2014-15 Team Handbook
Schedules, team rules, drills, conditioning, and other information for the student-athlete.
It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.
From the desk of Head Coach John Simms: Welcome to what promises to be a very exciting year for the women’s tennis program. We will be working harder than ever to stay on top of the Mountain East Conference and defend our championships. Of course we can expect every team in the conference will be doing its best to beat us but we will be prepared. This year’s schedule is one of the toughest the team has ever played. That will only make each of you a better player. A college athlete should begin every day by asking themselves what they can do that day to make themselves a better player, to help their team, to stay ahead of the opponents who are working hard to defeat them. Balancing studies and athletics is difficult. It can be hard to find time to study around practices and matches. The schedule is designed to help you as much as possible. But make no mistake, it is difficult. I have every confidence in this year’s players being able to not only maintain the high level of success the program has become known for but to take it to another level. Go Yellow Jackets!!!
Head Coach John Simms College Tennis at University of Charleston Bachelors of Arts Degree West Virginia State University
Experience - Took over West Virginia State Tennis program July 1, 2003 - Owner/operator of Simms Tennis Academy 1998-2004 - Director of Junior Tennis at Charleston Tennis Club 1994-1998 - Director of Tennis at Edgewood Country Club 1991-1994 - Director of Junior Tennis Charleston YMCA 1989-1993 - Rated Professional by United State Professional Tennis Association - Rated Professional by Professional Tennis Registry Notable - Selected by USTA Midwest Section 14 times to coach top juniors in national team competitions - Coached league, state, and district USTA adult championship teams - Served as Head Coach of USTA West Virginia Area Training Center for advanced juniors - Personal coach of four state high school champions, seven nationally ranked junior players, and numerous sectional and district ranked players. At the college level - Named Conference Coach of the Year 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, and 2013.
Year-by-Year Records Year 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Totals
All 1-11 3-12 5-12 14-5 20-8 18-10 15-9 19-8 12-5 19-9 14-3 140-92
Conference 1-8 2-7 3-6 7-2 8-0 7-1 7-2 9-0 7-1 10-0 7-0 68-27
Finish 9th 8th 7th 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 1st
Conference Tournament NCAA 9th (individual points) First Round First round Semis Won First round Finals First round Semis Second round Finals First round Finals First round Won Regional final Won Regional final
Becoming a Champion Outwork Everybody This accomplishes two things. First of all, hard work gives you the opportunity to improve, to be better prepared, and to be more productive among other things. But hard work also provides an unmatchable confidence that comes with knowing that you deserve to be successful. The more you have invested the harder it is to surrender when faced with adversity. Be mentally tough Mental toughness is one of the most important skills. Simply put, mental toughness is the ability to hold on to one's goals in the face of pressure and stress. It's the glue that holds a player and a team together when the heat is on. Keep Things Simple If simply keeping the ball in play will win then do it. Start with the simplest strategy and adjust from there. Play to Your Strengths To me this has two meanings. One, be who you are and don't try to be anyone else. Know your game. Stay Focused on the Fundamentals As soon as things start to go wrong many players start trying low percentage shots. Start with taking a deep breath between points, clear your head, and get back to what you have practiced. Think big picture Don't be swayed by minor setbacks. Don't confuse minor shifts with sea-changes. A bump in the road can--and should--be navigated without making major route changes. Chase Perfection Mistakes that are not tolerated in a loss should not be tolerated in a win, regardless of the score. No team or individual has ever come even close to perfection accidently. Your only chance of ever reaching perfection is to actively and constantly chase it.
“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the time spent preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship Character.�
Show championship character every day
Team Rules 1. Never do anything that will embarrass the program or school 2. Be on time 3. Come to practice and matches prepared 4. DO NOT have a cell phone at practice 5. Follow instruction to the best of your ability 6. Always give your maximum effort 7. Practice and play with emotion
Notes
The 16 Second Cure (Dr. Jim Loehr) is a very good method to regain control or your anxiety and emotions between points. It will help you to structure your time during points or games and to be better prepared for the next point. You can modify it to fit your personal needs, personality and ability. The 16 Second Cure includes 4 stages: 1.Positive Physical Response – Following a lost point, make a quick decisive move away from the mistake as if you say with your body “no problem”. Immediately transfer your racket to your nondominant hand with your head tilted up and walk back to your position with shoulders back, head up, and eyes forward and down, projecting a strong, confident image. (3-5 seconds) 2.Relaxation Response – Once behind the baseline keep your feet moving. Your eyes should be looking at the strings of your racquet or at the ground. Shake out your arms if necessary to release tension. Always walk several feet behind the baseline before starting the next point. The more stressful the point, the more time you should take in this stage. (3-15 seconds) 3.Preparation Response – Move toward your serve or service return position. Project the strongest, most confident image possible. Now is when you should plan what you’re going to do with the upcoming point. (3-5 seconds) 4.Automatic Ritual Response – If you’re serving, bounce the ball at least two times and pause after the last bounce to gather yourself before starting the service motion. This will guard against hurrying when under pressure. If you’re returning fix your eyes on the ball on the other side. Maintain movement by jumping up and down or swaying back and forth. Some players like to spin their rackuet in their hand. (5-8 seconds)
Top Pre-Match Mental Mistakes and Fixes There are 10 typical mistakes that many athletes make from before competing.
