Doug Land Spent the Fall of 2010 in Japan

Doug Land is currently a Junior on the men's squad here at Coe. Through Coe, Doug had the opportunity to spend the Fall of 2010 in Japan. Below is an essay written by Doug about his time spent overseas. Doug has also promised me pictures which I'll add to the post when received. Enjoy....

Trip to Japan

My trip to Japan was a very interesting experience. I left from the Eastern Iowa Airport on September 9^th, and arrived in Nagoya, Japan on September 10^th. The actual flight itself was 16 hours with a layover in Detroit for about 3 hours. The city of Nagoya is roughly 8 hours south of Tokyo by car. The exchange that I took part in was with Coe’s sister school, Nagoya Gakuin Daigaku. (名古屋学院大学) The credit that I received went towards my Asian Studies major.

I stayed in an international dormitory that was on campus. It housed roughly 30 students, with about 20 of them being from America. Each day, we had roughly 3 hours of Japanese language study. This was usually followed by an elective class. I had karate, and Japanese economy. Both courses were very interesting, although karate was much more exciting than the latter.

I tried to play tennis at least 3 times a week. I was not a fan of the courts, but recognize the fact that I am spoiled given the courts I have access to at Coe! The courts in Japan were made of green turf, and had sand on them. It was a cross between grass and clay because you could slide. My disdain for these courts would actually border on loathing, simply because my serve speed was drastically reduced. Also, I can’t slide for the life of me. But I worked a lot on my volleys because the tennis club would mostly play doubles. It really helped improve my volleys. There is no intercollegiate sports league like the NCAA in Japan. Thus, students would play simply to play, or for the sheer enjoyment, which was very neat. I also tried to run in the mornings, and lift before I would hit.

I did a bit of traveling in Japan. I think the most interesting place that I went was to a mountain village. It was having a festival the day we visited. We also took a gondola up to the summit, but unfortunately, there was strong fog that day. The most exciting place definitely had to be the weekend trip that I made to Tokyo（東京）. It was probably the craziest 3 days of my entire trip. The city itself is broken up into many smaller sections. We stayed mostly in Akihabara（秋葉原）, Shibuya（渋谷） and Roppongi （六本木）.

I also did a homestay with an old woman in the Tajimishi (多治見). It was really nice to experience life in Japan, in a more rural setting. She was the nicest person that I met on my entire trip, and I try to stay in contact with her.

A lot of time was spent trying to assimilate myself with the culture. Walking places was always an experience in and of itself. I admittedly had my fair share of wanderings attributed to being lost. In general, most people were kind and quite friendly. On the weekends, we would normally try to eat out, and go to a club or just the arcade. Nagoya is similar to the size of Chicago, and I think that I probably only saw a third of the city.

The food that I had was amazing. Even if a person doesn’t like to eat fish, there is still a lot of other delicious things to eat. I would have to say that my new favorite dish is ramen. It is absolutely nothing like American ramen (in the cups that are 85 cents). Every weekend, we would try and go to at least one new ramen shop. Each one has a different recipe for the sauce, and I never left any ramen shop without my mind being blown away.

I do miss everyone that I met over there. I think that there are two people that I miss the most - Shoji and Naoya. All in all, I would say that it was a great experience that I would not give up for anything. Actually, I plan on going back some time and possibly obtaining a job!

Campus Kids' Day

CAMPUS KIDS’ DAY

Hosted by Coe College

February 5th

8:30 am - 10 am

The Coe College Men's Tennis Team will be hosting the Univ. of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Match begins at 9 AM.

Kids of all ages are encouraged to attend! Food and refreshments will be provided. Activities include short tennis clinics, contests, a raffle, and autograph signings. Attendance, food, refreshments and promotions are Free!

Please RSVP to kdiehl@coe.edu if you plan to attend. Please include the name and age of each child that will be participating. Thanks!

Team Dinner

The men's team enjoying "Wing Night" after practice this evening.

I'll take Coach up on his challenge to predict the Australian victors (see previous post) and take Murray and Wozniacki.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN--Crunchtime!

It is getting down to the time in a Grand Slam where it gets to be unpredictable. This Australian Open is no different....I defy anyone to get both singles winners correct, based on anything but a lucky guess!

