Ultimate Tennis Camp
Ultimate Tennis Camp (UTC) was a
concept started in 1995 at a small facility called The Heritage Swim and
Tennis club in Concord, Massachusetts. The camp was run for two
years at that location before moving to it's present position at Nagog Woods
in Acton.
Concept
UTC begins and ends with one simple
premise: to have fun. Although that seems obvious, it is not
always the case when a beginning or intermediate level player is practicing
hitting backhands in the hot, summer sun. Unfortunately, the reality
is that for many players, they become bored.
At UTC, the kids are motivated in two unique ways. First, there are numerous
prizes that are won, both on a daily and a weekly basis.
For example, when a player hits a cone, they instantly win a soda (yes, we
do have bottled water too!) from the on-site cooler. If they make a shot
into the basket, they win six sodas! Hitting a specially marked cone
even leads into a different game where they can win gift certificates and
other prizes. So doing a "boring" line drill suddenly becomes
exciting.
The second motivator is the
types of activities that the kids engage in. For example, in the UTC
game, "Jungle Tennis", kids are divided into two teams in which they try
to hit the ball back and forth over the net. The point doesn't
end until the ball ceases to bounce. This is by far the most requested
camp activity.
Why is this exercise so
productive? For those kids who may have difficulty simply making
contact, a week of this can help change that. If the players are
stronger, intermediate players, he or she quickly learns that slugging
the ball hard doesn't always win the point.
Do the kids become better tennis
players? Absolutely. Although kids do not play full tennis
game, during the line drill exercises, players receive general instruction
on the proper form and technique of all their strokes.
Additionally, when the player has a target, he or she is constantly working
on the accuracy of the shot. Via these instruments, kids improve their
stroke production, increase their precision, and above all, have a great time.
Age and Skill Level
UTC is generally for boys and girls seven and up. As for level, kids are separated onto
different courts relative to their age and skill level, enabling a
younger, less skilled player to have as good a chance to win as an older
participant. Even if your child has never held a racquet before, this is a
fantastic medium in which to start them. Only players holding rankings
in the USTA (United States Tennis Association) are prohibited from
participating due to level restrictions. If you have a child who you feel is too advanced for this
camp and would be interested in more match play, then you may be interested in our Junior Training Camp.
UTC will run during the following weeks of 2008.
Registration will open on February 1st:
June 23-June 27
June 30-July 4*
July 7-11 July 14-18
July 21-25 July
28-Aug 1 Aug
4-8 August 11-15
*July 4th is off and the week is prorated
Cost: $25 registration fee
(One-time family fee) + $235/week
Time: 10:00am-1:00pm
If you are not paying for the camp in full, then
please send the registration fee plus 50% of the cost.
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