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March 25, 2004
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March 25, 2004 |
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SPORTS Tennis coach writes music, helps kids with their serves
It makes perfect sense that Yellow Springs native Allen McCullough would compose music by day and coach the YSHS tennis team by night. Music and tennis, traditionally gentlemen’s pastimes, together make a life of unhurried leisure. And McCullough despises rushing, he said recently, sipping tea while dressed in a tie, white shirt, pressed dark pants and polished black leather shoes. But a leisurely pace can be a productive one, with the right planning and discipline, McCullough said. He came back to town three months ago to teach, compose and coach, managing to do all three well and unhurried. He hopes to share his life and court strategies with the team to help the players improve their game. There is no lack of interest from the 19 students who have come out this year to hit tennis balls. With nearly half boys and half girls, the team will have a wide mix of experience and talent, said McCullough, who is excited to have so many students interested in tennis. The team has a number of returning players, and several who have taken lessons understand the game’s form and strategy, he said. Tennis is tricky because there is a proper way to swing the racket and hit the ball. Unlike many other sports, it is difficult to learn without detailed instruction and lots of repetition, McCullough said. He hopes to teach the fundamental principles to those who are new to the sport and help them enjoy themselves more. “A lot of people might think that footwork and serving motion are little petty things, but doing it right makes the game easier,” he said. “It makes it more enjoyable to play when you’re better at the game.” McCullough knows about improving his game and his music. He started playing both tennis and the piano before he got to kindergarten and has stayed with both for 20 years. By middle school he was devoting his summers to sweating at the piano in the morning and sweating on the court in the evening. He entered tennis tournaments and music competitions in the Dayton and tri-state area, making it to state his junior year on the YSHS doubles tennis team and winning seven games against future U.S. Open champion Marat Safin in an Indiana tournament. McCullough taught both music lessons and tennis clinics to local youth before he graduated from high school in 1996. Though he left tennis to pursue degrees in music composition from Brown University and the Manhattan School of Music, McCullough said that he still enjoys playing tennis on his own and hopes to help others get better at something they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. Tennis teaches good sportsmanship and honesty in that players are expected to be responsible for making their own calls, he said. He added that match etiquette encourages making calls in favor of the opponent when an uncertainty arises. “Tennis encourages kindness as well as competition,” McCullough said. “Tennis might be one of the only sports where you actually congratulate your opponent on a nice shot.” With just seven spots available in the varsity lineup, rotating everyone on the team into match play will be a challenge. But McCullough anticipates the top two singles players and the first doubles team will likely have the same roles all season, with room to rotate players into third singles and second doubles. If the other teams don’t have reserve players, YSHS players can play each other, he said. Though watching five matches at once will also be a challenge, assistant coaches Cy Tebbetts and Donna Silvert, both longtime Yellow Springs tennis players, will provide extra support. During the first week of practice, McCullough said that he has seen small improvements among players. While many other teams have practiced a full month before the season starts Monday, March 29, he said that he is satisfied to help the team improve through playing. One of his goals for the season will be to translate drills into match play, he said. When he isn’t coaching, McCullough is either thinking about music or composing various works. While he finishes his first symphony he is also juggling a string quartet, violin sonata and a vocal song set, as well as revising a violin concerto. He plans to return to school in 2005 to pursue his Ph.D. in music composition. But while McCullough is here, he is happy to be part of the community and form a relationship with high school students, who aren’t so far from being his contemporaries. “I’m close enough to the kids and our experiences are similar enough that I can talk to them about other things like their college choices,” he said. “As a coach I’d like to have a mentoring relationship with them.”YSHS winter sport awards YSHS coaches honored their athletes at the Yellow Springs High School Winter Sports Awards ceremony at the high school last Thursday. Players received first-, second-, third- and fourth-year awards, as well as one Bulldog award for the most outstanding player from each team. Swim coaches David Wishart and Mickey Bullock gave first-year awards to Tina Chen, Olivia Dixon, Eve GunderKline, Michaela McCuddy, Brandon Carver-Halley, Carey Dixon and Evan Gerthoffer. Second-year awards went to Amanda Bush, Will McCuddy and Jacob Wishart. Mike Hosket received the only third-year award, and Monica Erickson, Jon Bullock and Aaron Zagory received fourth-year awards. The Bulldog awards for swimming went to Dixon and Erickson. Cheerleading advisor Lisa Crosswhite gave JV awards to Alisha Lucas, India Scarver, Ashlee Jackson and Christine Trollinger. First-year awards went to Caitlin Wehner, Anna Haller and Katie Lovering. Second-year honors were awarded to Phoebe Bush, Lydia Gerthoffer, Kelly Heaney and Heather Wagers. Third-year recognition was given to Janell Martin, Arla Smith and Evin Wimberly. Sam Borchers, Evan Firestone, Jesse Pederson, Logan Sage and Jerrico Stubblefield received JV awards for boys basketball. First-year basketball honorees were David Boyer, Brad Benning-Clark, David Carlson, Anthony Gilmore, Joe Lawhorn, Justin Love, John Pamplin, Ryan Silvert, Aaron Willis and Issa Walker. Second-year awards were given to Anthony Brandon, Rory Hotaling, Cody Johnson, Duncan Silvert-Noftle, Jordan Skinner and Brandon Frye. Dustin Rudegeair received a third-year award. Girls basketball coach Shirley Cummins honored Carly Bailey, Alisha Lucas, Tina Peters and Alisha Walker with first-year awards. Megan Burrick received a second-year award. Sarah Finn, Tricia McLinden, Evin Wimberly and Jesslyn Yelton received third-year awards, and Dana Ingham received a fourth-year award. Wimberly, a junior, received the team’s Bulldog award. |
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