Men-Barring a stirring upset tonight(and Ferrer over Nadal will be a physical match) the top players, Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, and Murray will be competing for the title. All are fast, and great defenders. Look for the one who plays the best offense at opportune times to be the victor. On playing form so far....Djokovic is playing the best I have ever seen him. He seems to have picked up some racquet head speed on his FH wing. Murray is cruising, but can he play effective offense on the last two rounds of a tournament? Nadal and Fed? Well, they have done it before....many times....I would not EVER bet against either.

Women--About as wide-open of a draw as can be for a Grand Slam. Guaranteed to have a first-time OZ Open Champion...none of the final six have won in Melbourne. Wozniacki, Na Li, Kim Clijsters, and Vera Zvonareva should be in the final four. The safe bet here is Clijsters. She has won two Slams and has been in the finals of each Grand Slam. Wozniacki and Zvonareva are in the same boat. Neither has won before, both are expected to and they will win Grand Slams. Just not this one. Look for Na Li to become the first Grand Slam Champion from China.

Doubles--Kudos to Eric Butorac of Rochester, Minnesota for reaching the semi-finals of the Men's Doubles. Eric was the NCAA D3 Champion in both singles and doubles in 2003. Just goes to show that you can make it to the top of the game of tennis from just about anywhere, even D3!

Men's Tennis Practice Underway!

The Men's Team opened up practice just minutes ago. Eager to start, a few of the guys were also on court with Coach Rodgers earlier in the day.

For me, this day notes the start of my 2nd year of coaching at Coe. I can't even begin to describe the growth that I personally have achieved as a tennis player, and coach, over the course of the past year.

All of the players and coaches alike are looking forward to the upcoming season. Every season is a process in which improvement is attained as individuals, and a team!

Another Successful Campus Showdown!

(Pictured from left to right......Coe College Tennis Players Sara Ohlman, Elizabeth Hoffman and Natalie Bordignon enjoying the event)

Coe hosted a Women's Campus Showdown today (the Men's Campus Showdown was held in November.....see previous post). Several college players participated including 5 of the Coe women and 6 other players from the Conference. A number of high performance junior players rounded out the competition.

The highlight of the day was the semi-final match between Michelle Schupbach and Tai Lucero (two of Coe's standout players). Despite being only 1 set, with a tiebreaker played at 5-5, the set literally took TWO HOURS! Spectators began to question me as to whether the two of them had stayed on court to practice, or were STILL playing. The latter! Further, the tennis was high quality rally groundstrokes......or Coe Tennis 101.....the ability to grind from the baseline FOREVER.

Natalie Bordignon, Elizabeth Hoffman and Hannah Helms also played well, and had strong showings, for the Kohawks.

Thanks to all of the participants for making today's event a success! Several players stuck around to play doubles and/or hit following the conclusion of play (despite having already played 5-6 matches). Can't complain when the facility it shut down, yet the lights on the tennis courts remain lit.

Men's D3 Pre-Season Tennis Rankings

As many of you know I have spent the last 15 years or so on various Ranking and Selection Committees. Now free of those commitments, I thought I would try to expand on what others(the ITA and the D3 Blogger) do by compiling a ranking of the top 60 Men's Teams within the NCAA D3 with hopes and expectations that the list will grow to 75 schools during the season like our NCAA D1 counterparts. Since this is strictly one person's research & opinion, bias and errors will no doubt occur. Feel free to email me with differing opinions at erodgers@coe.edu On or about March 1st will update once we have results.

D3 TEAM Pre-SEASON RANKINGS

1 Amherst
2 Emory
3 Claremont
4 UC Santa Cruz
5 WashU
6 Trinity(TX)
7 Middlebury
8 Williams
9 NC Wesleyan
10 CA Lutheran
11 Johns Hopkins
12 Bowdoin
13 Carnegie Mellon
14 Redlands
15 Chicago
16 Kenyon
17 Trinity(CT)
18 Depauw
19 Whitman
20 UW-Whitewater
21 Pomona Pitzer
22 Mary Washington
23 Bates
24 UT-Tyler
25 MIT
26 Denison
27 Kalamazoo
28 Vassar
29 Christopher Newport
30 Salisbury
31 Washington & Lee
32 Brandeis
33 Carleton
34 Gustavus
35 TCNJ
36 Hampden Sydney
37 Luther
38 Skidmore
39 Swarthmore
40 Stevens Tech
41 Rhodes
42 Linfield
43 Case Western
44 Grinnell
45 Washington College
46 Ithaca
47 Willamette
48 Tufts
49 UW-Eau Claire
50 Coe
51 Occidental
52 St Lawrence
53 Franklin & Marshall
54 Carthage
55 Birmingham Southern
56 Haverford
57 Colby
58 Rochester
59 NYU
60 Whittier

The importance of each and every point.....

