tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34699840260494147022024-03-05T19:37:04.743-05:00the lines are still good...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.comBlogger363125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-54983717189533246422016-12-24T12:30:00.003-05:002016-12-24T12:31:15.397-05:00Merry Christmas 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a long strange trip it's been...<br />
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Perhaps there are still some old loyal followers out there that know I have been inactive with respect to this blog. I apologize for such a lack of entertainment. That being said, what better way to make a comeback?! A Christmas greeting!!!<br />
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I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the peace of the season knowing Jesus, the greatest gift of all.<br />
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Just a little something for you to enjoy...<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-65522868404582093392016-07-16T19:02:00.002-04:002016-07-16T19:09:38.890-04:00So long college tennis...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />I got involved with college tennis as a way to honor my parents who were both professors and coaches back in the 1960's and also to give back to the program and coach that provided so much for me. I started with a dream of taking a team to the National "Sweet 16". However, once we got there and I saw what it took to win a National Championship, it looked possible and that became my goal. I thought for a long time that I must have one. However, over time, I realized that it is more important to focus on building champions rather than winning championships and that relationships are far more important than achievements. Thus, a stronger purpose became clear. I was here to love, serve, care for and lead my teams. However, now begins a new path…<div>
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<b>I am a very blessed person!</b> I have had the opportunity to meet and be a part of so many people’s lives from all over the world. Who knows if that’s been a good thing for them, but I know it has been for me. Recently, the “Magic Bus” made it’s last stop and my college tennis coaching career came to an abrupt halt. I will not bore you with the suggested reasoning but suffice to say that unfortunately, the sponsorship of college tennis teams (and perhaps athletics in general) is decreasing around the country. Some for good reason, some not so much. I am so richly blessed to have had 17 great years as a tennis coach. Who knew a game could provide such great purpose in life and so much fulfillment? I will fondly maintain 17 years of great memories (too many to list them all):</div>
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· Our first time qualifying for the National final 16. As our team was introduced at the banquet you could hear a pin drop </div>
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· The many team trips </div>
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· Coach Simon Earnshaw taking me on a tour of Savannah when he probably had many better ways to spend his time </div>
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· Kamilė Kupčinskaitė’s winner and subsequent smile of jubilation </div>
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· Players making life-long friendships with each other </div>
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· Attending the weddings of former players </div>
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· Watching the players become great fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and employees </div>
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· Observing player development (Ton Pham) </div>
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· Speaking with players about Christ and watching their faith grow. Some being introduced to Him for the first time </div>
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· The many good choices made </div>
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· John Cassas and “The Plan” </div>
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· Battles with the players on the court. So many with Cristiano Borrelli. Most of which I won of course. Not to mention Coach Neil and I beating Borrelli and Christian Tiongko in “the match” </div>
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· The community service activities and players understanding their importance </div>
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· The Andreas Lindell smash to the back wall and the many battles with officials. Some with their shirts being worn inside out. </div>
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· Indian buffets </div>
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· My first team misbehaving at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Philly. </div>
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· Kirill Azovtsev shade vs shave </div>
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· The alumni USTA summer teams </div>
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· ITA National Championships </div>
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· Too many losses to Barry in the National Semifinals </div>
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· The alumni golfing group </div>
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· Joe Giamboi (Joseph John) and Shaolin Chandam </div>
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The list goes on and on and I am so grateful for all of them… </div>
