THE PENN TENNIS CAMP – Philadelphia, PA
4.9 Stars – Based on 8 User Reviews
Day Camp With Half Day Option
The Wilson Collegiate Tennis Camps / Penn Tennis Camp is the nation’s most popular tennis camp. Hosting close to a thousand campers each summer, the camp has built a reputation for top-flight instruction, fun and well organized days. Each summer we host 9 weeks of camp throughout June, July, and August and offer Full Day and Half Day options. There is an appropriate camp option for boys and girls ages 3-18 of all skill levels.
Each camper receives personal attention, advanced teaching techniques, intensive drill work, and game/match play, all in a fun and competitive environment.
We break the campers into small instructional groups of similar age and ability so each child is working in a group that is commensurate with their experience level. We tailor each program to the level of the players. Beginners would get a heavier dose of swing technique and fundamentals, while more advanced players would have more focus on strategy, point building and percentage tennis etc.
Wilson Collegiate Tennis Camps are the premier camps for young players who strive to learn the game, improve their skills and/or participate in middle school, high school, USTA team tennis or tournaments.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CAMP INCLUDE
- Comprehensive instructional program with daily teaching progressions
- Safety prioritized on and off the court
- Small instructional groups to ensure individual attention
- Great Wilson Raffle and prizes for all campers
- Camp demo program featuring all the latest Wilson rackets
CAMP DETAILS
CAMP DATES
- Week 1: June 8-12, 2020
- Week 2: June 15-19, 2020
- Week 3: June 22-26, 2020
- Week 4: June 29 – July 3, 2020
- Week 5: July 6-10, 2020
- Week 6: July 13-17, 2020 (*Unique option Below)
- Week 7: July 20-24, 2020
- Week 8: July 27-31, 2020
- Week 9: August 3-7, 2020
- Week 10: August 31- Sept 4, 2020
FEES
- full day: $455 per week
- half day: $305 per week
AGES
- Full Day Camp – Boys and Girls ages 5-17 of all skill levels
- Half Day Camp (Tiny Tots) – Boys and Girls ages 3-5
** For Sold out sessions please email the office HERE to be added to the waitlist.
Camp Discounts
Discounts: Discounts are available for campers attending multiple weeks of camp. To be eligible for this discount, a single camper must attend 3 or more weeks of camp. The rates for campers enrolling for 3 weeks or more are as follows:
3 + weeks of camp for any single camper:
- Full Day: $405 per week ($50 off per week)
- Half Day: $260 per week ($45 off per week)
Coupon Code: THREEPENN
* Note – Campers that use the code and are not eligible will be responsible for the full amount.
MORE INFORMATION
Camp Types
Full Day Camp (Ages 5-17) – This is the traditional Penn tennis camp. Great drills and clinics in the morning, healthy group lunches, and fun games and more tennis and other sports in the afternoon. Every week will feature a Camp Raffle to compete for a chance to win exciting Wilson prizes such as t-shirts, grips, hats, water bottles, rackets, bags, string, vibration dampeners and more.
Half Day Camp (Ages 3-5) – Our half day option is an excellent opportunity to offer young children a chance to experience 3 hours a day of tennis fun in an active indoor facility. The Half Day Camps will run all 10 weeks from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm daily. All activities are age appropriate and are structured to 30 minute intervals which help young children stay engaged in the activities and enjoy the full 3-hour camp. Some of the activities involve on court skill builder drills and games on the tiny tennis court with endless motor skill development equipment.
Week 6 - Tennis & Squash
Times
Full Day Option:
- – 9am – 3pm daily
Half Day Option:
- – 9:00am – Noon daily
Meals
FAQ's
Q: Are there Skill Requirements for this camp?
Per NCAA rules, our sports camps are open to all entrants. Enrollment is limited only by age, grade level, gender, and capacity restrictions as specified by each camp.
Q: What type of campers attend this camp?
Our camps are open to any and all levels of tennis players. We have players from absolute beginner to high school / Tournament level.
We design our camps to teach the technical basics and love of the game to the beginning player, to introduce strategical decision making, and more advanced technique to the intermediate player, while building on their current stroke production, and to put the advanced players into pressured, strategical and competitive situations.
Q. What is the ratio of campers to staff?
Groups will be divided into small instructional groups of approximately:
Half Day Campers: 6: 1
Full Day Campers: 8:1
Q. If the camp is the full, do you have a waiting list?
We do have a waiting list for our camp weeks that sell out. In is not unusual for us to add campers from the waiting list due to late cancellations. To be added to the wait list, please email the office.
Q. Should I purchase camp/cancellation insurance?
We recommend all families purchase camp / cancellation insurance if they are concerned about the investment they are making in the camp. Kids do get injured, sick and family plans change from the time of registration leading up to the camp. Camp insurance allows peace of mind and has many benefits in any of these events. Please review our policies page for more information about camp/cancellation insurance. Click Here
Extended Day Care
Airport Transportation
PERTINENT INFORMATION
Check-In
Check-in is daily between 8:30 – 9am at the Hecht Tennis Center. All campers are required to sign in daily at the front desk upon arrival.
Check-Out
- Half day campers – Noon daily
- Full day campers – 3pm daily
* All campers are required to sign out daily before leaving the facility. Campers walking home independently or leaving with another family will require a note to be on file with the camp.
