SFA Panther Tennis Times

"Starting all over again.........!"

2010-08-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Well, today was the first day of the rest of the fall tennis season.
Like the words of the song "Starting all over again is going to be hard!"
Anything worth having is worth working for! We earn our daily bread every day.
This is the philosophy I give my young ladies. I want them to have an attitude of gratitude and the desire to work hard for everything they have.
There is no such thing as a free lunch! This is going to be a hard rebuilding year for the Lady Panthers of Saint Frances Academy. But you know what? We are going to work our tails off every day. So, that when the final ball is hit and the point is over we will be able to honestly look each other in the eye and say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant, well done!"

"When I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary.....

2009-10-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Well I am not going to lie here. I am extremely happy with the way we played today.

The young ladies are really trying their hardest when we play! I have coached tennis long enough to know when a player is in to it, and when they are tanking.

I must admit it is my seniors who have consistently come through match after match.
They are truly being leaders both on and off of the court. The underclass woman are learning the ropes and working hard to keep up with their big sisters.

Today we had another day of firsts. It is the first time in six years that we beat John Carroll School, and the first time we have achieved more than five wins in a fall season! I am so very proud of the young women from SFA. My hats off to the team from John Carroll, they played very well. I also want to thank the coach from John Carroll that complimented our girls on how much they have improved and played.

With success comes added responsibilities. With success we must truly thank God for all of our gifts. "When I awake up to the sound of music Mother Mary comes to me, singing words of wisdom "Let it Be!"Before every tennis match we come together and say the "Hail Mary." We end with the Oblate motto "We Can, We Will, We Must!". Years from now when these young women have children of their own. I want them to look back on this season and say that at this place, and at this time, mommy was a part of the best tennis team at Saint Frances Academy.

Mother Mary Lange
Pray For Us

Live Jesus in Our Hearts
Forever

What are dreams made of ????

2009-09-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hi fans of Lady Panther tennis!
I hope you have had a great summer! School is back in session and we are playing tennis again. This year's team boasts the most experienced line up I have had in years. We are a team of overachievers. This fall we started out by beating a tough St. Timothy's School team that we had never beaten in six years. Only to lose the next three in a row. We lost to Friends School in a squeaker 2 -3, then lose to NDP and the Park School by identical scores of 0 - 5. Then I lit a fire under these young woman. I told them to give God the glory, the Victory not me or them! Well we have now won our last three matches!! St. Vincent Pallotti, 4-1, Baltimore Lutheran, 4 - 1, and Oldfields, a team we have never beaten by the score of 4 - 1. So our record to date is 4 - 2 in the League and 4 - 3 overall. If I am correct, we should end the season with a record of 8 - 6!

Stay with us! We appreciate your support!

Peace & Blessing,

Coach Owens

An open letter to the students and families of Towson Catholic HS

2009-07-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

While we are very sorry for losing an historical opponent in Towson Catholic HS. St. Frances Academy is an will always be here for all TC students, period! By that I mean not just athletes but ALL STUDENTS from TC! We have the resources, facilities, and love to pick up where TC left off and go the whole nine.

Here is what SFA is doing.

First, read the letter from Sr. John Francis Schilling on our school website, www.sfacademy.org

Second, we will waive the registration fee for all TC students period! That means whether you are an athlete or not.

Third, TC students that transfer to SFA will be allowed to wear their TC uniforms for at least the first year.

Fourth, we are giving TC students first priority. We don't judge you by a test score! We look at the whole child and history.

Fifth, we are actively working on increasing our diversity.

Sixth, ALL STUDENTS AT SFA ARE ON SCHOLARSHIP ! OUR TUITION IS $8,000.00 ON A SLIDING SCALE.

LASTLY, ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOMED HERE

I am personally looking for those of you interested in learning and playing the lifetime sport of tennis!

If you are interested and would like more information please contact Mr. David Owens at (443) 310-0795.

Peace & Blessings!

The making of a tennis players

2009-07-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have been coaching tennis for the better part of twenty plus years.

