tigers ready to launch fall season - Sites
TENNIS
TIGERS READY TO LAUNCH FALL SEASON
Hear from Asst. Coach Colt Gaston
Mizzou Tennis welcomes new AD Mack Rhoades, introduces incoming freshman Turner Yates & much more... Meet Volunteer Asst. Majorie Muller
#NoExcuses
LETTER FROM SASHA Dear Friends of Mizzou Tennis, I want to thank you for your continued support of our tennis team. We finished the 2015 spring season with an exciting 4-3 win over No. 37 Arkansas and a top 12 finish in the College tennis attendance race! We are looking forward to building on that positive momentum as we begin the 2015-2016 season. We are excited about our new coaching staff. Colt Gaston joins our program as assistant coach and Majorie Muller joins the program as our volunteer assistant coach. I hope you get a chance to meet Colt and Majorie in person and welcome them to the Mizzou family. Our season begins at the Mizzou Invite at the Plaza Tennis Courts in KC September 18-20, 2015. This will be a great event with Nebraska, Louisville and Penn State participating. It will also be our incoming freshman, Turner Yates’ first tournament competing as a Tiger. We appreciate all your support of our program. Thank you! Go Tigers! - Sasha Schmid
@MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
#NoExcuses
WELCOME NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MACK RHOADES Sasha Schmid, Head Coach “Mack’s commitment to the constant improvement of our athletic programs and his desire for Mizzou to reach new levels of excellence will be incredible for all of us at Mizzou Athletics. We’re looking forward to working with him as he takes us to new heights.” Colt Gaston, Assistant Coach “I’m very excited to be here at Mizzou. Mack Rhoades has an exceptional resume and even better reputation and I feel very fortunate to be working for him. The program here at Missouri is one that is on the rise, the coaches seem to be hungry to accomplish big things here and with Mack leading the pack I believe the sky is the limit.” Steve Stuckenschneider, Director of Tennis Operations “We are all very excited to get to know and work with Mack. We look forward to him leading Mizzou Athletics to the next level.”
Mack Rhoades comes to Mizzou after a six-year tenure as the A.D. at the University of Houston
Cassidy Spearman, Mizzou Tennis Player “As a student athlete who had the privilege to play during Mike Alden’s time here at Mizzou, I know we’ll miss him, but I speak for all us in saying that I’m very excited for Mack to start. I know he will do amazing things for our athletic program.” Mary Ann Austin, Executive Associate Athletics Director “Mack Rhoades’ high level of integrity reflects the core values of the University of Missouri. We are excited for him to lead us in the next phase of Mizzou athletics and Mizzou Tennis.”
FALL 2015 SCHEDULE
Facebook.com/MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
MUTigers.com
WELCOME INCOMING FRESHMAN TURNER YATES PREP HIGHLIGHTS - 2015 Mississippi Tennis Association Player of the Year as a high school senior - Did not play HS tennis as a junior or senior - Mississippi HS Hall of Fame inductee in 2013 - Won the Mississippi state No. 1 singles title as a sophomore in 2013 - Named MVP for Jackson Acamedy as a freshman - On the acamedic honor roll in 2012 and 2015
Turner Yates Hometown: Jackson, Miss.
