July 23, 2014

COLUMBIA, Mo. - With the summer reaching its end and student-athletes returning to Columbia in a little over a month, Mizzou Athletics will catch up with members of the Mizzou tennis program and see how their personal summer has gone.

In the second edition of the Mizzou tennis "Summer Update", we sat down with junior Madison Rhyner, freshman Brianna Lashway and sophomore Brittany Lashway. From July 6-10, the Tigers trio served as counselors at the Mizzou tennis summer camp.

Headlined by Mizzou tennis head coach Sasha Schmid and assistant coach Jason Potthoff, campers were able to receive individual technique instruction, participate in group drills and compete in team match play games.

The early July session at the Mizzou Tennis Complex (MTC) was the second Mizzou tennis camp of the summer, and served as a great opportunity for the current Tigers roster to give back to the local community.

For summer camps across all Mizzou Athletics programs, the ability for student-athletes to take a break from practice and teach their respective game to young children is an opportunity unlike any other. It's no different for tennis players like Rhyner, as she has made the most out of every summer camp she's been a part of.

"The highlights of coaching camps this summer for Mizzou tennis, was definitely watching all of the kids come out of their shells by the end of the week and really start to become friends with each other," said Rhyner. "It was also great to get to hang out with Brittany (Lashway) and Brianna (Lashway), and get to know them better before we get started with the upcoming season in the fall."

While Rhyner is entering her third season on the Tigers roster and has been a part of previous camps, newcomers like the Lashway sisters are still making their presence known within Columbia, Mo. However, similar to their upperclassmen teammate, both of the Lashways were eager to take some time out of their busy schedule and help teach the game they love.

"I really enjoyed seeing all the kids have fun and have such team camaraderie," said Brianna Lashway. "I especially loved getting to know Coach Sasha (Schmid), Coach Jason (Pothoff), and my teammate Madison (Rhyner). It was great being around them and made me even more excited for the school year and meeting my other teammates as well!"

Brittany also couldn't help but notice the pure joy from the young campers, as they spent each day learning the game and being a part of fun activities.

"The highlights of working at the camp was getting to see young kids have fun and smile a lot," said Brittany Lashway. "I love to see the smiles of satisfaction when the kids get something right or hit a great shot!"

When student-athletes like Rhyner and the Lashway sisters are serving as camp counselors for Mizzou tennis, they each can't help but reminisce about the times they attended similar summer camps when they were young themselves.

While none of the three girls attended the new wave of "Overnight Camps" where attendees travel to the university and sleep on campus throughout their stay, they each recall still having fun and learning valuable lessons about the game.

"I went to a lot of different tennis academies, so I remember how much fun I had especially during the summer," recalled Brianna Lashway. "Playing tennis and generally having a good time with my sisters are my biggest memories."

"I never attended a sleep away tennis camp like the one we have at Mizzou, but training in the summer with my academy was always fun," said Rhyner. "They were really long and hot days, but that's when we improved the most."

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