We were rained out today and will play tomorrow at 8am.  If we win, we will play again in the afternoon.  A tough task for sure for any of the teams advancing but I would certainly like to be advancing...

Nuff said...

Waiting...

Yes sir, more waiting.  Well, I guess not just waiting in general, but waiting to play our match.  Trying to find out if we are on time.

Actually had a little NCAA sponsored breakfast today.  Enjoyed some unripe fruit and murky coffee.  Did the trick.  Met up with a few of the guys that wanted some eats before the 9am cut off.  I must give props to good old coach Tarangioli who suggested a gym visit.  Thus, we went to get our workout on.  Oddly, as mentioned earlier, there is a $5 daily fee to use the hotel gym but we coughed up the cash.  I tried to charge it to the room of Lynn Coach Mike Perez but it was a cash only establishment.

In any case, the gym offers 360 degree views of the Ohio which made the treadmill a nicer experience.  Not that impressed with the weights and so forth but what can you do.

We will get a bit of a hit at the off site courts perhaps and then over for the match at 5pm...we hope.

You can follow along here I hope.  If not try this one and click on our match and then to live stats.

Off to Panera for lunch my friends.  I hope to have good news for you later.

Nuff said...

Another day down...

Another day in Louisville folks and I guess I just think it is time to get this thing started.  Lets play some tennis.  Of course, with our starting time of 5pm, which could be delayed, who knows if we will get on the courts at all.  I guess we could shorten the NCAA sanctioned 15 minute pre-match warm-up if we need to.

We had a nice day touring the area and learning a bit about legendary explorers Lewis and Clark and also York.  Also, over to Panera for lunch and a team's worth of cinnamon rolls.  We did indeed venture over to the Tom Sawyer courts for a 3pm practice.  However, the site is a bit of a hike from the hotel...not particularly ideal honestly.  As luck would have it, the NCAA actually let our entire team party of 11 step foot onto the site.  That is a win for sure.

The fellas look pretty solid and ready to battle versus Grand Canyon University.  I had a chance to watch our opponents play as they were also practicing at Tom Sawyer.  They looked very strong to me and this will certainly be a tough match.  I would not be surprised to see a 5-4 either way.  The one difficulty is that there are no lights at the site and given our late starting time, I worry that we may not get the match finished before darkness.  Who knows, maybe it won't be what I expect.

We crossed the Ohio river to Indiana for dinner at the Outback Steakhouse as per the players wishes.  Of course, after steak the night before, I was not ready to stomach another slab of cow.  Thus, I had the shrimp and a delicious sweet potato.  Not bad.

We had a brief team meeting to remind the players of what to expect and then off to the hotel atrium again for some mingling.  We were blessed by a cameo guest appearance by NCAA National Women's Coach of the Year Simon Earnshaw from Armstrong Atlantic.  Simon is always good for a good story or two and many laughs.  He has done a great job this year and really deserves any recognition available.  I can only hope that some day I am able to figure out how to achieve such success and how to distribute the "bags of cash".

Well it is definitely bed time for Bonzo.  Of course, I really do not need to rise early as I do not need to adhere to the NCAA breakfast schedule as I am still not credentialed.  However, I need some rest and I would like to get to the hotel gym tomorrow.  I may have to go to the ATM though as the Galt House hotel actually charges a daily or weekly fee to use the facilities...a great policy for an athletic national championship event full of athletes don't you think?

I look forward to the arrival of Ivan and Kathy of our Concordia athletic administration.  They are so helpful to us and really add to our chances of winning matches down here.  We will see them tomorrow.

Nuff said...

Good morning Louisville...

Rise and shine!

Well I am up.  Maybe the only one.  I finally got tired of touring the hotel and looking at the ceiling above my bed, which thankfully is clean (the ceiling and the hotel by the way).  So here is a post:

As mentioned, the hard-working coaching staff did head over to Morton's Steakhouse for a meal last night.  I think we deserved it.  Sadly, the NCAA does not allow for more than your traveling party of 9 to attend the opening ceremonies.  Thus, our players went to Churchill Downs without us as we have brought along 9 players.  Too bad for me as a huge horse racing fan but maybe another time.  In any case, the reviews were positive and those that were able to attend had a nice time.  We certainly ate well at Morton's and it helped to ease the disappointment.