GET TO KNOW TURNER Roommate at Mizzou: Mizzou WBB’s Sophie Cunningham Favorite TV show: Grey’s Anatomy Favorite Food: avocado with anything Favorite movie: Facing the Giants Idol growing up: her sister, Ellie who plays at Vanderbilt Most prized possession: her family dog Favorite tennis player: Rafael Nadal Favorite hobby: hunting Something most people don’t know: was a HS cheerleader Biggest fear: spiders Describes her style of play as: a grinder Strength on the court: her backhand Best talent off the court: cooking Favorite homemade food: potato chips If you could play another sport at Mizzou, it’d be?: soccer Celebrity crush: Channing Tatum Impressions of the team: “I really bond closely with them. We’re upbeat & open with eachother. I love it”
Meet Volunteer Asst. Majorie Muller Head Coach Sasha Schmid announced the addition of volunteer assistant coach Majorie Muller to the Mizzou Tennis staff this summer. Muller, a former assistant coach at both Texas Tech and Texas A&M, joins the program after stints as a tennis instructor at the Country Club of Missouri and the Mizzou Tennis Complex. Alongside Schmid and new assistant Colt Gaston, Muller becomes the third member of the Tigers’ 201516 coaching staff. Additionally, Muller will serve as the Director of Camps and Clinics, using her extensive background as an instructor to help the program with outreach in the local community. “I’ve been working around the Mizzou Tennis Complex for four years and I’ve always wanted to be a part of the team,” Muller said. “I love the program and the positive atmosphere Sasha has created. I’m really excited to be a part of Mizzou, bring more camps here and spread Mizzou Tennis all over the state.” Muller’s tennis career launched at an early age. The Bloemfontein, South Africa, native learned how to play the game on her childhood farm, where she hit barefoot against a barn for hours on end. The repetition paid off and eventually she moved to the U.S. to pursue a tennis career. Muller was a two-time All-American at Tyler Junior College in 1999 and 2000. She carried her squad to back-to-back national titles and wrapped up the 2000 campaign as the No. 1-ranked singles player in Junior College. That success earned her a scholarship at Texas A&M University, where she won 40 singles matches and 47 doubles matches over her final two collegiate seasons. In 2001, Muller was given the Texas Aggie Heart Award, which honors the hardest worker and biggest heart in women’s sports at the university. After graduating from Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology, Muller moved to Lubbock, Texas to be an assistant coach at Texas Tech in 2003. A year later, she found herself back at Texas A&M and spent four years as an assistant at her alma mater. “I learned how to win at Texas A&M and at Tyler College,” Muller said. “I have that will to win and I never give up so I can help Mizzou by being supportive and giving the student-athletes that insight.” In 2008, Muller brought her expertise to Columbia and has been teaching tennis to players of all ages throughout Mid-Missouri ever since.
@MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
#NoExcuses
Colt Gaston:Q&A
Colt Gaston joins the Mizzou Tennis staff after a season as an assistant coach at Furman University in 2014. Before that, Gaston spent time coaching at the IMG Tennis Academy and the Weil Tennis Academy. He played collegiate tennis at LSU, earning ITA Doubles All-American honors in 2007. We sat down with him to hear his thoughts about taking the position at Mizzou. Q: What drew you to take the position at Mizzou? CG: “The draw of the SEC and Sasha was a really big part of me coming here. Just seeing her passion for the team and the sport and seeing the family environment at Mizzou was big. I love that kind of atmosphere.” Q: When you met next year’s team, what did you see in them? CG: “There’s a lot of fire with the girls. Last year was a tough one for them. To see them hungry and wanting to get back and push to do some big things got me on board to get motivated as well.” Q: You were an All-American at LSU. What’s the key to competing and winning in the SEC? CG: “The biggest thing is not getting overwhelmed with all the other obstacles out there. You have to stay focused on the little things. Every single match is going to be really tough so rebounding and learning from those losses quickly is pretty important. In the SEC, whether you’re playing Friday, Sunday or Thursday, if you dwell on it, it’s going to be a tough turnaround in two days. So you have to stay focused on the task at hand and trust your game and trust your shots. The more the girls can do that, I think that they can focus on doing the best that they can instead of wins and losses and where they’re at.” Q: How does Mizzou stack up in the SEC going forward? CG: “That’s something I did a lot of research on before coming here. One thing that’s clear and obvious