Additional tennis Information

 

Tennis information

Playing tennis or being a part of the team as a manager looks good on a college admission application for scholarships/admission! 

Student selection:

  • Potential (to help the team on or off the court and/or learn teamwork/collaboration skills); having played before isn’t required
  • Work ethic
  • Attitude
  • Academic performance
  • Former discipline reports

Email Coach Mitchell the following information if interested in joining the family

  • Full name
  • Student ID#
  • Counselor
  • current grade level
  • LC grade average
  • A sentence describing yourself and why you want to try tennis

Information to read

  • Tennis has two seasons, Fall and Spring, and is very flexible if participating in another sport. In the fall, duals take place against other schools in the district after school. JV will play on Tuesday, and varsity will play primarily on Thursday (the addition of Wylie East has added certain additional dates to ensure completion of the season per UIL deadlines). Spring tournaments last the school day and you will either play singles, doubles, or mixed doubles.
  • Tennis is double blocked. Being in both A4 and B8 is encouraged.
  • This will count towards your P.E. credit. After you have finished the P.E. credit, the rest will turn into elective credits. 
  • During the Spring season, tennis players that are participating in Varsity/JV tournaments will be able to miss out on school days in order to travel to different cities to play in these tournaments.
  • Since school days will be missed because of these tournaments, it’s mandatory that students have good academic standing, behavior and attendance. Students that do not have such are subject to removal from tennis.
  • If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Coach Mitchell and others will be happy to help.
  • All playing information and schedules will be provided to you.
  • Here at LC Tennis, we are all family, so please treat everyone with respect and bring a great attitude! 
  • Students must dress appropriately for tennis with tennis shoes and proper athletic attire.

To do (items highlighted)

  • Must have Physical and Rank One forms done before playing or trying out for any sport!
  • Location not too far from the school that does Physicals for $10 on a walk-in basis: 

  • Student: download the SportsYou App so you are in the team communication loop
    • Enter Code for JV: MW3T-TB6S
  • See “Equipment” info below on equipment needed
  • Please complete the ladder sign up (after counselor puts you in tennis)
    • Go to IMLeagues
    • Create an account, you use your school email (don't use Facebook, etc.)
    • Once you create an account, go to the applicable ladder and "sign up"
    • Use your name as your team name

To help you learn the game

Tennis parent and student information

Coach Mitchell’s bio

Coach Mitchell was the Director of Intramurals and over the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament for four years at the collegiate level before Lakeview, as well as an Adjunct Professor. 

Before that he served as a Director of a Parks and Recreation Department with 15 years of experience in sports/recreation, parks, and facility management overseeing the athletics division and recreation centers for a Parks and Recreation Department before moving up to a Director. 

Before going back to graduate school, his first job out of college was an Internal Auditor for a top fortune 500 company for 2 1/2 years. As a current CTE teacher, he brings valuable experience in business (both corporate and public administration) and a plethora of sports/event management/marketing experience; he enjoys teaching relevant soft skills on and off the athletic arena. Also, as the owner of Mitchell Real Estate Investments, LLC, he enjoys giving real world assignments in conjunction with his cabin rentals and property managers he employs to run his daily operations.

In his first year with the Garland ISD, Coach Mitchell was selected as the District 9-6A coach of the year as the Head Tennis coach. He has been married since 2001 to an educator who serves as a school counselor. He has a daughter who plays Division 1 volleyball collegiately who is majoring in special education and enjoys working with special needs children at church, and an 18 year old son that excels in the arts and enjoys volunteering with his mother as members of YMSL. His wife is also a board member of YMSL, and Coach Mitchell serves the First United Methodist Church in various capacities and committees - including as a former Board of Trustee member.

He is knowledgeable in many sports and the application of kinesiology/body movements needed for performance having competed at a high level in football, basketball, tennis and throwing the discus in track. He values what sports and recreation teaches us, and how it can “recreate” us to become valuable contributors in the community and on the job from the soft skills learned that can’t be learned in the classroom.

Coach Mitchell’s philosophy

To teach soft skills applicable to the athletics arena, but most importantly for life and success after high school. This includes things that require 0 talent: work ethic, punctuality, positive attitude, coachability, passion/energy, integrity, initiative, preparation, effort and body language. His goal is to be a mentor as much as each student needs.

A good coach focuses on the process, not winning/losing. Every school has different needs and reasons for having players that have played before or more of a background in a certain activity (or none at all), etc. 

Good coaching is about helping students succeed in life. Coaches are educators first and foremost; they have to make decisions based on what they believe to be the best for all student-athletes and the education goals of the school district. This means coaches have to hold students accountable when codes of conduct aren’t followed. 

