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Washburn Tennis

Spring Sports Registration Night is March 15th

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Spring sports registration night is Monday, March 15th, 5:00-7:00 p.m. This is a form drop-off event in the main gym, but unfortunately it won’t be like previous years where you go to a sport-specific table and get to talk with coaches. Please check your email for further details on Spring Sports Registration Night and making sure you are eligible to play when the season starts.

Off Season Opportunities

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Hi Washburn Tennis Family,
I wanted to pass along an opportunity from a former colleague who is providing  indoor tennis matchplay and lessons at a reduced rate.  He was the former coach at St Paul Harding and did an amazing job building that program up.  The one thing that hindered his ability to compete with the Edina and Wayzata teams was lack of affordable indoor opportunities for his student athletes…so he decided to start his own.  Please review the attachment and consider signing your kid up for this awesome program!  The more match play and tournament play we can do, the better we will compete with the top teams in state!

More Information on Community Tennis Here

Also, please see attached for information about the Fridays at the Fort program.  These are free, monthly opportunities for middle school and high school players—hosted at Fred Wells.  In the past they have been drop-in, but due to COVID-19, they are asking people to sign up and have limited spots.  Please see the attached flyer for details.  Questions?  Please contact their coordinator, Ryan Berkas, at 612-252-8367, ext. 106 or ryan@fwtec.org

More Information on Fridays at the Fort

Coach

Morgan Courts Update!

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VISIT THE UPDATED MORGAN COURTS SITE HERE →

 

Exciting News – Morgan Courts

We are excited to announce that construction has begun on the Morgan tennis courts.  Construction began on Monday, August 10th and we hope to have new courts completed this fall!

The Minneapolis Park Board and Love Morgan Courts/Support the Courts joined forces for the past three years to secure funding to replace the Morgan tennis courts.  Thank you to all of you who have supported this project, either financially and/or in lending your support to petitions.  In particular, we want to thank our donors and neighborhood supporters –

  • USTA Northern Grant
  • USTA National Grant
  • Hennepin County Youth Sports Grant
  • Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association Grant
  • Washburn Foundation Grant
  • Support the Courts Foundation
  • Private donations and Give to the Max day donations

We’d also like to thank all the work the Minneapolis Park Board has contributed to this project.  We would not have been able to get this done without them!

The project is expected to move quickly with grading, installation of fence posts and paving to be completed by the last week of August.  Once that is completed, fencing will be installed and the asphalt needs to cure for 30 days before we are able to color coat. We plan to color coat in early October, however we need warm weather for several days in order to complete the work. If the weather does not cooperate, we will color coat in the Spring of 2021.

For more information and updates on this project check out “Love Morgan Courts” on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lovemorgancourts) or join our mailing list on our Love Morgan Courts website at  https://www.supportthecourts.net/love-morgan-courts.html.

Support the Courts – Love Morgan Courts
Beth Gyllstrom, Tracy Robinson, Ann Prentice, Anne Miller & Ellen Doll

Kowalskis Fundraiser – February 1st

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Please alert your family, friends, neighbors, teachers….really anyone who might go be doing some grocery shopping this weekend and encourage them to do their shopping at Kowalski’s (54th and Lyndale location).  Kowalski’s pays us for our time—and all tips come directly to the team. We will be there Feb. 1st,  10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Go Millers!!!!!!

Fort First Fridays at Fred Wells – November 1st

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Hi Washburn Tennis Family,

Please see below for a reminder about a great opportunity offered through Fred Wells.  Please contact Ryan Berkas (info below), with any questions.

We will be hosting our second FFF of the year on Friday, 11/1. FFF is a FREE drop-in tennis event for MS and HS players of all ability levels. Pizza is included at the end of the night as well! The event starts @ 6:30 pm and goes until 9 pm.

 

Ryan Berkas

Curriculumand Evaluation Coordinator

612-252-8367 ext. 106

 

2019 Girls Season is Here!

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Hello Washburn Girls Tennis Families!

Tennis season is fast approaching. Welcome to all new families and players. And welcome back returning players and families. It’s going to be a great Miller girls tennis season and we are so glad you will be part of it. Here are some key dates and information for upcoming team events.

