April 27, 2009 (Final Entry)
Faithful Readers - I regret to inform you that this will, in fact, be our last tennis blog of the year. With the season over and finals week looming, different guys have found different ways of coping. For instance, senior and fearless leader, Kevin Furst, has become a house cleaning fiend. Not everyone has been so productive though. For example, Evan, feeling the overwhelming emptiness of tennis being over decided that he didn't want to have his appendix anymore and decided to take a little weekend vacation to the hospital.
Our final featured player is senior International Studies major, Kevin Furst. Kevin grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin; however, he has proved to be a globe-trekker spending a year and a half in Europe.
Caleb: Hey Kev, how's it going?
Kevin: Stupendous.
CS: Good deal. How are you coping with the end of tennis season?
KF: Coping? This is the first time I have been able to relax since spring break. I do kinda miss it though.
CS: I hear you. Although, it seems that every time I see you, you're playing Super Mario, that isn't relaxing?
KF: No, its more stressful than tennis.
CS: Hmm, ok, what are you gonna do after graduation?
KF: China, then bum around and be in a couple weddings.
CS: What about after that?
KF: Well, next year I figure I will join the Navy and be in intel, then after doing my time, I am going to save the world like James Bond.
CS: License to Kill?
KF: No! When Jesus says to love your enemies, I am pretty sure that doesn't mean to kill them.
CS: Right on. Well Kev, how about we go get lunch?
KF: Sounds good.
CS: Thanks Kev.
Thanks again to all of you who read faithfully, have a great summer, and Go Jackets!
April 21, 2009
We are at Ohio Dominican on rain delay, which presents the perfect opportunity to bring you our second to last blog for the year.
This week’s featured player is Brent Martin. Brent is a senior sports management major from South Charleston, Ohio. He came to Cedarville as a golfer, but one day on the 17th green the sky opened up and God said, “Brent, you need to go play tennis.” He walked off the course and has been with us ever since.
Caleb: So Boomer, what brought you to Cedarville?
Brent: Well, my dad is the women's basketball coach and my two older sisters both came to Cedarville.
CS: Tough decision, eh?
BM: No, not really.
CS: What do you like most about tennis, Boom?
BM: Getting a tan, especially while playing shirtless in the summertime.
CS: But not on campus right?
BM: umm.....
CS: So what is your favorite memory from college tennis?
BM: Going to Florida for Spring Break and the tweener winner I hit last week.
CS: What are your goals for the rest of the year?
BM: To win out and hit a kid in the chest with a tweener.
CS: What about life? You are graduating in 2 weeks right?
BM: Yeah, I don’t know. I will probably work at the golf course for a few years until I can’t get my parents insurance anymore, then go back to school and get a masters in sports management and eventually be a college professor.
CS: Any words of wisdom as a super senior?
BM: No, not really. Eat your vegetables I guess.....
Well, there you have it, eat your vegetables… I guess.
April 13, 2009
Hopefully everyone's Easter was super; full of ham, chocolate, and Angel Cabrera's mini-belly putter.
We have had the last few days off at home with our families, but today we will get back to the grind.
This weeks' featured player is junior Zach Rost. Zach is from clear across town, a 2006 graduate of Cedar Cliff High School. We are here at the Hive, he just bought a ham and egg bagel sandwich and hopefully when he stops chewing he will answer some questions.
Caleb: How is that sandwich, Zach?
Zach: Pretty good.
CS: What do you like most about tennis?
ZR: Practice, and when Brent hits "tweeners".
CS: What is your favorite CU tennis memory?
ZR: The road trips.
CS: What is the biggest change since you have been on the team?
ZR: The length of the shorts.
CS: Really?
ZR: Yeah, man, that first pair we had were real short.
CS: I guess so. What goals do you have for the rest of the year?
ZR: A winning record in singles and to get the recipe to Coach's banana nut bread.
CS: Well, at least one of those is possible.
ZR: Yeah, coach is a real miser about his recipes.
CS: Well my man, thanks for doing this.
ZR: No problem.
April 6, 2009
Faithful Readers, Occasional Stumblers, and First-time partakers - lend me your ears. Well, I guess, its your eyes really....
Another week of tennis is now upon us, and although April showers bring May flowers, it also pushes tennis matches inside. So, if any of you think you may want to come and watch a match, be sure to check the website first and make sure it hasn't been moved to a local racquet club.