We met up with coaches Schwartz and Tasso in the hotel atrium for the remainder of the NY Rangers game and enjoyed the fellowship and the 3-0 win for the blueshirts.  Glad the bartender, who resembles the lead singer for the popular 80's progressive rock band "The Thompson Twins", was able to find the game and actually say a few words.  He was about as sullen a fellow as you will find and probably better suited to be a night watchmen with no necessary human interaction.

The bed felt pretty good at the end of the day.  I had the room temperature down to about 63 F so a good sleep avec (French for with) ear plugs was had by me.  Again, no access to the breakfast as we only have 9 passes hence the hotel tour and search for some sustenance.

Let's see what the day has in store for us.  We plan to practice at the tournament site at 3pm so perhaps I will find the hotel gym for a workout.  Also, I would like to walk around the neighborhood and see what is out there.  I hope I will be let onto the tournament grounds by the NCAA.  Who knows...

Have a great day!

Nuff said...

Louisville

Well, we arrived safely and are ready to begin the quest.  A bit of an early start via Southwest Airlines as we were on the 7:30am flight to Louisville through Baltimore.  Of course, gone are the days of getting to the airport 20 minutes before departure.  As a result, an unfriendly 4:45 alarm this morning.

This was my first time flying Southwest and experiencing the no assigned seat policy.  However, not to worry, I was in group A, which is good, for both legs of the trip and found myself in the aisle and bulkhead.  Not too shabby Clipper fans.

We are staying in the Galt House, in downtown Louisville which overlooks the Ohio river.

We enjoyed a bit of lunch and then off to the practice courts.  We had to find our own accommodations as practice in not allowed at the tournament site until tomorrow.  We found courts at Central Park just a few miles away and were surprised to find very nice courts...far better that what we experienced at Merrimack.  Very nice temperatures today and pretty decent hitting.  We hit for about an hour and then vacated the courts to a patiently waiting Ouachita Babtist squad.  Had a chance to meet Coach Ward, a nice guy.

Tonight is the opening ceremony which will be held at Churchill Downs.  Unfortunately, the NCAA only provides for 9 team members.  Since we are travelling with 11 Coach Neil and I will not attend.  Perhaps we will take the opportunity to find the local Morton's for a meal on the college.  Sorry about that Ivan...

Ok folks, gotta go.  The rental van I was given has faulty brakes and the tow truck is coming to take it back to the airport.  The fine people at Enterprise will be leaving me with an alternate minivan.  Hope it is a good one.

It is great to be in the great state of Kentucky, home of your 2012 National Basketball Champion Wildcats.  I hope I do not get accosted as I wear my UK apparel proudly.

I will be back to you soon.

Nuff said...

NCAA's...

Greetings Clipper fans...

It's that time of the year again.  It's time to get excited for another NCAA Championship quest.  We have qualified for the "Sweet 16" in Louisville, Kentucky (a town that I normally think poorly of due to my Wildcat allegiance). 

We will square off against Grand Canyon University in the round of 16 and expect a great match.  Clearly, our quarter looks like the most competitive of the four.  Click here for the bracket.

I look forward to blogging the event from today up until we hit our last ball.  Check back for updates daily.

All the best to my Clipper family.

Nuff said...

The Trip Begins...

Today is the day. The final ride begins...

Up and out early this morning as we meet at the college at 8:45am to depart for the airport. We are leaving from HPN - White Plains. This is usually quite convenient as it is closest to Bronxville with no traffic and no bridge to cross. However, we will be taking a school bus as both men's and women's teams will be traveling together. School buses are not allowed on the highway that takes us to HPN so it is the back road route for us.

11:20 departure to Orlando scheduled. I hope to have better luck at this regional airport than I did at Florence, SC.

We should arrive in Orlando at about 2pm and get settled. Shortly after, we will hit the practice courts. The forecast is for very hot weather (95 degrees plus) so it will take some adjusting. We have no had the most balmy spring here in NY for sure.

Check back throughout the day for some updates and wish us luck.

Shower time.

Nuff said...

Off to the Sweet 16...

