University of Alabama Nike Tennis Camp Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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The Alabama Nike Tennis Camp is a junior tennis camp for young athletes to come and vastly improve their tennis game, work hard, make new friends and have a lot of fun. Our goal is to give players the opportunity to hit thousands of balls, improve their technique, and be challenged by some of the best players in their peer group.
Our summer camps combine technical tennis instruction and drilling from a top notch coaching staff, supervised match play, and a variety of evening social activities. The University of Alabama’s athletic program is steeped in tradition and pride, which makes this Crimson Tide Tennis Camp an unforgettable experience.
Dartfish video analysis offered at this camp! See details tab for more info.
Highlights Include
- Daily on-court instruction from Coach Billy Pate and his experienced staff
- Fun off-court activities for overnight campers, including a pizza party, games on the "Quad" and other social events
- 5-6 hours of daily instruction including drilling and match play with a 6:1 student to teacher ratio
- Every camper will receive a Nike Tennis Camp T-shirt
The University of Alabama is situated on a beautiful 1,000 acre campus in the heart of Tuscaloosa. Campers will have access to 30 total courts - 12 varsity lighted courts, 12 courts at the Recreation Center across the street, and the new air-conditioned tennis center, The Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Facility, contains six regulation NCAA hard courts, in addition to a lobby and restroom. Campers will also be able to use the varsity track, swimming pools and numerous recreational facilities.
Meet your coaching staff
Camp Director
Billy Pate
Crimson Tide head men's coach, Billy Pate directs the camp. In his tenth year as head coach, he offers a long history of tennis coaching and camp experience.
Read Full BioBilly Pate, who is entering his 10th season at the helm of the Alabama men's tennis team, has built a program that is consistently among the nation's best. Over the past nine years, Pate has led his squads to a Crimson Tide record seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including a pair of trips to the NCAA Sweet 16.
Throughout his tenure, he has coached five individuals that have advanced to either the NCAA Singles or Doubles Championships on seven occasions. In addition, Pate has guided six of his teams to the top 40 of the final national rankings, with three of those teams finishing in the top 20.
The 2011 season saw the Tide collect 10 wins including a pair against Southeastern Conference foes. Alabama came back from a first round loss at the prestigious Blue Gray National Tennis Classic to claim the consolation draw finals in February. During last season, Pate was also instrumental in developing Daniil Proskura, who was one of six league rookies named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
In 2010, Pate's team finished with a 13-14 record appearing in a fifth-straight NCAA Tournament. The 2010 season also saw one of the most successful all-around student-athletes in program history in senior Saketh Myneni. Myneni entered the season as the No. 10 singles player in the nation, tying the highest ranking ever by a Tide player. In addition, he became the program's first SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and first ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.
The 2009 squad compiled a 21-8 record and finished 16th in the final rankings. Alabama earned the right to be one of the 16 host teams for the NCAA First and Second Rounds, the first time a team had done that in school history. The Tide also had two players and two doubles teams finish in the top 100 in the nation. Four players finished the season with at least 20 wins, including an impressive 32-9 record from senior Michael Jung.
The 2008 season was another successful one under Pate as the team finished No. 24 while compiling 19 wins along the way. Alabama opened the year with seven-straight victories and took down several ranked opponents.
In 2007, Pate led his squad to its best finish and highest team ranking since 1993. The 14th-ranked Crimson Tide made its second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament where Alabama cruised by East Tennessee State and upset Duke to make its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2003. Juniors Daniel Buikema and Mathieu Thibaudeau qualified for the NCAA tournament as the 23rd-ranked tandem and earned their first spot in the doubles draw. Buikema and Thibaudeau became only the 13th doubles pair in Alabama's tennis history to compete in the NCAA doubles draw.
The team's success earned Pate recognition as well. The 2007 SEC Co-Coach of the Year earned the South Region Coach of the Year honor from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), after transforming Alabama tennis into a Southern powerhouse in a region that features the nation's fiercest competition.
In 2006, Pate led Alabama to its first winning season in three years and a berth to the NCAA tournament. Under Pate's guidance, junior Joseph Jung made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament's singles draw and posted his third 20-win season. Jung would achieve another 20-win season in 2007, the only Alabama player in history to reach that accomplishment. Pate's first recruit at Alabama, Jung finished the 2006 season nationally ranked three times and led the Tide from the No. 1 singles slot the majority of his career. In his first year at the Capstone, Pate led Alabama to its first trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in five years. The Tide defeated Marist and Harvard before falling to Baylor.
Pate made his move to Division I college tennis in 2000 when he joined Bobby Bayliss' staff at the University of Notre Dame. During Pate's stint with the Irish, Notre Dame consistently finished in the Top 10 nationally, ranking as high as No. 4 nationally. In 2002, Pate was named National and Region IV Assistant Coach of the Year by the ITA. As a part of the Irish coaching staff, Pate was the recruiting coordinator and served as the team's primary liaison to the strength and conditioning program.
No stranger to success, Pate came to the Capstone after an illustrious coaching tenure at Georgia Perimeter College. In four years at GPC, Pate's teams posted a 87-43 record and won three consecutive Junior College National Championships.
