Alan Babbitt: Welcome to the Hope College Athletics Orange and Blue Podcast. My name is Alan Babbitt. I'm the sports information director here at Hope College. It's been fun this school year and this semester chatting with our Hope College coaches and getting their insights into their seasons, and certainly in a school year, unlike any other that we've all experienced, but glad to see some competition going. Next up is the Hope College men's and women's tennis teams, which will hope to get going this weekend, weather permitting, get their season underway. With us today is head coach Bob Cawood. Welcome to the podcast Bob.
Bob Cawood: Thank you very much, Alan. I'm happy to be on.
Alan Babbitt: It's been a long time, I think we're maybe three weeks short of a year since you guys played the first weekend of March, both the men and women. You were in action and excited about the upcoming outdoor season in the spring, then obviously everything got shut down and life, as we know it, was turned upside down. You were going to play this past weekend for the women but that match got postponed due to weather. When you finally are able to step back on the court, what will it mean to you and your student-athletes to just be able to play tennis again?
Bob Cawood: It'll mean a lot, I think. The thing that we've been stressing more and more with the team is just understanding, putting things in perspective big time. Being able to compete that's what we're here to do. For us to have the season cut short really put things in perspective, especially with DIII athletics what it means to put on a Hope uniform or just to be able to compete in general. For us to have this last Friday get canceled was definitely a learning lesson for them to understand even that much more of what a privilege it is to be able to still play this sport at a college level. We're looking forward to it.
Alan Babbitt: How have you, both for the men and women, been preparing for this season? Obviously, everything's different in terms of practice and the school year. Normally you guys would have played in the fall and got an opportunity to just get some competition, then gear up after a little break for January, February.
Bob Cawood: It kind of goes back to just putting things in perspective. We have continually stressed, even just a practice in the fall what a privilege that was. In terms of what we have been doing to get them to get to this moment, it has just been able to understand that we're still going to work hard, we're still going to enjoy the process. I think that's going to be one of the biggest and most important things. Not being able to compete in the fall definitely was extremely tough, not being able to host the Hope Open or the ITA. We were still able to make practices fun in the fall. As far as the spring it's a little bit easier, just because as we're preparing for our matches, it wouldn't be a whole lot different. The only difference is the number of non-conference matches that we have. When things got shut down in the spring, both teams, the women's team a little bit more, were on zoom calls about four times a week. We stayed together pretty much the entire time of our allotted season. Then after that, we still stay connected throughout the summer, allowing for us to continually put that perspective in the back of our minds of recognizing that it's a privilege to be able to play this sport.
Alan Babbitt: Did you have to try to schedule like, 'is it individuals?' Do you get a pairing together? How are you able to coach because obviously, you've got to watch how many people are together at one time? What was that like to make that happen and still give that instruction that they want and that you want to give.
Bob Cawood: Thankfully, our sport is probably one of the more socially distant sports, and so it honestly has not changed a whole lot in terms of the way I coach. we don't have any more in terms of one-on-ones or things like that any more than we've had in years past. The only difference is the way that we cleaned up and the way that we have to pick up the balls and things like that. I try to limit the number of balls that we use in a practice as well. Outside of that, we've had a couple of instances where it used to be high fives, now it's racket taps. Thankfully, we have a physical touch that still is socially distant that's not a high five, but we've been able to make do with certain situations like that. Because our team is small enough, No. 1 and No. 2 were a socially distant sport. We haven't really had to modify too much in terms of what we've had to do in practices.
Alan Babbitt: A big part for our teams at Hope, and the women's and men's women's tennis teams included, is just that connection as a team and the bonds that are built. Obviously a little different now just in terms of some of those adjustments. Talk about communication. What has been your approach to try to build that team aspect of it when you're having to maybe meet virtually as a group and that and that maybe do some of the things together, that you normally would have done by now.
