UC Santa Cruz Nike Tennis Camp - International Programs Santa Cruz, California
This summer, you can choose the ultimate combination of sports and language at the UC Santa Cruz 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!
UC Santa Cruz, has been a favorite Nike Tennis Camp venue for over 20 years. 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 July 1st session, campers can include a week of language to their overnight tennis sessions The result is a 2 or 3 week unforgetable 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-screened 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 Cruz. After instruction, campers will return to their host family each day.
At the conclusion of their language week, campers will check-into the UC Santa Cruz 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 a trip to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and free time with their new American friends.
Campers will be able to enjoy the campus's outstanding athletic facilities, which include playing fields, a swimming pool, gymnasium and recreation center.
International campers seeking a SPORT only multi-week camp should combine our individual sessions which start on July 1st along with weekend stay overs to create the perfect multi-week camp program. To view our individual camp sessions, click here.
Highlights Include
- Daily on-court instruction from renown Slugs men's tennis coach, Bob Hansen, and his exceptional staff
- 5-6 hours of daily instruction with low camper to staff ratio and 24 hour supervision
- Language Program operated by ELS/Santa Cruz
- Gain self-confidence through tennis success and developed English proficiency
- Davis Cup style team competition each weekDavis Cup style team competition each week
- Fun off-court evening activities including a sports night with a climbing wall, Casino Night, a trip to the Beach and Boardwalk and concludes with a camp dance on the last night
- Every camper will receive a Nike Tennis Camp t-shirtEvery camper will receive a Nike Tennis Camp t-shirt
- Homestay experience with American Family
The University of California, Santa Cruz is an easy drive from San Francisco, San Jose, and the Monterey Peninsula, (and about 30-40 minutes from the San Jose Airport.) The campus, defined by rolling meadows and towering redwoods, is a perfect environment for a Nike Tennis Camp. The campus offers a perfect environment with 12 ocean view outdoor courts, playing fields, gymnasium and Olympic-sized pool.
Santa Cruz is renowned as the birthplace of surfing on the US mainland and is also home to the West Coast's only seaside amusement park, the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
ELS/Santa Cruz is located in the downtown area of the coastal City of Santa Cruz. - 1101 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. ELS students have access to the libraries and fabulous recreational facilities of the University of California and Santa Cruz. College tours can be arranged with written requests.
Meet your coaching staff
Camp Director
Bob Hansen
Bob Hansen, famous men’s coach and creator of the Santa Cruz “Slugs” tennis program is a seven-time NCAA championship winner and returns for his 31st year as director of the camp.
Read Full BioRegarded as one of the best coaches in the country, Coach Hansen has been selected as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Coach of the Year four times and in 2000 was honored as the ITA Coach of the Decade for the 90's. (During the 90's his teams were undefeated against Div III opponents in the regular season going 73-0) He has served as an executive board member of the ITA as well as its Division III Representative. He also served as the Chair of the NCAA Div lll tennis committee as well as a member of the ITA Rules Committee.
He has also received the Coach of the Year honor from the United States Professional Tennis Association. Hansen has led the Slugs to the Final Four of the NCAA Team Championships 19 out of the past 23 years. The team has won seven NCAA National Team Championships (1989, 1995,1996,1998, 2005, 2007, 2009) and have reached the NCAA Finals thirteen of the past twenty years. His players have won nine NCAA National Doubles titles and five NCAA National Singles titles. Under coach Hansen's direction, the Slug Tennis program has produced 111 All-American selections.
As a player, Coach Hansen was Northern California's Open Player of the Year and was ranked in the top eight for five straight years. He received an ATP world ranking as well as much valuable coaching experience while playing the international circuit before coming to UC Santa Cruz. He registered wins over many top 100 players including top ten players Brad Gilbert and Paul Macnamee. He won the USTA 40 National Grass Court Championships held in Santa Barbara.
During the summers he directs the NIKE Santa Cruz Tennis Camps where he was a pioneer in the development of the tournament training program for ranked juniors.
Co-Director
Ben Belleto
Co-directing the camp for his 14th summer will be Pomona Pitzer head men's coach Ben Belletto.
Read Full Bio
Before taking the head coaching job at Pomona-Pitzer in 2003, Belletto ran a year-round junior tennis program in Santa Cruz. He brings years of experience and an overall passion for the game of tennis.
Ben Belletto has been the head coach at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges since 2003. A graduate of St. Mary College of California with a b.a. in Politics, Coach Beletto is currently pursuing his masters degree in Physical Education at Azusa Pacific University.
Before arriving at Pomona-Pitzer, Belletto was the head coach at Piedmont High School in Northern California, as well as the director of the Santa Cruz Nike Tennis School.
As a player, Belletto was an all-conference doubles selection in 1997 at Santa Barbara City College. In 1999, Belletto played number one singles and doubles at Cabrillo College, where he earned all-league honors.
Camp Director
Robert Nagel - ELS Center Director and International Student Advisor
My name is Robert Nagel and I am the Center Director and International Student Advisor of ELS Santa Cruz. I graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. degree in English and a minor in East Asian Studies: Japan. After I graduated, I spent seven years teaching in Japan at various companies like Toshiba Corporation and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (Subaru). I also worked in the Silicon Valley for a year as a Content Editor for an entertainment website. I have been with ELS Language centers since 2005 and look forward to meeting and welcoming all of the students that choose to come to our school and hope to get them on the right track towards entering college and fulfilling their future dreams and aspirations!
