How to Camp I was 11 years old in the summer of 1965 when my parents sent me to my first sleep-away tennis camp. I remember the first day like it was yesterday. We were told that by the end of the afternoon we had to hit 100 serves in a row in the service box or we could not go in for dinner. Whoa! Was this boot camp or tennis camp? This is a true story and no, the camp was not connected with a military academy. Yes, I finished by pushing my hundredth serve in a row into the box and ate dinner. In fact, I think everyone ate dinner that night. But I can also tell you that I vividly remember the sun setting and feeling very pressured to survive that first day. On the positive side, I have two good memories as well: hitting my first topspin one-handed backhand and learning to ride horses. I can't say that my tennis improved dramatically, nor do I remember other details of the program. In those days there were probably only a dozen or so summer sleep-away camps in the entire country that focused on tennis. In contrast, nowadays there are probably nearly 100 programs to choose from. Make it a thousand if you include day-camp-style summer camps at your local club or public recreation center. Summer tennis lessons for all levels of experience and interest are offered nearly everywhere. If you're a parent like me, you want to enroll your child in the best environment possible, one that will encourage his or her tennis but also offers other benefits, including life skills and a positive social environment. First you need to examine your own expectations alongside the desires of your child. Is he or she totally dedicated to tennis and seeking to compete at higher levels, or is he or she more interested in a wellrounded program that offers more varied activities than just six hours a day on a tennis court? Regardless of how you answer this question, here are a few points to consider in making your decision about the best camp experience for your child.
a Tennis Child options and narrow the choices of camp down to just a few possibilities. Then, for each camp you are investigating, ask for a list of 3-5 families whose children attended that camp. Take the time to speak with them. Remember that a few intelligent hours now can help you make the right decision in selecting a camp experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. Without research, you are flipping a coin. I guarantee that my parents had little idea that the first night their only son would be pushing his serve into the box just to get the exercise finished in order to eat dinner. And by the way, looking back on it, I do not think that exercise helped my serve. When you have narrowed down the choices to one or two, let your child make the final decision about where to spend the summer. Forcing a child never works out, especially to go to sleep-away camp if he or she is not ready. Of course, you are the parent, and it is fine to softly guide your child to make what you feel is the right choice. However, it is critical that the child feels it is his or her decision. This approach can tremendously increase the likelihood that the experience will be positive. One thing is certain: Most parents do not take the time to investigate the camp where they send their children. Treat this process as you would when deciding which school your child should attend. Wouldn't you want to know the school's philosophy about teaching? The qualifications of the • teachers? The teacher-to-student ratio? What extracurricular activities are available? And wouldn't you want to know Make sure that you and your child are where former students tend to end up? on the same page about the type of experi- Since tennis is broadly accepted as one of ence you are seeking. To identify the type of the best sports for a lifetime, selecting the camp you may be looking for, visualize right summer camp for your child is imporyourselves at the end of the summer and tant. Invest time in researching which look back at the experience you would hope experience is best suited to your particular to have. This exercise can help you identify child and the rewards will reflect that time priorities. Although no single program will you spent. Remember that you want your have everything, the one you choose actual memory of that summer experience should offer the most of what you want. to match up closely to what you enviGather information about your various sioned it would be. 0