Bob Cawood: In the grand scheme of things, we're healthy and we were still able to even be around each other, so, for us to be able to practice and still spend two hours a day with each other, face to face, even if it is distant and with a mask, that still allows for us to to do things that are close. We just had our goals meeting this last week, and we stayed for another hour after practice, and we were all distant on the tennis court, like 10 feet apart. We were having open conversations and becoming vulnerable and doing the things that we need to do to become closer. The hardest part has been more of the team activities outside.. We've tried to come up with a couple of different options and thankfully the resources that we have here at Hope allowed for that in terms of team study tables, where we have separate rooms for multiple people, so it's not as many people but we're still being in the same room. Just having that human interaction of being able to have a normal conversation with a human being. That's why I think we've done a great job of being able to bring it back down to the core of what it means to be a good person and to be a human being versus a tennis player or student or anything like that.
Alan Babbitt: Your assistant coach here, Nate Price, has a long history as a coach here at Hope and with the DeWitt Tennis Center. Talk about Nate and what he's brought to you guys.
Bob Cawood: He's been an amazing addition. I loved our assistant coach previous, he was a great asset. But Nate me is there full-time. I feel completely comfortable when we have dual practices, where the men and women are practicing at the same time. He's run the teams multiple times. He's been the head coach and so, as he likes to say the two-time former head coach for the women's team. He has the capability of being able to run any practice at any time. It definitely alleviates a lot of stress from myself. If I need to focus a little bit more on the men's team because we might have a match that week, I might have to have him run a women's practice. I'll have somewhat of a game plan for him, but he'll be able to adjust if a player has to go to class or if a player is coming from class. It's been awesome. It's great to have him not only as a co-worker but as a friend, to be able to work with him and try to do the best that we can for the programs.
Alan Babbitt: Let's get to know that the Flying Dutchmen and Flying Dutch a little bit more. We'll start on the women's side. One of the hardest things from last season, you have to adjust to without two of the all-time greats in the history and the rich history of the women's tennis program with Amanda Bandrowski and Claire Hallock, both top five in terms of all time wins. We missed that chance to see them compete for a full season one last time. But you have some talented players coming back as well. How is this year's Flying Dutch roster shaping up now.
Bob Cawood: Having the loss of those two players, including Liz Pniewski, I mean those were three lineup players for us. It's tough to be able to fill in. Thankfully we've had a deep enough roster we will still be successful on the court. Definitely the returners of Leah Newhof and Sydney Jackson, those two are going to still push at the top of the lineup. They were a very good doubles team last year at two doubles. Some big wins, almost a win against Carnegie Mellon, beat Chicago. They've had some solid wins and it put us in position against some of these nationally ranked teams. They've had a year to develop as a team. Now hopefully in this year, they can be even more successful in terms of their movements and their communication. Bailey Chorney, she's our lone senior captain. She's going to have to have a different role on this team in terms of working her way up in the lineup, more in terms of singles. She's had a lot of success in doubles She's played all three different positions in doubles — one, two and three doubles. It'll be a fun ride for her and like I keep saying, hopefully, we can just get one match that's the whole goal. Then we've had newcomers, incoming freshmen this year have been Angela Burke who's from Holland Christian and then Annika Weeber, who is from Grand Rapids Christian. Having both those additions is going to be helpful, I think. Annika is looking more for the starting six. We have a deep enough team that on any given day even our nine singles could be able to compete at six singles well. Knowing the fact that we have a deep enough team to compete is great.
Alan Babbitt: Then your preparations for the league. You have been on a tremendous run with the league championships and that's a goal this year once we get matches and going. I know you have tried, with a really good, I think, non-league schedule for the women. Talk about that and your approach to that. How do you think that'll help this team prepare as you make a run at repeating as the champ?