Just watched Verdasco take the 4th set from Tipsarevic despite having 2 match points against him. Tipsarevic was serving at 6-5, 40-30 when Verdasco played a phenomenal (mostly defensive) point that culminated in him hitting a running down the line FH passing shot that literally appeared to go through Tipsarevic's racquet as he lunged for a volley. Up to that exact point, Tipsarevic very much deserved to win the match. However, the 1 point completely crumbled his spirit and reversed the momentum (as if a light switch had been flipped). Verdasco showed some energy and intensity (which had been lacking) and went on to win 19 points in a row, including a definitive 7-0 breaker. It was very evident that Verdasco would cruise in the 5th (and did 6-0).

Oh, and I have to state my approval in Verdasco's choice of shoes.

Saw key points in both the Fish and V. Williams matches also that very well may have dictated the outcome. Fish had the 4th set on his racquet in my opinion when Robredo hit a short ball that sat up in the court (on a deuce? point late in the set). Fish stepped up and in, but simply didn't do enough with the ball.....nerves?.....which allowed Robredo to hit a stab volley winner, and go on to win the 4th and final set of the match. Overall, the match result was disappointing to me; expected and wanted to see Fish go further in the tournament to further enhance and build upon his comeback in 2010.

Whether the aforementioned points did or did not change the eventual result of the each match, they certainly were momentum changers. Lesson learned - play each and every point knowing the direction of the match could change based on it!

Women's Campus Showdown

Coe will be hosting a Women's Campus Showdown this Saturday - January 22nd.

What is a Campus Showdown?

USTA Campus Showdown

Registration will remain open through Wednesday. If interested or have questions, please email me at kdiehl@coe.edu. The draw will be emailed out to participants on Thursday. Competitors are guaranteed 3 matches with each match being one set (tiebreaker at 5-5).

The cost is $20. The proceeds go directly to the Coe Tennis Program!

Give the players what they want.....

Nat (featured in our Player Profile earlier this month) came to me with a special request. For her senior season, she wanted GOLD shoes. For the record, I am admittedly a bit obsessed with tennis shoes and always appreciate a bit of moxie on the court, displayed via cool shoes. Given the lack of GOLD shoes available, I fell back on past experience. Having once successfully spray-painting a pair of shoes for a Halloween costume, I knew the technique was a sure-fire solution to Nat's request. With little help and a few tips from me, Nat created her own GOLD shoes to wear this Spring........or at least until Coach Rodgers notices paint chips/marks on the courts!

Believe me, the picture does not do the shoes justice....they are high-gloss and fashion forward! I fully expect a shoe sponsorship once shoe companies realize / take note of the extreme measures we take to ensure quality footwear here at Coe College!

On Campus Update!

Australian Open coverage on as I type.......more excited than ever to watch a Grand Slam! For me, it is yet another learning opportunity to improve, and become a more knowledgeable player and coach.

On campus, the Coe Tennis Program wrapped up 8 weeks of the Kohawk Kids' Clinics this past Saturday. I would like to extend a thank you to all of the players.....who each did their part to contribute in giving back to, and growing tennis, in the community. Coe Tennis will also be hosting a Campus Kids' Day on February 5th.....details to follow as the event nears.

The players are back on campus, in class (hopefully!) and ON COURT! Both the men's and women's teams started conditioning last week. Despite the workouts being held in the morning, and being voluntary (division III rules), the participation rate has been high. At least that is my take based on the number of players who speak of being sore. As always, the players have also been taking advantage of their ready access to our indoor courts. Believe there is conditioning scheduled for 7 AM tomorrow morning :)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN!

