The Legion of Lamberto played a great first set, much better than the first set they played last Saturday at Cumberland against their Bulldog opponents. They were up 4-3 on Issac Anderson and Sean Campbell. I was quite proud of them, and they seemed pleased on the bus ride home, but hungry for more.
Mark was on the attack all day and his lightning quick hands at the net won many points. He can now effectively use this skill, in match situations, to win points. He was up 4-3 in the first set. His opponent, Matt Godlewski, was steady and consistent with every stroke I saw him use today. I can clearly see that Mark is almost over that hump.
Terry's legs may have been a bit like jello today, after yesterday's conference tourney marathon. The 'Vitamin Water' was a necessity that helped him battle through the fatigue. He fought hard against Max Oberholtzer in a match that John Anderson correctly predicted would be as long as it was. It was the longest of the day and I was proud of the heart that he showed.
Frank's serve and forehand were big today, and he had many good moments against Haddonfield's Luke Grabiak. Both players had big serves and forehands. I was quite proud of the hustle and heart Frank showed. Today he used his racquet to show that he does indeed care.
Mitchel (serving in the picture above) and Johnny were in the "Centennial Courts Steel Cage Match" against Anthony "The Anvil" Celenza & Max "Monster Mash" Prescott. A tough match-up and venue for anyone in South Jersey for sure, wherein they fought hard and I was quite proud of them as I always am.
I told all the Haddonfield boys that this year's State Championship which they are gunning for isn't just for the team and Mr Holman, but for 'The Anvil,' their fearless senior leader. The boys state championship drought must end. I hope this group of boys does just that and that Paul VI might join them on that same day at Mercer County Park. I also hope Mitchel is studying for his SAT as we speak.
It was a pleasure to spend some time with Mr Holman(black jacket)today. I was a little disappointed that he didn't wear his tie as I told him of my apparel a few weeks before. I was going to wear an oxford button down and some light colored Khakis in his honor. I think he took off his tie as he was driving the van up to the courts this afternoon. Maybe it wasn't his best tie or it didn't feel right with that pinstripe shirt he had on.
When I played for Mr Holman you couldn't help but notice that he was the only coach who always wore such attire, and having a tie was standard. I never saw him without it, in school or at the courts. It must be a Princeton thing. I compare Mr Holman to Tom Landry, the legendary Dallas Cowboys coach, in manner and dress. Someone should get a 'Haddonfield Tennis' fedora for Mr Holman to really bring his look home. I don't like the Cowboys, but its hard not to see the similarities between the two long time coaches.
John, Pat (ObliterAsian) and Jimmy weren't sure where the pretzels went, but the Ice tea was close by.
The team behind court 1, in support of Terry. That recently added wall is a great new addition to Centennial Courts, where parents and supporters can sit and enjoy the action.
Today's tea was a special edition 'Bulldog Blend,' of Red, Green and Black. I think it worked better than the previous blend of White and Black Tea. I was thrilled that members of both teams enjoyed it. It was great to be home so to speak, and get a warm welcome from David George and Solomon Tanebaum, who were once part of my summer recreation program. I am thrilled that David, Solomon, Anthony and Brandon Coyne are all still playing and enjoying tennis. They were all real good athletes, and I hope the fun and learning they once enjoyed in the Summer program, played a small part in their continuing the sport at HMHS.
It was also great to speak to Mr. Oberholtzer, Max's dad(see Max sitting in the picture with Mr Holman), and I was thrilled to hear that he enjoys the blog too. The blog is a direct reflection of Mr Holman and the tireless work he does to support and promote high school tennis here in South Jersey. I know it is not as popular as the other team sports, so his work to get as much press as possible for any and all South Jersey tennis players and high school teams, made an impression on me long ago. I hope in my own small way I am doing something that helps to support and sustain the sport on the high school level.
I use the Paul VI tennis blog in many ways, but primarily to promote the team aspect here on the high school level and the learning that is new to many. One way I use it is to enhance the learning of the finer aspects of the sport, through simple videos, which give an important visual element to the learning. I hope these short videos encourage and communicate to parents who may not be familiar with the sport, to see what their kids are working on in practice and matches.
A secondary hope is that these same parents may even take up the sport themselves. I now love doing the pictures and stories for each match. I hope the parents, your grandmother in Florida and team members alike all enjoy seeing and hearing what went on in today's match. Mr Holman just heard of the blog and now can see daily what a positive influence he had on me many years ago. So such is also my way of saying thanks to a former teacher, and something I recommend all students do one day, in some shape or form. I clearly understand now what I've been told about teaching being a thankless job at times.
I know Mr Holman has done many things, for the past 30 years, to promote the sport in our area. He runs both the South Jersey High School Tennis Tournament held annually for the boys and girls in Vineland, and the same for the Camden County Tennis Tournament, which we just participated in at Eastern High School. He also started and serves as head of the South Jersey Tennis Coaches Association, which awards scholarships to scholastic and collegiate tennis players, male and female, who play or once played in South Jersey. The SJTCA runs seminars for high school coaches through-out the year. I think there are 20 other things he does which I don't even know about.