As we celebrate Holy Week, I sit here in the computer lab and ponder the person of Christ. Today I am hung up on the time where He stops the religious leaders from stoning the adulterous woman. I am struck by the way in which he fields their questions. To paraphrase, when Jesus arrives, the teachers of the law ask him what should be done to the woman. Jesus then proceeds to bend over and draw in the sand. Why was He slow to answer their question? I ask myself. He knew the law and He knew Himself as the fulfilment of the law, and still He stops and draws in the sand.
I think to myself ..."and how quick I am to declare judgment upon situations, to give canned answers, and to make sure my opinion is known... How different the disposition of Christ is to mine." He gives all situations the time they deserve, he is patient, he is gracious, he considers all things, and then he speaks with grace and authority. I am compelled to wonder, how I too can draw in the sand, how I can show the same patience, sincerity, and grace as the Christ.
Anyway, this weeks featured player is sophomore, Kyle DeBoer. Kyle is officially a pre- seminary major, however, his heart is in linguistics and his course schedule is such that he will be more than proficient in oh, about 300 languages when he graduates.
Caleb: Hey Kyle, thanks for doing this.
Kyle: You're welcome.
CS: So Kyle, What is your favorite part of tennis?
KD: I like it when my opponent gets mad and yells stuff.
CS: That’s not very nice.
KD: It is so funny though, one time my opponent yelled out, “This dude plays like my sister!" It was the nicest complement I have ever gotten during a tennis match.
CS: So is that your favorite tennis memory?
KD: Either that, or when Klank chucked his racquet into the net.
CS: OK....What goals do you have for the rest of the year?
KD: To win.
CS: That’s all?
KD: Yep.
CS: Fair enough. So, um, your girlfriend...
KD: We aren't going to talk about it, but yes, she is out of my league. Grow a sweet red beard like me and you will date girls out of your league, too.
CS: Thanks for the advice.
KD: Anytime.
March 30, 2009
We had just one match this week and let me tell you....after watching that match I have a new appreciation for our #1 singles player and senior, fearless leader, Kevin Furst. On Saturday, Kevin won his marathon slug-fest of a match against Jordan O'Neill of Aquinas College. Watching Kevin's bone-crushing passing shots all day with complete and total disregard to the laws of nature was an encouragement for all of us, and for that, Kevin, I salute you.
This weeks featured player is sophomore Daniel Ormsby from Painted Post, NY. He is an engineering major and only knows one pace of play... hyper-speed.
Caleb: Hey Dontrell, thanks for doing this.
Dan: You're welcome.
CS: So D-Train, you are from Painted Post, NY - why is it called Painted Post?
DO: In the middle of my town there is a 20 ft. tall red post.
CS: Really?
DO: Would I make something like that up?
CS: I guess not. How did you come to be a student-athlete Cedarville?
DO: I visited, and found the engineering program to be exactly what I wanted.
CS: So you were looking for a reason to build a cardboard canoe then?
DO: Yeah, that's pretty much it.
CS: How about tennis, what do you like the most about tennis?
DO: I love just getting to run around and rip balls. It's fun.
CS: I agree. What are your goals for the rest of the season?
DO: First and foremost I want to stop swinging when I volley, that is something that really needs to change....after that, I just want to get better and help the team.
CS: Good deal, thanks Dontrell.
March 23, 2009
Good day, good readers.
This week was a little rough, we played a couple close matches that we weren't able to pull out. Currently, what is holding us back is general inconsistency. Inconsistency from match-to-match, set-to-set, game-to-game, and even point-to-point. This week we have a full week of practice though in which we should be able to shore much of that up.
This week's featured player is Kyle Kirby. He is a sophomore, who has found a home this season at fifth singles and is playing very well.
Caleb: Hey Kyle, would you mind answering a few questions?
Kyle: Why don't you just make it up like you did with the rest of the people?
CS: Come on Kyle.
KK: Okay, what do you want to know?
CS: What brought you here to Cedarville?
KK: My mom is a nurse here on campus, so I have always kind of been here in the culture.
CS: I bet tuition remission didn't hurt either, eh?
KK: Well, you know.
CS: What do you like most about tennis?
KK: That it is one-on-one... I feel like a man when I beat people.
CS: What do you feel like when you don't beat people?
KK: A man that just lost, I guess?
CS: What are you looking forward to as we move forward in the season?
KK: Winning our next match.
CS: Thanks Keeks, one last question, what goals do you have for the rest of the year?
KK: I hope to get better with each match and hopefully win matches to help the team.
CS: Good deal, thanks Kiki.
Thanks again for reading.
March 16, 2009
Well, we are back here in Cedarville after Spring Break. It was a relatively successful trip (I won't spend time on the details from the matches because, hey, you can peruse the website and find all the match results.)
