Seniors — I am constantly amazed when the time comes to say good bye to graduating seniors. The longer I have coached, the faster time seems to pass…and so I remind each one of you, remember to stay in the moment. When you are in the midst of trips, matches, practices and other activities, it is easy to sometimes pass them off as just day to day occurrences. However, I know each of you have numerous special memories that come to mind when you look back on your four years of college tennis. I am no exception there. All three of you have played a vital role in the history of our SMU Tennis family, and I cherish and appreciate all those practices, matches and trips that we all shared. What is more, I appreciate what each of you brought as an individual. Your passion, care, friendship, sense of fun and above all, dedication, to this team has made my job easier and my life that much for full. Thank you for all you have given to our tennis family.
BAILEY, coming out of high school, you had a number of different paths you could have chosen to pursue your college tennis career. I am and always will be thankful that you chose Saint Mary’s University as your tennis home. What you have done for this team speaks for itself: most singles and doubles wins, highest NCAA ranking by an SMU player, most MIAC All Conference selections, you lead by example every time you take the court. With all that though, my favorite memories of your career are of the more day to day variety: your playful, goofy behavior when the team played “Money,” your witty back and forth conversations with Doc S, the one-of-a-kind dynamic of being a part of the Edwards family, the many little fun moments we all shared in England, your posse of friends that would come to cheer for you every home match (yeah KB!), your drawing crowds to your matches at ITAs because you were just so FUN to watch, your determination to win even when you were nervous as a cat, your fear of the net freshman year to your killer volleys as a senior(how cool is THAT?), your ability to laugh at yourself and keep it fun for all. I could go on and on B, but it in the end it adds up to the same thing. You invested in us and this program, and I hope you feel that you are the richer for it. I know that I am the richer for knowing you and watching you grow as a teammate, student and classy individual. You always are kind and generous to your opponents, have a ready smile for your teammates, and always find a way to live life to the fullest (okay, so maybe it’s occasionally over the top). May you always do so. Behave yourself (that’s for your mom) and be sure to find the fun in life, no matter what the situation or where life takes you. And be sure to visit. Thanks for everything,
ABBY, my first impression of you came from Brittney Nielson, who said to me when I enquired about you, “Oh Coach, you’re going to love Abby. She’s so nice.” Simple words, and they couldn’t be more accurate. You are such a classy individual. Talented, dedicated, hard working, mature, fun loving and kind. You started your career by being a very uplifting and patient teammate, and you end it now as a captain everyone looks up to and respects. As a player, you have truly blossomed into a talented all court player. Your two handed backhand is a fearsome weapon, and your volleys have gone from solid freshman year, to truly outstanding: digs, angles, touch, put aways…you’ve got it all. You are a respected opponent among your MIAC peers, and you earned that respect with the four years of dedication and hard work you have put in as a member of this team. You are also a respectful opponent and competitor. It has been said that “competition builds character;” well, that may be true in some cases, but I believe more often “competition exposes character,” and in your case, it exposes a person of true integrity. You fight the good fight, you treat your opponents with respect, you play the game with passion and you NEVER let winning and losing define who you are. You have countless friends here at SMU in so many different parts of campus, and it is no wonder. You have time for everyone, no matter how busy you are. When I have asked you do to something for me as captain (and we have had some challenges, haven’t we?), you always responded in a thoughtful, mature and helpful manner. I could count on you, and I know all your friends feel the same way. You have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, helped the poor in Africa and lived your four years at SMU full and well. You have the everlasting respect of me, my fellow coaches, and ALL your teammates, past and present. Thank you for everything.
JUSTIN, I have probably known you for longer than ANY player that has ever played for me. That would be true if we were speaking about your five years at Saint Mary’s University alone, but as a Cotter graduate, member of the Prondzinski/Loeffler Clan, and avid tennis player in and around St. T’s/SMU Tennis Center/Winona Tennis Center for most of your life, it seems you are far older than your actual years! And here we are nearing an end…not THE end mind you, for I am certain I will see you around from time to time. As a “townie” you can never really leave Winona (it’s in your blood!), but I have no doubts about your future. You have a maturity, intelligence, kindness and capability that will take you far in life. I know that we have joked about what you will contribute to the Tennis Grant Account once you win the lottery, but I have a sense that you won’t need to win the lottery to achieve success. Your abilities alone will take you far, but I think your personality and dedication to your goals will be your greatest asset. I look forward to seeing what you achieve in future. I cannot end without a few thoughts to these past five years. Just think of all the teammates we have been able to pass the time with in your career: Walter, Wiggy, Bomber, Reckase, Mino, Pawel, Jack, Clafton, Keith(!), just to name a few. What an incredibly wide range of characters and personalities! The memories are overwhelming and too numerous to try and mention. Your current teammates alone bring up a whole new chapter (you may all now laugh amongst yourselves)! Thank you for your five years of dedication, thank you for coming to England and sharing in such a great adventure, thank you for being a teammate and person that could be counted on day in and day out (even with your crazy backhand and unpredictable forehand!), thank you for returning to our team after a year away in our hour of need, but most of all, thank you for your kindness, friendship and ready laugh. You were always a bright spot in my day. Just do me a favor … move your FEET! All the best! |
