Alright, I know that the majority of my readers know that I am involved with the Anguilla Tennis Academy. With that in mind, it has been one of my goals to attempt to stay away from writing articles that deal directly with the ATA in order to ensure a certain amount of objectivity. I have, in the past, mentioned things about the ATA because I believe in the work it is doing for the community on an impartial level. On a partial level, I am directly involved with all the decisions made as I am the director and I must say that this year’s summer camp is going to be amazing! So, I have chosen to dedicate a full article to it this week.

This will mark the twelfth year that the ATA has put on their award winning camp and subsequently the 6th year of my participation. It is amazing that when I came to Anguilla for the first time in 1997, this camp was run by just Mitch Lake, Sean Romney, and Damien Brooks with twenty students and the whole idea of building a facility was not even near being conceived. I decided to come on board with the ATA with the idea to stay as the director until the facility is open and I have been waiting a long time to be able to announce to the world that 2007 will be the year when the children will finally get to feel what it means to play at a world-class facility. Many people said Mitch Lake couldn’t do it and thought the idea was absurd, but it is all too apparent that this dream of his has now become a shared vision and has been embraced by many people.

Now, the question is…. Why is this year’s summer camp going to be the best ever? Well, unfortunately, until this summer, the after school program and the summer camp have virtually always been done on one court. It is difficult to imagine how one could run a tennis camp with 250 children on one court, but that is the way the ATA has been virtually operating for the past 12 years. One of the most important aspects of learning to play any sport is individualized coaching and instruction. With six new courts, the ATA staff will now be able to provide a higher quality of learning for all the participants. The coaches will be able to play a larger variety of games, drills, and competitive games. One of the concerns has always been, from a coaching point of view, how to play real matches with 30 kids on one court? This problem has now been solved and the ATA is looking forward to putting the peddle to the medal in terms of instruction and providing opportunities for match play.

The coaching staff is another reason why this year’s camp will be great. The ATA is fortunate to have coming back once again Mr. Jonathan Collazo from Tampa, Florida. Jonathan is one of the most talented coaches I have ever known. He has a huge amount of energy and innovative teaching techniques. Not only does he teach the children superbly, but he rejuvenates the ATA staff and provides training for them as well on a consultant basis. Matt Cooper, from Athens, Georgia will also be joining the staff this year as a volunteer. Matt played doubles with me in College and was therefore also a team-mate of Mitch Lake at Gardner-Webb University. He is a great coach and player and will present a level of excitement and energy that the children need. Let us not forget the rest of the ATA staff including our new Head Pro Rodney Ross from Trinidad. Rodney has been in charge of the children’s after school program for the past year and has been doing a fantastic job. He has also been the head pro of Cuisinart Resort and Spa and has received many compliments from the guests. Denny Derrick, Vallan Hodge, Calyde Hughes, and Daryl Thompson will also been joining the team for the summer program. The great part about these four young men is that they are past participants of the ATA’s programs and are full time employees at the resorts the ATA manages. Let us not forget the 10 international coaches that will be flying in during the last week to provide a powerhouse of coaching and experience.

This year I have also decided to start a leadership training program in which our top juniors will begin a teaching and coaching internship. I have chosen 8 members of our advanced group to coach the children between the ages of 5-17 who have never played before. Therefore, in total, there will be six courts with almost 25 coaches. The amount of individualized attention will be staggering. I am so proud to be a part of this year’s camp and I urge all of my readers to sign up for the camp in some way. We will need volunteers, sponsors, and camp participants. So, if you want your child to sign up, please look in this edition of The Anguillian for a registration form and information sheet. If you are a child and want to play, just follow the instructions in the paper. Thank you for your support over the years! Please join me in making the 2007 Anguilla Tennis Academy Summer Camp a monumental success.

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