NET NEWS, VOLUME 1
9/17/2021 8:21:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Welcome Back
Welcome Back Everyone,
So excited to begin a new academic year at The University of Alabama, as well as share a few thoughts, insights and opinions with all of you during the season. It's certainly not a sprint from August thru May; however, this marathon of sorts does seem to go quick, like a snap of the fingers. This will mark my 10th campaign at the Capstone and 27th overall in college coaching. It doesn't seem too long ago when I arrived at Birmingham Shuttlesworth Airport as a new Crimson Tide employee with my wife, Kristina, and our three young children, Nina, Grant and Greta. The move south from the west coast was a new adventure for us all that has provided a plethora of new experiences on and off the court in our Sweet Home Alabama. Â
Google defines "new" as not existing before; made, introduced or discovered recently or now for the first time. While there have been many familiar things taking place annually over the years, the flip of the calendar from 2020-21 to 2021-22 has included a fair amount of "new" in the form of new faces, new personalities, new energy and new opportunities.
Last May our large roster of 12 was reduced to two, as we bid farewell to 10 players to graduation, exhausted eligibility, graduate school and undergraduate transfers. It was a little shock to the system; however, the coaching staff was prepared for the challenge and welcomed six new faces to campus. This included four incoming freshmen, a sophomore and a graduate student, who would ultimately meet a returning senior and a sophomore. Our May graduates provided such a boost to our program on so many levels and required a passing of the baton to a new group of competitors and a new philosophy moving forward. Our new roster of eight will push themselves and be challenged by their teammates in practice daily. It will be a result of efficient preparation, personal accountability, a willingness to improve and a process of getting better. While the competitiveness could result in some tenacious training sessions, the tension in practice will be healthy and good. Â
Let's meet this new group beginning first with our returners, senior Patrick Kaukovalta (Espoo, Finland) and sophomore Rudi Christiansen (Heilbronn, Germany). Next are graduate transfer Juan Martin (General Villegas, Argentina) and sophomore transfer Joao Ferreira (Belo Horizonte, Brazil). And finally, the freshmen, Enzo Aguiard (Melbourne, Australia), Zach Foster (San Antonio, Texas), Filip Planinsek (Hoce, Slovenia) and German Samofalov (Odessa, Ukraine). In addition to representing eight different countries, these guys are the next wave of Alabama men's tennis whose charge is to keep the Tide rising. Â
The new faces at the tennis facility also extend beyond the baseline. This year we welcome Hays Hooten and Jenny Robb, who will share team manager duties and fill the large shoes left by Abi Gossett. Hays' focus will be connecting our program with on campus groups, while Jenny's charge will be off campus in the greater Tuscaloosa and Birmingham communities. Both Hays and Jenny are pursuing their master's degrees in marketing. Shelby Fisher and Katilin Wiltshire will head up our marketing efforts following a COVID restricted season that didn't give them much opportunity to strut their stuff and help bring fans to matches. Stephanie Withey is our new assistant director of communications, who will keep our news, stories and scoop fresh and up to date at www.rolltide.com and our social media platforms. She brings a very dedicated and creative mind to our program and has made an immediate impact thus far. We have a new sports medicine fellow, Maddy Hiatt, who will assist tennis athletic trainer Katie Wheeler and our four new undergraduate student trainers. Maddy has quickly made her presence felt with her enthusiastic support of the men's and women's teams. Breana Leonard is our new athletic performance dietitians that will make sure our players are "fueled by Bama" properly and don't let their personal tanks run on empty. Supporting our team's academic progress will now be Sarah Kizzire who replaces phenom Jenny Sanders. Sarah has worked with women's tennis in the past, so it made sense for her to grab another racket and support both programs as they pursue their degrees. And finally, down Paul W. Bryant Drive and into the Bill Battle Athletic Performance Center, you'll find Josh Lancaster, our new, passionate and very knowledgeable fitness coach, who has done wonders with our guys since his first training session with them over the summer. Â
So there's a lot of 'new' at Bama Tennis and in this era of the 'new-normal'. I'm very excited for the road ahead which begins this weekend at the Alabama Four-In-The-Fall, a four-team event that features the Crimson Tide and a streak of Tigers in Memphis, LSU and Princeton (led by former Bama head coach Billy Pate). It's not often that we face a trio of schools with the same mascot, so let's call it a 'new' thing. Actually the Green Wave of Tulane was slated to participate in our annual event, however the unfortunate and damaging impact of Hurricane Ida forced them to withdraw. Thoughts and prayers go out to Tulane coach Mark Booras and his squad for a speedy and safe return to campus this fall. Â
While a team score will not be determined on any day this weekend, each school will compete against one another in a mock dual format with four doubles and eight singles matches per day, per contest. The lineup includes Alabama vs. Memphis and LSU vs. Princeton on Friday, Alabama vs. LSU and Memphis vs. Princeton on Saturday and finally Alabama vs. Princeton and LSU vs. Memphis on Sunday. The weather has typically been very hot and resulted in several players cramping with multiple trips to the ice bath tubs; however Mother Nature has something 'new' for us. Tropical depression Nicholas has pushed a damp weather front to the Yellowhammer State so indoor tennis is possible. All matches, regardless of rain or sun, will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday thru Sunday. So come check out the "new" team, "new" personalities and "new" energy. Still competing at the same place so there's nothing new in that regard. Watching outdoor, and possible indoor tennis, in September, however, would be something new for you. Here's to an exciting season of opportunity to learn, improve, celebrate, suffer, progress and enjoy from start to finish with all of you. That's nothing new.
Roll Tide,
George
Players Mentioned