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Thanks to all of the coaches, friends, administrators and especially the players that made this all worthwhile. There have been so many of you and I appreciate your support. In addition, there is no way I could have done any of this without the support and love of my family. Guess what, I will be around a lot more so prepare yourselves. Special thanks to Adeline Brennan for her great contributions and listening to me go nuts at times. Also, thanks to my brother in coaching, Craig Schwartz, so many good times and coaching growth together along the way. You will be one of the best in the game for years to come. Lastly, my sincere gratitude to Coach Neil Tarangioli. Everything I know about tennis I learned from you. You have been honest, supportive, caring and successful without losing sight of the important things. A great teacher and pal. You have built an incredible legacy with so little appreciation, that nobody can tarnish even though they may try. You are in my Hall of Fame. </div>
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I am so proud of the accomplishments. I tried my best to love, serve, care and lead for God’s sake. I think I put my players first. My hope was to leave this thing better than how I found it. Do not feel sad for me. Most relationships of this kind have a beginning and an end. This was simply my time and the time was right, make no mistake about it. </div>
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I wish you all much love and success going forward and I will be following you just like always. </div>
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So long Sammy, see you in Miami… </div>
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It’s been a privilege playing with you… </div>
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May God bless you all!</div>
Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-10325967910298259512016-04-03T12:47:00.003-04:002016-05-09T20:06:49.485-04:00Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am not sure if there are any coaches out there who love winning tennis matches more than I do. I am not a great fan of losing either but if we learn from a loss, that can often be of more value than some wins.<br />
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That being said, these days, I get the most pleasure as a coach, from watching the personal growth of players. I sometimes feel that my players are not given enough credit and appreciation for all that they do. Truthfully, it probably bothers me more than them. The reality is that they do a lot and I am proud of them.<br />
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Essentially, only 5% of what we do is play tennis matches! Yet, this is often what the players are known for or recognized for. The other 95% is what really makes them great. What I like to call "the process". Most coaches know this but most non-coaches do not. Yes, we do win many tennis matches but that does not happen by accident. "Those at the top of the mountain did not simply get dropped off there." It's the 95% that got them there.<br />
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Life is really all about the the relationships made and the people served. God has put us all on the earth to help others that He has placed in our path, for his glory. This early in life understanding of this notion by many of my players has me most proud and reinforces why I do what I do. Sometimes this old coach has a bad day, or shall we say some bad moments in a given day, and forgets "the why", so I am blessed to have such a reminder.<br />
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Some of our recent service activities are:<br />
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<li>Delivering hearty meals to those community members in need who would otherwise not be able to provide for themselves via "<i><b><a href="http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/?gclid=CjwKEAjw_oK4BRDym-SDq-aczicSJAC7UVRtACltWiCCspymqVpPAQPP3xLtZj10aKLo4toLbTs2KhoCTdfw_wcB">Meals of Wheels</a></b></i>".</li>
<li>Set up for, prepared and served the community Thanksgiving dinner at <a href="http://www.oursaviourbronx.org/">Our Savior Lutheran Church</a> in Bronx, NY.</li>
<li>Set up for, prepared and served a fantastic feast at the <a href="http://www.stanthonyshelter.org/">St. Anthony's Shelter</a> for the homeless in Bronx, NY.</li>
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I am so fortunate that the players understand how important service is and that they have an ability to positively affect other people's lives. Perhaps more important is that they are learning that they have had, and continue to have, so many blessings in their lives that so many others do not. Further, they are understanding gratitude for these blessings and for their providers.<br />
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I am so thankful for this and for those helping us along our way to the top of the mountain. A special thanks to Concordia College's Director of Student Activities and Spiritual Life, Elizabeth Wagner.<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-47423007586916293432015-07-24T21:24:00.001-04:002015-07-24T21:28:58.841-04:00Concordia Tennis Earns ITA All-Academic Awards - Concordia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.concordiaclippers.com/information/news/2014-15/7-21-15">Concordia Tennis Earns ITA All-Academic Awards</a>Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-21642228744554436422015-05-30T19:20:00.003-04:002015-05-30T19:20:38.364-04:00All Americans...<br />
