Richmond Tennis Championships Are Here

by Charles Tilley

The Davenport & Company Richmond Age Division Tennis Championships are set to begin on June 27, and will continue through July 2. The tournament will take place on the clay of Willow Oaks Country Club and features fourteen separate divisions. The Women's 40 Doubles is the only female division being contested, so the majority of the court time will be taken by the men's draws. There are several strong players in this year's field. The singles seeds include: Ricardo Ribera (1) and Clint Green (2) for Men's 35s, Carlos Allen (1) for Men's 40s, Wayne Motley (1) for Men's 45s, Hoppy Shores (1) for Men's 50s, Christopher Blair (1) for Men's 55s, Everett Worthington (1) and Rusty Whitaker (2) for Men's 60s, and James Robertson (1) for Men's 65s.

Also, several teams are seeded for doubles: Christopher Blair-Greg Williams (1) for Men's 55s, Stokes Grymes-Anthony Maddra (1) and Alan Harrell-Ron Via (2) for Men's 60s, and Alan Harrell-Ron Via (1) for Men's 65s. The play is sure to be of high quality for this event. Also, spectators are both expected and encouraged.

College Week Tennis Camp is a Blowout Success

by Charles Tilley

Willow Oaks Country Club hosted the College Week Tennis Camp this past week, June 22-26. Cris Robinson, the chief coordinator of the event and head pro at Willow Oaks, was overjoyed at the large turnout and high level of tennis being exhibited by junior players from local clubs and the Mid-Atlantic region at large. The camp brings in different college coaches and tennis instructors each day to provide specific insight and drills for the players. This week, representatives from several esteemed programs were on site for specific days: Brian Kalbas of University of North Carolina, Mark Guilbeau of University of Virginia, Paul Kostin of Virginia Commonwealth University, Jay Bruner of College of Charleston, Billy Boykin of University of Richmond, and Ramsey Smith of Duke University.

Needless to say, the opportunity to meet and be instructed by such high level coaches is an invaluable experience for any junior player. Cris Robinson, camp director, was adamant about the advantages gained by players attending the camp, saying, "In addition to match play, the children were able to participate in real college practices as instructed by real college coaches. They are given advice the coaches would give their own players, including tips to position themselves for a college tennis career. It is simply a tremendous opportunity to learn from the best college coaches in the country."

Each day the players hit the courts from early morning to mid-afternoon, leaving the courts only for a lunch break with food provided by the club. There is a good deal of drilling and match play, often under the watchful eye of a college coach. At the conclusion of the week a pool party with a DJ was arranged to cap off the terrific experience. There will be another session of the camp with different coaches later this summer, August 17-21. Two chief attractions of this week will be Chuck Kriese, Thailand National Tennis Coach, and John Roddick of the Roddick Total Tennis Academy. There are still spots available in this upcoming camp; Cris Robinson can be contacted for further information.

College Week Tennis Camp