One of my favorite coaching quotes is: “If your coach (teacher) pushes you...If your coach disciplines you...If your coach demands the best from you....Then your coach TRULY cares”

Expectations 

Students: my 3 simplified rules for tennis participants are: Have fun; sportsmanship (including attitude/integrity/golden rule, etc.); stay hydrated (safety)

  • Students: communicate any schedule or illness/injury conflicts in advance as much as possible (rosters have to be planned for and much administration before each competition, and it can hurt the team if proper communication doesn’t occur)
  • Parents: encourage students to communicate so we can make them independent thinkers, but always contact me first should you ever have a concern you feel we need to work together on for your student’s best educational interest

Behavior expectations of spectators

  • Always support the team and the efforts of all participants involved.
  • Do not intimidate or ridicule a player, coach, or official before, during or after a contest.
  • Always praise athletes for their actions during a game; never degrade a participant for their efforts. Athletics are a learning experience for students, and mistakes will be made.
  • Remember that attending a school district event is a privilege to observe the contest, not a license to verbally assault others or be generally obnoxious.
  • Always respect the integrity and judgment of officials (in tennis the players are also their own officials). 
  • Show respect for the opposing players, coaches, spectators and support groups. Treat them as guests to your school.
  • Use only cheers that support and uplift the teams involved.
  • Recognize and show appreciation for an outstanding play by either team.
  • Be a positive role model at events through your own actions and by censuring those around you whose behavior is unbecoming

Schedules and ranking

  • SportsYou App: how communication occurs with players, especially during tournaments when players are spread out at many different playing sites (i.e. boys doubles, girls doubles, boys singles, girls singles, mixed doubles sites)
  • Schedule given to students, also posted in their Canvas and SportYou App
  • Tennis ranking system and playtime 
    • Fall team tennis
    • Spring tournaments, district tournament
      • Where students play (i.e. doubles or singles is based on multiple factors including team strategy and what is needed for the team)

Equipment needs and additional information

  • Parent help welcome
    • Drinks, donations, etc. (We do a fundraiser as well)
  • Racket, tennis shoes, athletic apparel for practices and games/tournaments. Black or gray shorts with pockets for holding balls (girls may wear tennis skirt if preferred) for playing matches in.
    • School provides uniform shirt for JV and Varsity to play in
  • Rackets are a personal choice - Target has racquets for $17, get with Coach Mitchell if you need help with one; this will not be a barrier to playing.
    • If you want a good, light titanium racket for cheap, I’d recommend getting a used one on Ebay, etc. You can always buy an over grip for $3, and put it over the grip for a used one to have your own like-new racket. They will need over grips anyway for after it gets slick from their sweaty hands. 
    • You can get a great $100 new racket on Ebay, used for $30-50.  Wilson and Head make good titanium rackets that are light, which are great for beginners learning. Watch the video on the three best racquets for help on getting a racket. 
    • Extra racket is not mandatory but encouraged for players that have good pace since strings break over time.
  • Water bottle (I prefer them to have the 1 gallon bigger ones that have fence hooks as well, but any will do.)
  • Sunscreen, sweat towel and proper snacks. Pack lunch as needed for day tournaments.
    • Tennis racket bag is optional (many players have them to keep their racket and belongings in when attending tournaments.)
  • Lettering criteria - participate in varsity sport
  • Tennis player / manager selection: 
    • Potential, Work ethic, Attitude, Academic performance
    • Students can be removed from tennis for showing conduct that is detrimental to the team unity, breaking the school code of conduct, or lacking in any of the traits listed above that require 0 talent
  • Hydration/injuries: Hydration starts 48 hrs before a big event. Coconut water is one of the best things to drink to avoid dehydration, muscle cramps, etc… but plain water or a drink with electrolytes is important to start frequently 2 days before an event where the body sweats a lot and is heavily exerted (especially during the hot Texas summer months).

Student contract (not doing these things is grounds for removal)

  • By being in tennis, student acknowledges that they must dress out and give effort during practice (a parent/doctor note is needed to not dress out).
  • Student must participate in picking up balls and all trash pick-up in and around the court at cool down near the end of practice.
  • Be present and make tennis games schedule a priority, ensuring to schedule other things around their weekly tennis match as to not let their team down.
  • Grades are a priority and poor academic performance means removal can occur if deemed best for the student for accountability measures. Tennis is a privilege, not a right - a privilege for those that give effort in class as well and maintain good academic standing.
  • Infractions in class/outside of tennis mean that students can also be removed from tennis.
  • Not completing the physical/RankOne forms in a timely manner are grounds for removal from tennis.
  • Student agrees to abide by the expectations listed in this document and all District rules and UIL rules/policies.