One of the highlights of the Iowa January is the onset of the Australian Open. As it is in the Southern Hemisphere their Summer is concurrent with our Winter. Thus, we get Grand Slam tennis on our late night TV, and early morning TV should the night session in Melbourne spill over into the late night. I will readily admit to many a time setting an alarm to get up in the middle of the night to watch a specific match.

Perhaps the very best thing about the Australian Open is that it signals the imminent arrival of the Coe College Tennis season. Indeed, this year is no exception as the Kohawk Men's Team will get underway on Monday, January 24th, just as the Australian Open enters its exciting second week.

Many questions abound. Will we be treated to another "classic" Nadal/Federer final, or will Djokovic, Murray, or Soderling give us a different look? Will Caroline Wozniaki break through, Clijsters or Henin win again, or maybe Zvonareva gets her emotions under control enough to capture her 1st Slam? Could Samantha Stosur be the 1st Australian woman to win since 1968?

Back home in Iowa there are many questions also. Will the two seniors have anything left in the tank? How about the "Mad Russian", does he finally have his emotions under control? What about the ten new players on the roster, can they contribute right away?

We should have all the answers, or at least a pretty good idea, in the next 16 days!

Stay tuned!

Back from California!

View of Downtown Long Beach, CA from Signal Hill--Where's the sunshine?!

Well, I just got back to Cedar Rapids last night after a 3 week stay with my family for the holidays. Thank you, Coach Kris, for braving the snow (and deer) to pick me up from the airport! It was great to get the chance to go back to California after 4 months in my new home in Iowa.

The break started with my flight in to LAX where it simultaneously took me an hour to retrieve my checked bag and for my mom to drive around the arrivals loop to pick me up! I was supposed to miss out on some of the Iowa winter and enjoy the sunny weather of Southern California, but upon arrival, it rained for 6 straight days! One of the tournaments I had planned on visiting--California Bowl--was rained out, but fortunately I had plenty more opportunities to watch some great tennis. I drove around to tournaments in Claremont, Cypress, Costa Mesa, Lakewood, and Seal Beach. Unsurprisingly, most of the people I ran into had not heard of Coe College, but there were several who were aware of us from emails we have sent out to potential recruits. Also, I was approached by a current teaching pro (and LA native) who told me that he played his college tennis at Drake University (a Division I school in Des Moines), and that he played a match against a Coe player back in the mid '90s! Even with my limited knowledge of Coe tennis history, I was able to surmise that he must have played 1996 All-American, Jon Turbett, as his most vivid memory was that "he was the only guy who's serve I was actually scared to return!"

I would like to thank Tim Donovan and Donovan Tennis Strategies for putting on the College Prospects Showcase (at the Claremont Colleges, the site of this year's NCAA Championships)--it is a great event for junior players to learn about the college tennis recruiting process, get exposure to coaches from across the country, and play in a team format similar to a college match. I found it very valuable from a coach's perspective to see potential recruits compete and it was great to meet several players (and parents) who have shown an interest Coe.

Of course, it was not all just recruiting during my time in California--I had a relaxing Christmas and New Year's with family and was able to hit the courts myself a couple of times when it was not raining. It was funny to hear so many people complaining about how cold it was, when the temperature rarely dipped below 50 degrees--I guess the Iowa weather has made me a little more thick-skinned!

All in all, I had a great time and was glad for the opportunity to get some exposure for the Coe tennis program in Southern California. I am happy to be back in Cedar Rapids and looking forward to the upcoming season! There is a lot of hard work to be done, but all of the coaches (and hopefully the players!) are excited and prepared for the challenges ahead!

Player Profile - Natalie Bordignon

Player Profile

NATALIE BORDIGNON, Graduating Class of 2011

Major(s)/Minor(s): Studio Art and Education (K-12)

Plans After Graduation: "Substitute teach and make my own artwork for a year, then go to graduate school to get my MFA in Ceramics."

Why Natalie Chose Coe College?

"I chose Coe because it has everything I wanted in a college. It is a close community where faculty, staff and students care about each other. Yet, it is still big enough that the academics, athletics, fine arts, facilities and opportunities available to students are exceptional, especially in comparison to other Division III schools."

