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???


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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

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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.

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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.

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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

CACC Women's Champions

Well the above title essentially speaks for itself. The CACC Championship stays in the trophy case here in Bronxville as the women won their third championship in as many years since joining this conference.

In the semifinal match, the ladies defeated Holy Family 5-0. Clearly, this is a one sided score but this was actually a long match. In fact, the match at #1 doubles was a two hour affair that we eventually won in a tiebreaker 9-8. The Holy Family team really came to play and was not going to simply let us have the match without working. Luckily, the ladies were well prepared and were hungry to move on to the finals versus Goldey Beacom College.

The final match was a bit more complicated for sure. The team was pretty confident as we had defeated GBC earlier in the season 6-3. However, GBC was without two of their starting players in their top six that day and thus would be stronger this time around. The coaching staff knew that the doubles would be vital today and we were really hoping for a 3-0 sweep. We were well aware that Goldey has some tough singles players and that it would be difficult to dominate there. Luck was on our side and again we achieved our goal of winning all three matches. Once again, the number #1 match was a marathon which lasted close to two hours that we again won in a tiebreaker 9-8. Big props to Yuliya and Clara for their toughness. With the 3-0 lead and the subsequent confidence, we split the next four singles matches and won the match 5-2.

I am really glad that the CACC Championships were played last weekend and not this weekend as it is easier to blow the leaves off of the courts than to shovel snow off of them. Who knows what Coach Stroble would say about that...


I am really proud of the ladies for what they accomplished this year. Clearly, they were placed in a tough position with the former coach abandoning the program after the start of the season and without notice. Also, it was not easy for them to play an entire season without any new players or any reserve players while also adjusting to a new coaching staff with a new philosophy. We really stressed the importance of the doubles and focused much of our practice time in that area. As a result, the team rewarded us with a cumulative 29-1 dual match record in doubles.

When I first was approached with the idea of getting involved with the women's team, I was a little uncertain of what would be to come. However, I thought that Coach Neil deserved a little help. I am really proud of what Neil did for this program and these young women, He stepped up and provided the team with the experience that they deserved. I really think that he did a remarkable job and should be considered for the regional coach of the year for his efforts.

I believe that the future is bright for the Clipper ladies as I have witnessed tremendous improvement with the players. There will also be help on the way with new members in January. It is not quite as easy to recruit for the women but I will apply painstaking effort to build this team into a nationally recognized program. I am not sure what my involvement will be beyond recruiting but let's see.

Nuff said...

CACC Women's Championship...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Oct. 21, 2011) – Concordia College will be looking for its third consecutive Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women's Tennis Championship, as the 2011 tournament gets underway this weekend. The tournament will be hosted by the Clippers on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23. Concordia will face No. 4 Holy Family University Saturday at 10:00 am, while No. 2 Chestnut Hill College will meet No. 3 Goldey-Beacom College. Sunday's championship match is slated for noon.

The Clippers enter the tournament having never lost a conference match since joining the league three years ago, going 8-0 each season. The Clippers have won the last two CACC Tournament crowns, including a 5-0 victory over Goldey-Beacom en route to an appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament Quarterfinals last season. Concordia will be led by junior Yuliya Plevako, who compiled a 7-1 record at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles this season. Plevako was a first team All-Conference pick for the first time in her career after being selected to the second team the past two seasons. The Clippers also feature three second team All-Conference picks in seniors Clara Catanzano and Juliana Frey and junior Ana S.O Mendes. The trio combined to go 20-4 in singles play in the regular-season.

Chestnut Hill (13-2, 7-1 CACC) will be making its second appearance in the tournament and claimed the No. 2 spot. The Griffins fell to Concordia in last season's opening round as the No. 4 seed. Five Griffins posted at least ten individual victories this season. Atop the order is junior first team All-Conference performer, Nastia Shcherbakova, who went was 13-2 at number one singles. Her record was matched at number four singles by freshman Morgan Oechsle, who was an honorable mention All-CACC pick. Junior second team All-CACC selection, Maria Parapouras, led the team with a 14-1 record at number three singles. Sophomore Kelly Dennis claimed an 11-4 record at number two singles and was named to the All-CACC second team. Shcherbakova and Dennis teamed for an 11-4 standing at number one doubles.

Goldey-Beacom (6-2, 6-2 CACC) will be looking for its first-ever CACC title after falling to Concordia in the championship match two years in a row. The No. 3 seed Lightning will be led by the 2011 CACC Player and Rookie of the Year, freshman Stephanie Puentes, who went 7-1 at No. 1 singles. Four of her teammates were selected to the All-Conference team, including second teamers Melanie Bonomo and Marina Sales. Filipa Correia and Blanca Sancho were both Honorable Mention picks. Chestnut Hill and Goldey-Beacom will meet in the opening round Saturday at 1:00 pm, just five days after the Griffins pulled out an exciting 5-4 victory over the Lightning to conclude the regular-season.

Holy Family (9-6, 5-3 CACC) will serve as the fourth seed and will be led by juniors Juliana Victoria and Jin Querubin, who were both named to the All-Conference first team. This season, the duo teamed at number one doubles to register a perfect 8-0 record in conference competition. In three seasons together, they are 43-9 overall at No. 1 doubles. In singles action, Querubin finished conference play with a 7-1 record. She is currently 10-1 overall at second singles and 10-4 in all dual matches. Victoria posted a 6-2 mark in CACC action at the No. 1 spot. The Tigers have qualified for the CACC Tournament each year since its inception in 2005, and won titles in 2006 and 2007. Concordia and Holy Family met once this season in conference action, with the Clippers earning a 7-2 win back on Sept. 10.

The championship match is schedule for Sunday at noon at Concordia. The full tournament schedule is below.