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<a href="http://www.itatennis.com/AboutITA/News/ITA_Announces_2015_All-America_Teams_for_NCAA_Division_II_Tennis.htm">ITA All Americans announced.</a>Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-16183128808654947362015-05-30T19:09:00.001-04:002015-05-30T19:11:29.555-04:00Final Rankings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.concordiaclippers.com/information/news/2014-15/5-28-15">Men’s Tennis Finishes Season Ranked 8th by ITA; Women’s Program Now 26th in DII - Concordia</a>Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-37585230126342752262015-05-08T07:03:00.001-04:002015-05-08T07:06:53.565-04:00ITA East Regional Awards<br />
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<a href="http://www.concordiaclippers.com/information/news/2014-15/5-7-15#.VUyXqiYCgaQ.blogger">Concordia Tennis Programs Capture Eight of the 14 ITA Division II East Regional Awards - Concordia</a>Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-74485681616882623652015-01-01T10:28:00.004-05:002015-01-03T08:37:05.215-05:00Happy New Year 2015<br />
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Welcome 2015!<br />
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Happy New Year everyone! Time flies. It’s so hard for me to believe that the year 2015 is here already. It seems like only very recent history when everyone was talking about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problem">Y2K</a> and fearing that the world was coming to an end January 1, 2000. I remember the high level of concern (perhaps hysteria) that all computers would fail as the technological year would reset to 00 and would render all financial institutions and government computers helpless to accurately account for anything. Thankfully we survived and here we are welcoming 2015.<br />
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The advent of a new calendar year often brings a multitude of New Year’s Resolutions. In fact, close to 90% of all adults make these promises to do such acts of self-improvement. So far this year, I have heard the usual notions of weight loss and improved fitness (something that I can identify with well), a vow of improved manners like opening doors for others, drinking less alcohol, studying more, making better choices...the list is endless. Unfortunately, the majority of these resolutions and good intentions fall by the wayside before the end of January. I clearly see this every year at my local gym, <a href="http://phoenixfit.com/">Phoenix Fitness</a>. Phoenix becomes so crowded just after the turn of the year with those vowing to get in shape. However, by the time February arrives, attendance normalizes, the mob of resolution-makers thins out and I can actually find a vacant treadmill so as to attempt a shedding of my unwanted girth.<br />
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A few years ago, thanks to author <a href="http://www.jongordon.com/index.html">Jon Gordon</a>, I was introduced to an alternative, I simply select just <a href="http://getoneword.com/">“one word “</a> and have that serve as the focus of my year. I gave it a try and found it to be very rewarding, so I would like to share this experience with all of you for 2015. I am in the process of instituting this with my teams, local tennis family and really anyone who is willing to listen and participate. All are welcome to partake. I am excited to see the results. Feel-free to share your “one word” in the comment section of this blog posting or contact me via email, Twitter, Facebook or better still, in person. I will include your word in my planned display, anonymously of course.<br />
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In case you are interested, for 2013 I selected: <b><i>“Purpose”</i></b>. For 2014, I selected <b><i>“Service”</i></b>. For 2015, I have selected <b><i>“Faith”</i></b>.<br />
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I hope that 2015 is the best year of your life. Don't waste even one minute of it. <b>Love more, serve more, and care more.</b> <br />
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I look forward to being with you soon. God's Blessings to all of you.<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-75671856187804177392014-12-25T09:57:00.003-05:002015-01-01T10:43:33.354-05:00Merry Christmas 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Merry Christmas from balmy New York. It certainly will not be a “White Christmas” today here in the Bronxville area as temperatures are forecasted to approach the 60 degree mark. Perhaps not so festive but no anticipated travel difficulties nor any shoveling to undertake.<br />
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In any case, I would like to extend my most sincere Christmas greetings and also wish you God’s endless blessings not only today but throughout the year. Of course, the best Christmas present ever received is the gift of Jesus Christ which is an everlasting gift. <br />
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Enjoy the balance of 2014 and I look forward to being with all of you soon...<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-13400717102365386532014-10-29T22:12:00.003-04:002014-10-29T22:15:54.769-04:00More joy...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who will be the next two?<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-14161613504725642472014-08-12T22:48:00.000-04:002014-08-12T22:48:30.048-04:00ALS Ice Bucket Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-60738552583520748372014-02-09T22:30:00.003-05:002014-02-09T22:45:52.469-05:00A Start...<br />