Bob Cawood: It'll be different this year. In years past we've been able to increase the number of D-III national opponents and non-conference and that helps to prepare us. This year is a little bit different. We've been able to add a Ferris State on the schedule. We've had (Division II) Davenport in the past. We're trying to increase the number of, and we might even add one or two more D-II schools, just to put ourselves in a position to play against better, good and great competition and hopefully get ourselves in preparation for the conference season. In terms of the conference, I will continually stress this way, hopefully, we'll do the best that we can and if it ends up being first that is awesome. But our goal is to just focus one match at a time and make sure that we're taking care of business with the matches that are put in front of us.
Alan Babbitt: Last year on the men's side you had a very young team, a couple of seniors in Alec Berrodin and Danny Kroeze that were both contributors for a very young team. How is this year's roster? What do you hope to accomplish with them heading into for a lot of them in year two?
Bob Cawood: This is one of the craziest stats out there, I think. We have a team on the men's side that does not have a singles player that has finished a year of college athletics. It's a bunch of blank pages, right now. Our goal last year because of how young our team was that we were just going to continually grow and the conference season was going to be kind of that culmination point just because from a wins and losses standpoint both the men's and the women's teams were not the strongest. I remember saying that last year, too. I want us to grow in the non-conference. We played great teams last year. I had to have a couple of conversations with the guys on the team where it's just like you know finishing I think we're like 1-9. I said, 'It's tough losing but it's constant growth.' That is purposeful so then in the MIAA schedule, we will be prepared for those matches and hopefully be able to push the Kalamazoos as far as we can. This year it's again the same kind of concept. I personally think that they're buying into the system that much more. We did our team goals meeting again, and it was a very, very helpful one, because I think everybody's on board with trying to do the best that we can together. Two sophomores at 1 and 2. Jacob Burkett and Cam Coates. Both of those guys will be successful at the top. Working our way down we just have potentially all top six who will be playing are returners from last year. It just puts ourselves in a better position, just because I think the same thing as the women's side, we're deep enough of a team that I can plug in a couple of extra players if I need to at five or six singles and be able to do the best that we can. Having that strong top of the lineup very similar to the women's side, I think that definitely helps.
Alan Babbitt: What is the biggest adjustment to college tennis that a player coming from the prep ranks has to make? Is it speed? The pace of play? Creativity?
Bob Cawood: it's a combination of two things. It's a whole slew of things to think about it, but I mean consistency, not missing, and then pace for sure. Currently, on our women's side, I think we have five one singles players from high school and I think three of them aren't even playing in our top six. I also think it's this aspect of everybody's good and so it's more of a mental thing, wherein high school, I was this good, I was one singles and did all this. It's welcome to college tennis where literally everybody is a one singles player or something along those lines. I think the mental jump is more recognizing that. there's a lot of really, really good tennis players out there. The whole goal is to again prepare ourselves the best that we can and see what happens when we actually play.
Alan Babbitt: You are far removed from being a tennis player, an exceptional one at Hope. This is your fourth season as head coach, but back in the day, you had 104 wins in singles and doubles. A 56-12 record as a singles player and a 48-28 record is a doubles player. The fourth most singles wins by a Flying Dutchman player. Also, an MIAA Stowe Sportsmanship Award winner in 2012. When you look back on your time playing tennis at Hope, what does it mean to you?
Bob Cawood: This is like my way of giving back, I always say, because I definitely appreciated my coach here at Hope, Steve Gorno. He's a role model still for me. He's been a mentor. He's an amazing human being. He taught me a lot of things that I have not been able to read in a textbook. For me to be able to have a philosophy from that, a philosophy from playing D-I for a year, having Nate (Price), having all these different people in my life to be able to put me in this moment, it's my opportunity to give back to these kids. I am not that far removed. Being able to help these young men and women to be able to go into the working world and the real world and be able to be somewhat prepared for it, and be the best human being that they can be, that's ultimately my goal. Again, I cannot stress how much I appreciated my coach here who shaped me to be the person I am, helped with that. That's exactly what my hope is to be able to do for the players on the men's and women's team.
