Captain's Log with Mike DePietro: Happy Valentine's Day
2/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Captain's Log with Mike DePietro
THURSDAY, FEB. 12 -- Happy Valentine's Day
I hope everyone had great week! We were in Nashville this past weekend. I had never been there before and really enjoyed getting to spend some time in the city. Unfortunately, we suffered our first loss of the season to North Carolina State. It was difficult to deal with, especially because we played our hearts out and came up short. Luckily, we have some great opportunities this weekend that will help us move on.
I'm very excited for this weekend's ITA National Team Indoor Championship. First of all, it's the first time Michigan has been a part of this event in 20 years. We'll be able to play at least three matches against some of the best teams in the country. Secondly, the tournament is being held in Chicago, which is my favorite city. Our hotel is right on Michigan Avenue, so I'm looking forward to doing some serious shopping.
We arrived in the Windy City on Wednesday night. After a solid night's rest, we got up and went to the courts for a hit. I played in a few junior tournaments at the Midtown Tennis Club and it's as nice now as it was then. After our practice, we had some lunch on Michigan Avenue and went hunting for blue socks. These were in high demand because we recently received new, dark blue, tennis shoes. Because the guys are so fashion conscious, finding blue socks to match was a must. We also spent time at Water Tower Place, which is a mall on Michigan Avenue. When we were at Macy's, we asked an employee where the other Macy's was located. She informed us that the bigger Macy's is in downtown Chicago. This seemed unbelievable to us because the small Macy's we were in had a modest eight floors! The day was capped off with a nice tournament banquet at our hotel. All the teams dressed up for it and it was a really great addition to the tournament.
Valentine's Day is this Saturday, so don't forget to get something for that special someone. I recently received a card in the mail from my very own Valentine. Who could this lucky woman be Well, it is none other than my loving mother ... and I'm very proud to call her my Valentine. Hopefully next year I will find a Valentine my own age, one that does not call me "son."
That is all for this week. I hope everyone has a nice weekend and follows our team as we compete at the ITA National Team Indoor. See you next week!
Players Mentioned