is that they’re close. The girls are close to achieving the goals they’ve set so it’s cool for me to come in and be hungry and help them achieve those goals. If I didn’t believe in Mizzou, I wouldn’t be here.” Q: What was the highlight of your playing career? CG: “Probably my run at NCAAs with my doubles partner Danny Bryan. We had a year where we lost maybe two or three matches in doubles. One thing I want to stress with the girls is don’t let these times fly by. Enjoy them and get on the court, work hard and make sure you’re going out there and giving it your all because it’ll fly by.” Q: Explain your coaching style. What do you bring to the table? CG: “For me, my coaching philosophy is I’m going to do a lot of drills helping them focus on what’s going on right now. I like to focus point by point and not get overwhelmed about whether you’re down a break or a set. You don’t want to see a huge mountain in front of you. You want to chip away at it when you’re down. I’m also a big fan of only training one way. You don’t go 80 percent or 90 percent. When you’re on the court there’s only one way to go at it: 100 percent. Since I’ve been here I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Mizzou Made and I love that kind of stuff. It all goes together. There’s one way to do it and that’s working harder than everyone else. You don’t train average. You go above and beyond.” Q: How will you and Sasha challenge the team in the offseason? CG: “The girls are going to have to be pushed. I know they aren’t satisfied after last year so it sounds pretty cliché, but if we’re going to do bigger and better things, we have to work harder and push ourselves harder than we ever have because if we do what we did, we won’t get where we want to go. We need to understand that every day in practice is important. It’s not about getting through weeks. It’s about improving and achieving goals throughout the year. It’s about now. Live in the moment and push every day in practice.” Q: What are your immediate and long-term goals for this upcoming season? CG: “Immediate goals are to get them all involved in tournaments and get those matches in. The more matches for them the better right now. When we get started in the fall, those practices will get everyone fit. We want to get them fit right off the bat and then in the long term, we don’t look at trying to win a certain number of matches. We want to feel like we’re competing and giving everything we’ve got for every single match.”
Facebook.com/MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
MUTigers.com
Inside the MTC MTC members will be receiving their 2015/16 permanent court time contracts with their July invoices. PCT will run September 14, 2015 - Sunday May 15, 2016. A friendly reminder that all PCT participants are required to be a current MTC member. Contact Steve Stuckenschneider with any questions via e-mail at [email protected].
COMPLIANCE CORNER Donors and Aces members are considered “representatives of athletics interest” or “boosters” for Mizzou. Therefore, to assist you in understanding the NCAA rules, the Mizzou Compliance Office will be including rules education that may be relevant to you in each newsletter. We hope this information is helpful and encourage you to call our office with any questions you may have at (573) 882-2076. Please be safe and “Ask before you Act.” Student-Athlete Employment Student-athletes are permitted to earn income through legitimate employment opportunities. A student-athlete may receive employment compensation: - Only for work that is actually performed and useful in nature; - Only for the number of hours actually worked; and - At a rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services in the area.
Mary Austin Senior Associate AD Compliance
A student-athlete may NOT receive: - Payment for value that he or she brings the employer because of publicity, reputation, fame or personal following because of his or her athletics ability; or - Transportation to work or other benefits, unless the same benefits are available equally to all employees. Fee-for-lesson Employment NCAA rules permit student-athletes to be employed on a fee-for-lesson basis under the following prescribed conditions:
- Fee-for-lesson employment may NOT take place in an institutional facility; - A student-athlete must actually provide skill instruction; “playing lessons” are not permissible; - Compensation must be paid by the lesson recipient or the recipient’s family and not another outside individual or entity; - Payment must be at the going rate for such services in the area; and - A student-athlete may not use his or her name in promoting or advertising the lesson.
Note: Student-athletes may work camps/clinics on and off-campus with appropriate prior-approval. All student-athletes who wish to provide either fee-for-lessons or work camps/clinics MUST receive prior approval from the MU Athletics Compliance Office.
@MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
#NoExcuses
Academic Excellence The student-athletes who represent the Mizzou Tennis program are dedicated to succeeding in the classroom. The Tigers pride themselves on going above and beyond and exceeding expectations academically. In 2015, Mizzou Tennis posted a 3.31 combined GPA as a team. That earned them 2015 ITA AllAcademic Team honors. Recent graduate Alex Clark and junior Cassidy Spearman were also named ITA Scholar Athletes for maintaining a GPA of 3.50 or above. Additionally, the Tigers made a concerted effort to give back to their community this past season, enjoying more than 80 hours of community service together.
Tiger Travels (Written by Madison Rhyner) This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong and participate in the McCann Erickson summer program through the Journalism school. I had several inhibitions about the trip to begin with, but knew that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I wouldn’t soon be offered again. As someone who had previously never traveled outside the United States, I didn’t know what to expect and I intended to absorb everything possible in the four weeks that I would spend there. Pre-departure sessions warned our group thoroughly about the effects of culture shock and feelings of alienation that are common for students abroad. However, from the first day we arrived I felt nothing but excitement. In a month, Hong Kong effectively became home to me, and leaving was much harder than I could have imagined. The first two weeks of the trip consisted of constant exploring and a few valuable lectures in which we learned about Hong Kong’s eclectic and blended culture. In the final two weeks, myself and the five other Mizzou students came together with six students from Hong Kong Baptist University to work on a project for one of McCann’s most important clients. The twelve of us were split into two teams and asked to come up with a primarily digitally focused campaign for the toothpaste brand Darlie (owned by Colgate-Palmolive, sold only in Asian markets). It was an immense challenge, but ultimately rewarding when we were able to pitch our work to the client on the final day. Working to establish teamwork and synergy among our creative team was analogous to my experiences with team building at Mizzou. On a creative team, the ability to exercise patience, active listening and critical thinking are paramount in the brainstorming process and to creating a productive work environment. Above all, members of a team must show the utmost respect for one another. My time spent on the Mizzou tennis team has provided me with invaluable skills as a team member, and I will take that with me for the rest of my life. I am further indebted to my teammates and coaches for their flexibility and support while I took a month off training to participate in the program. Mizzou Tennis student athlete Madison Rhyner spent four weeks this summer studying abroad in Hong Kong.
Facebook.com/MizzouTennis
The most important thing I have taken away from my time in Hong Kong is an intense sense of optimism towards the future and what it might hold; and I know that because of the opportunities provided to me as a student athlete, I am better poised to enter the world after college than I would have otherwise been.
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
MUTigers.com
“ACES” BOOSTER CLUB UPDATE Renew your membership to Aces: The Mizzou Tennis Booster Club! Your generous gift is tax deductible and you will receive such perks as quarterly newsletters, a Mizzou Tennis t-shirt, and an invitation to special events such as a luncheon with Head Coach Sasha Schmid and our end of the year banquet! Your previous support has allowed us to implement specialized yoga sessions for the team, as well as purchase a Tennis Analytics software system. We appreciate your support! Renewing your Aces membership will allow Mizzou tennis to continue to improve! Mission Statement The mission of the Aces Booster Club is to provide opportunities for family, friends and alumni to support, get involved and make a positive difference to our Mizzou Tennis program. All gifts made will offset financial needs above and beyond their budgeted expenses in a given year. *NOTE* For members who are a part of both Aces and the Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF), it should be noted that this gift to the Mizzou women’s tennis program through “Aces” is considered above and beyond any annual contributions given to TSF and the Champions for Life capital campaign.
#NoExcuses The Mizzou Tennis program is committed to having success on and off the court, but it can’t be done without the incredible support from our amazing fans. We had the 12th highest attendance in the nation this past season and we can’t thank you all enough. To help you continue giving us that support, we’re dedicated to keeping you informed throughout the season. Social media platforms are the key to making sure you’re updated on all things Mizzou Tennis so make sure to follow us on Twitter @MizzouTennis and on Instagram @Mizzou_Tennis. Also, like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ MizzouTennis. Again, thank you for your support!
@MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
#NoExcuses
TIGERS READY TO LAUNCH FALL SEASON
Hear from Asst. Coach Colt Gaston
Mizzou Tennis welcomes new AD Mack Rhoades, introduces incoming freshman Turner Yates & much more... Meet Volunteer Asst. Majorie Muller
#NoExcuses
LETTER FROM SASHA Dear Friends of Mizzou Tennis, I want to thank you for your continued support of our tennis team. We finished the 2015 spring season with an exciting 4-3 win over No. 37 Arkansas and a top 12 finish in the College tennis attendance race! We are looking forward to building on that positive momentum as we begin the 2015-2016 season. We are excited about our new coaching staff. Colt Gaston joins our program as assistant coach and Majorie Muller joins the program as our volunteer assistant coach. I hope you get a chance to meet Colt and Majorie in person and welcome them to the Mizzou family. Our season begins at the Mizzou Invite at the Plaza Tennis Courts in KC September 18-20, 2015. This will be a great event with Nebraska, Louisville and Penn State participating. It will also be our incoming freshman, Turner Yates’ first tournament competing as a Tiger. We appreciate all your support of our program. Thank you! Go Tigers! - Sasha Schmid
@MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
#NoExcuses
WELCOME NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MACK RHOADES Sasha Schmid, Head Coach “Mack’s commitment to the constant improvement of our athletic programs and his desire for Mizzou to reach new levels of excellence will be incredible for all of us at Mizzou Athletics. We’re looking forward to working with him as he takes us to new heights.” Colt Gaston, Assistant Coach “I’m very excited to be here at Mizzou. Mack Rhoades has an exceptional resume and even better reputation and I feel very fortunate to be working for him. The program here at Missouri is one that is on the rise, the coaches seem to be hungry to accomplish big things here and with Mack leading the pack I believe the sky is the limit.” Steve Stuckenschneider, Director of Tennis Operations “We are all very excited to get to know and work with Mack. We look forward to him leading Mizzou Athletics to the next level.”
Mack Rhoades comes to Mizzou after a six-year tenure as the A.D. at the University of Houston
Cassidy Spearman, Mizzou Tennis Player “As a student athlete who had the privilege to play during Mike Alden’s time here at Mizzou, I know we’ll miss him, but I speak for all us in saying that I’m very excited for Mack to start. I know he will do amazing things for our athletic program.” Mary Ann Austin, Executive Associate Athletics Director “Mack Rhoades’ high level of integrity reflects the core values of the University of Missouri. We are excited for him to lead us in the next phase of Mizzou athletics and Mizzou Tennis.”
FALL 2015 SCHEDULE
Facebook.com/MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
MUTigers.com
WELCOME INCOMING FRESHMAN TURNER YATES PREP HIGHLIGHTS - 2015 Mississippi Tennis Association Player of the Year as a high school senior - Did not play HS tennis as a junior or senior - Mississippi HS Hall of Fame inductee in 2013 - Won the Mississippi state No. 1 singles title as a sophomore in 2013 - Named MVP for Jackson Acamedy as a freshman - On the acamedic honor roll in 2012 and 2015
Turner Yates Hometown: Jackson, Miss.
