Net News - April 21
4/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Hello from Columbia, South Carolina, home of the 2016 SEC Men's Tenis Championships!
We arrived late Tuesday afternoon after a comfy, 6-hour, non-stop cruise aboard our concert-style, sleeper bus. George, our solid, Southern, silver-haired chauffeur drove our rig without any glitches or issues. We didn't hit any traffic though we slowed down in "Somewhere," Georgia and saw an Acura Legend engulfed in flames on the side of the Interstate. Nobody was in the vehicle but rather about 200 yards away chatting things over with the highway patrolmen. Back to bus action … our traditional video game challenge room was located in the rear of the cruiser, but unfortunately competition was postponed due to technical difficulties. Without Coach Stuart Kenyon on the trip we have fallen short with our ability to figure out wiring and electronics. So, that left watching television from a small flat screen in your bunk, doing homework, going up front with the staff or catching up on sleep. I'll let you figure out which was most popular.
We had plenty of food on board, compliments of the best Sports Performance and Nutrition group in the country. They do such an outstanding job each week of keeping the players fed, hydrated and happy. Everyone loves food, right? The coaches and staff for this trip sat in the front of the bus, with eyes focused on computers, phones or the television. After watching three consecutive episodes of Sportscenter, we flipped the channel over to Vanilla Ice's Project and watched how this "Ice, Ice, Baby" icon renovated and upgraded massive foreclosed homes in the Miami area. We then turned things over to Law & Order, which sucks you in from the opening scene. In addition to Coach Ryler and Coach Andrew, aka Goodie, we also had a few extra people on the trip who have been invaluable to us this season. These included our athletic trainer, Katie Wheeler, "Team Mom", who usually traveled with us, but this time around she brought along one of her student assistants, Jake "The Snake" Murdock. We also had our Director of Athletics Communications, Jessica Pare, who has become quite the tennis fan, and, the calming/organized/kick butt assistant Sherry Selby. We are so grateful to have them aboard for this ride and run in the tourney as they have given us so much of their time, effort and passion throughout the year.
Our first couple of practices were focused and productive as the adrenaline continued to build as we prepared for our second showdown with the Rebels on Thursday at 2 p.m. EST. The weather forecast looks good for the rest of the week and includes much warmer temps than what we're used to (85+ degrees). We're ready for the challenge as we've made several trips across the parking lot to Publix and the baby aisle. No, we haven't searched for diapers or pacifiers, but rather for a tennis player's best friend - Pedialyte. It has become a staple in our pre-match routine, so we're filled up with our own version of high octane fuel.
The Crimson Tide heads into these championships knowing we can compete with anyone. We've had success with doubles and have the ability to play very well in singles. It's all a matter of who will push, who will pull and who will force the other to tap out. I'm very excited for our matches and know the guys will leave it all out on the court when all is said and done. I know a lot of our success is a result of the guys controlling what they can control and not harping on the things they can't control. After all, why not focus on what we want vs. focusing on something we don't want or can't have?
I also know that we've had so many people support us this season. As legendary coach, John Wooden said, "It takes 10 helping hands to store a basket." Well, we've had more than 10 helping hands, and I'm so grateful for their many hours of commitment, responsibility and passion. The full staff includes:
-3 assistant coaches (Ryler, Andrew & Stuart) -1 team manager (Lauren May) -2 stringers (Dino Saris, Benn Marler) -1 athletic trainer (Katie Wheeler) + her 3-4 student trainers (Jake being one of them) -1 director of communications (Jessica Pare) -1 strength coach (Lance Ancar) + 3 weight room interns -1 academic counselor (Fern Hampton) -1 sports nutritionist (Amy Bragg) -4 facilities specialists (Tina, Yacquelyn, Lettie & Ashley) -1 administrative assistant (Sherry Selby) -1 equipment manager (Jake Walden) -1 administrator (Kevin Almond) When you add in the Crimson Racket Club board and volunteers, the other departments within athletics and on the academic side, plus the most supportive head coach's head coach, my wife Kristina, then you've got a support system that is second to none. What an honor it is to represent The University of Alabama and our men's tennis program.
Now let the games begin!
Roll Tide,
George
Players Mentioned