Extended Day Care is available from 3-6pm for $25 per day. Extended Day activities will include movies, games and the option for on court play. Please contact Hecht Tennis Center for details.
Camp Dorm
Roommate Request
If you are attending the camp as an overnight camper, you can request a roommate at the time of enrollment. Should you need to change this request, please email the office at Here. We can usually meet your request of 1 roommate, however, please keep in mind that many parents have conflicting requests. (Player A request Player B and Player B request Player C). We will do our very best to sort out these issues ahead of camp, however, if there is a mistake or change that needs to be made at camp check-in, please let us know and we will do everything in our power to make that change.
Each dorm has a different setup. Some are doubles, triples, quads, and suites. If you would like to have players in rooms next to each other, we again will do our best to accommodate. Please please email the office at Here Here for such requests.
Should you wish to room with more than just 1 person, we will do everything in our power to arrange for this, if the room level (double, triple, etc…) allows.
Camp Forms
Packing List
Day Campers:
- Tennis Racket
- Tennis Shoes
- Sun Screen
- Hat / Visor
- Water bottle
- Snack (if desired)
MEET YOUR COACHES
Camp Director: Weeks 7,8,9
David Geatz
Head Men’s Tennis Coach
The Penn Tennis Camp
Geatz (pronounced “gets”) has had a long and varied coaching career, but what cannot be dismissed is his success within the collegiate ranks. Most recently, he spent two years at Cornell, the first (2008-09) as head coach of men’s tennis and the second (2009-10) as head coach of both the men’s and women’s tennis programs.
Geatz’s impact on the men’s program was immediate and obvious — a perennial second-division program, the Big Red men finished sixth in the Ivy League in 2008, before his arrival. In his first year, however, Cornell went 5-2 in the Ancient Eight to finish second in the standings, behind Columbia. The Big Red then repeated the feat in 2010.
Those second-place finishes marked the program’s best EITA/Ivy finishes until this past spring, when Cornell won the Ivy title for the first time. Though heavily bearing his stamp, the Big Red’s title run came without him at the helm — Geatz left Cornell following the 2010 spring season.
For 18 years, from 1988-2006, Geatz was the head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Minnesota. During his tenure, the Golden Gophers won five Big Ten championships and put together a 45-match win streak in conference play (including four undefeated regular-season campaigns). Geatz was a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year and also earned NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors once. His teams had a streak of 12 straight NCAA Championship appearances, and he led the program to a No. 10 national ranking which was its highest ever. Individually, Geatz coached Harsh Mankad to the No. 1 position nationally in singles.
Camp Director: Weeks 1-6, Week 10
Ellah Nze
Camp Director
The Penn Tennis Camp
Ellah Nze (pronounced N-Zee) was named the Manager of the Hecht/Hamlin Tennis Centers in March 2016 and is entering her fifth season as the Director for the Penn Tennis Camp. A Baltimore native, she began playing tennis at the age of 5 and by age 14 relocated to Florida to receive top training from the USTA (United States Tennis Association) High Performance coaches and the world renowned program at Saddlebrook Tennis Academy. As a junior tennis player, Ellah competed in all four Grand Slams (US Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open and French Open) and all the other top tier national and international junior tournaments. She was consistently ranked in the top 5 in the United States in all age divisions and top 50 in the world (ITF junior) rankings. While still an amateur in high school, she also competed on the ITF Pro Circuit winning three ITF Pro Circuit events reaching a career high WTA ranking of 478.
DAILY SCHEDULE
The following schedules are sample schedules of our camps. These are provided to give a rough idea of how each camp is programmed throughout the day.
| DAILY SCHEDULE: | |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m – 9:00 a.m | Camp Check In |
| 9:00 a.m – 9:15 am | Introduce Camp staff and go over rules, sportsmanship, etiquette and safety |
| 9:15 a.m – 12:00 pm | Morning tennis instruction/ drills based on the camp motto of Fun and Fundamentals. Introduce and demonstrate stroke of the day. |
| 12 p.m – 1:15 p.m | Lunch in the UPenn dining hall (All you can eat) |
| 01:15 p.m – 03:00 p.m | Match Play/ Skills testing and Competition sessions |
| 03:00 p.m – 03:30 p.m | Pick up for full day campers |
| 03:00 p.m – 06:00 p.m | Extended Day starts for all campers who need to stay for late pick up times. |
FACILITY
HECHT & HAMLIN TENNIS CENTERS
The Hecht Tennis Center has eight indoor tennis courts and is open daily. The facilities are made up of eight glare-free Devoe illuminated courts with well paced Plexi Pave surfaces and seasonal air conditioning. There is a spacious observation deck that overlooks the front four courts. Showers and lockers available. Each player must provide their own lock and towel.
The Hamlin Center has 12 all weather courts in a beautiful park setting with views of the Philadelphia skyline. The facility has stadium seating for several hundred and is open daily. There are no restroom/shower facilities available by the outdoor courts, however restrooms/showers are available at the Hecht Tennis Center. Patrons must check-in at the Hecht Tennis Center and receive a ticket prior to playing on the courts.
UTR Rated Matches (Match Play only)
All matches in our tournament / match play (high school and tournament level players) will be included and added to the UTR rating system. For more information on the UTR System – please click HERE