Your Clippers defeated Philadelphia University for the third time this season, 5-0, to advance back to the "Sweet 16" of NCAA II college tennis. After a first round bye we traveled to out of way Lehigh University to face off against the Rams. PU defeated Merrimack in the first round 5-1.

We got off to a quick start and swept the doubles. Needing only two points to advance, the usual suspects, Tamas and Andreas, raced to singles victories which completed the shutout.

Philadelphia certainly had a great year once again and I look forward to their continued improvement next season. We always have to be on our toes when we play them for sure.

Next up will be Hawai'i Pacific and our friend coach Pampulov. We played earlier this season in Las Vegas and we were able to come out on top 7-2. Of course, both teams and circumstance's were quite different back in March and we expect a very tough opponent to show up in Orlando.

It is finals week at the college so the players will have to manage their time well to succeed in the classroom and squeeze in a quality week of practice on the court.

Wish us luck.

Nuff said...

NCAA II Men's Tennis Selection Show...

Click here for the video...

What a long strange trip its been...

The Magic Bus came to a screeching halt in the Final Four as we lost to Barry 5-0. Our opponent was just a little too tough for us as we seemed to get off to a slow start everywhere. Of course, when you get to this level in the tournament, and compete versus the highest level of competition, you simply cannot afford to be sluggish. It was really all about which team was able to rise to the moment and Barry was that team. I wish them good luck in the final versus Valdosta.

I apologize for the delay in this post but this was a tough loss. So many things were going through my head and I just could not bring myself to start typing...not sure I would have made it through without the typing of some curse words.

I really wanted a trophy of another kind for the players, administrators and our Clipper community. We have had a great season and I have really enjoyed myself. I think we did many things right. I hope that the players had fun as well and have learned from the experience. Perhaps they have collected many fond memories to be stored away for a long time.

A special thank you to Alex who will be leaving our team after four seasons of participation. A coach once told me that the best thing about seniors is that they do not come back next year. I could not disagree with him more. I always miss my seniors and am grateful for their contributions. Alex joins the group of "former Clippers" but will always be a part of our Concordia Tennis Family. Best of luck in your future endeavors. I have no doubt that you will set school records in cross country, I am just not sure which records.

Now the challenge goes out to the returning players. They will need to get better if they expect to continue the success. There will only be one Magic Bus as next year they must start another journey. Be diligent over the summer and strive for excellence.

Now for the tough part. This is not easy to write. This has been a great year but also a tough year for me. So many things going on in life. So many things. When I started this coaching journey I was interested in strength and conditioning for the players, tennis specific. Shortly thereafter I was back on the court both playing and coaching. I developed a hunger to become #1 in the region and to advance to the National Sweet 16. Once I got here six years ago, I got the urge to win a National Championship, a passion really. I have always tried my best. I have not always made the right decisions at times but the effort was there I promise you. Well, no Championship, but some results that I am proud of. Results not limited to actions on the tennis court alone but also in the classroom and in the community.

Friends, this is my stop. It is time for me to hop off the bus. It has been such a great ride for me and I love you all for what you have done. Receiving the Assistant Coach of the Year award on the National level is something very special to me and please know that I have this as a result of your contributions, love and support. My most sincere thanks to my tennis family.

May God bless you. It has been nice playing with you!

Nuff said...

Final Four...

Well folks, we did it. We advanced to the Final Four for the second consecutive year. Quite an achievement for us. I hope that this year we are rewarded for such an accomplishment. That being said, there is still more work to do. We are hungry to advance to the finals and also all the way to the title. Hey, why not us?

We defeated St. Edwards University 5-1 this afternoon and continued to play the good tennis. Although we did not play as well as yesterday in the doubles, we were still able to take two of three from a doubles savvy SEU squad. All doubles matches were closely contested and came down to just a few points. In the end, we handled the big points better and perhaps were even a little lucky in some spots.

As the attention turned to singles, we essentially dominated the action. Andrey, Alex and Andreas defeated their opponents with little difficulty. When the action ended, we were once again substantially ahead on all courts. Congratulations to the fellas on another great match and also to St. Edwards on a great season. I really like that SEU coach. He approaches his duties with energy and emotion and is certainly excited to be a part of his team. I wish more coaches brought his passion to the court. I even saw him literally give one of his players the shirt off of his back. Of course, I wish he had not suggested that he would like to fight me at one point during the doubles. I guess at times the heat of competition clouds judgement.