1. Going into a match with strict expectations of how you will perform 2. Letting early play decide you confidence level 3. Get distracted before a match 4. Take life’s worries into your match 5. Over-thinking (cramming) your game before a match 6. Worrying about results or what those results will mean 7. Poor planning or no game plan at all 8. Comparing yourself to your opponent 9. Worrying about what others think 10. Main motivator is fear of failure (creates anxiety, tension)
Objectives of pre-match preparation should be:
1. Feel prepared and ready 2. Feel confident in your skills 3. Have a game plan (strategy) 4. Focus on execution (strategy, tactics, patterns) 5. Be ready to deal with adversity 6. Transition to role as an athlete (leave behind life’s worries)
Singles 101 The general and overall plans to win a match are called “strategies”. The specific intention for shots used to execute the strategy are called “tactics”. The combination of shots used to execute the tactic are called “patterns”.
Playing a Pusher The dreaded pusher—those players who lob back almost every ball or who don't have a lot of pace and almost never miss— can be miserable to play against. It can make people crazy trying to play pushers. Just like playing anyone else, there is always a strategy you can take to the court with you to try to counter-attack the counter-puncher. Many players go into a match against a "pusher" thinking they can destroy these types of players, at least that's what it looks like from the sidelines. You must have respect for these types of players and their game. 1. Don't Play Their Style of Game. Don't allow them to dictate the pace of play and do not start pushing back your shots if it's not your typical game plan. You cannot beat a pusher by pushing the ball yourself. They're most likely much better at that style of play than you. You also never want the "pusher" to see you angry, stay focused and do not let them have the mental edge. 2. Get to the Net: "Pushers" usually don't have great passing shots so you should be able to get just about anything they try to pass you with. It's also not their typical style to try to hit hard to pass someone, so it may force the error. Getting to the net will help you to be more aggressive and cut down your opponent's reaction time. This almost sounds like a bad idea since they may just lob you anyway, but there are some good ways to approach this that will help. I like to serve and volley when playing these types of players. They usually do not lob back the serve, and even if they do I am not having to run backwards to get the lob since I am not that close to the net yet. Another great way to find a way to get to the net is to chip and charge off of their serve. This keeps the ball low and cuts down their reaction time. You can also find the short ball in baseline rallies and hit approach shots to get to the net. It is hard to hit great lobs on short low bouncing balls which will be to your advantage especially if you are coming to the net. This last way to get to the net is my favorite way to get to the net against these types of players. The sneak attack! Trade some baseline shots and roll one deep to their forehand or backhand. As they are backing up to hit the ball sneak into the net. Usually what your opponent will hit is a floater which you can take advantage of from the net. 3. Be Patient: You have to remember that even though they hit almost every ball back, their shots will usually not hurt you. Be patient and wait for the right ball to step in and hit a winner or an approach shot. If you get inpatient and try to hit the winner or approach shot to early you will end up hurting yourself, which is just what the "pusher" wants. What is nice about playing a "pusher" is that they usually don't capitalize on your mistakes like the short ball. If you miss-hit a ball and it lands short the typical player would take full advantage and make you pay for the mistake. 4. Shot Selection: If you chose your shot selection correctly and execute properly, taking advantage of the previous strategies will be much easier. The first piece of this puzzle is finding out what your opponent is uncomfortable playing. Your opponent may be uncomfortable playing at the net (typical of "pushers") or hate playing deep topspin shots to their backhand. In either case, you need to take advantage. Hitting short angles or drop shots will force them to run up to hit the ball and make it hard to lob the ball, in fact it will force them to have to be creative which might not be in their arsenal. If they don't like playing the net they are either stuck at the net forced to play out the point or run back to the baseline which will really get them in trouble. High topspin shots that bounce over their shoulder will also help to force a short ball out of your opponent and allow you to attack the net, cutting down your opponent's reaction time. This is another strategy that will take patience. Don't get frustrated when they don't hit back the first ball short enough that you can attack. This could take several shots to draw the short ball. Take the ball on the rise: This last strategy is for more advanced players. Taking the ball on the rise (on serves and ground strokes) takes a lot of practice and coordination. However, this strategy again takes time away from your opponent which can force errors or cause them to rush their shots and hit short. 5. Stay patient, focused and do not get angry. The "pusher" looks very beatable from far away, but once you get into the match they can cause many people problems. Keep the points smart because they will most likely not be short points. Remember, they do not smash the ball if you do not hit the perfect shot, if you hit a short ball they will most likely not make you pay for the mistake and you can rework your way back into the point. If you can execute the correct shots at the right times you will give your opponent something to get mad about instead.