Natalie's Coe Tennis Story:

On the court, Nat has worked extremely hard over the course of the last 15 months (knowing she was going to be called upon to contribute greatly during the Spring season of her junior year, and throughout her senior year). She has certainly done so!

Natalie's Best Tennis Memory: "Being tied 4-4 with Wartburg in the Fall of 2010. I was the last match on the court and ended up winning my match / the match as a team. At that time, I realized that all of the hard work I had done was really making a difference in my game and was definitely worth it!"

Off court, Natalie most enjoys team dinners and appreciates the relationships she has developed with current and past teammates. The Spring Break trips (in which the men's and women's teams travel together) stand out in her memory also, along with the camaraderie within each team, and amongst the two teams.

Favorite Quote(s) by Coach Rodgers:

"Natalie....be nice to Natalie." (told to Nat when she is being too hard on herself)

"Be good, not great, and the rest will come."

Nat's Take on the Coe Tennis Program:

"I can't even begin to describe how much I've grown and improved as a tennis player because of the Coe Tennis Program. I now consider myself a TENNIS PLAYER, rather than someone who plays tennis. I've developed confidence on the tennis court that I never had in high school. Having real tennis courts to play on all year round has also been very important in my growth."

"In terms of personal growth, I've always been a hard worker and dedicated to what I do, but these values have been further ingrained in me because of the Coe Tennis Program. Coach Rodgers and Coach Kris have taught me to do the best I can at everything I do, whether it be academics, work or tennis."

Natalie's Experience at Coe Outside of Tennis:

Natalie's Favorite Class: Gender, Race, and Sex in the Media with Professor Susanne Gubanc

"It was a very eye opening experience, which taught me to look at all sides of the issues in today's society."

This past summer, Natalie spent the summer in St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN doing an internship in ceramics at the Northern Clay Center and teaching tennis at Interlachen Country Club. It is an experience she will never forget and attributes the opportunity to her education at Coe College.

Natalie is also heavily involved in the sorority - Alpha Sigma Alpha. She served as the President for the sorority this past year.

Guess I should've been more careful!

My latest fascination on the tennis court has been formulating a method of coaching high level footwork.

And, in so doing, I spent a lot of time on court, hitting a lot of shots. And working on new-style shots to go along with footwork.

Specifically hitting Spanish-style forehands. Think Nadal. Only with the Right Hand!

Since I have been playing for a long(quite long!) time my strokes are generally described by our players as archaic. I much prefer "old-school"!

The forehand wrist snaps are quite different from "old-school" to Rafael Nadal. Let's just say that my elbow couldn't handle the strain. As a matter of fact, it appears that over the next few days I will get to practice my ambidexterity. My right elbow doesn't seem to be bending at the moment, and is quite swollen!

When I get back on the court, you can expect to see me back hitting my old, archaic shots!

What's the old saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Plan On It!

Upcoming Kohawk Tennis Home Men's Matches

February 5 9:00 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
		5:00		vs.	Saint Ambrose University
	12	9:00		vs.	University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse
*		5:00		vs.	Cornell College
	19	9:00		vs.	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
*		5:00		vs.	Central College
	26	9:00		vs.	Carthage College
*		5:00		vs.	Buena Vista University

Serving from the Ad Court....

Managed to replicate my "borderline insane" style of play this morning.....to an extent. Found myself over-utilizing the flattened out forehand, which resulted in my "tarping" the ball on several occasions. Also, had difficulty transitioning that style of play from hitting in to point-play and/or maintaining it for long periods of time (as previously alluded to, emotionally and physically draining to do so). Nonetheless, ecstatic that I was able to come close to what I produced on Sunday. Will endeavour to produce in point-play / matchplay.

On an unrelated note, as I warmed up my serve leading in to point-play this morning, it dawned on me that the majority of warm-up serves are taken in the deuce court. As such, I would guesstimate that many of us have hit 20-25% more serves in the deuce court, as opposed to the ad, over the course of our tennis careers. Given the fact that most pressure points are played in the ad court, don't you find that fact to be pure irony? I hereby propose that the majority of warm-up serves be taken from the ad court. I sincerely doubt the implementation of my proposal given the norm and hesitancy to deviate from, but I would like to see an opponent's reaction to my starting warm-up serves from the ad court. Call me crazy, but attention to detail can only make us better, right?