In any case, we have a rematch versus Barry tomorrow at 1pm. Barry ended our season last year and also beat us badly in early March. However, we and they are completely different teams now and I expect another war similar to last year's semifinal.

After our match today we spent some time relaxing at the pool. The players always seem to be ready to eat so after the refreshing swim we gathered everyone at Kobe for a Japanese meal. Always great fun to have the women's team join us in fellowship. We had a little fun in the hotel lobby and now it is off to bed for some much needed sleep. Gees, only six more hours to wait for the breakfast buffet...YES!!!

I think we have a great shot to win tomorrow but it is not going to be easy. I hope the players believe as well. WE CAN DO IT!

Nuff said...

Quarters...

Smooth sailing everyone. We started strong versus BYU Hawai'i 5-0 (click here for box score) to open up the tournament. I must admit that I was a little concerned about BYU as they had really been playing well coming into the event and are ranked quite a bit lower in the rankings from where they should be. In addition, I was unsure if the fellas were going to be able to play well right out of the gate as we had not played a tough match for a while; one with so must importance.

Thankfully, the players were sharp. They started strong, and for the most part, did not take the foot of the pedal so to speak. I was very impressed with our doubles play which will certainly be a major factor in how we do the rest of the way. Tamas and Andreas played with great energy and focus and cruised to an 8-1 victory. It was very gratifying to see all three courts making the good decisions. I have been preaching, begging, yelling and using a few other tactics with some success during the season but today the team showed that they do listen...sometimes. Great job! When we play with energy, focus and make the good decisions, we are tough to beat.

After the doubles sweep, the two needed singles points came from familiar places. As usual, Tamas and Andreas at #5 and #6 came through with the wins. However, most everyone else was in command as well. I certainly could not have asked for a better start to the tournament and I hope we can continue along the path to the prize. It is not going to be easy as next up today is St. Edwards University at 1pm. I expect temps to be up well into the 80's today again and that sun is hot on a tennis court, even for the coaches.

You can follow us online at NCAA.com for live footage and scoring. With a win today we will advance back to the "Final Four" for the second year in a row. Maybe that would earn us a decent ranking this time (sarcasm intended).

Welcome to Kathy and Ivan who made the trip last night to take a seat on the Magic Bus (or as the coaching staff from Armstrong Atlantic calls it...the "Clipper Fun Machine" for the rest of the tournament. Nice to have you. See you on the courts.

Be well everyone.

Nuff said...

A great season...

Hi again Clipperfans. I have some sad news to report. The ladies fell this morning to a terrific Hawai'i Pacific team 5-1. Yulia was the only winner at #3 singles as she continues to impress at the young age of 17. All other courts battled but the opponent was simply too tough today. I really believe that the ladies represented themselves and the college well today. They deserve respect for their efforts and I know that they will continue to get better and will be back in the Final 16 again next season. Great job to the entire team from coaches to players. Also, congratulations to Cristina on a wonderful college career and best of luck to you in your bright future.

Of course we also wish the best of luck to Hawai'i Pacific moving forward. As I mentioned in an earlier post, once you win a round, you are a threat to win the championship. I have been so impressed by so many of the young men and women participating in this event and the ladies from HPU are no exception. Congratulations! Also, nice to meet the rest of the Pampulov family today. Thanks for spending a few moments with me.

There is a nice buzz around the event grounds today. There seems to be quite a nice level of passion about. I like to look around and see the players, parents, friends, family, staff and administrators all with some sort of passion for the game of tennis and the student athletes that they are here to support. These sorts of championship events really bring out emotions...both good and bad I suppose. I guess I believe that the best thing to do is to take care of your own business, give your best, and let the rest take care of itself. I always chuckle a bit when I see some others get involved with nonsense about player eligibility and other negative sentiment concerning another team and or coaching staff. This is truly an event to be enjoyed and hopefully to store away many fond memories, not to induce stress and hard feelings. Well, that is my plan anyway, we shall see.

Turning the page, we will travel to a local facility to get a short hit in prior to the match. It is a hot day so we don't want to spend too much time and energy on the practice court for sure. Most matches seem to be going along according to plan and time. As a result, I expect first serve to be at 4pm. If you want to check in on the match, their will be live footage at NCAA.com.