DIRECTIONALS – BASIC GUIDELINES Remember it is the position of the player and the ball, not the ball and the court, that determine whether an inside or outside ground stroke will be hit. If the ball crosses the body of the player, then the hit will be and outside stroke, if the ball does not pass in front of the player then an inside ground stroke will be hit. A/. Guide One - The most natural and high percentage shot is to hit the ball back cross court and there is no change of direction of the ball, therefore the ball leaves the racquet strings at a right angle and thus fewer errors are made and your opponent has less opportunity to attack you. See figures 1 & 2 for no change of direction on forehands and backhands. B/. Guide Two - It is more productive to change direction from an inside ground stroke and hit to the open court. By using inside shots to change direction give you the advantage on the offensive. Players should step into the court to take an inside ball on the rise. C/. Guide Three – If you change direction on an Outside Ground Stroke there is a 90 Degree change of direction. You have to be careful when using this change of direction as it is in such instances that errors are made. The ball needs to be in your comfort zone and not when you are under pressure from a good shot from your opponent. An important point in changing direction on an outside ground stroke is to not hit too close to the lines as this is where the ball will often fly out. The same principles apply to Volleys, approach shots etc., Inside Ground Strokes. An inside stroke occurs when the ball does not cross in front of the player’s body. View figure 3 to see that the ball from the outside of player does not cross in front of the second player , this allows the player to do an inside forehand. Outside Ground Stroke. These are called outside strokes because the ball is crossing in front of the player’s body and is moving towards the outside of the court.
11
18
First day of classes
10
17
Returning students move into dorms 3:00 - Returning player
31 1:00 - prac ce/ condi oning
24 1:00 - prac ce/ condi oning
25
4
3
mee ng
Mon
Sun
27 10:00 - condi oning
5:30 - condi oning
20
13
6
Wed
26
19
12
5
Tue
28
21
New students move into dorms New players stop by and see Coach
14
7
Thu
August 2014
6 p.m. -Team Night Out
23 10:00 a.m. - pracce/condi oning
16 10:00 a.m. - New player mee ng
30 10:00 - condi oning 10:00 - prac ce/ condi oning
29
1:00 - Team mee ng
22
15 Orienta on and advising
9
2
1
8
Sat
Fri
home vs. Fairmont State
5:30 - prac ce
30
28 3:00 - match at
29
5:30 - condi oning
23
22
21
1:00 - prac ce
Matchplay
5:30 - condi oning
10:00 - prac ce
24
17
16
15
14 11:00 a.m. leave for 3:30 match at UVa-Wise
10:00 - prac ce
10
Matchplay
9
Matchplay
Matchplay
8
3
2
1
Wed
Tue
Mon
1:00 - prac ce/ condi oning
7
Sun
5:30 - condi oning
25
5:30 - condi oning
18
Noon - leave for Shepherd
11
4
Thu
September 2014
11:00 a.m. leave for 3:00 at Concord
26
Matchplay
19
3:30 - match at Shepherd
12
Matchplay
5
Fri
27
9:30 a.m. - prac ce
20
13
10:00 - prac ce/ condi oning
6
Sat
6
5
26
Noon - leave for Wake Forest
10:00 - prac ce
28
29
22
10:00 - prac ce
5:30 - prac ce
21
15
3:00 - match at home vs. Charleston
30
23
5:30 - prac ce
16
5:30 - prac ce
9
2
1
8
Thu
Wed
14
5:30 - prac ce
7
Tue
18
31
24
25
MEC Tournament MEC Tournament
17
Possible prac ce at 9:30 a.m.
