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Arizona Daily Star, March 2, 2001:

Canizales Learning Mental Side of Tennis

Senior Maria Canizales looks to lead the
Lady Jaguars to their best finish since 1998.

By Ed Odeven, ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Desert View senior Maria Canizales is a talented but temperamental tennis player who has struggled to come to grips with her on-court miscues.

As a junior, Canizales' self-destructive style of play collided with her aggressive, passionate persona.

That frustration hindered her performance. Case in point: Canizales had 47 double faults in a 10-8 singles loss last year.

"That was a mental thing she had. She now has an excellent serve, real confidence in it," DV coach Stacy Haines said.

Desert View graduate Claudia Meza, now starring for Stetson University in Florida, helped Canizales improve her mental approach to the sport.

Meza, whose well-chronicled turnaround from a troublesome teen to a top-notch tennis player, has inspired Canizales.

She also is trying to be more optimistic after coping with hardships growing up, including an automobile accident that left her father paralyzed.

"Claudia's influence has really helped Maria," Haines said. "I think she's gained a lot of maturity, which she lacked before."

Canizales added: "She's (Meza) really helped me a lot because she's already been through the things that I've been going through. ... She has a lot of tips for me, how to stay focused.

"She's helped me a lot in changing my mind to be more positive because I had a big problem with being negative. She helped me turn that around, and just to think through my matches and everything."

Ranked No. 970 overall, 17th among junior players in the Southwest by the United States Tennis Association, Canizales devoted her summer vacation and winter break to refining her skills. Meza was a big part of that, providing insight and advice.

"She's calmer now," Haines said. "She's got more composure now. I think that her close relationship with Claudia is responsible for a lot of that. Claudia gained it too when she left school. Claudia was very much like Maria, very passionate, lots of unforced errors.

Her teammate, senior Sophia Fierro, said Canizales does not get as frustrated as in the past since Meza's help.

"Instead of picking on herself she's picking on the other person, the other player, and that's helping her a lot," Fierro said. "Instead of focusing on her bad mistakes she's focusing on the opponent's weaknesses. And that's what makes her a better player."

Canizales, the team's No. 1 player, began her senior season with a 10-4 win over Flowing Wells' Justine Tripp on Monday, and teamed up with Darlane Santa Cruz to post a 10-2 victory in doubles over Amber Abbott and Tripp.

"I was really nervous yesterday. I wanted to start off the season really well," Canizales said. "I started off the season well, and it helped calm me down a lot. A good start always help."

Canizales, who is weighing scholarship offers from a number of Division I and DIvision 2 universities, said the decision to move away from her close-knit family to pursue a college degree is a tough one.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard because they're afraid for me to leave," she said. "And I don't want to leave them. That's always a conflict. I don't know whether I should stay or go. It's always an issue. It's always in the back of my head."

Off to a 3-0 start this season, the Jaguars appear equipped with the talent and experience to be a major nemesis for Southern Arizona foes.

Joining Canizales and No. 4 Santa Cruz in the mix are senior Fierro, the team's No. 2 singles player; No. 3 Lupita Romero; No. 5 Vanessa Celaya; and No. 6 Pattie Molina.

If the team plays up to its capability, Haines predicts the Jaguars can top the school-best 13-3 mark set in Meza's senior year (1998) and go 14-2.

The two losses? Against 2000 4A state champion Catalina Foothills.

"Catalina Foothills is clearly the best team in the city," Haines said. "We're lucky to win a match off of them."

A season ago, the Falcons defeated Desert View 7-2 in both meetings.

Fierro says of Canizales,"As far as she's come from where she used to be, it just gives the whole team a better outlook on the season," she said.

After attending the prestigious Rick Macci Tennis Academy in Pompano Beach, Fla., during spring break from April 9-13, the Jaguars will take on Foothills in the regular-season finale April 17.

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