Alan Babbitt: Where did that love of tennis start and what is it about this game that obviously you have a lifelong passion for as a coach as a player? You were director of tennis up in the Grand Traverse Resort before returning to Hope as head coach.
Bob Cawood: I started playing when my parents got me into it. I've definitely gone through my waves of enjoyment of it just like I feel like if anybody does anything at a high level. If there's something about the sport, it's the problem solving that you have translates — the same thing with all other sports I've played growing up as well — but there's something about tennis in terms of like your problem-solving skills, being able to understand and split-second decisions of how to handle certain things and where to go with the ball, strategy and things like that. It's a frustrating sport. Andre Agassi in his book talks about it is you're on an island, you're on a stranded island by yourself, and you have to be able to problem solve all by yourself. Thankfully, that's more USTA and pro tennis. Thankfully college tennis you can at least have another person, your coach, be there. The whole goal of it is to have the players be prepared enough to be able to do the best that they can do. When we're on the court, it's a little bit more relaxed. I provide a little bit more of relaxed energy, as well as Nate, to be able to say 'Hey, you know exactly what to do now' and it's just making sure that we keep the mind in a calm state to be able to compete the best we can. It's really a wave of a sport, I'll be completely honest. I love it. It can have its frustrating days as well, but that's another reason why having a coach who understands that this is not an easy sport — I know that there are other sports that are very difficult as well — but tennis you're by yourself, you're on an island, and it is nice to have a coach to be able to be there with you on that island.
Alan Babbitt: As far as coaching the game and continuing that after you finished playing, you played a year at Detroit Mercy as well during grad school. When did you realize 'I want to get back to the game and want to be a coach? Was it from watching, obviously, you were impacted by Coach Gorno and others? When did you say I want to coach.
Bob Cawood: My educational background here at hope, was in the educational field. After finishing grad school and understanding that aspect of it, what I wanted to do was coaching. I get to be around kids, I get to work at the DeWitt Tennis Center or in Chicago or up at the resort. I've had the opportunity to work with kids ages seven all the way through college. I've worked with adults as well, but I think, for the most part, being able to work with kids is something that I'm very extremely passionate about. A sport like tennis is a great medium to be able to not only just teach them how to play a sport and develop a skill but to be able to pass on a little bit of the things that Gorno has been able to push in and instill in me in terms of, and my dad and a couple of other people in my life, who have been able to kind of be good role models for me. Hopefully, I can be a good role model for them to be able to improve his skill and be a better person at the end of the day.
Alan Babbitt: You mentioned DeWitt tennis Center and obviously the program here is nationally known, led by Jorge Capestany. Talk about your role with the DeWitt Tennis Center and what you do. What's it been like to be a part of that team that obviously a lot of people love to come and receive instruction from the DeWitt Tennis Center.
Bob Cawood: It's a very unique job that I have. Having the opportunity, it ends being three hats with two teams and being a tennis pro, has its benefits. Being able to impact the community in a different way is the way that I like to think about it. You have kids who are very similar to what I was just mentioning, you have kids who are wanting to develop a skill. It's important for myself and the other coaches at the DeWitt Tennis Center who give private lessons or group lessons because it allows for us to be able to impact the community in a positive healthy way. We get a whole bunch of different characters, kids of all different walks of life. Being able to say 'I'm here to help you learn a skill and hopefully teach you a couple of other things as well.'
Alan Babbitt: Thank you, Bob. It's been a pleasure to spend some time with you and we wish you the best here this season, both with the Flying Dutch and the Flying Dutchman.
Bob Cawood: I appreciate it, Alan. I wish the best for all teams, and everybody, during this time. It's a crazy, crazy time and I think it's important, like I mentioned earlier, to keep things in perspective. Even the fact that we are healthy enough to be able to compete is a huge win for us.
Alan Babbitt: I appreciate that Bob. Thank you.