I have personally helped place over twenty six student-athletes in college
on tennis scholarships.

When I came to Saint Frances Academy seven years ago, Sr. John Francis gave me a mandate. "Mr.Owens, we will have a tennis program, wont we?" yes Sister was my reply.

Since then we have worked very hard to create a tennis program at SFA that the entire school and community would be proud of. This year we stand on the verge of what looks to be the best, most experienced team I have ever had. If we are to win a championship, its this year.

One of the players I look to to make a big impact this year is Senior Sade'Thomas,
Butta. Butta, as we call her came to me as a basketball player I converted to a tennis player. Sade' has made a commitment to tennis and the goal of achieving a college scholarship. She is currently training at The "Tennis Institute" in Brooklandville, Maryland. Program Director and Head Professional Mr. Lenny Schuerman says that, "Sade' has the potential to do very well on the collegiate level." His only regret is that he didn't get to work with her six,seven years ago. Sade' trains six and a half hours a day, and plays tournaments around the Mid-Atlantic Section of the USTA.

Destiny Jones and Daniella Seravia are both enrolled in the day camp at the Tennis Institute and are working very hard on improving their game. Niomy Rodriguez is working and training at Greenspring Racquet Club with SFA Assistant Coach, Pete Dutton at Dutton Tennis.

These students and the other tennis team members came to me with little or no experience. They have made a commitment to learning and enjoying the lifetime sport of tennis.

Only time will tell if I have done a good job in the making of a tennis player.

SFA Panther Tennis; "The New Sport!"

2009-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Fans and Friends of SFA Tennis!

Is tennis a new sport at St.Frances Acaemy? No!
But, we are a sport that seems to continue to be under the radar.

This past spring season we involved over 22 students in the lifetime sport of tennis.
At least five of them had never played the sport before.
As we finish out the school year I am working hard to prepare for this upcoming fall season. Last Monday we held our fourth annual Crab Feast & Cookout at Druid Hill Park. We all eat drank and were very merry.

A special shout out to our recent graduates, Kawaun Tyson, 4 years varsity, Shampain Page, 2 years Varsity, Shateara Ward, 2 years varsity,

Next up for the team members is our trip to the College of William & Mary for tennis camp, June 18 - 22 in Williamsburg, Virginia. I will be setting up schedules for the athletes that are working toward college tennis scholarships.

In August we will have the first ever tennis team retreat at Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center in Parkton, Maryland.

We will start practice for the fall season on Saturday August 15th at 9:00am.

We will be traveling to Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York City for the Arthur Ashe Kids Fun Day & US Open on Saturday August 22nd.

We will also be hosting our first high school girls tennis tournament this fall in September. The First Annual Panther Fall Tennis Classic ( September 11-13, 2009).
We are applying for a sanction through the MPSSAA. We are inviting tennis teams from Montgomery County, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia.

As you can see we don't let any grass grow under our feet. We are always working at getting better! The girls and I will again be working with the Baltimore City community setting up free tennis clinics for inner city children.

I would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters for believing in our children and the tennis program at St. Frances Academy.

Remember, "Together Everyone Achieves More!"

Coach Owens

Its all Over for another season

2009-05-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Thank you for following the exploits of the SFA Panther Tennis Team this spring.

It was by far the worse season weather wise on record. With six rain outs / postponements. What should have been our best effort became our worse.

For the record we ended the season with a record of four wins and four loses.
Realistically, our record should have been six wins and two loses.
Nevertheless, I teach my athletes to take the hand they are dealt and play it until the bitter end. It ain't over to the fat man sings, and that's me!

Our donations were down this year due to the slumping econonmy. We are going to continue our fundraising efforts so we can get new uni's for next fall season 2009. We are also talking about taking a trip to Hilton Head Island, SC next spring break. We would like to visit the Van De Meer World class Tennis Center for a week.

The team and I have set several goals for ourselves. I will outline these in my next blog.

We are again hosting our annual end of season "Crab Feast & Cook-Out"! The date for this years event is Monday June 1st, 1:00 - 3:00pm at Druid Hill Park in the pavillion next to the playground up top by the stadium courts. Same place as last years event.