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Well we are off to a good start folks. In case you missed it, your Clippers defeated the Fordham University Rams yesterday at the Meyers Tennis Center <a href="http://www.itatennis.com/AwardsAndRankings/Results_Entry/LatestResults.htm">9-0</a> registering the first of hopefully many wins this season.<br />
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One of the big challenges this year will be the formation of our doubles teams. The last few seasons our teams have been pretty consistent. However, with the graduation of Andreas, David and Andrey, new pairs need to be identified. Thankfully, Dani and Benas have stepped up and become a formidable squad that are capable of competing with the best teams in the country as demonstrated by their great fall and current #1 doubles ranking in the country. With the addition of Rafa, Ofir and Pulat we have players to choose from but we need to find some chemistry for the remaining two doubles teams. Something tells me that we will do some experimenting as the season begins. With any good luck we will find three and maybe even four solid pairs. That being said, what we wrote down in the book yesterday seemed to work pretty well as we swept the three doubles points.<br />
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Our good fortune continued in the singles and we were able to grab all six points for the match sweep. It was nice to see Ofir and Rafa successful in their debuts. We will need both players to make significant contributions for us to continue our recent success. As you can see by clicking on the (9-0) above, the scores were pretty one-sided this match. I have to be honest, I am really not sure if this was due to our great play or a less than enthusiastic performance from Coach Neil's Alma mater. It seemed to me as though the Rams were not inspired from the moment they arrived in the building. I certainly feel for Coach Brzov, my friend and former USTA summer league partner, as he has his work cut out for him to get his team to reach its potential. I hope he can use his tennis smarts to get these guys on track. I believe that he can and will do just that.<br />
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With respect to our performance I was certainly happy with the result at #1 doubles as Dani and Beni were solid and defeated a good pair. I would like to see them get back to playing with the high energy as they did in the fall but sometimes a one-sided match takes some of that away. I think that our new guys playing in their first collegiate matches showed their talent and promise but also some opening day jitters. Pulat, Ofir and Rafa have plenty of experience so I expect that they will get comfortable with match play quickly and become tough outs anywhere in the lineup that they are asked to play. I am really proud of Juuso. He has made a great leap and is a legitimate #1 singles player in the division. He works as hard as anyone on and off the court and his results demonstrate this. Great things are in store for this young man. Benas is also very hungry to compete and aspires to be the best he can be. He is one of the guys that could play at the top for us at this point. In addition, Ricky picked up two wins for us and looks ready to have a good senior campaign. He is playing with more confidence and we are counting on him a lot this year.<br />
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I hope that this team continues to gel and play for each other. We really need all eight players working hard and pushing each other to be the best. At this time we have not achieved this. We are close but not quite there. I have tried several tactics to accomplish this and I will keep trying until I get it right. I have been doing a lot of reading and have a new approach that I hope works for us. Time will tell.<br />
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On another front, it was nice to have a solid amount of fan support at the match. Included in the group was former AASU Pirate Dan Regan and NYIT Coach Chris Frusci. Great to have them in Bronxville. <br />
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Next up will be Merrimack Saturday 2/22 at 2:30pm. Hope to see you there. Coach Neil is sneaking up on his 500th win with the men's team and that will be an amazing day in the history of Concordia athletics.<br />
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Until we meet again, God Bless You and be well.<br />
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Nuff said...<br />
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<br />Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-51512603193962774422014-02-06T18:55:00.000-05:002014-02-06T18:55:38.466-05:00How much longer?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-55035897876914417412014-01-25T11:50:00.001-05:002014-01-25T12:26:41.973-05:00Getting Better...<div>
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Two questions that I often think about are: <i style="font-weight: bold;">What are you going to do today that will make us a better team? </i>And,<b style="font-style: italic;"> how can you make the others around you better? </b>These apply to players and coaches alike.</div>