GET TO KNOW TURNER Roommate at Mizzou: Mizzou WBB’s Sophie Cunningham Favorite TV show: Grey’s Anatomy Favorite Food: avocado with anything Favorite movie: Facing the Giants Idol growing up: her sister, Ellie who plays at Vanderbilt Most prized possession: her family dog Favorite tennis player: Rafael Nadal Favorite hobby: hunting Something most people don’t know: was a HS cheerleader Biggest fear: spiders Describes her style of play as: a grinder Strength on the court: her backhand Best talent off the court: cooking Favorite homemade food: potato chips If you could play another sport at Mizzou, it’d be?: soccer Celebrity crush: Channing Tatum Impressions of the team: “I really bond closely with them. We’re upbeat & open with eachother. I love it”
Meet Volunteer Asst. Majorie Muller Head Coach Sasha Schmid announced the addition of volunteer assistant coach Majorie Muller to the Mizzou Tennis staff this summer. Muller, a former assistant coach at both Texas Tech and Texas A&M, joins the program after stints as a tennis instructor at the Country Club of Missouri and the Mizzou Tennis Complex. Alongside Schmid and new assistant Colt Gaston, Muller becomes the third member of the Tigers’ 201516 coaching staff. Additionally, Muller will serve as the Director of Camps and Clinics, using her extensive background as an instructor to help the program with outreach in the local community. “I’ve been working around the Mizzou Tennis Complex for four years and I’ve always wanted to be a part of the team,” Muller said. “I love the program and the positive atmosphere Sasha has created. I’m really excited to be a part of Mizzou, bring more camps here and spread Mizzou Tennis all over the state.” Muller’s tennis career launched at an early age. The Bloemfontein, South Africa, native learned how to play the game on her childhood farm, where she hit barefoot against a barn for hours on end. The repetition paid off and eventually she moved to the U.S. to pursue a tennis career. Muller was a two-time All-American at Tyler Junior College in 1999 and 2000. She carried her squad to back-to-back national titles and wrapped up the 2000 campaign as the No. 1-ranked singles player in Junior College. That success earned her a scholarship at Texas A&M University, where she won 40 singles matches and 47 doubles matches over her final two collegiate seasons. In 2001, Muller was given the Texas Aggie Heart Award, which honors the hardest worker and biggest heart in women’s sports at the university. After graduating from Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology, Muller moved to Lubbock, Texas to be an assistant coach at Texas Tech in 2003. A year later, she found herself back at Texas A&M and spent four years as an assistant at her alma mater. “I learned how to win at Texas A&M and at Tyler College,” Muller said. “I have that will to win and I never give up so I can help Mizzou by being supportive and giving the student-athletes that insight.” In 2008, Muller brought her expertise to Columbia and has been teaching tennis to players of all ages throughout Mid-Missouri ever since.
@MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
#NoExcuses
Colt Gaston:Q&A
Colt Gaston joins the Mizzou Tennis staff after a season as an assistant coach at Furman University in 2014. Before that, Gaston spent time coaching at the IMG Tennis Academy and the Weil Tennis Academy. He played collegiate tennis at LSU, earning ITA Doubles All-American honors in 2007. We sat down with him to hear his thoughts about taking the position at Mizzou. Q: What drew you to take the position at Mizzou? CG: “The draw of the SEC and Sasha was a really big part of me coming here. Just seeing her passion for the team and the sport and seeing the family environment at Mizzou was big. I love that kind of atmosphere.” Q: When you met next year’s team, what did you see in them? CG: “There’s a lot of fire with the girls. Last year was a tough one for them. To see them hungry and wanting to get back and push to do some big things got me on board to get motivated as well.” Q: You were an All-American at LSU. What’s the key to competing and winning in the SEC? CG: “The biggest thing is not getting overwhelmed with all the other obstacles out there. You have to stay focused on the little things. Every single match is going to be really tough so rebounding and learning from those losses quickly is pretty important. In the SEC, whether you’re playing Friday, Sunday or Thursday, if you dwell on it, it’s going to be a tough turnaround in two days. So you have to stay focused on the task at hand and trust your game and trust your shots. The more the girls can do that, I think that they can focus on doing the best that they can instead of wins and losses and where they’re at.” Q: How does Mizzou stack up in the SEC going forward? CG: “That’s something I did a lot of research on before coming here. One thing that’s clear and obvious