Program Info
New this year, we are offering four weeks of Overnight Tennis Camp with the option to add a one week language program to the beginning of your Nike Tennis camp program beginning with the July 1st session. The language program will be instructed by ELS/Santa Cruz which is located in downtown Santa Cruz about a 10 minute drive from UC Santa Cruz campus. The language and sport program is designed for kids aged 14-18 of all abilities.
The language and sports program combines a homestay experience with an American family, and language classes during the campers initial week in the US. This is followed by a one or two week stay at the Nike Tennis Camp at UC Santa Cruz. The weekend stayover fee and airport transfers are included in the 2 or 3 week programs. Upon arrival in the US, campers will be met 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, three or four 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.
Travel
If you are registered in the sport and language program, we will make arrangements for you to be picked up at the San Jose airport and taken back to the airport at the conclusion of your camp program. Travel request form will be included in your camp registration package that will be sent to you in April/May prior to camp. This registration package will include all the forms you need to have completed, all details like a packing list, a daily schedule and many other details such as contact info etc.
Extra Night or Weekends
Campers may add an additional night or weekend to their camp stay providing camp is in session. The coss for an additional night is $125. W eekend stays run $250.
Sample Daily Schedule
- Day 1 (Sunday) Arrive in the US - pick up at San Jose International Airport
- Day 2-6 (Monday-Friday) Initial Language testing - ELS language program runs 8:30-12:30 M-F- Afternoon activities daily
- Day 7 (Saturday) Weekend activities with ELS language program (varies by week)
- Day 8 (Sunday) 2:00pm - Camp check-in for Nike Tennis Program
- Day 8-13 Nike Tennis Program - 8:30am -4:30pm daily
- 8:30am - 12:00 Noon On-court Drilliing and Demonstration (covering forehand, volleys, backhand, service return, and serving)
- 2:00pm-4:30pm Point and Match play
- 6:00pm Dinner
- 7:00pm-10:00pm Evening activity
- 10:30pm Lights out
- Day 13 Graduation and camp check-out (Multiple week campers stay on for weekend activity and next scheduled session)
- Day 14 Weekend activities with camp
- Day 15 Next Nike Tennis Camp session begins.
- Day 16+ Same schedule as above
Nike Camp Check-in / Check-out Times:
-
Check-in: All campers Sunday between 12:30-2:30pm at Cowell College. (Extended Day Campers will depart that evening after dinner and evening activities at 9pm.)
-
Graduation: 4:30pm at Cowell College dorms (parents invited to attend!)
-
Check-out: Immediately following graduation at 5:15pm on the last day of the session.
-
Dorms: Campers live on-campus in nearby dorms and the courts and dining faciltities are an easy walk. Campers stay 2 per room and are assigned by age and roommate requests.
-
Evening Activities: In addition to the Davis Cup competition during the week, evenings give the campers a chance to relax and enjoy fun off-court activities like a sports night with a climbing wall, Casino Night, a trip to the Beach and Boardwalk and concludes with a camp dance on the last night.
-
Weekend stayovers are available for $250 ($125/night) and includes housing and meals for Friday and Saturday night
-
Designated Airport: San Jose International Airport
-
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)
-
Travel: International campers must complete a travel form in order to guarantee pick up at the airport. Travel forms will be included in your camp registration package which will be available in Mid May. Please note, Parents should plan their children's international flights home with extra time provided to get to the airport after a camp session. Except for the July 29th session, campers may elect to add an additional night or a full weekend after camp, to accomodate international flight schedules.
-
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 camper must have health insurance valid in the US in order to attend camps.
Past/Repeat Camper
Veteran Camper Still Impressed
I had an awesome time at camp this summer, and though it was my fourth summer there, everything was still fun and exciting. I learned a lot while I was at camp and made some awesome new friends, as well as seeing old friends. Also, I got really close to some of the counselors and that was awesome. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Past Camper
Overcoming Nreves
I didn’t know what to expect coming to this camp. I was slightly worried because I didn’t go with any other people I knew. However, the counselors and staff were very nice and made it so I was not nervous to play. Although my week had its ups and downs, I improved greatly, and had a wonderful overall experience. When I got back home I signed up for a tournament and ended up taking second place in 16 and under Doubles. Without going to camp previously, I don’t think I would have taken a chance to play in a tournament like this. Because of this I would like to say thank you to all of the staff that made my week so memorable, and helped me to better my game.
Parent of Camper
I Love Camp!
My son loved this camp – a great mix of tennis and social activities!
Parent of Camper
The Perfect Balance
My daughter had a great time. A good balance between independence and supervision. She felt trusted so could be trustworthy. The tennis was great and the friends wonderful. Amazingly, no food complaints.
Past Camper
Coaches Take the Cake
The best sports camps I’ve ever been to. The counselors were awesome. Had such a great time… Bird and Coach Hansen are fantastic coaches and know what they are talking about.
Past Camper
Great Staff!
Great counsellors! Couldn't be a better balance between fun, funny and amazing tennis coaching. Go chris and bird and bob!
Past Camper
Most Fun!
Santa Cruz Tennis camp was one of the most fun weeks that I've spent this summer. It highly helped me improve as a player and now I am way more eager to play and to practice the game. The counselors were kind and the college campus layout was nice. I can't wait to come back next summer for my second experience, and to show everyone how I have improved.
Parent of Camper 2011
Great Camp!
Bob Hansen and the entire staff were PHENOMENAL! – Very enthusiastic, competent, and fully engaged with the kids. My daughter left with extremely positive feelings about the state of her tennis game after the camp.