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I will not bore you all with the specific answers as they are proprietary Clipper coaching secrets and are really aside from my point to a degree. My contention is that it is of vital importance that any team with aspirations of great success have these thoughts on their mind each and every day. Thomas Edison wrote that "vision without execution is hallucination." Most players and coaches have a vision. I would even suggest that most have a strong desire to accomplish great things. However, as we all know, talk is cheap and actions speak far louder than words. Essentially, the best players and teams don’t just think about their desire for greatness, they act on it. They are willing to do what it takes to be great and their success is easily measured by examining the work and effort put forth.<br />
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So, generically speaking, how does one get better and make teammates better? I would suggest that one person in pursuit of excellence raises the standards of everyone around them. Further, show up and do the ordinary things better than everyone else by practicing, focusing and improving everyday on the little things. Demonstrate a standard to others that leads the way and do not accept anything less from teammates. The great thing about this is that people will not only remember you for your great accomplishments on the court but also for your contributions that helped the others around you. Believe it or not, the latter will last longer in other's memories.<br />
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If we have focused practice and preparation each day, each week, and each month we will have remarkable results and the success in matches will take care of itself. I find myself reminding the players and myself during this early part of the season that the National Championship is not simply won on May 17, 2014 but will be won a little each day by how we practice and prepare throughout the season. One shot and one practice does not seem like very much but if we play each shot and practice every practice with focus over the course of a season it’s a lot.<br />
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In actuality, only about 5% of our tennis season is made up of match day performance whereas roughly 95% is made up of the time spent preparing and practicing. We need to understand that how we practice and prepare with that 95% will determine our match success. Many students, faculty and other student athletes come to our matches and think we are great because of what they see on that match day. What they don't realize is it’s how we prepared for the match that made us perform well. If we want to be great again this year we have to commit to match preparation which is hours of time spent on the court, in the gym, and running the miles. All players must invest 100% of their energy. Any player investing less prevents the team from achieving it's potential and will actually prevent others from being their best. </div>
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Right now we are a January team. Now, don't get me wrong, I really like my team but we simply have a long way to go. For your Clippers to have another successful season we will need to focus on becoming a team. The players need to understand that they all have a role and all need to be striving everyday to get better and make the others better as well. <br />
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I truly believe that we are on the correct path and more players are "on the bus". These next few weeks will be crucial in determining what we will be going forward and if we can reach our potential.<br />
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Nuff said...</div>
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Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-13911249495843478022013-12-31T14:57:00.000-05:002013-12-31T15:01:01.255-05:00Happy New Year 2014!!!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Happy New Year! Welcome 2014!</span></b></div>
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The advent of a new year means something different to most everyone I speak with. Some folks are so fed up with 2103 that they are thrilled to witness it's conclusion. Others express sadness and want to delay the passing of time. Several are optimists and look forward to great things in the upcoming year...<br />
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After some reflection, my official position has aspects of quite a few sentiments. For me 2013 has been an interesting year. So much good yet some not so good as well. So many things to worry about. That being said, my belief is that my best days are ahead of me. I feel this way not simply because of cockeyed optimism but because I am committed to doing today what will make me better tomorrow. Not always so easy however, at least not for me. Well, actually, very easy to say but not so easy to implement. Nevertheless, my plan is essentially to care even more about the work that I do and show people even more that I care about them. I plan to love and serve more. Also, I intend to get more sleep. I really need it. <br />
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One of the things that I have been thinking about lately is that of purpose. My purpose has become much more clear to me recently and I look forward to living with this purpose in mind going forward rather than simply chasing the things that I think will make me happy. <br />
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Remember everything happens for a reason and too much time is spent worrying about things we cannot control. I recently read that "nothing wastes more energy than worrying." Very true indeed.</div>