Lastly, please join me in praying that there will be no injuries today to any of the student athletes and that everyone has a great time and does their best.

That's all I have for now. Be well everyone.

Nuff said...

Good Morning...

Hello everybody! Top of the morning to you.

An early Hilton wake up call has us up and about so that we can grab a little breakfast and get right over to the courts to support the ladies in their match versus Hawai'i Pacific. It is difficult as a coach because in my heart of hearts I think the guys should have rested and slept just a little more so as to be prepared for our match at 4pm. However, that being said, all of the fellas wanted to start early and support the girls. This makes me happy too. It has been a special year because we have terrific young men on the team and it is also very gratifying to see the two teams get along so well and support each other.

As a result, off for the buffet table and probably to witness some more of Coach Neil's relationship building with random people.

See you soon.

Nuff said...

Oh what a night...

It's a late night blog post for you guys. It was a night of celebration for all of the student athletes on hand as well as the coaches and tennis programs in general. The NCAA held its annual banquet tonight and we were treated to a special occasion.

First off, the NCAA presented awards to all of the teams. Included in each package was a portfolio folder, wristbands and bag tags, and a laptop case. All with the NCAA insignia. Very nice indeed and items sure to be used by all recipients. A nice dinner was prepared with salad, potatoes, garlic bread, chicken marsala and steak; not to mention a choice of delicious desserts. My choice of course was to sample them all!

Our guest speaker for the evening was Natalie Spilger, professional soccer player for the Chicago Fire. Natalie gave an interesting speech about her passion of "green" environmentally conscious behavior. She certainly had passion and energy for sure...and not too shabby to look at either.

Next up was the presentation of the ITA National Awards. All regional award winners were invited to come forward and collect their awards, followed by the announcement of the National winner. I had outlined all of our Regional winners in an earlier post, but I have some great news to report. Alex Grubin won the National Senior Player of the Year NCAA II! A deserved honor for sure. I am so proud of Alex and his plentiful contributions to our program and college tennis. In addition, yours truly was graciously awarded the National Assistant Coach of the Year NCAA II. It is still hard to believe for sure. I must say that it is nice to be recognized by my peers and I am very thankful. Also, many thanks to my players for making me look good, the athletic department for supporting me, Coach Neil for letting me do what it is that I do, and to my family who let me pursue my passion ahead of many other important functions.

A little further celebration in the form of a "coaches meeting" with Coaches Schwartz, Tasso, SoFresh, and Neil in the Hilton lounge was to follow. Good times and good friends. That is a strong part of my enjoyment of this whole coaching thing.

We plan to rise early tomorrow for breakfast and to watch the Clipper ladies play. Their match time is set for 8am so I better wrap it up here soon. Not only this, but I don't want to make any additional noise as Coach Pampulov and his lovely family with two young children are right next door.

Well, I hope we are ready for tomorrow. It is a little strange this year as we are the hunted and no longer the hunter. I hope we get the job done.

Nuff said...

Street Smarts...

It was nice to get back on the courts over at Sanlando today to prepare for our match tomorrow. The park is a very nice facility and one that lends itself well to the Championships. We were on the courts for about two hours and looked pretty sharp. We expect a great match tomorrow and are prepared to give our best. The truth of the matter is that once you win a round, you are a threat to win the title. I hope we are in the mix.

We left the park to get some eats and also a few things at CVS. Even though both stops are just around the corner from the hotel, Coach Neil seems to always have us running these errands for over and hour. I am not sure where the time goes, but it goes none the less. Plenty of handshakes I suppose. Neil just loves to make new friends and to be in the club.

Well that's all I have for now. It is another beautiful day in Orlando so it is time to hit the pool for some refreshment. Coaches meeting at 4:30pm and the banquet at 7pm.

Catch you later.

Nuff said...

Ear plugs...

Well good morning Clipper fans. I wish I could say it was a better morning for me. Of course, it is just my luck that the hotel room next to me has a screaming child. In any case, I am an early riser these days and as luck would have it, no significant snoring from good old Coach Tarangioli last night.

