Superbowl Champs...

Now off to the Fiat dealership.

Nuff said...

Season Opener...

Hello all. It is an exciting time as tomorrow we will open another season of tennis and another quest for an NCAA D2 National Championship.

We will not open the season with a soft opponent. In fact, the Red Storm of St. John's University are a force this year and will probably among the 25 best teams in NCAA D1. We will certainly get an idea of how good we can be tomorrow but by no means is your Clipper team as good today as it will be in a few months. We have improved quite a bit in this last week and will only get better as time goes by. This is a very young team with tremendous potential and it will be nice to see how we do against a strong opponent tomorrow.

Click here for a preview.

Also, you can follow the match on twitter here.

Nuff said...

Heart...

Hey, I am no Lleyton Hewitt fan but I would certainly take his heart in a player any day. His will to win is pretty strong and I admire that in a player. This is the kind of determination that your Clippers will need to win a championship this year.

Nuff said...

It's Not Just a Day Off From Work...

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

On and Off the Court...

The fall semester grades have been recorded and there is plenty of good news to report for both the men and women of the court here at Concordia.

Your Clipper men posted a solid 2.98 GPA for the fall with 2 players, Mark Mozer and Geza Bazula, achieving perfect 4.0 semesters. These two, along with two others, Benas Majauskas and Dani Piludu, have eclipsed the 3.5 GPA necessary to be ITA Academic All-Americans if they can keep up the good work in the spring. All four will appear on the college's Dean's List for the semester. Whereas the 2.98 team GPA is solid, it is slightly below our goal of 3.2 which is the necessary GPA to achieve the ITA Academic All-American Team standing.

The Clipper women have really impressed with a team GPA of 3.67 for the semester. This is a tremendous accomplishment considering this was achieved during their championship season which requires great tennis demands in addition to the academic tasks. Congratulations to Ana Mendes who achieved a perfect 4.0 for the semester. In addition to Ana, Juliana Frey, Camilla Xavier, and Yuliya Plevako all also achieved a 3.5 or better and will appear on the Dean's List for the semester. Clearly the women's team is in great shape to have several individual Academic All-Americans as well as to secure the team award.

The coaching staff takes great pride in the team's successes off the tennis court. We always strive to have good student athletes that will be ready to succeed in society upon graduation.

Well done!

Nuff said...

Name This Former Clipper...

Ready For 2012...And Beyond!

Greetings and my best for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2012!!!

I am really looking forward to a great 2012 and hope the same for all of my tennis family around the world. I hope all of you are ready to meet the challenges ahead and that great joy will result from your efforts. Remember, we never stop trying and we never give up.

Much love to you and your families and cherish all of the good that is around you.

Nuff said...

Merry Christmas...

It has been quite a last four weeks for your old Coach Dano. However, I certainly want to take a few moments to wish all of you a very Merry CHRISTmas.

Life can take some crazy turns and nothing is guaranteed to any of us. Unfortunately, up until just now, the CHRISTmas season has sort of gotten away from me; passed me by without much thought, shopping, song, decorating, gift wrapping, worship and so forth. You see, without going into too much detail, my wife has been dealing with some serious health issues and all that goes with that. Although this is something that I am sadly pretty familiar with throughout my life, you never really get accustomed to it, especially during the holidays.

However, as I started to think about what has taken place these last four weeks, I realized that one aspect of the CHRISTmas season has been starring me right in the face. I have been blessed to have had family and friends close to me and helping me though the process. After all, is not what is under the tree that is important, it is those that surround it with you. A special thank you to all that have supported.

I have understandably not been around the college nor with the team recently and I certainly regret not being able to wish the players, both past and present, CHRISTmas joy and also safe travels as most have traveled back home to be with their families abroad. I look forward to having the chance to welcome my tennis family back to Bronxville and to the spring semester. I hope this comes to pass.

This year I have no "CHRISTmas list". I am not expecting to unwrap too many gifts either. However, I have been given other great gifts. I have the opportunity to affect so many other's lives on a daily basis. I also have been given the greatest gift of all and CHRISTmas celebrates just that. Well, truthfully though, I am asking and praying for one thing this year, it's just not something that is wrapped and unwrapped.


Merry CHRISTmas to all of you, my tennis family around the world. I hope that your holiday is filled with great joy. You will all be in my prayers.

Nuff said...

Dobrotka...