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I will be celebrating NYE at <a href="http://www.thecookeryrestaurant.com/">The Cookery</a> with a great meal. I hope that I make it to 12 midnight to witness the ball drop in Times Square on television. It seems some years I have fallen asleep on the couch before the countdown. </div>
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I wish all of you a momentous conclusion to 2013 and best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2014! Make great memories and cherish them.</div>
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Nuff said...</div>
Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-13690871774635591232013-12-25T10:56:00.000-05:002013-12-25T11:07:23.117-05:00Merry Christmas...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas everyone!</span></b><br />
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It was nice to see a little snow on Christmas Eve and thus somewhat of a <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://youtu.be/4qa6Eyfx0mE">White Christmas</a> </i>here in the New York area.<br />
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It has been a wonderful Christmas morning thus far hearing from so many friends worldwide. I often marvel about the technology that exists and sometimes even wonder if it is always such a good thing. However, being able to communicate and share holiday well-wishes with so many folks both near and far is one of it's major benefits.<br />
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I must say that while this morning I received the marvelous gift of the Magic Dessert Bullet, I also know that today we all celebrate the greatest gift we could ever receive...the gift of Jesus!<br />
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My dear friend and coaching partner, Neil Tarangioli, recently emailed one of his occasional blasts to greet and update friends and both family and tennis family alike. He wrote something that I want to share with you below:<br />
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"In the event your road has obstacles, I wish you all of the strength to persevere.<br />
If you need a friend's help, give me a call.<br />
If all is going great, help someone else less fortunate."<br />
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Well said indeed. Great coaching.<br />
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May the true spirit of Christmas stay with you throughout the year and always.<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-15385569980238058902013-10-30T14:14:00.000-04:002013-10-30T14:14:19.626-04:00Deja vu...<br />
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My all-time favorite Concordia Tennis picture (top) with Rodrigo and Kirill represents the rise of the program to the national level. These two major players in our history led the program to its first "Sweet 16". Also significant is the advent of a culture of players playing for each other rather than only for themselves. I have so many fond memories of the 2004-2005 season. <br />
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Of course, the baton has been passed time and time again to where we now stand. As most of you know by now, Dani and Benas (bottom) captured the ITA National Small College Championship (NCAA D2) in doubles a few weeks ago and were involved is some great matches along the way.<br />
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I hope that this sense of togetherness is contagious and we grow together as a team and to a level higher than just the sum of the parts.<br />
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I really like my team. <br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-17725031292041871702013-10-26T19:36:00.004-04:002013-10-26T19:36:38.030-04:00CACC Champions...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngJLLPCGV5iHheT8bvz8XR3R3JAESccsBJ3ZzQpv-_gqngnhaGZ2ARy7Dr6Krofxx5h2h9EZwLYT52okOGhaVKkOCiLLYVzxrdwkvmIzThZ-bg61v8SVstFOOmSohhvTMzsRVZBPPrQSQ/s1600/IMG_2049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngJLLPCGV5iHheT8bvz8XR3R3JAESccsBJ3ZzQpv-_gqngnhaGZ2ARy7Dr6Krofxx5h2h9EZwLYT52okOGhaVKkOCiLLYVzxrdwkvmIzThZ-bg61v8SVstFOOmSohhvTMzsRVZBPPrQSQ/s400/IMG_2049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One for the thumb...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Five years in a row!<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-44791944187917473242013-08-15T14:18:00.002-04:002013-08-15T14:18:11.738-04:00Soon...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-34872162045603280462013-08-10T17:37:00.001-04:002013-08-10T18:15:50.922-04:00A Little Frustration...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://photobucket.com/images/angry%20gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="angry gif photo: fuuuuu.gif" border="0" src="http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/elleeldritch/Pictures/Angry%20gif/fuuuuu.gif" /></a></div>
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Along this tennis path I have been so fortunate to meet many people who have assisted my endeavors. For that I am very grateful. Of course, there are also those who try very hard to block my road to success and set up pitfalls so often that I argue they actually enjoy said attempts and do so simply as a result of their own failures.<br />
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Shame on them...<br />