The SFA Varsity Tennis Team will also be hosting a free tennis clinic for inner city youth on Saturday May 23 from 10:00am - 12:00pm. The clinic will be held on the Lakeside courts next to Park Pool. Any Baltimore City youth ages 5 - 13 are eligible.
We will be providing snacks at the end of the event. Racquets and balls will be provided. This clinic is being sponsored by the Baltimore-Metropolitan Urban Tennis Organization & Saint Frances Academy.

Also, fifteen members of the tennis team and Baltimore community will be traveling with my wife and I to The College of William & Mary for the third year to attend the Peak Performance and Development Tennis Camp. The dates for this years camp are June 18 - 22, 2009. The camp scholarships are being donated by the Mid-Atlantic Tennis & Education Foundation.

Lastly, this commentary. It is a sad day when the children of Baltimore City that want to learn the lifetime sport of tennis have very few safe places to learn & play.
Gone are the days when a kid could walk a few blocks and play tennis in the local park or on the courts of the local /neighborhood high school. There never seems to be a problem finding a new shining basketball court and rim, or a new turf football field. Of course we know that these are revenue generating sports so they should be nice places to play/compete. But what about the non-revenue generating sports?
Don't they count? Are not these our children too? The deplorable conditions of some of these tennis facilities is shameful! When is the last time you looked at the the tennis courts at Western, City, Northwestern, Douglas, Lake Clifton high schools? Maybe we would have another Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, Zina Garrison, Rodney Harmon, James Blake, Venus or Serena Williams. If the powers that be give tennis the real resources, dollars, and support they give to Basketball and Football, we might have one!

I was taught growing up that if its to be it's up to me!
With that being said I have started back up the Baltimore-Metropolitan Urban Tennis Organization. The sole purpose of the community based organization is to support, promote, and grow the game of tennis in our communities. Making the game / sport of tennis both affordable and acessable for all!

We thank you in advance for your support!

Coach Owens

The flowers look great????????????

2009-05-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

The flowers and trees look great!
Spring has truly sprung in Maryland.
But, behind the liquid sunshine is a tennis season that in my short coaching
carrer has been the worse on record. We have now had six cancellations this season.
Today's scheduled match with Polytechnic was cancelled.
The sad part about this, is that the Citywide tournament begins on Monday afternoon.
So, the likelyhood of us ever making those matches up is nil!

With that being said we end our spring season with a record of 4 - 4.
We should have done better! Two of those loses were legitimate and two were not.
Stay tuned the next entry will have the information on or annual season ending crab feast :P

At Last !!!!!!!

2009-04-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

In the words of Etta James..."At Last...........!"

Today the SFA varsity tennis team beat the City College HS team by the
score of 5 - 4! This is the first time in three years that we have bested the Knights of City College HS.
Kudos to all of our Doubles teams! Senior Kawuan Tyson & Junior Deanna Harmon, remain unbeaten in conference play. The team of Juniors Tasia Bristow & Sade'Thomas made their presence felt with a 8 - 4 win today. Two of our newcomers to SFA and the tennis team, Juniors Chrissy Whittle & Vini Blige won their second match of the year with a forfeit.

In singles Daniella Seravia, came close but went down swinging to a more experienced senior from City by the score of 8 - 4. Junior Raven Colson continued her comeback today with an 8 - 4 win at second singles. Sophomore Destiny Jones stepped up today and joined the singles line up, beating her opponent by the score of 8 - 6. Destiny asked to fill in today for the absent Niomy Rodriguez, said yes when asked to play singles. Said Destiny, " I really enjoy playing tennis and competing against other schools/teams...I want to get better and get a scholarship to play tennis in college."