The three-time recipient of the Max Grubbs Award, given to the National Junior College Coach of the Year, has been named Coach of the Year 13 different times by five organizations, including the United States Professional Tennis Association, the ITA, Georgia Professional Tennis Association and the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Prior to his position at Georgia Perimeter, Pate served as the assistant coach of Atlanta Thunder of the World Team Tennis League, and in conjunction with his position with the Thunder, he was the Stadium Operations Director and Community Relations Director from 1993-1995.
Pate received his undergraduate degree in 1992 while playing tennis at Mississippi State. He earned his Master's Degree in Sports Administration from Georgia State in 1995.
Program
This year, Alabama is offering two weeks of general overnight and day camp (8:30am-4:00pm) for ages 9-18 and all ability levels. Lunch is provided for all day campers.
Upon arrival, all participants are evaluated by the staff so that their own instructional needs can be addressed throughout the week.
Dartfish video analysis will be used during the camp to analyze and improve your strokes. See your strokes compared to a top playing professional! Your Dartfish Mediabook will be posted to a private player locker on Dartfish.tv and reviewed with you by the staff at camp (click here for an example). You will receive a printout showing key positions with corrective comments. After camp, these Dartfish interactive analyses are available for purchase. For $19.95, the package includes:
- Stroke Analysis: your Dartfish Mediabook contains videos of your strokes, plus side-by-side comparison with a pro, along with comments.
- Pro Stroke Library: one month access to Pro Stroke Library, featuring hundreds of strokes in both real and high speed.
- Camp highlights video*: This video of camp activities and friends all set to music will be something everyone will want to have and keep forever. (*Only offered at participating locations.)
NOTE: Regardless of whether you purchase the post-camp package, all campers will be filmed at camp, see their mediabook, and go home with a printout.
Check-In and Check-out Times
Check-In:
• All Campers: 3:00-4:00 Sunday at the UA Varsity Stadium.
• Campers should come dressed to play as we will head straight to the courts after check-in.
• Day Campers will depart that afternoon at 6:30pm after check-in, a tennis evaluation (from 4-6pm) and a pizza party.
Check-Out:
• Graduation: 3:00pm on Thursday at the UA Varsity Stadium. Parents are invited to attend!
• Check-out: Immediately following the graduation ceremony.
Day Camper Schedule & Information
• Day campers should be dropped off every day (except Sunday) by 8:15am at the UA Varsity Stadium.
• Pick-up time will be 4:00pm daily Monday through Wednesday at the UA Varsity Stadium.
• Thursday’s graduation/check-out begins at 3:00 pm at the UA Varsity Stadium.
• A more complete schedule will be given to you upon check-in.
• Meals: Lunch is included for all Day campers.
Evening Activities
Off-court and evening activities may include a pizza party, games on the "Quad", movie night, camp games night, swimming, and other social events. Campers also have access to varsity track, swimming pools, and numerous recreational facilities.
Dorms
Overnight campers will stay in air-conditioned Parham Hall dorms with staff supervision. Campers stay 2 per room and are assigned rooms based on requests and then by age and gender.
Weekend Stayovers: There are no weekend stayovers offered at this location.
Designated Airport: Birmingham Airport
Travel
Nike Tennis Camp does not provide any transportation to/from camp from airport, train stations or bus depots. If you fly into camp, we recommend that you fly into the Birmingham Airport and schedule a shuttle/bus from the airport to camp through Birmingham Door to Door Shuttle. Their phone # is 205-591-5550 and their website is www.birminghamdoortodoor.com.
If you have a camper arriving by air and is deemed an “unaccompanied minor” by the airlines and must be met by a camp staff or shuttle company employee, there may be a fee that needs to be paid in advance of camp. You will still have to arrange transportation to/from camp. Please call 1-800-645-3226 two weeks prior to camp to provide camper’s flight and shuttle information.
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.
Sample Daily Schedule
- 7:00am Wake-up and breakfast
- 8:30am Stretching / Warm-ups
- 8:45am Coaches presentation
- 9:00am Drill groups with focus on stroke mechanics and match tactics
- 11:45am Lunch
- 1:15pm Warm-up / Coaches' Presentation
- 1:30pm Point play, matches and games
- 2:30pm Off-court speakers (nutrition, mental toughness, fitness)
- 4:30pm Afternoon session ends, campers go to dorm
- 5:15pm Dinner
- 6:30pm Evening Activity
- 10:00pm Campers to rooms
- 10:30pm Lights Out
Past Camper
Content Camper
Camp was well run. I made some good friends while there.
Past Camper
Just Needed Some Warming Up
Coach Pate and his staff really do an excellent job. I was a little scared when I first got there, but within a day they had me feeling at home. I really enjoyed it and will be coming back next year.
Parent of Camper
Caring Coaches!
The instructors were caring and very helpful. Thank you for the time given to each child in helping them increase their love for the sport.
Past Camper
4 year veteran!
I have gone to this camp for 4 years. I love it! It is great to have the opportunity to hit with college coaches and players.
Parent of Campers
Organized and Motivated Campers
We love this camp! My twin daughters have been for the past 3 years, and Billy Pate does an exceptional job of keeping the kids organized and motivated, and they enjoy every minute of it. We'll be back next year!