  • August 1st: Fall Sports Registration Night – 6-8 PM at Washburn, https://washburn.mpls.k12.mn.us/athletic_forms
  • August 5, 6, 7, 8, 9: Captains Practices – KENWOOD courts, 8-10 AM for ALL PLAYERS
  • August 12 & 13: Try Outs – At KENWOOD courts, 3-6 PM for ALL PLAYERS
  • August 14, 15, 16: Practices – 3-6 PM or 4-6 PM, locations TBD by squad at (Kenwood & Lynnhurst)
  • August 19 onwards for Season: Practice Times & Locations, Monday to Friday:
    • Varsity- KENWOOD 4-6 PM
    • JV Orange- LYNNHURST 5-6:45 PM
    • JV Blue- LYNNHURST 3:30-5:15 PM
  • Monday, August 19 – ALL PARENT MEETING – 7-8 PM at Washburn in the Cafeteria

Feel free to get to know a bit about your amazing coaches in the Girls Tennis section of this website for Varsity and JV. Stay tuned for more team information.

-Go Millers!

Tryout Info & Ping Pong

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Happy Saturday Washburn tennis family.  We are NINE short days away from the season starting and two weeks from our first varsity tournament and I am so excited to get started.  While I’m hopeful we will be able to be outside for some of tryouts, I have reserved indoor court time for the first week.  All the times can be found on TeamSnap and also at the bottom of this email.  Also at the bottom is where (and when) your child needs to be on the first day.  Plan on adhering to that schedule unless the snow suddenly goes away and we are able to save the money and get outside.

 
*There are a few individuals that need to get the rest of their paperwork/payment/physicals in.  Please do so before the first day of practice (March 25th) so you are able to participate on day one.
Next Sunday, March 24th we have our annual Ping-Pong fund raiser for the team and friends.  We would love to have EVERY kid participate.  This is a fun event that determines the ping-pong champion as well as an opportunity to take me on (I was 33-1 last year…and I’ve been practicing).  As an added bonus, if you are able to beat me, you will be gifted 3 points to be able to use at any start of a tournament game!  Oh and coach Dan Leslie is playing too but I’m not sure I’m going to allow the bonus 3 points until I scout his game….
It really is a great event and I’m grateful for the Bastian and Graff familes for taking the lead on this.  Please sign up!
Tickets can be purchased here:
Bring a friend or 3!  What a great opportunity to build some momentum heading into the first day as well as some team bonding.  Hope to see everyone there!
Uniform tops will be handed out the first day of tryouts.  Everyone gets an orange uniform top.  Please wear royal blue shorts for matches if possible.
Varsity players will pick up their team issued blue shorts and sweat suits on Wednesday, March 27th after school in the equipment room (next to the Black box theater).
 
Below are the lists of the two tryout groups.  Please understand that this is only the first day and it will change based on challenge matches and coach evaluations.  Just because you are in one group Monday does not mean you will stay in that group the rest of the week.  The entire week is an evaluation so we can put your child in the best situation for them to have success.  The teams are fluid and there is quite a bit of juggling players throughout the season.
 
VARSITY GROUP: Monday, March 25th, 6:30-8:30pm Baseline Tennis Center (Show up by 615)
JV GROUP: Monday, March 25th, 8-9:30pm Baseline Tennis Center (Show up at 745)
A look ahead:
Tuesday Varsity @ Baseline 630-830pm, JV@ Fred Wells 9-11pm
Wednesday Varsity @ Baseline 9-11pm, JV @ Washburn lunchroom 4pm
Thursday Varsity @ Baseline 630-830pm, Jv @ Fred Wells 9-11pm
Friday TBD
Saturday Varsity 5am bus departure to South Dakota, JV OFF

*If you know you’re going to miss a practice, match, tournament please let me know at tryouts (even if you have already emailed me).  We have practices and matches during spring break and need to be able to field an entire team.
Should be a great spring for Washburn tennis.  Time to shock some people!

Washburn Men’s Tennis: 2nd Annual Table Tennis Fundraiser! Sign up now!