11
All day Wake Forest tournament
All day Wake Forest tournament
10 4:00 - match at home vs. West Liberty
4
Sat
3
Fri
O-season workouts during ďŹ rst three weeks of November
27
20
19
MEC Tournament
13
12 noon - match at home vs. WV Wesleyan
All day Wake Forest tournament
Mon
Sun
October 2014
6-1
5-2
4-3
3-4
2-5
1-6
0-7
West Liberty
Charleston
WV Wesleyan
UVa-Wise
Shepherd
Concord
Fairmont State
2-19
1-10
5-16
8-8
9-5
15-11
14-10
14-3
Overall
on
on
10 a.m.: West Virginia State def. West Liberty, 5-1
Finals (Sunday, Oct. 20)
1 p.m.: West Virginia State def. West Virginia Wesleyan, 5-0
10 a.m.: West Liberty def. Charleston, 5-3
Semifinals (Saturday, Oct. 19)
6. Alanna McFail (IUP) vs. Nadia Grlj (WVS) unfinished
5. Charlo e Sandy (WVS) def. Rachel Wood (IUP) 6-3, 6-2
4. Ranvita Mahto (IUP) def. Diana Cotoros (WVS) 6-3, 6-3
3. Cora Berna (WVS) def. Erika Schnaas (IUP) 6-0, 6-2
2. Sophie Butland (IUP) def. Andreea Slusarciuc (WVS) 6-4, 6-3
1. #19 Tanya Timko (IUP) def. Bri any Franco (WVS) 6-1, 6-1
on
3. Ranvita Mahto/Rachel Wood (IUP) def. Diana Cotoros/Charlo e Sandy (WVS) 8-4
1 p.m.: #1 West Virginia State def. #8 Fairmont State, 5-0
Singles compe
2. Sophie Butland/Alanna McFail (IUP) def. Cora Berna/Nadia Grlj (WVS) 8-4
11 a.m.: #3 Charleston def. #6 Shepherd, 5-0
3 p.m.: #4 West Virginia Wesleyan def. #5 UVa-Wise, 5-2
1. Bri any Franco/Andreea Slusarciuc (WVS) def. Tanya Timko/Erika Schnaas (IUP) 8-5
9 a.m.: #2 West Liberty def. Concord, 5-0
on
Doubles compe
Indian University-Pa. 5, West Virginia State 3
6. Nadia Grlj (WVSU) vs. Courtney Gallagher (SRU) unfinished
5. Charlo e Sandy (WVSU) vs. Kylee Woodman (SRU) unfinished
4. Diana Cotoros (WVSU) vs. Stephanie For er (SRU) unfinished
3. Cora Berna (WVSU) def. Lauren Coggins (SRU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Andrea Sluscaric (WVSU) def. Sarah Jourmond (SRU) 6-0, 6-2
1. Bri any Franco (WVSU) def. Nikolina Grbac (SRU) 6-4, 6-0
Singles compe
3. Stephanie For er/Courtney Gallagher (SRU) def. Charlo e Sandy/Diana Cotoros (WVSU) 8-2
2. Cora Berna/Nadia Grlj (WVSU) def. Lauren Coggins/Kylee Woodman (SRU) 8-3
1. Bri any Franco/Andrea Sluscaric (WVSU) def. Nikolina Grbac/Sarah Jourmond (SRU) 8-4
Doubles compe
West Virginia State 5, Slippery Rock 1
NCAA Tournament
Quarterfinals (Friday, Oct. 18)
Tournament
2013 Mountain East Conference
7-0
Conference
WV State
School
Mountain East Conference
2013 Final
Background Informa on
2014-15 WVSU Women’s Tennis Schedule September 12
Friday
at Shepherd
3:30 p.m.
14
Sunday
at UVa-Wise
3:00 p.m.
26
Friday
at Concord
3:00 p.m.
28
Sunday
Fairmont State
3:00 p.m.
3-5
Fri.-Sun.
at Wake Forest Invitational
All day
8
Wednesday
Univ. of Charleston
3:00 p.m.
10
Friday
West Liberty
4:00 p.m.
12
Sunday
WV Wesleyan
Noon
17-19
Fri.-Sun.
MEC Tournament (Charleston)
All day
14
Saturday
at Lenoir-Rhyne
1:00 p.m.