is that they’re close. The girls are close to achieving the goals they’ve set so it’s cool for me to come in and be hungry and help them achieve those goals. If I didn’t believe in Mizzou, I wouldn’t be here.” Q: What was the highlight of your playing career? CG: “Probably my run at NCAAs with my doubles partner Danny Bryan. We had a year where we lost maybe two or three matches in doubles. One thing I want to stress with the girls is don’t let these times fly by. Enjoy them and get on the court, work hard and make sure you’re going out there and giving it your all because it’ll fly by.” Q: Explain your coaching style. What do you bring to the table? CG: “For me, my coaching philosophy is I’m going to do a lot of drills helping them focus on what’s going on right now. I like to focus point by point and not get overwhelmed about whether you’re down a break or a set. You don’t want to see a huge mountain in front of you. You want to chip away at it when you’re down. I’m also a big fan of only training one way. You don’t go 80 percent or 90 percent. When you’re on the court there’s only one way to go at it: 100 percent. Since I’ve been here I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Mizzou Made and I love that kind of stuff. It all goes together. There’s one way to do it and that’s working harder than everyone else. You don’t train average. You go above and beyond.” Q: How will you and Sasha challenge the team in the offseason? CG: “The girls are going to have to be pushed. I know they aren’t satisfied after last year so it sounds pretty cliché, but if we’re going to do bigger and better things, we have to work harder and push ourselves harder than we ever have because if we do what we did, we won’t get where we want to go. We need to understand that every day in practice is important. It’s not about getting through weeks. It’s about improving and achieving goals throughout the year. It’s about now. Live in the moment and push every day in practice.” Q: What are your immediate and long-term goals for this upcoming season? CG: “Immediate goals are to get them all involved in tournaments and get those matches in. The more matches for them the better right now. When we get started in the fall, those practices will get everyone fit. We want to get them fit right off the bat and then in the long term, we don’t look at trying to win a certain number of matches. We want to feel like we’re competing and giving everything we’ve got for every single match.”
Facebook.com/MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
MUTigers.com
Inside the MTC MTC members will be receiving their 2015/16 permanent court time contracts with their July invoices. PCT will run September 14, 2015 - Sunday May 15, 2016. A friendly reminder that all PCT participants are required to be a current MTC member. Contact Steve Stuckenschneider with any questions via e-mail at [email protected].
COMPLIANCE CORNER Donors and Aces members are considered “representatives of athletics interest” or “boosters” for Mizzou. Therefore, to assist you in understanding the NCAA rules, the Mizzou Compliance Office will be including rules education that may be relevant to you in each newsletter. We hope this information is helpful and encourage you to call our office with any questions you may have at (573) 882-2076. Please be safe and “Ask before you Act.” Student-Athlete Employment Student-athletes are permitted to earn income through legitimate employment opportunities. A student-athlete may receive employment compensation: - Only for work that is actually performed and useful in nature; - Only for the number of hours actually worked; and - At a rate commensurate with the going rate for similar services in the area.
Mary Austin Senior Associate AD Compliance
A student-athlete may NOT receive: - Payment for value that he or she brings the employer because of publicity, reputation, fame or personal following because of his or her athletics ability; or - Transportation to work or other benefits, unless the same benefits are available equally to all employees. Fee-for-lesson Employment NCAA rules permit student-athletes to be employed on a fee-for-lesson basis under the following prescribed conditions:
- Fee-for-lesson employment may NOT take place in an institutional facility; - A student-athlete must actually provide skill instruction; “playing lessons” are not permissible; - Compensation must be paid by the lesson recipient or the recipient’s family and not another outside individual or entity; - Payment must be at the going rate for such services in the area; and - A student-athlete may not use his or her name in promoting or advertising the lesson.
Note: Student-athletes may work camps/clinics on and off-campus with appropriate prior-approval. All student-athletes who wish to provide either fee-for-lessons or work camps/clinics MUST receive prior approval from the MU Athletics Compliance Office.