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They will come to know that they have misjudged my strength and they will never be able to impede my mission.<br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">"Sometimes when things seem like they are falling apart, they are actually falling into place."</span><br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-36180309465642935942013-08-09T22:05:00.000-04:002013-08-09T22:07:48.969-04:00Fishing Coach...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Please disregard the outfit.<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-8452213135415290982013-06-29T21:04:00.001-04:002013-08-09T22:06:41.276-04:00Recruiting...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Clippers folks,<br />
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It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride this off season as big changes are in store for the rosters next season...<br />
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On the men's side of things we graduated David Tisserand, Andreas Lindell and Andrey Boldarev. These fine young men greatly contributed to our success during their tenure here at Concordia and will certainly be difficult to replace. Each have seen at least two NCAA "final-fours" and Andrey reached this milestone all four of his years.<br />
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Luckily we have two players already here on campus that will step right in and we expect them to have a similar impact to that of those recently departed. There will also be others joining the roster that will be announced in the near future and I look forward to sharing that shortly.<br />
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The women's picture will be significantly altered as the core of our roster will not be returning to our squad in the fall. Of course, we graduated Yuliya Plevako, Ana Mendes, and Camilla Xavier and they will be missed. In addition, Estelle Fougeray, after a super first year in Bronxville, has decided to give medical school a shot back in her native France and we wish her the best of luck. Luisa Candido will certainly be missed as she has opted for a transfer to another university. Lastly, Zi Ling has also left Concordia to attend another university.<br />
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Clearly, there is much work to do and I have been doing it...or at least trying to do it. Losing too much sleep actually. It's just not easy to replace so many players all at once. However, not to worry my friends of the Clipper ship, we will be just fine when school starts this fall. Final roster additions are expected and I hope that everything is completed in a few short weeks. I look forward to sharing the final rosters with you as soon as possible. I really think you will all be very proud of your new Clippers and will have quite a bit to be excited about going forward.<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-31657341512480459092013-05-09T10:07:00.000-04:002013-05-09T10:14:12.707-04:00Another day...Good morning all,<br />
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We had a nice restful day after the conclusion of our match yesterday. Since we finished at 9am most of the team took the opportunity to catch up on sleep. I was able to get some exercise jogging around the park which was desperately needed. <br />
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Neil and I went over to the tournament site to support our friends at NYIT as they took on Hawaii Pacific. Sadly, their great season ended with a tough loss to HPU but a great season nevertheless. Also, we caught a glimpse of Queens College as they played but were also on the losing side of things. However, what an accomplishment for them. I hope to equal their achievement and qualify for Nationals with our women's team next year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczJTmv5ZfRVoEStkmGFbUX7ry8lJ2Ulnt4A1bVEzKlFQ8PucYn02pwEyGjjfrguPho-gJb3ynN3ZN2vh2JK2V8WxXq5gyfDw0BHI4nYqN0MqlNika8M3wJfnGLU5S2V1e-XVuwu8QiOdh/s1600/cno9zbwodmi0ejbu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczJTmv5ZfRVoEStkmGFbUX7ry8lJ2Ulnt4A1bVEzKlFQ8PucYn02pwEyGjjfrguPho-gJb3ynN3ZN2vh2JK2V8WxXq5gyfDw0BHI4nYqN0MqlNika8M3wJfnGLU5S2V1e-XVuwu8QiOdh/s1600/cno9zbwodmi0ejbu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queens coach Alan Nagel</td></tr>
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I did venture back over to the park to feed the ducks. I think that they enjoyed my company or at least the food. A few of the guys went to a nearby high school for a little hitting to sharpen their game. I hope it will help as today we will need to be at our best to advance over a great Lander team. I do like our chances however and am proud of our team.<br />
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The evening ended with a trip to the Outback Steakhouse. The guys love this place...I don't. In any case, some good fellowship and the stomachs were filled. I do wish that there wasn't so much cell phone activity during the meal but I guess it's a sign of the times.<br />
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Well it's off to the breakfast buffet and then to the courts. I hope to be back with you later to report another win.<br />
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Nuff saif...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-56867166707159466742013-05-08T14:23:00.000-04:002013-05-08T14:28:57.318-04:00On to the Quarters...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good news folks. We were able to get up early and win our first match here in Arizona 5-1 over a tough Northwest Missouri team that was well coached and ready to play. We advance to face Lander University tomorrow. The good news is that we have an extra hour in the morning as the start time is 8am PST.<br />
