Teaching Styles From All Over the World Converge in the Hamptons eading out to the East End of Long Island, travelers are presented with beautiful scenery featuring farms, wineries, markets, shops and more. You can head down to the beach, or grab lunch at one of the many restaurants along the way. But for tennis players, there exists a hidden gem inside the Hamptons that provides a one-of-a-kind tennis experience. Tucked away behind a forest full of trees sits Southampton Camp & Club, a unique, outdoor facility featuring seven Har-Tru courts that rests on the idyllic natural landscape of Southampton. Tennis pros come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and thus bring their own teaching styles to the table which creates a well-rounded tennis experience for players. The pros at Southampton Camp & Club range from all over the world, including Australia, England and Spain, amongst others. Elliot Pegg is the Club Director at Southampton Camp & Club, and originally comes from Southampton,
H
England. Growing up there, he took great pride in grassroots tennis, and building a program from the ground up, which helps ensure that the needs of all players are met. “One of our key focuses is transitional methods between each age and level progression through a mixture of live ball and feeding drills,” said Pegg. “The primary focus that we have adopted is the in depth teaching of the foundations of each stroke, and also emphasizing that not only is tennis a sport, but also a recreational activity where you can develop life skills such as patience and teamwork.” Carlota Escoda is a former standout at Fordham University in the Bronx, and brings her experience and knowledge from the clay courts of Spain to her teaching at Southampton. “I love to bring all my experience growing up training on the red clay, and applying the coaching foundations I learned here to the Hamptons,” said Escoda. “I teach the grit and grind of being a clay-court
player, while also preaching the importance of being fit, and stress the healthy aspects and the physical demands of tennis.” Hailing from Australia is Sam Alexander, who brings his passion for the sport from the other side of the world. “My style is high-pace, high-energy and passion for the game, and I use that in all of my lessons and clinics,” said Alexander. “I try to share my unique style of enthusiasm and technical knowledge of the game as well as teaching the famous Australian formation doubles style of play.” Southampton Camp & Club is open to anyone and not restricted to members only. This has allowed an array of people to have the privilege of playing at the facility, and learning from the diverse and energetic staff that Southampton has employed. You can learn more about Southampton Racquet Club, including its expansive pro shop, by visiting www.SouthamptonCC.com/Racquet_ Club.
NYTennisMag.com • March/April 2022 • New York Tennis Magazine
23