@MizzouTennis
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
#NoExcuses
Academic Excellence The student-athletes who represent the Mizzou Tennis program are dedicated to succeeding in the classroom. The Tigers pride themselves on going above and beyond and exceeding expectations academically. In 2015, Mizzou Tennis posted a 3.31 combined GPA as a team. That earned them 2015 ITA AllAcademic Team honors. Recent graduate Alex Clark and junior Cassidy Spearman were also named ITA Scholar Athletes for maintaining a GPA of 3.50 or above. Additionally, the Tigers made a concerted effort to give back to their community this past season, enjoying more than 80 hours of community service together.
Tiger Travels (Written by Madison Rhyner) This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong and participate in the McCann Erickson summer program through the Journalism school. I had several inhibitions about the trip to begin with, but knew that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I wouldn’t soon be offered again. As someone who had previously never traveled outside the United States, I didn’t know what to expect and I intended to absorb everything possible in the four weeks that I would spend there. Pre-departure sessions warned our group thoroughly about the effects of culture shock and feelings of alienation that are common for students abroad. However, from the first day we arrived I felt nothing but excitement. In a month, Hong Kong effectively became home to me, and leaving was much harder than I could have imagined. The first two weeks of the trip consisted of constant exploring and a few valuable lectures in which we learned about Hong Kong’s eclectic and blended culture. In the final two weeks, myself and the five other Mizzou students came together with six students from Hong Kong Baptist University to work on a project for one of McCann’s most important clients. The twelve of us were split into two teams and asked to come up with a primarily digitally focused campaign for the toothpaste brand Darlie (owned by Colgate-Palmolive, sold only in Asian markets). It was an immense challenge, but ultimately rewarding when we were able to pitch our work to the client on the final day. Working to establish teamwork and synergy among our creative team was analogous to my experiences with team building at Mizzou. On a creative team, the ability to exercise patience, active listening and critical thinking are paramount in the brainstorming process and to creating a productive work environment. Above all, members of a team must show the utmost respect for one another. My time spent on the Mizzou tennis team has provided me with invaluable skills as a team member, and I will take that with me for the rest of my life. I am further indebted to my teammates and coaches for their flexibility and support while I took a month off training to participate in the program. Mizzou Tennis student athlete Madison Rhyner spent four weeks this summer studying abroad in Hong Kong.
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The most important thing I have taken away from my time in Hong Kong is an intense sense of optimism towards the future and what it might hold; and I know that because of the opportunities provided to me as a student athlete, I am better poised to enter the world after college than I would have otherwise been.
AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
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“ACES” BOOSTER CLUB UPDATE Renew your membership to Aces: The Mizzou Tennis Booster Club! Your generous gift is tax deductible and you will receive such perks as quarterly newsletters, a Mizzou Tennis t-shirt, and an invitation to special events such as a luncheon with Head Coach Sasha Schmid and our end of the year banquet! Your previous support has allowed us to implement specialized yoga sessions for the team, as well as purchase a Tennis Analytics software system. We appreciate your support! Renewing your Aces membership will allow Mizzou tennis to continue to improve! Mission Statement The mission of the Aces Booster Club is to provide opportunities for family, friends and alumni to support, get involved and make a positive difference to our Mizzou Tennis program. All gifts made will offset financial needs above and beyond their budgeted expenses in a given year. *NOTE* For members who are a part of both Aces and the Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF), it should be noted that this gift to the Mizzou women’s tennis program through “Aces” is considered above and beyond any annual contributions given to TSF and the Champions for Life capital campaign.
#NoExcuses The Mizzou Tennis program is committed to having success on and off the court, but it can’t be done without the incredible support from our amazing fans. We had the 12th highest attendance in the nation this past season and we can’t thank you all enough. To help you continue giving us that support, we’re dedicated to keeping you informed throughout the season. Social media platforms are the key to making sure you’re updated on all things Mizzou Tennis so make sure to follow us on Twitter @MizzouTennis and on Instagram @Mizzou_Tennis. Also, like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ MizzouTennis. Again, thank you for your support!
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AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
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