Young athlete Marianne Miller of Raleigh appreciates multiple activities to keep her interest in a summer camp.
RDUTennis (www.rdutennis.net), which holds camps at a variety of Triangle locations, has been the camp of choice for Marianne, 9, and her brother, Will, 12.
“It’s not just tennis,” Marianne Miller said recently as she talked about her camp experiences for a story in the February issue of Active Alex. “We also play Capture the Flag and a bunch of games. Inside, sometimes we play Jenga blocks. At one point in time, we get to watch a movie. … Sometimes in the summer you can go to the outdoor pool.”
But when she’s ready to take the court, Marianne is gaining the skills that will help her enjoy the game for a long time.
“Before, I really didn’t know how to play tennis that much. Once I got there and they started teaching me how, I learned a lot,” Marianne said. “It’s really fun going there and playing all different types of games and learning how to do tennis. Before I didn’t know how, and they taught me my forehand and backstroke and my serves.”
Attending a youth sports camp doesn’t require that a child already be proficient at a sport, says RDUTennis owner Brian Rosenthal.
“More so than a private lesson, I think if a child, most children, cannot enjoy the sport in this environment … if they do not like this aspect of it, then they’re not going to like our sport,” Rosenthal says. “So I would say that a camp is the best way to introduce a kid to tennis.”
That’s what worked for Will Miller.
“You really learn a lot of different strokes and how to play tennis,” the 12-year-old athlete said. “At first, I really didn’t know a lot about tennis. Now I know a pretty good amount – doubles, singles, where to hit it, how to serve.”
** Read more about choosing a summer camp in the complete story on ActiveAlex.com. And be sure to check out the more than 40 sports and activities in the “Sports & Activities” list. **