UMD Tennis Player John Collins Staying Positive

University of Maryland tennis player John Collins is optimistic about the men’s tennis team despite an unfortunate situation.

Effective July 12, 2012 the men’s tennis program at Maryland’s flagship university will be cut, along with seven other varsity sports to alleviate the athletic department’s multi-million dollar budget deficit. Since university president Wallace Loh finalized the decision on Nov. 21, teams and athletes have had time to soak in the situation.

Collins intends on making his and his teammates’ last season at Maryland a special one. The junior, who plays predominantly at No. 2 singles, helped Maryland to a historic season last year, with its first NCAA tournament appearance and win. He also led the team in wins for a second year in a row, with 22 singles and 19 doubles victories. Collins sees the team progressing even further this year. Maryland's 2011-2012 schedule.

Collins, who hails from Bowie, MD and starred at DeMatha High School, chose to attend the University of Maryland because of its academics and proximity to his home. As for Maryland athletics, Collins, like many others, believed it was an epitome of success.

And although the decision has been finalized, Athletic Director Kevin Anderson has given teams an opportunity to “raise 8 years worth of total programs costs by June 30, 2012, in order to keep the program in existence.” Men’s tennis and women’s water polo would need to raise approximately $8 million.

Despite the lofty goal, Collins maintains hope that Maryland will see men’s tennis again sooner rather than later.

USTA/Maryland: What was your reaction when the announcement to cut the team was made?

John Collins: “Well, I’m upset. Everyone on the team is upset. It wasn’t unexpected – we had a week or two notice from the commission’s report. We were just waiting on whether [University of Maryland President Wallace Loh] was going to finalize it. So, the initial shock was already out. But just the fact that, “Okay, this is it. This is going to be our last time together.” That’s when it started to sink in.

USTA/MD: What is the overall vibe within the team right now?

JC: “We got the worst of our emotions out of us. We’re starting to move forward. We’re just going to enjoy the time we have left together and make the best of this terrible situation.”

USTA/MD: What was head coach Kyle Spencer’s message to the team?

JC: “He told us from the very beginning, when this whole process was just starting, that he was going to be open and honest with us and he did exactly that. He has been very supportive of what we want to do, making sure we get in touch with other coaches, if we want to transfer, or just making sure that we’re put in the best position to move forward out of this.”

USTA/MD: Did you ever think a drastic move like this would happen at such a prestigious athletic program such as University of Maryland’s?

JC: “No, not at all. You think Maryland athletics; there are great facilities for everything – an athletic powerhouse to say the least.”

USTA/MD: What attracted you to play at the University of Maryland?

JC: “I really like the academics of the school. It’s also close to home. I went to DeMatha [High School] so it’s very close to home; my parents can come to watch. It’s been really nice as I’ve gotten older. I have a car on campus, so I’m away from home, but if I want to go home for dinner or catch up with my parents, I’m a close drive home. It’s been nice.”

USTA/MD: How would you describe the tennis community at the University of Maryland?

JC: “I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t want to change anything. I had a great group of friends. I had two or three great coaches I worked with and practiced everyday with my friends and tried to get better.”

USTA/MD: How would you characterize the tennis within the state of Maryland?

JC: “When I was growing up it was good. Like we had Jared Pinsky for instance, he was top 10 in the nation. Then you had Denis [Kudla], Junior [Ore] and Mitchell [Frank] just coming up. So I was right in between a bunch of really good players that I was able to practice with.”

USTA/MD: Was the University of Maryland tennis team headed in the direction of gaining more support and community involvement if the team was given a chance?

JC: “Absolutely. I don’t know the whole history of Maryland tennis, but I know they didn’t have scholarships for a while. They just recently got it with the old coach and he wasn’t really able to do anything with it. Our coach came in and tried to put a serious program together. You can look at our results. The first year I was here, we were hardly ranked. The second year we advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Every year, the whole team has progressed. And we’re still headed in that direction. We still have a whole season ahead of us, and we’re going to do some special things here.”