15
Sunday
at Appalachian State
22
Sunday
Bluefield State at the Greenbrier
28
Saturday
at UNC Greensboro
10:00 a.m.?
1
Sunday
at North Carolina A&T
11:00 a.m.
14
Saturday
Walsh
11:00 a.m.
19-29
Spring Break in Orlando
22
Sunday
at Eckerd
11:00 a.m.
24
Tuesday
West Alabama in Orlando
8:30 a.m.
25
Wednesday
at Rollins
3:30 p.m.
27
Friday
at St. Leo
1:00 p.m.?
4
Saturday
Davis & Elkins
Noon
11
Saturday
at California-Pa.
1:00 p.m.?
12
Sunday
at Indiana Univ.-Pa.
1:00 p.m.
25
Saturday
Slippery Rock
1:00 p.m.?
1-4
Fri-Mon.
NCAA Regional
TBA
13-16
Wed.-Sat.
NCAA Final 16 in Surprise, Arizona
TBA
October
February
March
April
May
Basic Practice Drills 1. Crosscourt groundstrokes — players are expected to be able to hit 20 crosscourt forehands or backhands in a row (10 each). Ball should hit past the service line. Crosscourt shots are the highest percentage shots because they travel over the lowest point in the net to the part of the court farthest away. It also makes an opponent run more.
2. Down-the-line groundstrokes — once again players should be able to hit 20 down-the-line forehands or backhands in a row with the ball landing past the service line. Players should be aware that this is a difficult shot, especially if attempting to change the direction of a ball coming from crosscourt. The ball is going over the highest point in the net and to the shortest part of the court. 3. Figure 8’s—one player hits down-the-line shots while the other hits crosscourt shots. The goal is still 20 in a row. This drill is more like playing an actual point. Footwork is very important as is keeping the ball deep in the court. Hitting the ball short allows an opponent to put you on the defensive by hitting a penetrating shot down-the-line or an angle shot crosscourt.
Basic Doubles Formations 1. One up/one back - the normal doubles formation. Effective as long as the other team plays the same formation or plays two-back. Does not work against two opponents at the net who have good volleys and overheads. 2. Two back - a defensive position usually used against a better team. Most shots hit from this formation will be lobs. The players have to resist the temptation to hit offensive shots. 3. Australian - mainly used for two reasons. The first is to protect a server who has a weak groundstroke on one side. The second is to take away the crosscourt return from an opponent who has been hitting it well.
4. I formation - used mainly to confuse an opposing team that is returning serve well. Also forces the serving team to be more offensive minded. This is an aggressive formation.
Basic Exercises Medicine Ball Tosses Forehand - standing about 10 feet from your partner step with your front foot toward them and throw the medicine ball from the side similar to a forehand. Each person tosses the ball 10 times for a total of 20 throws. Backhand - same as above but on the opposite side.
Overhead - standing about 10 feet from your partner step with your front foot toward them and throw the medicine ball from over your head.
Jumping Rope 100 jumps skipping rope 50 jumps on left foot 50 jumps on right foot 100 jumps with both feet at same time
Agility Test Purpose To assess technique and speed during straight sprinting and changes in direction Application For sports that require a change of direction out of linear movement, this test helps assess athletes’ ability to cut and efficiently change direction. Examples include a receiver in American football running a pass route or a soccer player dribbling the ball and moving around defenders. Equipment Laser timing device or stopwatch, measuring tape, 8 cones or markers, and a flat, nonslip surface Testing Layout Set up four cones in a rectangle 10 meters (10.9 yd) long and 5 meters (5.5 yd) wide. The two cones at one end (A and D) mark the start and finish of the test. Cones B and C are at the other end. Place the remaining four cones (numbered 1 through 4) down the center of the testing area 3 meters apart. Procedure The athlete should begin at the starting line at cone A. On the go signal, the athlete starts as quickly as possible and sprints 10 meters (10.9 yd) to cone B. The administrator starts the timing device when the athlete first moves. The athlete then sprints to cone 1 in the center of the testing area, weaves in and out of cones 1 through 4 using a zigzag motion, circles cone 4, and then returns to cone 1, weaving through the center cones in the opposite direction. After turning around cone 1, the athlete sprints 10 meters (10.9 yd) to cone C and then back across the starting line between cones A and D. The administrator stops the timing device when the athlete reaches cone D. Table 3.2 provides general standards and norms for this test
More to be added later