The St. Paul Tennis Club hosted its first of two summer camps last week, with dozens of young athletes hitting the courts to learn the fundamentals of the game and hone their talents in a variety of skill levels.
Instructor Noah Shankowski said it was a good week on the courts with the local kids, and added each group came with its own challenges.
“In the morning group we usually just play a lot of games and get them to play as much tennis as they can,” said Shankowski. “They have a shorter attention span, the little kids, so you’ve got to make it quick and have lots of games. We have another group in the morning too with a bit older and a bit better players. With them we do a little bit more skill-based stuff.”
Shankowski added he saw a good deal of development from all of the young players that stepped out onto the court last week, and added he is looking forward to the camp’s next session in August.
“In all the groups there has been significant improvement, for sure. This (older) group always loves the treats,” he said, adding players rack up points to earn treats by winning games and successfully completing drills, and that the conclusion of the camp was celebrated with a Friday lunch. “We had the barbecue today too.”
Camper Sajan Pannu said he enjoyed participating in the camp, and that his favourite part of the week was Wednesday afternoon’s water balloon fight.
Nicolas Beaudoin, another camper in the afternoon session, said he has been playing tennis for three years, and the camp helped him improve his serve.
“It’s super fun and it’s a lot of exercise,” said Beaudoin, adding he loved playing competitive games throughout the week.
The St. Paul Tennis Club camp is free to members of the St. Paul Tennis Club, and will return for its final session of the summer from August 11 to 15. For more information or to sign up, contact Noah Shankowski at (587) 252 3343
