Tennis Resorts Online January 2007 Newsletter

Newsletter Sponsor

How To Choose a Tennis Camp

About this time of the year, you've probably started thinking about booking a tennis vacation, and for many of you, adults and juniors alike, that means going away to tennis camp. But which one? You have a hopperful of choices. Unlike tennis balls, however, which can't be all that different, camps vary in everything from their on-court demands to their off-court amenities.
Finding great camps is easy—you can start with TRO's 2008 ranking of the Top 25 Tennis Camps and the extensive roster of Junior Camps listed on Tennis Resorts Online. However, for the best possible experience you want a camp that matches your individual needs and desires or those of your kids.
To make choosing well easier, I've outlined a set of guidelines—one for adult camps, a second for juniors—based on my years of personal experience (I've probably been to camp more than 100 times) and interviews with campers and camp directors. To read it, see Camp Counseling.

Newsletter Sponsor

There is much more to this newsletter, however, including news about resorts and camps and the special packages and discounts TRO has negotiated specifically for people like you who use the site to make better informed decisions about where to go on vacation. You'll find links to all of these in the Contents column on the left.

Camp Counseling

Adult Camps

Every brand has its own distinctive style, but some willl suit you better than others. Picking the right camp can make all the difference between a great holiday and a disappointing one. Based my 25 years of covering tennis travel and talking to campers all over the globe, here are some things to keep in mind as you try to decide where to go.

Poll Friends. Ask players on your team or those at your club to recommend camps they've attended.
Intensity. Camps typically run anywhere from 2 hours a day to as much as 6, but hours on court is only one measure of intensity. Some camps, like Saddlebrook (Hopman) and Bollettieri, pursue a hard-core strategy that not only has you on-court a grueling five hours a day but also fills those hours with demanding drills designed to push your level of endurance. If you've never been to camp or are worried about your physical conditioning, book a weekend program or one whose sessions last only 2 to 3 hours rather than all day. Also, choose one whose climate does not pose its own difficulties. If you get through that comfortably, then you'll know better what you want to take on in the future.
Venue. What do you need besides tennis in the way of other recreation and creature comforts? Camps at resorts obviously offer a wide range of other activities, which can be especially important if you're going with someone who's not interested in tennis. Dedicated camps and college-campus programs, on the other hand, frequently include meals, and that group dining adds to the social atmosphere and makes such camps ideal choices if you're traveling alone or are looking for easy camaraderie.
Participants. The size of the camp, as measured by the total number of participants, affects the experience in several ways. Small camps tend to afford more personal attention but may not have other players at your level, particularly if you're a beginner or advanced player. Large camps mean you're more likely to be grouped with others at your level. Among the questions I recommend asking are how many people have signed up for the exact dates you plan to attend. If you're an NTRP 4.5 or above, ask, too, how many players they expect at your level.

Junior Camps

Summer and holiday junior camps—as opposed to tennis training academies—all seem to promise much the same thing: an opportunity for your 9 to 18 year old to focus on tennis, get away on his or her own, and have fun. But which one do you choose? Here's a checklist of criteria to help you make a better-informed choice for your son or daughter.

Longevity. The best indicator of a camp's overall quality is its track record. The longer it's been around the better. That isn't to say that a two- or three-year-old camp can't be good, but it won't yet have a proven history and its staff may not have much experience with all the various problems that can arise, from homesickness to rebellion.
Staff Credentials. The typical summer camp will experience some staff changeover year to year, so ask how long have the director and senior staff been there and what percentage of the instructors come back year to year.
Student : Staff Ratios. The crucial issue is the student-to-pro ratio, because that determines how much attention kids get on court. Optimally, that should be 4:1 or better, though in practice some successful junior camps do have higher ratios. However, the total amount of staff—tennis and otherwise—is also important because that affects how well kids are supervised, so don't be shy about asking specific questions, like "Does someone on staff know where each kid is at all times?"
Intensity. Philosophies differ, with some camps focusing almost exclusively on tennis for 4 to 6 hours a day and others offering a more balanced approach that could, for example, consist of half a day of tennis and options of other pursuits. Decide which is best based on what your child wants to get out of camp.
Level of Play. Beginners and intermediates need to focus on fundamentals, whereas more advanced or tournament players benefit from exposure to match play, coaching, and the strategic aspects of the game. If your son or daughter fall into that latter category, you may want to look into special programs designed specifically for their level of play.
Facilities. Most of these programs take place on college or private school campuses where kids stay in dorms—which are generally no better than they ever were—and eat cafeteria food, which has improved only to the extent of including salad bars and pastas. You may not want to stay there but for kids it's an adventure.

Resort and Camp News

Hawaii's Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, a TRO Top 25 Resort, closed indefinitely on December 1 following a reassessment of the damage incurred during the earthquake of October 15. Plans call for restoring the structural integrity while thoroughly upgrading the rooms. The tennis courts and golf course remain operational, however, and guests who want want to take advantage of either can stay at the nearby Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. No re-opening date has been published.
The Evert Tennis Academy has partnered with the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, FL to offer special adult and junior camps. Drew Evert and Resort tennis director Erik Silver will run the adult camps at the resort on selected long weekends (Thu.-Sun.) throughout the spring (the next one runs Jan. 18-21). Junior sessions run by Evert Academy staff take place on selected weekends and holidays from 2-4 p.m. For information, phone (561) 447-3772.
Kurt and Clare Grabher, the founders of New England Tennis Holidays, have now opened the Boulevard Village & Tennis Club in Vero Beach, FL. Its 13 Har-Tru courts are the centerpiece of what will eventually be a residential complex of 66 townhomes and 32 courtside villas. Rather than the 5-hour-a-day camps they run in New Hampshire and Vermont, they tailor-make packages to precisely suit you or your group. For more information, visit the Boulevard Village website.
The original luxury tennis camp, Gardiner's Resort in Carmel Valley, CA celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Over the decades this 25-acre garden among the eucalyptus has hosted tennis immortals, presidents—George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan among them—celebrities, and corporate movers and shakers. Although John Gardiner himself passed away in 2000, his legacy survives, its 10 courts still the social heart of this landmark tennis hideaway.

Packages and Specials

Camps

Resorts

Exclusive weekend camp specials at Sea Colony Resort, Delaware

Teams and Groups

Special Tailor-made group packages at Port Royal Racquet Club, South Carolina

(Other Packages)

Online Booking

Many of your hotel and resort, air, and car-rental reservations can now be booked directly from Tennis Resorts Online. Just look for the "Reserve" button at the top of the review for a direct link to the booking engine or use the link to TravelNow.

Contents

Feature

News

Special Discounts