Coach Kris an excellent point here about Ad-Court serving. I know I prefer to warm up my serve in the Deuce, simply to align my toss/swing to produce my T-serve on that side. All my other serves seem to flow once I have established that rhythm. No reason whatsoever to ignore the Ad-Court warm-up serves. I vow to always take serves from both Deuce & Ad Courts!.............Coach R

New Heights Via Self-Awareness?

Today.....I played what very well could be the BEST TENNIS OF MY LIFE. I walked onto the court emotionally charged to say the least. Why you may ask? Off court, I have been doing everything right....eating healthy, staying hydrated (one of my New Year’s resolutions), training, lifting, etc. Despite the time, energy, determination (and willpower!) put into the above, the benefits of / results had not been reflecting in my on-court game. Thus, whether it be frustration or pure annoyance, I was about as “worked up” as I get.

From the outset, I was striking the ball clean, utilizing my legs to drive every ball, moving exceptionally well, hitting with pace and penetration, etc, etc. To my surprise, and likely Coach Rodgers’, I even managed to flatten out my forehand.....a difficult task for one whose forehand has always been hit with heavy (for a girl at least) topspin. The result? I was painting the baseline with power.....in other words, I now know what it feels like to be Michelle Schupbach (one of our top players on the women’s side)! On top of that, I was in control of most points from an aggression standpoint, which is NOT my style of play.....most of my recent success on the tennis court stems from my athleticism and ability play defense.

The conclusion? As a coach, I have always considered one’s emotional state of mind to be of importance on the tennis court. However, I have never experienced (or perhaps simply was not previously aware) just HOW MUCH impact emotional control / awareness can have. After all, being aware of the emotionally charged state of mind I possessed today, and attempting to replicate that in the future, MAY allow me to add a new dimension to my game? If so, I need to put even more time into my off-court training......it was quite DEMANDING to play at the peak of my game, both physically and emotionally. I suppose the strain on my body could be attributed to the aging process, but I’m definitely not ready to admit that!

Coach Rodgers promised he'd provide his perspective from the other side of the net! Check back in the near future for his response.

Coach Kris

And so you want to know how it felt on the other side of the net? Ha! I've been hitting with Kris for the better part of 12 years and I have NEVER seen her in such a mental state on a tennis court before. She was sharply focused, fast, furious, powerful, overwhelming.....borderline insane!

As I was trying to combat her tennis, I recalled that a few times I had reached that mental state and even aspired to reach it, because being in that mental "zone" did allow me to produce the best tennis I was capable of. Kris is correct, playing at "peak" emotion requires playing at "peak" physicality. Often it is difficult to perform at "peak" for an entire match or practice session.

I am convinced though that every player can learn to play at his or her peak. I think this requires the daily practice of the emotional side of tennis. Just like we practice our shots, our physical training, and plan tactics, we should be working on using our emotions in a positive manner daily.

Oh, and what did I try to do to thwart Kris' hot streak? Well, first of all I acknowledged (to myself!) that she was playing extremely well. Then I challenged myself to match her level. Once accepting that task, I began to search for ways to accomplish that, and I found that being more aggressive with my own footwork, moving in a circle with a larger diameter, helped me strike a higher quality ball. Physically, this was difficult to sustain, so I was forced to make tactical adjustments that I knew were lower percentage in nature. I used dropshots and moonballs to slow down the pace and to force Kris into covering more court. Trying to hasten her physical demise as it were! In addition, I also attacked more, going to net, and attempting outrights early in rallies as openings for my down the line FH occurred.

The morale of the story? Work on your emotions daily so you too can play at your "peak" more often. And, if your opponent is the one playing at "peak", then do what you can physically, and with tactics to "ride out the storm" until your opponent reverts to a more normal level of play.

Coach R

Borderline insane? Reverts to a more normal level of play? I will consider the previous two statements motivation to perform at my "peak" more often : )

In all seriousness, Coach is right. Peak performance requires a combination of tactics, shot making ability, physical ability and emotional control / awareness (the latter often receives lip service, but is rarely practiced on a daily basis). Lesson learned.

Coach Kris