I wanted to get back with you all last night, but due to some old man fatigue, a full belly and a modest headache, I crashed out early. However, I must tell you that our practice was pretty darn good. The fellas seemed to have turned the switch on and have started to play the good tennis. This is somewhat of a nice surprise after eating at Five Guys for burgers just prior to hitting the courts. This is essentially phase three of our season. We had our spring break, our conference and now the Nationals. I certainly hope that the players are able to rise to the occasion and raise their levels to what we all expect and what we know we will need to get the job done versus any team we play down here.

After our practice in the heat of the day, we rested a bit and then turned our attention to the Olive Garden. A nice time was had by all. I am still not sure Shaolin knows exactly what he is ordering when we go out to eat. He always seems to have some trouble and is often surprised when his meal comes...funny stuff.

As for today, the Hilton gives us a complimentary breakfast so I will be sure to enjoy that. Moving forward, it is off to the courts for an 11am practice at the tournament site at Sanlando Park. I am sure we will see many other teams there and probably Coach Neil will be ready to have long conversations with any available Coach. The players just love that, especially when we are waiting at the van to head home.

Catch up with you all later. Really miss you all and wish you were here.

Nuff said...

We are here...

We made it to Orlando safe and sound. After a slight delay courtesy of the fine folks at Jet Blue, we landed and secured our rental van. A thirty minute ride to the Hilton (which I hope to receive mega Hilton Honors points for incidentally) and a little unpacking to do before we will change clothes and grab a bite to eat.

Off to the practice courts at 4pm, which will be our match time Wednesday. Gonna be a hot one out there.

Was nice to meet Coach Pampulov of Hawai'i Pacific this afternoon. The Clipper ladies play HP in the first round...

More to come later.

Nuff said...

Off to Orlando...

The bus continues to travel. This time we are off to the National Final 16 held just outside of Orlando, FL in Altamonte Springs. Yes it's time to make the flight arrangements as we defeated Philadelphia University for the fourth time this season 5-0 in today's NCAA East #1 Regional Final (click here for box score).

Unlike our last meeting with the Rams when they came out sky high and full of energy and really pushed us back, we were more business today and got off to a solid start on all three doubles courts as we sailed to a 3-0 lead. The good start was key today as Philly seemed to lose their belief early on in the match. The team really poured it on in the singles matches as all courts were dominating for the Clippers. Tamas and Andreas closed out the day as both nailed down 6-0, 6-0 wins, or as my pal Pepe would say, two bicycles! However, that being said, big congrats to Coach Cha and the Rams on a great season. I know that good things are in store for Philly U. tennis in the future. We will do our best to represent our CACC in Florida. We hope you will follow and support us as we try to do something special next week.

Up next for the Clippers in the "Sweet 16" will be #29 ranked BYU Hawai'i, the #2 seed out of the West Region. In my opinion, BYU is under-rated and playing much better than their rank indicates. They are really a team that should be in the top 20 for sure. They have good experience on the team and I expect that they will be ready to play. We will certainly be ready as well.

We will take off Monday morning and get two days of practice in down south to get accustomed to the conditions. In addition, the players and coaches are treated to a special banquet by the NCAA Tuesday night just prior to the Wednesday competition. The ITA also presents its awards during the banquet and we hope to have a National winner or two perhaps.

A special thanks for all of the love and support throughout the season from so many of you. There are plenty of seats on the bus and this truly is a team effort.

2 down, 4 to go!

Nuff said...

One Down...Five To Go...

Well that's one in the books. We defeated Adelphi University today 5-0 in a race to five in the opening round of the 2010 NCAA II Tennis Championships (click here for boxscore). Windy conditions phased us not as we were able to sweep the doubles allowing just four total games in the three pro-sets. Shorthly thereafter, Andreas and Raphael made quick work of their opponents to capture the victory. It should be noted that all Clippers were leading handily on all courts when the match was decided.


As a result, the Magical Mystery Tour aboard the Clipper Magic Bus continues tomorrow versus Philadelphia University. The Rams were able to dispatch of Merrimack in the other regional semifinal. We are quite familiar with Philadelphia as we have played and defeated them three times this season. Lets hope for the four-pack. Match time is set for 9am 5/7/10.

The winner of tomorrow's match will advance to Orlando, FL for the National Final 16.

Nuff said...