LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTERS: T.O.'S SISTER ACT PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ ATHLETIC GENES AID LANCERS' DUO IN BID FOR DOUBLES CROWN.Byline: Erik Boal Special to the Daily News Thomas and Tami Ritz had visions of their daughters, Jenna and Lauren, growing up to be great softball players, champion gymnasts or world-class competitors on the soccer field. With the athletic genes passed on by their parents, the Ritz sisters probably could have excelled in any athletic arena. But much like their father the past two decades, Jenna and Lauren have found their greatest enjoyment - and success - on the tennis court. Thomas Ritz was an outfielder and catcher at Hollywood High
Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. and Cal State Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , and he was on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of playing professional baseball when an injury to his throwing shoulder cut his career short at 21. He wanted to remain involved in athletics - he had also participated in rodeo, karate and fencing - and took up tennis. That decision turned out to be a blessing, not only for Thomas, but for his daughters, who have developed into one of the top doubles teams in the country in the 16-under age group. Their presence has elevated Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. into one of the area's top girls' tennis teams. ``It's very hard in life to find something you're truly passionate about,'' said Thomas Ritz, a screenplay writer who has coached tennis in seven countries. ``It would've been easy to get them into softball, but Tami and I first got them involved in gymnastics. We quickly saw the writing on the wall ... so I had them start playing tennis, and they really liked it.'' Jenna, a 14-year-old freshman, and 16-year-old Lauren have had plenty of enjoyable experiences this year, winning doubles titles at the Central California Central California can refer to one of several divisions or regions of the U.S state of California:
``I've never been this far, so it's really cool to experience it with my sister,'' said Lauren, a junior who pulled out of last year's Marmonte tournament because she was ill. ``Last year was really hard for me because I couldn't compete. But this year I knew Jenna was coming up, so it was definitely something in the back of my mind.'' Although they occupied the Nos. 1 and 2 singles spots in Thousand Oaks' lineup the entire season - leading the Lancers lanc·er n. 1. A cavalryman armed with a lance. 2. A member of a regiment originally armed with lances. 3. lancers (used with a sing. verb) a. A kind of quadrille. b. (16-4) to their most successful campaign in a decade - when the league tournament arrived, Jenna and Lauren quickly found their rhythm in doubles, surrendering only seven games in winning all eight sets. They followed it up by dropping only three games in four sets during regional competition, defeating another sister tandem, Rio Mesa of Oxnard's Jen and Meg Niesluchowski, in the second round. ``It's just a joy to see them together out on the court,'' said Tami Ritz, an accomplished fencer, equestrian and swimmer during her youth. ``Lauren was really excited to have her sister on the team. For me, I was just excited to see them both playing. It's important for them to have a good high school experience.'' Lauren nearly missed the chance to compete for a Southern Section doubles title. She was sidelined midway through the season - missing the first two matches of her high school career - because of a sprained back muscle. After undergoing physical therapy twice a week, she returned to the lineup, leading her team to a first-round Div. I playoff victory over South Torrance by winning the final set 6-1 to give the Lancers a 65-64 edge on games when the match ended in a 9-9 tie. She continued her progress by finishing fourth out of 64 players in a USTA USTA United States Tennis Association USTA United States Telecom Association USTA United States Trotting Association USTA United States Telephone Association USTA United States Twirling Association USTA United States Trademark Association National Open last weekend in Costa Mesa Costa Mesa (kŏs`tə mā`sə), city (1990 pop. 96,357), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific south of Santa Ana; inc. 1953. It is a transportation, residential, and light industrial center. . Lauren and Jenna lost in the round of 16 in doubles at the USTA event, providing more motivation heading into competition against one of the deepest doubles fields in Southern Section tournament history. ``(Sisters winning in doubles is) not something that happens very often, because of the age disparity between siblings,'' said Thomas Ritz, whose daughters are bidding to become only the fourth set of sisters in the tournament's 35-year history to win a doubles title. ``It's a great feeling to see two healthy girls out there having a blast.'' Said Jenna: ``I still think we're a little nervous. But I think since we've played together for so long, we might have a little bit of an edge because of that.'' Jenna and Lauren are one of two sister tandems - joining Corona del Mar Del Mar is the name of several places in the United States of America:
Regardless of how Jenna and Lauren fare on Thursday, their parents have taught them to keep things in perspective, using examples from the Code of the Samurai samurai (sä'm  rī`), knights of feudal Japan, retainers of the daimyo. This aristocratic warrior class arose during the 12th-century wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans and was and Zen ideology to complement their physical
talents with a strong mental approach.
``Life lessons are the ones that I always refer to,'' Thomas Ritz said. ``If you skew (1) The misalignment of a document or punch card in the feed tray or hopper that prohibits it from being scanned or read properly. (2) In facsimile, the difference in rectangularity between the received and transmitted page. those, then you lose your balance. You have to be able to keep things in perspective, and that's what me and my wife try to teach our girls. ``Tennis is civilized boxing. You have to have artistry, power, balance and quickness. And you have to be able to control your emotions.'' The Ritz sisters already have established themselves as main-event performers on the court. Four more victories would make them the second Thousand Oaks team - following Rachel Collins and Krista Smith, in 1987 - to win a Southern Section title. ``It would be one of my greatest achievements,'' Lauren said. ``It's such an honor to be out there representing my team, and I feel a lot of pride to be part of Thousand Oaks (tennis). I want to give something back.'' Erik Boal, (818) 713-3607 erik.boal(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The Ritz sisters - freshman Jenna, left, and junior Lauren - compete Thursday in doubles in the round of 16 at the Southern Section individual tennis championships in Seal Beach. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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