Tennis Resorts Online: Sweet Briar College/Van der Meer Tennis

Tell Friends About This Site

Sweet Briar College/Van der Meer Tennis
Sweet Briar, Virginia

Each summer, the Dennis Van der Meer organization supplements its Hilton Head clinics with very economical sessions at Sweet Briar College in the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills. Although mostly directed by senior staff, these 3-to-5-day programs on selected dates from early June to early August. The 5-hour-a-day workouts, while demanding, fall short of boot camp.

Overview

During the academic year, 600 women attend this liberal arts college. Founded in 1901, it covers 3,300 acres of meadows, woodlands, and lakes in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sixteen buildings and Sweet Briar House, the original home of the College's founders and now home of the president of the College, comprise the Sweet Briar College National Historic District. The campus has 14 hard courts (4 with lights), a large gym, two lakes for swimming, boating and fishing, an Olympic-size indoor pool, an 18-station Parcours trail, two athletic fields, nature sanctuaries, and trails for walking, hiking, and jogging. Campers stay in air-conditioned dorms (with the option of a bed-and-breakfast as an alternative) and dine on better than average cafeteria food, which includes homemade yogurt and ice cream from local dairy farms. Although there are no organized activities in the evening, most campers hang out at the on-campus pub, which is being moved to a location adjacent to the dining hall, play ping pong or pool, or occasionally head for a nearby dance club.

Tennis Features

Pro Shop: 434-381-5998

Since Sweet Briar does not offer summer sessions for its own students, tennis vacationers have the run of the campus. Adult sessions, which tend to be scheduled at the beginning and end of the June-to-early-August run, typically draw 30 to 40 campers.

Tennis Staff. The Sweet Briar camps are directed by Steve Rickard, who has been with the Van der Meer organization since 1983 and has run these camps since 1987. He heads a staff of 10 pros for adult sessions, close to 20 for juniors, depending on enrollment.
Tennis Programs. The adult sessions at Sweet Briar run 5 to 6 hours a day. That is a long time to be on court but this program mitigates its length with a less-than-boot-camp intensity. You'll be tired by the end of the day but not wiped out. The Van der Meer organization also runs some of it Tennis University sessions, which essentially teach pros how to teach.
Courts & Fees. There are 14 hard courts (4 with lights), and 3 grass courts (though don't expect Wimbledon quality). Courts Fees: None, even on grass.

Your Call

This is your opportunity to rate and review the resorts and camps you've visited. As material comes in I'll post it here, so you can read what others think.
So far, I haven't received any written feedback on Sweet Briar College. If you've taken a tennis vacation there, I'd like to hear your reactions.

Rate Sweet Briar College

Other Recreation

Fitness Center. The campus has both a Nautilus center and an aerobics center; however, since there are no regular students, these are open only on a restricted schedule during the summer, often during the narrow window between the end of the clinics and the dinner hour.

And ... Beyond the tennis courts, the campus has a gymnasium with basketball courts, an indoor pool, soccer fields, and extensive biking trails.

Children's Programs

A junior tennis camp for kids ages 10-18 runs throughout the summer.

Lodging

Air-conditioned dormitories, set up as suites, doubles and singles; wooden floors, ceiling fans, shared baths, common area with television, refrigerator, kitchen where most people hang out after they hit. There is also an on-campus bed-and-breakfast, The Florence Elston Inn (804-381-6207).

Restaurants

Cafeteria food.

Travel Essentials

Seasons. June to early August.

Rates. Adult programs run on selected weekends, primarily in June and early August. Packages are available with instruction only or with dormitory accommodations and cafeteria meals (somewhat better than you'd expect in both cases).


	June 4-Aug. 1, 2004	3-day/2-night camps (with lodging and meals), $375
		5-day/4-night camps (with lodging and meals), $676
		Instruction only: $265-$456

Reservations:

Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA

Toll-free: 800-845-6138
Web Link: Sweet Briar College

Travel Instructions. By Air:The nearest airport is Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH), 20 miles south of Sweet Briar. Taxis and car rental services are available there. By Train: The Amtrak Crescent and the Amtrak Carolinian run through Lynchburg daily. By Car: The campus is on U.S. 29, 12 miles north of Lynchburg, Virginia. The college is 100 miles west of Richmond, 30 miles east of Lexington, 45 miles south of Charlottesville, and 165 miles southwest of Washington, DC.

General Tourist Information. Visit the Virginia is for Lovers web site or contact the Virginia Tourism Corporation, 901 E. Byrd St., Richmond, VA 23219; phone 804-786-4484.

Sponsor

LIVE AMONG THE LEGENDS:
A new Bayfront community called "Legends Bay at IMG Academies" is rising in Bradenton, Florida. If you're interested in owning property adjacent to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and the world's best training facility, please fill out an information request form.