UC Santa Barbara Nike Tennis Camp - International Programs Santa Barbara, California
This summer, you can choose the ultimate combination of sports and language at the UC Santa Barbara NIKE Tennis Camp. By offering the perfect mix of language and tennis, homestay experience, and on-campus living plus fun evening and weekend activities, there’s no better way to spend a summer!
Known all over the world for its exceptional beauty, Santa Barbara boasts stunning scenery and glistening, palm-lined beaches. Our goal is to give players the opportunity to hit thousands of balls, improve their tennis technique, and be challenged by some of the best players in their peer group. The UC Santa Barbara Nike Tennis Camp is a camp for young athletes to come and vastly improve their tennis game, work hard, make new friends and have a lot of fun.
This year, through a partnership with ELS Language schools, we are offering multi-week language and sport sessions just for international campers. Starting with the June 30th session, campers can include one or two weeks of language prior to their overnight tennis session. The result is a 2- or 3-week unforgettable camp experience guaranteed to make you a better tennis player, build your confidence in both speaking and understanding English, and meet some new American friends!
Campers will stay with an English speaking host family (pre-approved by ELS) during the first week. Language classes will be held in the morning (8:30am-12:00 pm) Monday through Friday at the ELS Center in Santa Barbara. After instruction, campers will return to their host family each day.
At the conclusion of their language week(s), campers will check-in to the UC Santa Barbara NIKE Tennis Camp. Once there, campers will live on campus with other American tennis campers. All weekly camps consist of a core tennis program that includes technical, tactical, physical, and mental aspects of tennis taught by a top notch coaching staff.
- Mornings focus on the technique while afternoons are geared towards match-play situations.
- The evenings are free to enjoy both on and off campus activities including movie nights, a camp dance, and free time with their new American friends. Campers are supervised by live-in coaches and directors during both on- and off-campus activities.
International campers seeking a SPORT only multi-week camp should combine our individual sessions which start on July 14th along with weekend stay overs to create the perfect multi-week camp program. To view our individual camp sessions, click here.
Highlights Include
- 15 classes per week at the ELS Language Center
- 5-6 hours of daily NIKE Tennis Camp instruction with a low camper to coach ratio and 24-hour supervision
- Written evaluation at the end of NIKE Tennis Camp
- Gain self-confidence through tennis success and developed English proficiency
- Fun off-court evening activities for overnight campers
- Homestay experience with American Family
- Every camper will receive a NIKE Tennis Camp t-shirt
UCSB, with low humidity and mild, sunny weather, sits at the ocean’s edge and looks out on the Pacific Ocean. UCSB offers an amazing tennis environment with state-of-the-art athletic facilities and 14 tennis courts.
Meet your coaching staff
Co-Director
Taylor Chavez Goggin
Taylor Chavez Goggin is in his second season as an assistant coach to Marty Davis on the UCSB men's tennis staff.
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Chavez Goggin was a four-year letterwinner for the Gauchos earning First Team All-Big West Conference honors as a doubles player in 2010 and 2011. In 2009, he tied for the team-lead in singles wins with 13 and helped the program to its second straight Big West Championship.
Chavez Goggin, a native of Summerland and a product of Santa Barbara High School, graduated with his BA in Business Economics in June of 2011.
Co-Director
Simon Thibodeau
Simon Thibodeau, who, in nine seasons, guided Fresno State to seven Western Athletic Conference championships, seven NCAA Tournaments and five appearances in the NCAA Round of 16, was named head women’s tennis coach at UC Santa Barbara on June 12, 2012.
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A six-time WAC Coach of the Year, Thibodeau had a 159-80 record as the head coach of the Bulldogs. His teams finished five seasons ranked among the nation’s top-20, including an all-time high of 13th in 2004. In 2009, Fresno State won a school record 24 matches and finished the season ranked 16thin the nation. In all, Thibodeau’s teams won 20 or more dual matches on five occasions.
“I had a great journey at Fresno State, but I couldn’t pass up such a great opportunity,” Thibodeau said. “This is a dream job for me. To coach in a place as beautiful as Santa Barbara and in a system as academic as the UC system, is perfect. I want to thank Mark (Massari) and UCSB for this tremendous opportunity.”
Individually, Thibodeau’s players also excelled. In his nine seasons at Fresno State, his teams produced seven WAC Players of the Year, one Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Rookie of the Year, five WAC Freshmen of the Year and nine All-Americans. Nationally, his players have regularly finished ranked in the nation’s top-100 and as high as No. 3. Thibodeau has coached numerous players into the NCAA Individual Championships and in 2004 one of his players, Jelena Pandzic, reached the title match. In 2006, the Bulldogs’ tandem of Lucia Sainz and Katarina Winterhalter reached the championship match in the doubles competition and in 2009 Anastasia Petukhova and Renata Kucerkova ended the season ranked No. 1 in the ITA doubles rankings.
Thibodeau’s Fresno State teams have not only excelled on the court, but in the classroom as well. The Bulldogs earned ITA All-Academic Team honors five times, achieving a collective grade point average over 3.2. In 2009, the team achieved a cumulative 3.60 grade point average, had five players named to the Academic All-WAC team and one to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District and All-American teams.