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Hi Washburn Tennis Team!
It’s time to sign up for the 2nd annual team Table Tennis Tournament. For those of you who were there last year, you’ll remember it was a ton of fun and we raised important funds for our team!
In addition to bracketed ping pong play, we’ll have a raffle for a racket again as well as the ever-popular ‘beat-the-coach’ table (NEW! Two this year!. Your captain, Henry Smith, is the reigning champion and guy-to-beat. Brush up on your top-spin and you could be going home with the coveted traveling trophy.
For those of you who are new or need a refresher here are the important deets:
  • This year’s tournament is on March 24th from 1-3 pm at Washburn.  We decided to do this BEFORE the season officially starts since it gets so busy in April and May!
  • Everyone is welcome! If you’re a member of the team, you are highly encouraged to participate…but the more the merrier — you do NOT have to be on the team to compete, so please share this link with your ping-pong loving friends and have a fun afternoon.
  • We will need volunteers (tennis team members and their families) to help the day-of with table set-up, take-down, raffle sales, beat-the coach collections, referees. etc. Watch for a sign up link shortly,
In the meantime, here is the link. Sign up today! Because we make the brackets — we need you to sign up for accurate head-count. AGAIN, this is an important fundraiser for our team. We need the funds to help pay for indoor courts, practice supplies, tournaments etc.
Let’s make this year even  bigger than last!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns! We are looking for a couple of additional families who would be willing to help out with pre-event organization and day-of conducting!
Thanks again and GO MILLERS!

Spring Sports Sign Up Night 2019

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We are only five weeks away from outdoor tennis and the start of the season. I am so excited! Sign up night will be in the main gym at Washburn next Monday, February 25th from 5-7pm. I will be there to meet with parents and answer any questions. All paperwork can be filled out and payment for the season (70$) can be made then. You can also find out if your physical needs to be updated. A sports physical is needed every three years.
You can have your child pick up the necessary paperwork this week and send it back with them as well. The nice thing about showing up is being able to take care of everything at once and have any questions answered.
I’m looking forward to catching up with you all!
Please pass this along to any new families you know that may be interested in playing.

Kowalski’s Recap & 2019 Season Info

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It was a great day to be a Miller today! Thanks to all that stepped up and donated their time to make this event great! I was so impressed with the 12-2 group and I’m hearing wonderful things about the others. I’m proud to announce that we raised $1843.30 in just six hours. That’s unbelievable considering it was only tips that made up that amount.
A HUGE thanks to Ann Prentice for getting this set up and also to the parent and player volunteers that showed up and participated.

How crazy to think that tennis season starts next month!

A few important notes:

Thanks to Jennifer Bastian et al leading the charge, we will have the Kenwood courts this spring! Varsity will be practicing and playing there. Thank you Jennifer for leading the fight and speaking on behalf of the team. We are grateful!

Jv Orange (top jv team) will be coached by Varo again this season and will practice at Lynnhurst from ~345-515

Jv Blue will be coached by Tim Burke once
again and will have practice from ~445-615 at lynnhurst.

If you attend Justice Page middle school (or any other school that gets out after 3pm) plan on being on the JV Blue team (exceptions are if you were on jv orange last year, amount of players at tryouts and/ or varsity candidates). This is a change I’m implementing this year so kids do not miss so much class. If you have a question, please let me know.

Please be mindful that we leave school early for both conference and away matches. Plan accordingly with your sixth hour teacher (better yet, make sure to have an elective that hour).

Ping pong tournament is set for March 24th and the tennis season starts the following day. What a great way to take us into the tennis season with some great competition. Henry Smith is the defending champion. I hear he has a nasty hangnail that’s preventing him from practicing much—he is ripe for an upset! More details forthcoming soon.

We will dress up for matches this year: shirts and ties. No tie, no match.

If you’re planning on taking the ACT on April 13th please let me know. We will be playing a tournament that day.

If you have afternoon IB or AP exams, please let me know.

For those not going on the spring break trip there will be a home match over spring break. Please let me know ASAP if you have out of town travel plans and then again during tryouts.

We use team snap—make sure you do too.
We have a Facebook page—add us as a friend @ Washburn men’s tennis

Only 8 weeks until our first match!
I love this team.
Thanks all