2011 CACC Tennis Championships
Semi-Finals – Saturday, Oct. 22 (at Concordia)
#1 Concordia vs. #4 Holy Family – 10:00 am
#2 Chestnut Hill vs. #3 Goldey-Beacom – 1:00 pm

Saturday, Oct. 23 (at Concordia)
Championship Match
12:00 pm

Courtesy of the CACC

Nuff said...

The Run Ends In The Final

I am sorry to report that we had a short day at the courts this morning as Dani lost handily to Lucas Jovita 6-0, 6-2. Dani simply could not find his opponents weakness today enough to get the job done. We certainly wish Lucas good luck in the superbowl later today and tomorrow. I enjoyed meeting up with Rollins coach Ron Bohrnstedt, who is a nice man, a smart coach and clearly a good recruiter. I look forward to perhaps seeing him again in the spring.

That being said, Dani did have a great run to the final and should be ranked #2 in the fall rankings released in November. This was certainly a confidence booster for Dani and also an eye-opener in terms of areas to improve for the future.

We have a late afternoon flight back to NY but we are actively trying to move up our departure time so as to arrive home earlier. Either way, I hope to get to the Hungry Owl for a good last Mobile meal before the flight.


Back to Bronxville. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

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Dani In The Final...

Good news to report folks. Dani Piludu has won again today 6-4, 6-3 defeating #2 seed and 15th ranked Hans Hach and has advanced to the Final of the ITA/NCAA D2 Singles National Championship. He will face off against Lucas Jovita of Rollins tomorrow at 8:30am.

Dani looked a bit more comfortable today and was very solid from the baseline. He really moved well and played tremendous defense. He was able to frustrate a very tough player in Hach which is no easy task. Dani's trip to the final is the third appearance for a Clipper in the last five years beginning with Alex Grubin's run to the championship in 2007. Andrey Boldarev was a finalist in 2009.

After the match we enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Brick Pit which is a smokehouse/BBQ establishment that some of you may have seen on the popular show Man vs. Food. Well today it was Coach Dan vs. Food as I cleaned my plate of pulled pork, coleslaw and baked beans in record time. Coach Neil really enjoyed his meal as well licking his plate clean. Dani had the ribs and should be fortified for his match tomorrow.



The real fun came after the meal as I asked to be let into the smokehouse and was granted the opportunity by the smokemaster to see "Big Red". We had so much fun and hope to continue our tour of local eateries with the Hungry Owl up next.



After a short snooze, we will be off to the hotel fitness room to work off the calories. I know that coach Neil will certainly be looking to release some stress. We stopped by the local Vitamin Shoppe and encountered a naturopathic doctor / iridologist who was offering a free consultation. An iridologist is someone who boasts an ability to determine what is wrong with you by examining your eyes. I insisted that Neil indulge the gentleman. The good doctor revealed that any and all of GNT's symptoms were a result of increased anxiety in life and that for only $180 he would prescribe the proper treatment for rectification and a return to good health. I also received a consultation and was told that I was a "brick" and that there was nothing he could do as I was so healthy. Clearly he is unable to get a reading of my cholesterol levels by looking at my eyes.

Well, here ends the essay. I look forward to more good eating and more winning on the court.

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Dani Wins

After a sluggish start, a bit of a slow middle, and a so-so finish, Dani wins his quarterfinal match 7-5, 6-1 over Vlad Catlan of Bluefield State. Dani seemed to be fighting his nerves a little out there and simply was not able to get comfortable on the court. As a result, we watched a serious pushing match. Now don't get me wrong, Dani can push his brains out as if we were on the slow red clay at Roland Garros but he will certainly need a more attacking style if he would like to further advance in the tournament. Next up today is Hans Hach of ACU, a player who broke the hearts of Clipper fans in Las Vegas last spring defeating Andrey Boldarev in three sets coming from 1-4 down in the third to win the dual match 5-4. Lets see if I can get Dani a little better warm up and some confidence this morning.

I will try to do a little better on Twitter today so as to keep you up to date.

Also, I look forward to a visit to the Brick Pit for lunch. I enjoyed the Wintzell's Oyster House last night and their fried pickles. It is nice to have some good meal choices here as we have received some ideas from Man vs. Food.

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Sweet Home Alabama

Such an important event but a strange place to have it. Yes Clipper tennis fans, we have traveled in a small group "back down to Mobile" (Alabama) for the ITA National Small College tournament as Dani Piludu will represent the region in the singles draw.

We took off yesterday after an hour or so wait on the tarmac courtesy of our friends at Delta airlines and LaGuardia airport while on an airplane sporting a sub 60 degree temperature...not to mention the somewhat overly friendly male flight attendant. We did arrive safely in Atlanta and then on to Mobile after a short walk to change terminals. I wish I had some extra time in Atlanta as my old childhood friend is hospitalized in the Atlanta area with a recent cranky appendix removal. In any case, I hope he is on he mend.

After a quick repast at Panera Bread, it was off to the hotel to check in, change into tennis whites and then off to the event site just 10 minutes away. This is the first time we have traveled to this event with only a singles player which means that yours truly is responsible for hitting with Dani for his warm up. I have not been hitting so much and am not moving so swiftly around the court. I can only hope that Dani is finding the hitting at least somewhat beneficial. I may be the first person ever to consider seeking a trainer at the event even before it officially started.

I am up earlier than the others as usual but soon I will provide my own version of a wake-up call to the fellas so that we can ready ourselves and head down to the complimentary breakfast buffet. Dani's match time is 10:30am. I will certainly report the result as the match concludes or you can follow along with me on twitter.

Feel-free to send your well-wishes to Dani here in the comment section of this post or send a shout-out on Facebook. I know he would appreciate the support. I think he has a real shot to win this tournament but it will not be easy as there are several capable entrants.

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