Before his time at Fresno State, Thibodeau spent three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Arizona where he helped steer the Wildcats into the ITA top-25.
A native of Repentigny, Quebec, Thibodeau received his bachelor’s degree in science/physical activity from the University of Sherbrooke in his native province. He was a coach with the Canadian Tennis Federation from 1997-2001, traveling extensively to tournaments and clinics. With the CTF, Thibodeau supervised national training camps, coached members of the national junior team and assisted with the Canadian Federation Cup team.
(TNXIUC)
Overview of Sport + Language Program
This year, we are offering two weeks of NIKE Tennis Camp with the option to add a one- or two- week language program to the beginning of your NIKE Tennis camp program beginning with the June 30th session. The language program will be instructed by ELS/Santa Barbara which is located in downtown Santa Barbara about a 15 minute drive from UC Santa Barbara campus. The language and sport program is designed for kids aged 14-18 of all abilities. Please click here for a sample daily schedule of the ELS Language classes.
The language and sports program combines a homestay experience with an American family, and language classes during the campers initial week(s) in the US. This is followed by a one week stay at the NIKE Tennis Camp at UC Santa Barbara. The weekend stayover fee and airport transfers are included in the multi-week programs. Upon arrival in the US, campers will be met by and live with their American homestay family for the language program. Campers will be evaluated by the ELS and NIKE Tennis staff so that their own English proficiency and (tennis) instructional needs can be addressed throughout their stay. A two session SPORT only option is also available.
Specialized training sessions are available dependent on the week. Make sure to note that you would like to participate in these programs when you register:
- The Tournament Training program is geared towards tournament level and ranked players looking to improve their tournament results, learn winning strategies, and work on mental toughness.
- The High School session is provided for players ages 13-18 currently on their high school team and wanting to move up the ladder or those planning on making the high school team.
Language Course Curriculum: Instruction will be provided by ELS a leader in international education. Students in this program will improve all core English skills: speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar. Classes are communicative in nature and offer planty of opportunities for speaking practice. 15 sessions per week - 3 per day at 50 minutes each (8:30 am - 12:30 pm). Total of 20 hours of instruction and speaking practice.
Check-In
- ELS: Students will be met at the airport by ELS staff and/or your homestay family.
- NIKE Tennis: Sunday between 1:00-2:00pm at the UC Santa Barbara campus.
- Campers arriving at NIKE Tennis Camp following the ELS language week(s) will be provided transportation to the campus check-in, which is included in tuition.
Check-out
- Graduation: All campers at 11:00am Friday at the Rob Gym Tennis Courts. Parents are invited to attend! (Park at the lot on Stadium Road across the street from “new high rise” parking structure.)
- Check-out: Immediately after graduation.
Dorms: Campers live on-campus in the Tropicana Dorms, and the courts and dining faciltities are an easy walk. Campers stay 2 or 4 per room and are assigned by age, sex, and roommate requests. There is no A/C in the dorms, but it never gets too hot.
Evening Activities: In addition to the tournament competition during the week, evenings give the campers a chance to relax and enjoy fun off-court activities like movie night, bowling, a beach BBQ, and a camp dance on the final night of camp.
Spending Money: We recommend campers bring $50-100 per week.
Safety: 24-hour supervision is an important feature of every NIKE Tennis Camp. Staff members reside in campers’ quarters and participate in all activities.
Registration Packet: A detailed camper registration packet containing check in location, health/release forms, emergency contact info, and a list of things to bring will be emailed to all registered campers in the Spring. Our health and release forms do not require a doctor's signature and they will be collected on the first day of camp. International campers must have health insurance valid in the US in order to attend camps.
All-Inclusive Tuition: Covers language instruction, sport instruction, housing, meals, roundtrip airport transfers, weekend stayover(s), and activities.
Travel
- All international campers will be met at Los Angeles International Airport by camp staff, and will be escorted to their departing flight at the conclusion of their session. This is included in tuition.
- To schedule your pick-up, please complete a travel form which will be included in your registration packet. International campers must complete a travel form in order to guarantee pick up at the airport. Travel forms can also be accessed at www.mycamps.ussportscamps.com using your registered email.
- Designated Airport: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Early arrivals & late departures: There is a $125 fee per day to accomodate campers arriving early or staying beyond the final day of their registered session. This fee includes housing and meals. Please note that our camp staff cannot receive early campers prior to Sunday, June 30 (the first day of our first session), nor may campers stay past Friday, August 9 (the final day of our last session).
Please click here for a sample daily schedule of the ELS Language classes. A sample daily schedule of the UC Santa Barbara NIKE Tennis Camp follows below.
Sample Daily Schedule
- 7:00am Wake up
- 7:30am Breakfast
- 8:30am Stretching, Warm-Up, Daily Preview
- 9:00am Instruction, Drills, and Video Analysis
- 11:30am Lunch Break, Swimming, and Activities
- 1:30pm Instruction, Drills, and Video Analysis
- 4:30pm Shower/Clean up
- 5:30pm Dinner
- 6:00pm Evening Activities: Bowling, Movie Night, Beach Party, Video Night
- 9:00pm Free Time
- 10:00pm Lights out!
