Thank you for your interest in Stetson University. As you begin the process of selecting a college I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with some more information about Stetson University. My name is Sasha Schmid, and I am the new head women's tennis coach. I am very excited to be coaching at Stetson and am very optimistic about the future of the Stetson women’s tennis program. After all, what more could we ask for when we have a prestigious private school, a fabulous tennis facility, and beautiful sunny Florida.
I am very excited about the future of the women’s tennis team at Stetson University. We practice and compete at the beautiful Mandy Stoll Tennis complex. We compete in Division I athletics and are a member of the Sun Atlantic Conference, which includes Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, Campbell, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Mercer, Belmont, and Samford. To give you some insight into our team, I wanted to share with you a few of the activities team members will participate in once the tennis season begins September 1, 2002.
The team will practice in a structured system that is designed to mirror the competitive experience. Players compete against each other in drills that simulate a tennis point. The drills are scored and recorded in a computer system. Within this realistic competition experience, the team members learn to "practice like they play". In addition to team practice, the players also attend individual hitting sessions with a coach so they can work on specific areas of their tennis game that need improvement.
Team members also participate in a comprehensive conditioning program that is sport specific to the needs of women's tennis players. A strength trainer and the head coach monitor the strength and conditioning program. The program consists of strength circuit training, and fitness training to improve and strengthen each player’s cardio-vascular endurance. This year the team will begin a series of team workshops titled, "Hatter Chatter". These workshops are designed to emphasize and highlight the "personal learning" experiences that take place on a college tennis team. The team will read and discuss inspirational articles, participate in journal writings, learn positive proactive ways to deal with conflict, develop personal and team goals, and overall grow together as teammates.
When the team begins to play dual matches in January of 2003, it will compete in a challenging schedule filled with great opportunities for the Stetson women to test themselves against many nationally ranked tennis teams. The 2003 Stetson spring tennis schedule features dual matches against six conference teams, Florida State University, Florida International University, and the University of South Alabama.
Along with many returning players, we currently have five new players joining our team. With lots of great young talent, my goal is to achieve a national team ranking and receive an annual bid to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament. We are looking forward to the upcoming 2002-2003 season with great optimism and excitement!
As your college search continues, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have concerning Stetson University. I can be reached via e-mail at sschmid@stetson.edu. I wish you all the best in your tennis and academic endeavors.
Sincerely,
Sasha Schmid