Did we ever see this level of intensity from Tamas on the tennis court???


Nuff said...

Some Of My Favorite Quotes...

Just in case you have missed these quotes that are posted in the right hand column of this blog, here are some of my favorite quotes for your enjoyment. I hope you find them as inspirational as I do.

"I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters, and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others he has placed in my path." - Ben Stein

"You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy." - Arthur Ashe

“One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than fifty preaching it.” - Knute Rockne

“If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today.” - Lou Holtz

"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." - Vince Lombardi

"The fewer rules a coach has, the fewer rules there are for players to break." - John Madden

"Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

"Success is a journey, not a destination." - Arthur Ashe

"Champions keep playing until they get it right." - Billie Jean King

"Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play." - Mike Singletary

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

"The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, that's the day you start to the top." - O.J. Simpson

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." - John Wooden

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

Nuff said...

Happy Thanksgiving...

O God, great, good, gracious giver of all gifts, with grateful hearts we praise your care.

For the sheer joy of hearing things: good music, loud laughter, bird songs, family voices, spring rain, rippling brooks, dry leaves, squeaking snow, friendly greetings, fireplace logs, stimulating conversation, good jokes, new ideas, machinery noise, musical instruments, summer insects, baseball hits, stadium cheers; for church bells and for all the unforgettable moments our ears have heard for us…

For the sheer glory of seeing things: rainbows, water lilies, moonlight, pro football on TV, ancient sculpture, refrigerator art, the first spring flower, summer roses, autumn maples, winter landscapes, spiral galaxies, a triple play, the grace and beauty of the human form, living cells, friendly smiles, a good movie, fresh turned earth, skilled performances, deft needlework, ocean tides, church spires, sun-drenched stain glass windows, flowers that remind us of those we love; for all the unforgettable moments our eyes have seen for us…

For the sheer joy of feeling things: clean sheets, scratching and tickling, morning dew, the first frost, thawing breezes, good golf swings, swimming power, silk, sandpaper, relaxed muscles, hot baths, tennis aces, excitement, achievements, success, security, belonging, the grasp of a child’s hand and for all the unforgettable moments our touch has felt for us…

For the sheer delight of tasting things: roasted meats, summer strawberries, autumn pumpkin pies, birthday cakes, hot coffee, crisp salads, pretzels, aged cheese, potlucks, picnics, fresh baked goods, chocolate ice cream, dinner out, midnight snacks; for the redeeming and forgiving joy of your sacred feast and for all the forgotten moments our taste has savored…

For the sheer joy of smelling things: onions in the stew, hickory smoke, spring lilacs, summer air, autumn bonfires, winter fur, fresh-cut limes, rain soaked earth, hot bread, jelly in the making, pine trees, waxed wood, soft leather, incense, and the fragrance of the candles of your alter; for all the unforgettable moments our breathing discovers for us…

In all we do - whether in hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, or smelling, we give thanks.

Wishing all of you out there, no matter where, a wonderful day of thanks.

Nuff said...

Achillis Photo Update...

The affected side

The unaffected side

Recovery is progressing fairly well and close to schedule. However, clearly, Coach Neil has a ways to go before he makes a return to the court. Join me in praying for his full and speedy recovery.

Hope all is well with all of you out there in Clipperland.

Nuff said...

Fall 2011 Rankings Released...

Hi there once again Clipper faithful. The ITA has released its rankings and as usual, your Clippers are well represented both regionally and nationally. Click here for the NCAA D2 East Regional rankings and click here for the NCAA D2 National Rankings.

A new system of voting is now in place for the National Rankings and I have mixed feelings about this for sure. I am not completely certain that an accurate list will be published as many regional chairmen have very limited exposure to teams in other regions. However, I do like the fact that the lists are now truncated.

The ranking faithful have selected Concordia as the #4 team in the country. In addition, we have three singles players ranked nationally. Dani is listed as #4, David makes his debut at #14 and Tomasz is tabbed an impressive #38. We do not have any doubles teams ranked but will be working very hard on doubles over the winter to be represented there as well.

The team is working hard on conditioning and will be sure to be in great shape for the spring championship season. I will update you with the full spring schedule just as soon as it is complete. We will be doing some traveling once again so as to play the elite teams in the country and to best prepare for yet another run at the NCAA D2 National Championship.

Not too shabby!

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Are You Ready Fellas???

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

- Aristotle