Tennis Staff Attends ITA Coaches Convention

Coach Luteran and Coach Kreitzer attended the 27th annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Coaches Convention at the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Dec. 13-16, 2011. If you watch the video clip above you will see Gator Tennis alum, Evan Gordon, hitting some balls and chatting with Stan Smith and Malivai Washington. Evan currently teaches at the Naples Grande Resort through Peter Burwash International and he was called upon to hit in during most of the on court demonstrations. This was the 8th convention for Coach Luteran and the first time attending for Coach Kreitzer.

The ITA Coaches Convention is one of the best professional development opportunities for collegiate tennis coaches today, providing them with the opportunity to receive continuing education, participate in important association business meetings and serve as leaders in promoting the growth of varsity college tennis.

Hundreds of men's and women's college tennis coaches from all divisions gathered for this year's convention in Naples, where they were treated to workshops led by some of the biggest names in the sport. Among the featured clinic presenters at the 2011 ITA Coaches Convention were seven-time Grand Slam champion Stan Smith, who won three national titles at USC; 1996 Wimbledon finalist MaliVai Washington, a former ITA No. 1 at the University of Michigan; International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2012 nominee Nick Bollettieri; and 2011 Wilson/ITA National Division I Coaches of the Year Kenny Thorne (Georgia Tech University men) and Roland Thornqvist (University of Florida women).

In addition to offering clinics, panel discussions, an awards banquet, a trade show and a chance to exchange ideas, the ITA Coaches Convention is also the venue for the association’s annual meetings, which included ITA Operating Committee, Divisional Roundtable and General Membership sessions.

“The convention is always a very exciting time of the year for our coaches association,” said ITA Executive Director David Benjamin. “Besides being able to take in great clinics and workshops at a beautiful resort in a great city, the coaches also have a forum to meet and discuss the important issues within college tennis today.”

A highlight each year at the ITA Coaches Convention is the ITA Awards Banquet. On Dec. 15, Thorne, Thornqvist and their fellow Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year winners from Division II, Division III, NAIA and Junior Colleges were honored for their work during the 2010-11 season. In addition, Claire Pollard of Northwestern University received the USTA/ITA National Campus and Community Outreach Award and Matt Meredith of Slippery Rock University was recognized as the USTA/ITA National QuickStart Provider of the Year.

Washington served as the keynote speaker of the evening, courtesy of Wilson Sporting Goods. Before peaking at No. 11 in the world as a professional, Washington was a two-time ITA All-American and the 1989 ITA National Player of the Year as a member of the Wolverines. He defeated Big-Ten rival Todd Martin of Northwestern in the 1996 Wimbledon semifinals.
For more information about the ITA Coaches Convention and a full list of award winners, please visit www.ITAtennis.com.

Greg Kreitzer Joins Allegheny Staff

8/18/2011 10:26:00 AM
MEADVILLE, Pa - Greg Kreitzer was announced Thursday as the new Allegheny assistant tennis coach by Head Coach Jared Luteran. Kreitzer is beginning his first coaching stint after graduating from Hamilton College in May.
A two-time captain for the Hamilton tennis team, Kreitzer competed in the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference), one of the toughest conferences in the country. In 2010-11, Kreitzer was selected as part of both the NESCAC All-Academic and All-Sportsmanship teams, as well as being selected an ITA Scholar Athlete. In addition, Kreitzer was also a two-time recipient of the Hamilton Scholar Athlete Award, given to an athlete who has worked to excel in the classroom while contributing significantly to the Hamilton Athletics Program.
“We are very excited with the addition of Coach Kreitzer to the Gator Tennis family,” said Luteran. “His background, having played in the NESCAC for four years, one of the toughest tennis conferences in the country makes him well prepared for the competition in the NCAC.”
In addition to his success on the court, Kreitzer has also been a role model off it, leading his team in numerous off-court events such as Race for the Cure and Relay for Life. He has also served the last five summers as a Camp Counselor and Unit Head at Camp Seneca Lake, located in Penn Yan, N.Y.
Kreitzer earned a Bachelors of Arts degree from Hamilton College, with concentrations in Economics and Communications.

Recruiting at Donovan Showcase 2011

It was a fantastic week of recruiting at the Donovan Showcase last week in New Haven, CT. There were 160 high school boys and girls from all over the world. Other than a brief 5 minute rain shower, the weather was beautiful and there was some great tennis being played on the Yale courts. Tim Donovan always does a stellar job running the showcase and I look forward to being back next year!

~Coach Luteran

Spring Season Begins for the Gator Tennis Teams

Practice began for both the men's and women's tennis teams at Allegheny the week of February 2nd. The players and coaches were both excited to be back on the courts. The first week and a half of practice has been fantastic. The players have come out everyday ready to work hard and put in the kind of effort the coaching staff always looks for. The Gators are preparing for their upcoming season which kicks off with a match against John Carroll on February 22nd at Westwood Racquet Club in Erie, PA. Following the match against John Carroll the team will return to practicing before the much anticipated spring break trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on March 13-20th.

~Coach Luteran

Coach Luteran Attends ITA Coaches Convention

Coach Emily and Coach Luteran checking out the ITA Mini-Trade show. This picture is courtesy of the ITA website.

I just returned from the 24th annual ITA Coaches Convention in Naples, FL. This was the fourth time I have attended the ITA convention and once again it was a fantastic learning experience. I always come back invigorated and ready to start the spring season with several new ideas I picked up from many of the best coaches in the world.

This year's convention featured Stan Smith, Zina Garrison, Nick Saviano, and many others. There were nearly 300 other college coaches from all divisions and all parts of the country. The ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) is the governing body of collegiate tennis and was founded in 1956.

~Coach Luteran

Recruiting Trip to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City

I had very productive recruiting trips to the college showcase days in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City over the past few weekends. I was very excited about the recruits that I had the chance to speak with and watch play at the showcases. Coach Luteran and I are very excited about the prospects for next year and where the tennis program is headed. We are also excited to see the number of recruits playing in the off-season and competing in USTA tournaments, it is very encouraging!

~Coach Eisele