USTA/MD: What are the possibilities of raising enough money to be reinstated?

JC: “We are paired up with [Women’s Water Polo] that we also have to raise money for, and we also have to raise enough money to support the program for eight years. So, I mean, it’s a big number that we need to get, but I’m optimistic about it, and I think we can get it done.”

USTA/MD: What is your next career move after this year?

JC: “It’s a terrible situation, but it’s actually kind of exciting. I get to be recruited again, and I really enjoyed that process. I want to go somewhere where I can compete for a national championship.”

USTA/MD: Do you think that the University of Maryland will see men’s tennis again?

JC: “I’d like to hope so. I’d like to think there would be. But after speaking with President Loh, the projected timeline for the University of Maryland to start making money is not until 2015 and 2019 would be the first year they would be making enough money [to reinstate the teams.] So it’s going to take awhile to get back in the swing of things.”

USTA/MD: Why do you think men’s tennis was targeted?

JC: “I personally don’t know all the details, but the trend goes towards Title IX. We are also a very inexpensive team, so [the cost of the team] definitely [wasn’t a reason.] We have 10 members on our team and only eight travel. And of course, they’re going to invest in basketball, baseball and football – the sports to make money in the future.”

This article was originally published for USTA/Maryland. Read it here.

Christina McHale Ready to Continue Ascent in 2012

Christina McHale chooses not to think about being the next American tennis champion. The 19-year-old also tries not to set specific ranking or tournament goals for herself.

But whatever McHale is doing, it seems to be working.

In just her first full year as a professional on the WTA Tour, McHale has a resume most young tennis players dream about. She upset world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in Cincinnati, reached the third round of the 2011 U.S. Open and brought home a bronze medal while representing Team USA at the Pan American Games.

“I’ve gotten a lot more experience this year, playing a lot more matches at the bigger level consistently,” said McHale about her successful season. “I improved my fitness too. I think the big part of it was a lot more experience playing with the top players and playing the full year schedule.”

McHale finished the 2011 season as the second ranked American at No. 43, behind only Serena Williams’ No. 12 ranking. McHale, with her powerful strokes and movement she labels as her “biggest weapon,” leads the contingent of young Americans talents.

Despite the growing accolades, McHale is not letting the success get to her head.

“I really try not to think about [being the next top American player] or put pressure on myself,” she said. “What I’ve been doing this past year, I haven’t been thinking about things like that. I’ve just been focusing on my game and practicing and things like that. I just want to keep that same mentality.”

McHale grew up in Teaneck, NJ, only a short drive away from the USTA National Training Center in Flushing Meadows, NY – home of the U.S. Open. But her tennis journey began in Hong Kong, where her father, John, was stationed for work. McHale first picked up a racquet at four-years-old, following in the footsteps of her older sister Lauren, who is currently a junior on the University of North Carolina tennis team.

Upon leaving Hong Kong at the age of eight and moving to Englewood Cliffs, NJ, where she resides now, McHale and Lauren shot up the junior ranks. The sisters, who idolized Serena and Venus Williams, both won national titles and set a record for being the first siblings since 1996 (Bob and Mike Bryan) to be in the top 10 year-end rankings in the same age division in 2007.

Three years later, McHale was faced with the decision to turn pro or play in college like her sister. Even with the mounting success and trophies, the choice was not easy.

“I only turned pro last year when I graduated high school [in 2010],” she said. “I was definitely weighing both options. Eventually I knew this is what I wanted to do, and I wanted to take advantage of a time like now. It was definitely a big decision for me.”

The decision has paid dividends, and McHale, with her quiet confidence, is poised for a strong 2012 season. McHale took 10 days off to relax after the Pan American Games but is already in her third week of full training, proving that there is no rest for the weary.