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Truthfully, we didn't get the strongest of warm ups as we elected for as much sleep as possible. A calculated risk I suppose but the maximum rest is important and will come in handy tomorrow and going forward, so a risk worth taking.<br />
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I was really impressed with Dani and Benas today as they were all business right from the spin of the racquet. Both players are taking the court with supreme confidence and won handily 6-0, 6-0 and will hopefully lead the team in these next few days. If we can get Tomasz and Andrey playing at their best, we are going to be a tough out. I do feel like this was a good start and that even better things are to come.<br />
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It was a bit of a tough morning as a 7am start is somewhat odd for a national championship event. The players had to rise to the occasion as we did have to attend the NCAA reception last night which lasted until 9pm or so. Whereas I think the athletes mostly prefer a nice sit down banquet, I still think that they had a nice time. Too bad that the food was marginal at best and long lines to go with it.<br />
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I keep hearing for NCAA committee members that "this is a championship" so certain things need to be done a certain way, but with so many things that are not up to par, it is clear that this phrase is selectively used. Oh well. We are glad to be here and will do everything our way to be successful and so that the player's have a great experience.<br />
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On a personal note, I must thank the team and the ITA for the National Coaching Award. Clearly, without great players there would be no such award going back to NY. I am lucky to be a part of this great group and also thankful that Coach Neil has allowed me to do my thing all of these years. I have learned everything I know about tennis from him. It seems crazy to me that he has yet to be Nationally recognized and I know that he will be very soon.<br />
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Not sure what we will do this afternoon but I suspect rest and shade will be front and center. We did do some nice sightseeing yesterday in the desert but today we will take it easy for sure. We will likely get some lunch later and I think I will go out for a run in the park and visit my new animal friends. I hope to get there for the sunset feeding as I am pretty sure they are expecting me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pond friends...<br />
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So long folks. Chat with you later.<br />
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Nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3469984026049414702.post-85598287372527253972013-05-07T11:26:00.002-04:002013-05-07T11:27:18.527-04:00Good Morning...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Clipper fans!<br />
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With the three hour time change I was up at 4:30am just waiting for breakfast and the sunrise. Very quiet this year in the hotel as there is no significant area for congregation like the hotels for the nationals in the past. In any case, once the sun came up, I went out to explore the neighborhood and of course, had the buffet breakfast. Gotta give a shout out the the Holiday Inn Express cinnamon rolls...<br />
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Surprise, AZ is a city simply dropped into the desert. Plenty of sandy waste area around. However, the tennis center and surrounding grounds are full of splendor and an oasis for the eyes. Plenty of green grass, parks and recreation space and an abundance of sunshine. Just around the corner from the hotel is a man-made lake stocked with fish, an assortment of wildlife and a convenient path around the perimeter. Anyone who knows me well is aware of my life-long leisure activity of feeding the ducks at local ponds. I have seized some tasty treats from the breakfast that I am sure my feathered friends will enjoy at sunset. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that's me on the right (Minnesota circa the late 1960's)</td></tr>
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So far many have been slightly skeptical of the NCAA's handling of certain aspects of the Championship. Clearly, the 7am start time for tomorrow is a little inappropriate for a championship and having the student athletes (not professionals) get up at 4:30am to prepare for the most important match of the season. There are other concerns as well. However, on the flip side, the site is terrific. The courts are solid and they are just one half mile from the hotel. I am looking forward to getting out there at 10am (PST).<br />
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In any case, I will remind the players to apply plenty of sun screen and avoid the dehydration. I will do so myself as well so I can enjoy a few adult beverages a little later on. I look forward to the day and hope that the players will have a great experience! I really hope that this is something special that the team will remember for a long time, especially the seniors.<br />
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Maybe I can convince one of the guys to join me for the late afternoon feeding...<br />
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For now...nuff said...Coach Danohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13066520047583118726noreply@blogger.com0