This week’s featured player is Jordan Lenz. Jordan is a freshman Accounting and Finance major. He also sits beside me in Microeconomics.
Caleb: Jordan, what brought you to Cedarville?
Jordan: There were lots of pretty girls when I visited.
CS: That’s really mature Jordan, thanks for telling us that, anything else?
JL: Cedarville had exactly the business program I was looking for, combined with the Christ-centered atmosphere, it was for me.
CS: What do you like most about tennis?
JL: The pressure, I love the pressure.
CS: How was your first Spring Break experience?
JL: It was a lot of fun and a great bonding experience with my tennis teammates.
CS: What are your goals for the rest of the season?
JL: To play better singles and doubles.
CS: Thanks for doing this Jordan.
JL: No problem. Can I say “hi” to my girlfriend?
CS: I thought you said that she didn’t know how to use the internet.
JL: Oh, good point. Never mind.
I once again thank you for reading. I don't mean to assume how things work cosmologically, but I would venture to say that taking the time to read this might just get you some crowns. So, congratulations and thank you.
March 2, 2009
Dear friends, have no worries, we arrived without issue here in Jacksonville, Florida. On Saturday we left nice and early, stopped in Institute, West Virginia, won a match, before stopping for the night in Charlotte, which simply held off the inevitable - us arriving here in Jacksonville.
Through the course of the season, each week this blog will feature a different player, usually for a measure of outstanding effort (but sometimes because they are the only person I can get a hold of in time to publish). Our first featured player is Evan Lavoie. He is a freshman from East Longmeadow, Massachusetts and, in his first-ever college match, gave his opponent the ol' roundabout, winning 6-0, 6-2. He has also been my roommate during the trip.
Caleb: Evan, what brought you to Cedarville?
Evan: My dad's Ford F-150.
CS: Don't get smart with me.
EL: Ok...A friend told me about Cedarville, so I came and visited and realized it was the place for me...it was an easy decision.
CS: What do you like most about tennis?
EL: The challenge of being alone out there and having to play well.
CS: How have you liked Spring Break so far?
EL: It's been great!
CS: How did it feel to win your first match?
EL: It was exciting. I was really nervous at first, but after a couple games it was tennis, so I was fine.
CS: What are your goals for the rest of the season?
EL: To play my best, I guess.
CS: What are you looking forward to?
EL: To get into the season, play the other conference teams, and get into the normal swing of things.
CS: Thanks for doing this Evan.
EL: No problem. Can I say hi to my mom?
CS: Do you really think she will be reading this?
EL: Oh, good point. Never mind.
I thank you for reading of the journeys, trials, and tribulations of the Cedaville men's tennis team, and I would especially like to thank Mrs. Lavoie if she is reading and tell her that Evan says "hi".
Feb. 23, 2009
Greetings to you!
As this is the first of many blogs to come as this season progresses, some introductions seem to be in order. I am Caleb Speicher. I am a philosophy major and a two year letter winner for the Jackets.
We regret to announce that last spring two of our dear comrades, seniors Dan Ballard and Derek Hostetter, decided that college life no longer held the luster it once did. In response, they have graduated and now entered the "real world" and as Dan develops better ways to make things as an engineer, Derek continues his studies as a seminarian.
Now that all the housekeeping is in order, we can now delve more deeply into this upcoming season and hopefully, keep you entertained enough to continue reading to the end of this particular blog post.
This Saturday morning, before the sun rises, before the rooster crows, before the alarm clocks of 98% of college students go off, we will leave for Institute (that's right, the name of the town is 'Institute'), West Virginia, where we will play West Virginia State University. Despite being a rather young team, WVSU boasts four of the best players from West Virginia State high school tennis, as well as Gian Sposito, a really solid player from my neck of the woods in central Ohio. They should be a good litmus test for determining where we are as the season begins.
After our match, we will continue down to Charlotte, NC where we will stay the night, before going to Renaissance Bible Church where former Jacket tennis player, James Metzger serves as pastor. From there we will continue down to Jacksonville, Florida where we will train in the warmth and sunshine for this upcoming season. A recap of the trip will be given in the next blog.
I leave you this week with a quote given by senior, Kevin Furst. When asked if he was excited for the season to start, he replied, "Yeah, I always like playing tennis sometimes... when I play well...and win"
So, I thank you for reading and promise that your Yellow Jacket men's tennis team will always like playing tennis sometimes...when we play well...and win.
Caleb Speicher is a junior philosophy major from Marysville, Ohio. He has been a two-year varsity performer for the Yellow Jackets.