When asked if she was ready to take it to the next level and attention that comes with it, the easy-going McHale responded with wisdom beyond her years.

“I think if I continue to do what I’ve been doing this past year and not get too anxious from results, and if I just let it happen when it’s ready to happen, then I think I’ll be ready.”

This article was published in TennisGrandstand.com and can be viewed here.

University of Maryland Men’s Tennis Among Teams Eliminated

Another Division I tennis team is set to be cut, and this time in our own backyard.

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh has accepted the recommendation to eliminate eight of its 27 varsity teams to alleviate the multimillion-dollar deficit the athletics department faces. Loh's Full Response

Among the teams is the men’s tennis program, which reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history last season. Led by third year coach Kyle Spencer, the Terps defeated the University of Michigan in the opening round to finish the 2010-2011 season ranked No. 39 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings.

The other teams lost are all three men’s track teams (indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, cross-country), men’s swimming and diving, women’s aerobics and tumbling (formerly known as competitive cheer), women’s swimming and diving and women’s water polo.

Loh released a statement on Nov. 21 agreeing with the 17-member commission’s recommendation to cut the eight sports.

The decision has caught some of those in the tennis community off-guard.

“I was a little surprised because in the time I’ve been following college tennis, there hasn’t been anything about the [Atlantic Coast Conference] losing any of the men’s programs,” said Colette Lewis of ZooTennis. “But on the other hand, not that [surprised] given that Arizona State was a part of an even bigger tennis conference and Colorado, which was a very high profile program, [were both cut].

Lewis, who has a decade of experience covering collegiate and junior tennis, believes that while wins are essential to all collegiate sports, tennis teams need to promote themselves extensively within the community to thrive.

“[Tennis] programs throughout the country really have to integrate into their communities,” she said. “This isn’t to cast aspersions on former coaches or teams, but you really have to get the community to be a part of the tennis team and that’s very difficult to do. If it was easy to do a lot more schools would do it.”

Liz Clarke, who covers tennis and Maryland athletics for The Washington Post, agrees.

“I’m sure it takes years to build a consistent contender for ACC championships and NCAA titles,” she said. “And it’s important to build a community/esprit/culture among your team that makes top players want to extend their college careers, if not complete them, before moving on.”

The tennis teams at Maryland have enjoyed reasonable success in recent years but have never reached the level of support and enthusiasm that other ACC programs, such as the University of Virginia or Duke, experience. And while junior and professional tennis thrive in Maryland, collegiate tennis teams are rarely in the spotlight.

“Tennis is a strong sport in the ACC and ACC tennis is respected by tennis fans and people who follow the sport,” said Clarke. “But I’m not sure that it draws much fan or financial support from the Terrapins’ fan base, in general, or the Washington area.”

Many grassroots efforts to save the teams have been mobilized through Facebook, emails and online petitions since the commission’s report was released on Nov. 14. Loh and Athletic Director Kevin Anderson are giving the discontinued teams a chance to raise enough funds to avoid being dropped.

Anderson, in his own response to the commission, recommended that supporters of the cut teams “be given the opportunity to raise 8 years’ worth of total program costs by June 30, 2012, in order to keep the program in existence.”

According to Anderson’s report, it will cost $8 million to fund water polo and men’s tennis. Because of Title IX requirements, men and women’s teams are grouped together.

Maryland athletics, unlike other public schools, are not supported by state funds. The department relies on fundraising that has slowed in recent years and student fees. With a mounting budget deficit, Maryland previously tapped into an athletic department reserve fund that has been depleted, and had to borrow $1.2 million from the university to cover last year’s deficit.

Aside from the deficit, Maryland’s per capita spending on student-athletes was among the reasons the panel proposed cutting the number of sports. Maryland ranks last in the ACC in spending per athlete ($67,390, compared to top ranking Florida State’s $118,814 per student-athlete.) The reinvesting of the funds will result in spending an average of $107,849 per student-athlete, thus moving the university to 6^th out of 14 schools in the soon-to-be expanded ACC.

