Well Hello again!
Last time I mentioned our run at the ITA National Indoors Championships. It was an incredibly exciting event to be a part of, especially as the tournament host. However, it took a pretty big mental and physical toll on our team. Our schedule for the 2009 season is arranged in a certain pattern. Large clumps of matches are followed by a week or two of rest time. I think that this is best for our team in terms of recovery. The week that we returned from Indoors, it was important that we continue to improve and work on things that had troubled us the previous weekend. However, it also needed to be a time of rehabilitation and rest. Without proper care, small pains can suddenly turn into stress fractures or shin splints. Icing, massages, ice baths, and lots of stretching are all extremely beneficial. Our coaches and athletic training staff did a great job of putting our squad in a great position to continue our success.
Our next sequence of matches featured two double headers, one on Friday, Feb. 27th and one on Sunday, Mar. 1st. We competed against Detroit at 1 p.m. and had our Big Ten Opener against Purdue at 6 p.m. On Sunday, Northern Illinois and Saint Louis came to Atkins Tennis Center at noon and six, respectively. We prepared for these matches by having two mock dual matches between members of our team. We split up our team into the orange and blue teams, and wore the sleeveless jerseys of former great Illini such as Ruben Gonzales, Ryan Rowe, Ryler DeHeart, G.D. Jones, and Kevin Anderson. As our young team has moved back into the top ten in the national rankings, we are still looking to define our identity as a national force to be reckoned with. Playing with the spirit of these leaders is definitely a step in the right direction. It was a great way for us to raise the intensity of our practice and to have a little fun along the way.
The four matches gave us the opportunity to sharpen our skills while still giving every person on our deep, eleven man roster the chance to compete. The home support for the first match of our Big Ten title run did not disappoint. I played 6 singles and the atmosphere was electric. There is no experience in college tennis that can compare to playing in front of the crowd at Atkins. The loud echoes, raucous cheering, and effort of the competitors creates an atmosphere unlike any other. We managed to pull it out 4-3 (and the other three matches on the weekend), but were disappointed to drop some matches. Nevertheless, we are very optimistic in continuing Big Ten play. After our match with Purdue, former Illini Kevin Anderson and Ryler DeHeart talked to our team about ways to better perform and execute, especially in pressure situations. Having such valuable resources around such as these alumni is another thing that makes the University of Illinois Men's Team such a special program and experience. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to practice with Ryler which gave me phenomenal preparation for Sunday's matches. Hopefully our unique community will give us an edge this season. This coming weekend we host Northwestern and Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Hopefully we can raise the level of our play and build some momentum. Our crowd (which is sure to be large) will help us a lot.
Until next time,
Abe
Last time I mentioned our run at the ITA National Indoors Championships. It was an incredibly exciting event to be a part of, especially as the tournament host. However, it took a pretty big mental and physical toll on our team. Our schedule for the 2009 season is arranged in a certain pattern. Large clumps of matches are followed by a week or two of rest time. I think that this is best for our team in terms of recovery. The week that we returned from Indoors, it was important that we continue to improve and work on things that had troubled us the previous weekend. However, it also needed to be a time of rehabilitation and rest. Without proper care, small pains can suddenly turn into stress fractures or shin splints. Icing, massages, ice baths, and lots of stretching are all extremely beneficial. Our coaches and athletic training staff did a great job of putting our squad in a great position to continue our success.
Our next sequence of matches featured two double headers, one on Friday, Feb. 27th and one on Sunday, Mar. 1st. We competed against Detroit at 1 p.m. and had our Big Ten Opener against Purdue at 6 p.m. On Sunday, Northern Illinois and Saint Louis came to Atkins Tennis Center at noon and six, respectively. We prepared for these matches by having two mock dual matches between members of our team. We split up our team into the orange and blue teams, and wore the sleeveless jerseys of former great Illini such as Ruben Gonzales, Ryan Rowe, Ryler DeHeart, G.D. Jones, and Kevin Anderson. As our young team has moved back into the top ten in the national rankings, we are still looking to define our identity as a national force to be reckoned with. Playing with the spirit of these leaders is definitely a step in the right direction. It was a great way for us to raise the intensity of our practice and to have a little fun along the way.
The four matches gave us the opportunity to sharpen our skills while still giving every person on our deep, eleven man roster the chance to compete. The home support for the first match of our Big Ten title run did not disappoint. I played 6 singles and the atmosphere was electric. There is no experience in college tennis that can compare to playing in front of the crowd at Atkins. The loud echoes, raucous cheering, and effort of the competitors creates an atmosphere unlike any other. We managed to pull it out 4-3 (and the other three matches on the weekend), but were disappointed to drop some matches. Nevertheless, we are very optimistic in continuing Big Ten play. After our match with Purdue, former Illini Kevin Anderson and Ryler DeHeart talked to our team about ways to better perform and execute, especially in pressure situations. Having such valuable resources around such as these alumni is another thing that makes the University of Illinois Men's Team such a special program and experience. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to practice with Ryler which gave me phenomenal preparation for Sunday's matches. Hopefully our unique community will give us an edge this season. This coming weekend we host Northwestern and Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Hopefully we can raise the level of our play and build some momentum. Our crowd (which is sure to be large) will help us a lot.
Until next time,
Abe
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