACC match 9-0 over USP (click here for box score).

However, the trip was enhanced by a detour to downtown Philadelphia to Pat's King of Steaks for an authentic eating experience...just slightly better than John's version at Eastchester's own Bon Appetite Delicatessen.


We take to the home courts today for a CACC double-header versus Caldwell College with match times at 3pm and 5pm. Hope to see you there!

Nuff said...

Nice arm...

Sailing to Philadelphia...

We are off to Philadelphia this morning to take on CACC foe The University of the Sciences. We will get on the road at 11:30am for the three hour drive and hope for minimal traffic so as to make the match at 3:00pm. I am not sure that the match time will eclipse the driving time.

We look to go 5-0 in the CACC...



Wish us luck.

Nuff said...

We had the Ruenz...

An update on recent grad and former Clipper netman Henning Ruenz...

Henning Ruenz (’09) recently sent the following comments: "I am proud to say that the education provided by Concordia was very satisfactory and prepared me well for life in the "competitive open market." I attribute this to the small class sizes that Concordia offers, which allow a more personal and interactive teaching style. In the professional but student-oriented class sessions, I benefited from both the theoretical and practical knowledge of the professors."

"As an international student from Germany, I felt warmly welcomed from the first moment. I am especially grateful for the support of my English teacher—enabling me to build a strong language basis to excel throughout my studies. Also, being part of the Fellows Program and the tennis team further enriched my Concordia experience. Looking back, I am very happy to have chosen Concordia College as it not only helped me grow academically, but also personally."

Last summer, Ruenz interned at the global headquarters of Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, Germany. He worked for a Director of Product Management, completing assignments in market analysis and brand portfolio planning. This summer, Ruenz has a marketing internship at Henkel, the consumer products company in Düsseldorf.

Ruenz is in the midst of pursuing a Masters in International Management from ESADE/CEMS in Barcelona, Spain. There he was recognized as one of the school’s top students and this fall will attend the London School of Economics—among the world’s elite business schools. Concordia Business Chair Kit Nagel comments, "We’re delighted that Henning will attend the LSE; his strong undergraduate work here in International Management clearly prepared him well. He is a fine individual and this is an unprecedented achievement for a Concordia graduate."

Please join me in congratulating Henning, keep up the good work.

Nuff said...

A Happy Easter...

Please join me in celebration of Christ's Resurrection on this Easter Sunday. What a beautiful day in the Bronxville, NY area. I hope you all are well and I wish everyone peace today and everyday forward.

I will certainly enjoy this day off with a lovely feast, praise and probably a nice nap in the out-of-doors.

May God continue to bless you all.

Nuff said...

We take offense...

Those in attendance today at the MTC were treated to another CACC win over Chestnut Hill College 9-0 (click here for box score).

The Clipper staff was a little edgy today for a variety of reasons and asked the players to make a bit of a statement. Often times it is difficult for the players to get mentally excited to play matches against inferior opponents (oops, my bad, sorry if I have hurt feelings by printing that). However the team meant business today and made quick work of the Hill.

Concordia started quickly in all three doubles matches and cruised to a 3-0 start allowing just a total of three games in the three pro sets. Games we tough to come by for our opponents today as the singles lineup decided that they wanted to get to Chalana's Brazilian Buffet for some tasty BBQ. All six courts won in straight sets to end the affair in shutout fashion.

Andreas Lindell continued to play the good tennis and is having a nice start to his college tennis career. I look forward to seeing his improvement as his game matures as he should have a bright future here. He is making a habit of being the first player off the court with a win.

It was nice to see so many supporters out at the courts today including former Clippers Henning Ruenz, Vlad Malkin, Kela and Teza Simunyola, and well of course, me.

We will travel to Philadelphia Tuesday to play the University of the Sciences. Match time is scheduled for 3pm.

Nuff said...

Streaking...

Good day and sorry for the delay. A little neck strain has kept me away from the computer. However, I know you all have been eagerly awaiting a post keeping you abreast of the recent happenings.

Philadelphia University visited Bronxville 3/27 and were rudely sent home with an 8-1 defeat (click here for the box score). After sweeping the doubles easily, we let Andrey and Alex sit out the singles and thus challenged the balance of the lineup to step up and win at higher spots. This proved not to be a problem as most everyone won in easy fashion. Not sure my buddy and Philly's head coach Cha Goods appreciated that we sat Alex and Andrey but you gotta earn the right to play Mr. Grubin and Mr. Boldarev by fielding a competitive squad when you show up to play and witness the Clippers...

The day after we traveled to Brookdale Park in NJ to battle Bloomfield College, another CACC powerhouse. Fielding a squad of fully funded soccer players, the Bloomfield racquetmen were defeated 9-0 (click her for box score) in, what I believe to be a record time, 51 minutes from handshake to handshake. It was nice to have the rest of the weekend off I must say...

These big wins propelled Felix Missal to be named CACC Player of the Week and Andreas Lindell CACC Rookie of the Week. Congrats to both players.

In our third match in 5 days Post University came to Bronxville. Post, another CACC foe, was also sent home with a 9-0 loss (click here for results).

I gotta say however, we have been pleasantly greeted with nothing but the best sportsmanship from our new opponents in the CACC and look forward to a wonderful future and a rediculously long winning streak in the conference, as long as I have anything to do with Concordia Tennis.

Tomorrow 4/3 we will take on Chestnut Hill College, another CACC opponent at home with a 1:30pm start. I hope to see you there. As always, stop in and say hello to ol' coach Dano. Former Clipper netman Henning Rrrrrrruenz is in the area and will be in attendance. Perhaps even a steak dinner in the future...

Be well all and Happy Easter!

Nuff said...