All of Maryland’s 27 varsity teams are scheduled to compete through the 2011-2012 academic year and the cuts will take effect July 1, 2012. Anderson said in a news conference that the school will closely monitor the fundraising progress throughout.

It appears the Maryland tennis community will soon have one less team to cheer for.

This article was originally published for USTA/Maryland and can be viewed here.

ATP World Tour Finals Feature Familiar Faces

What parity?

The final eight players for the ATP World Tour Finals are clearly the big names in men’s tennis and have dominated all season-long. They are set to face off on November 20-27 at the O2 arena in London and fans will be treated to witnessing some of the best tennis players of any generation.

The two round-robin groups are:

Group A: Novak Djokovic (SRB), Andy Murray (GBR), David Ferrer (ESP), Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Group B: Rafael Nadal (ESP), Roger Federer (SUI), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA), Mardy Fish (USA)

But while the names are familiar, much has changed in the past 12 months.

Defending champion Roger Federer has experienced an up-and-down year, dropping out of the top three and failing to capture a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002. However, the Swiss maestro should never be counted out and showed he still has magic left with title-winning performances at Basel and the Paris Masters recently. Federer, a 30-year-old father of twins, also ended world No. 1 Novak Djokovic’s unbeaten streak of 43 matches at the French Open semifinals and earned his 800^th career win last week.

Djokovic has been virtually unstoppable at times during the year and captured the Australia Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open to compile one of the best individual seasons of all time. The 24-year-old Serb conquered his fitness woes and played with confidence to match his talent and skill. Sitting behind Federer and Spain’s Rafael Nadal for most of his career, Djokovic proved he could win in any condition, any surface and any situation, and will deservedly finish the 2011 season on top. Djokovic, however, is still recovering from a nagging shoulder injury that forced him to withdraw in Paris.

The oft-injured Nadal also enters the World Tour Finals recovering from ailment, as he has not played since the Shanghai Masters last month, electing to prepare his body for London and Davis Cup. The world No. 2 enjoyed a solid season, winning his sixth French Open and finishing runner-up at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to friendly rival Djokovic. The two captivated tennis fans all year with their intense matches that culminated in one of the most thrilling U.S. Open finals.

With a triumph in Shanghai, Britain’s Andy Murray overtook Federer as the world No. 3. Almost surprisingly, the Scot was perhaps the most consistent player on the Grand Slam stage aside from Djokovic, with a finals appearance at the Australian Open and three semifinal finishes. The brooding, seemingly self-loathing player has dedicated himself to fitness and after a deflating defeat at the hands of Djokovic at Melbourne, has rediscovered his game and confidence and should be a force at the World Tour Finals and in the 2012 season.

Spain’s David Ferrer and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga should prove formidable and could spoil the party for any of the top four. World No. 5 Ferrer enters the event with solid wins at Shanghai, Valencia and the Paris Masters. Tsonga, at World No. 6, matched his career high ranking by reaching the finals in Paris, where he lost to Federer. Of the bottom four, only Tsonga has a winning career record against Djokovic.

Rounding out the top eight are Czech Tomas Berdych and World Tour Finals newcomer American Mardy Fish. In the quarterfinal of the Paris Masters, Berdych stunned Murray and secured his second consecutive World Tour Finals berth. Fish, who overtook fellow countryman Andy Roddick as the top American player this year, has shown consistent top victories that were lacking in the past. He enters the tournament despite being troubled with a hamstring strain.

The end-of-the-season round robin competition begins this Sunday, November 20^th and should showcase some thrilling matchups to close out the 2011 ATP season.

This article was originally published in tennisgrandstand.com and can be viewed here.


Photos were taken at the 2011 U.S. Open by Romi Cvitkovic, the managing editor at TennisGrandstand.com. Follow her on Twitter.