The final Tier II Coaches Connection Junior Camp for the year was held Saturday, December 10, 2011 at Lakewood Racquet Club. The Camp was designed as a follow up to the Cincinnati Camp and gave returning juniors the opportunity to put to practical application the information and training received November 26th. Additional emphasis was placed on mental toughness and the tactical approach to strokes and execution.

Coaches Connection Junior Camp @ Lexington, OH - 12/10/11

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Over 21 juniors competed in "rise & fly" singles and were stopped by the coaches in the middle of playing to review strokes and strategies. Winners received trophies, and as is the tradition of Wolfe Park, parents were on-hand to help with lunches and supervision. Forest City Tennis Club and Tennis All Stars juniors had the opportunity to participate and benefit from the overall synergy of the two camps. Juniors on the two 60' courts also got a chance to work on advancing their skills. They truly had a ball.

The MID-TAC Coaches and Instructors Committee is looking forward to sharing the Coaches Connection Curriculum with other MID-TAC Member Clubs in 2012. It only takes interested coaches and parents to have a successful camp. The Curriculum is easily duplicable and our juniors absolutely benefit from the camaraderie and additional training in their own geographical area. Contact Ed Amos at 614-371-2667 to set up a Coaches Connection Junior Camp for your Junior Program.

Coaches Connection Junior Camp @ Cincinnati, OH - 11/26/11

Saturday after Thanksgiving - November 26, 2011 - the MID-TAC Coaches and Instructors Committee put on its third Coaches Connection Junior Tennis Camp. The Cincinnati Coaches Connection was held at the Colonial Tennis & Fitness Club from 12:00 noon until 6:00 p.m. The three MID-TAC Member Clubs to participate were Inner City Tennis Project of Cincinnati, OH, Wolfe Park Tennis Association of Columbus, OH and Newburg Tennis Association of Louisville, KY. Approximately 37 juniors and a mix of coaches and volunteer parents experienced the next level of growth and training via the Coaches Connection Curriculum.

After making introductions and passing out the Workbook specifically designed for the Camp, juniors were immediately taken through Agility and Strengthening Training, with all of the proper equipment, by two ex-NFL players from Colonial Tennis Club (one of which was an All Pro NFL player). A Quick Start Tennis Component was also included in the Cincinnati Fall Junior Camp. All juniors went through all of the sessions that were set up and timed in 30 minute intervals. Even the Quick Start juniors got to participate in the Top Spin and Approach Shot Training given by Ed Amos; Singles Positioning for Competitive Play done by Tony Pack and the Mental Toughness and Confidence Training done by Rachel Fair.

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Two top junior players home for the holidays also helped out on the courts and demonstrated all of the proper strokes for the juniors. We could not be prouder of Myles Harris and Lindsay Hughes of Wolfe Park for their help and involvement with the juniors. Bruce Stone from Newburg, and MID-TAC's Treasurer, was also on hand to help with the Quick Start Court along with James Smith of Wolfe Park, one of MID-TAC's newest junior site volunteers and Denise Carpenter of Inner City Project. Charles Crawford also assisted throughout the camp and took pictures along with James Smith, which will be added to our photo gallery.

During lunch time, while pizza was being served, USTA's Midwest Section Diversity Specialist and Inner City Project prodigy, Brandon Smith, informed the juniors about the importance of rankings, preparing for college and applying for the numerous USTA player grants that are available. The parents had a host of questions that Brandon was able to help them with right on the spot.

The Camp ended with "Rip City", a favorite King of the Courts type competition. Everyone, and we mean everyone including coaches and eventually parents, had a chance to join in and play. Points were kept for juniors only and they had a chance to compete on three consecutive courts with a different partner for each turn. Trophies were given to 1st and 2nd place winners in the 15 to 18 Division, 11 thru 14 Division and 10 and under Division. Some players were first time "trophy" winners and were excited to take home a trophy. Juniors were busy from the time they got there until the last ball was taken away reluctantly.

This camp was sponsored in part by Ohio Valley Tennis Association as well as several local organizations in Cincinnati and a Coaches Connection t-shirt was given to all participants at the end of the Camp.

MID-TAC is very proud and pleased to be able to offer this caliber of event for our junior players on a regular basis. The next scheduled Coaches Connection Junior Camp will be in Lexington, Ohio on December 10, 2011 and will be a Series Two transition from the Cincinnati Camp of using the skills and applying the strategies in a more competitive afternoon of singles and doubles play. To learn more about the Lexington Camp contact Ed Amos at 614-371-2667 or Paula Lewis at 216-965-6225.