In my most humble opinion, tennis is one of the best things to happen at Saint Frances Academy . Why you say? Every school has a flagship sport. It is common knowledge, the banners and trophies speak for themselves that we are first and foremost a basketball school. But guess what? These same athletes that are so great at playing with a big round ball. Can also with the proper coaching and opportunity be great at playing with a small yellow ball.
Look, the best players on the tennis team are basketball players that I taught how to play tennis. I am proud of all of my athletes but even more for their ability to be well rounded! Colleges today want more than just a great athlete. They want a great person, that is going to make a difference in society and the educational institution of their choosing.

We, that is coaches, parents, and administrators must do a better job in promoting participation by these athletes in other sports besides their chosen one. Cross training was the norm for the last 100 years. Now, our young people have become so specialized that they have also become one-dimensional in focus. In corporate America today, more deals are discussed on the tennis court and golf course than in the boardroom. The great basketball player will find out that after the lights of the gyms are turned out and the last jumper has been shot. Better be ready to adapt to life where the same people who once cheered and paid to see them play. Are now going to be their bosses who do not have a great set shot, can dunk or even dribble. But guess what? They can drive a golf ball 100 yards and can hit a serve of 70 miles an hour. The basketball athlete does not have to be a tournament player ! Just learn another sport that will allow you the flexibility to be able to do more than one thing! Lastly, one of the greatest basketball players in the world was also an All-American in tennis. Upon his graduation from the University of Maryland he had a choice of either going on the Association of Tennis Professionals tennis tour or entering the National Basketball Association. History will show us he choose
the NBA and basketball. My point here is that he had a CHOICE!
His name is John Lucas!

There, I said it "At Last!"

Flash! SFA Tennis Team on a Roll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Flash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SFA Varsity tennis team is on a roll!
The tennis team won a convincing victory yesterday over the Doves of Western HS by the score of 7 - 2.
This marks the second win in a row for the water logged Panthers.
The Doubles team of Kawuan Tyson & Deanna Harmon remain undefeated this spring!
Yesterday also marked the return of Raven Colson to the line up.
She won her second singles match by the score of 8 - 4.
Said by Coach Owens " This has been the worse spring season on record for rain outs."
The Panthers play today (4/29/) at home in a make up match with cross town rival City College HS, game time 3:45pm.
The last time these two teams met City outlasted the Panthers by the score of 5 - 4.
We invite you to check out our blog, www.panthertennistimes.com
Let's hope that today's contest does not get rained out as well!
We thank you for your support!

Remaining Tennis Team Spring Schedule 2009

2009-04-28T06:41:00.001-07:00

Tuesday April 28th Home versus Western HS 3:45pm

Wednesday April 29th versus City College HS 3:45pm

Thursday April 30th versus Banks HS 3:45pm

Friday May 1st versus Poly HS 3:45pm

Please come out and support our team!

The Final countdown!

2009-04-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

We should win every one of our last matches!

The only thing standing in our way is us!

We play a match every day this week, starting today with Western HS at 3:45pm.
All of our home matches are played at Druid Hill Park.

We invite you to come out and cheer our Panthers on to victory!

We are better than our record!

2009-04-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

Sure, that's what everyone says.
In our case it is so true.
Our record is currently 2 - 4, when it should be 4 - 2.
We won our last macth against Banks HS, 6 -2.
I believe we can run the table in the second half of the season with everyone back!
Look for us to come out hard on Monday April 20th!
We have something to prove, we are better than our record!

Rain, Rain and more Rain!

2009-04-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Coach Owens here. This is the first of a series of my attempts at blogging.
I am trying to come out of the dark ages into the technological age :)

I found a need to help promote our tennis program at Saint Frances Academy.
Of course almost anyone you ask knows about our basketball program. But, no one outside of our school even knows we have a tennis team. That's a shame! Our student-athletes work just as hard if not harder. I believe that they deserve the same support and respect as our basketball programs.

So, this is one way I have decided to take matters into my own hands.
Win or lose, good or bad, I am going to use this blog as a means for students, families and friends of SFA to learn about a sport other than basketball offered at SFA, TENNIS.

My hope in blogging is to get out the message, and also to learn more about technology in the process. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks :P

My hope is that we can start a dialog that will help educate all of us!

Here's blogging at you!

Coach Owens