The big difference is match play! Our goal is to apply what you have learned at tennis clinics or camps and bring your game to the next level. The best way to do this is by playing a lot of tournament matches in a short period of time. Our coaches will watch your matches and work with you on correcting any mistakes they observe.

Our players are 14 to 18 years old. As teams fill, we monitor the ages of the players to make sure the team is developing appropriately for all participants

You must have mastered the basics and be ready for tournament play. A general yardstick is that you play on your high school varsity tennis team or strong junior varsity team. If you are not sure about your level, we will talk to your local tennis pro to determine if you are appropriate for our program or, if possible, see you play on court. In addition, we require two teacher and one tennis coach recommendation before final acceptance.

While we practice at least 2-4 hours on non-match days, our main focus is tournament play. In North America we play in strong Southern California circuits while our overseas teams play on red clay against the European juniors. Skills that we focus on include consistency, movement on the court, match strategies, and placement. We also help you develop patience and, most importantly, mental toughness.

For high school varsity players who are just beginning tournaments, we concentrate on refining stroke production and emphasize improvement of match play skills to move the player up on his/her school team or help gain a first ranking. For USTA ranked players, our number one priority is to have our players fulfill their USTA ranking requirements and then travel with us and get tough competition against world class juniors. This is done by playing on a red clay surface in Europe which improves mental toughness, and working with a professional tennis staff experienced in working with top juniors.

In North America, we usually have 16 to 18 players on a team, with three full time coaches. In Europe and Australia we limit teams to 14 to 15 players with two full time coaches. We try to keep the team evenly split between males and females.

• Match Play — and plenty of it
• Travel, train and live together as a USA Team
• Become self-reliant, responsible and develop friendships that last a lifetime
• Increase your zest for tennis and make it a sport for a lifetime
• Develop a better work ethic while also having FUN
• Credential for college resume

Safety, health and security are our top priorities. Our tennis coach/chaperones are with the players 24/7 and sleep in the hotels with the teams. As with Olympic and USTA overseas teams, we prohibit smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs. Nightly curfews will be enforced. Our Directors and Assistant Directors are hands-on, constantly visiting teams on site throughout the summer. A list of rules is provided to all players and parents prior to the summer, and these rules will be enforced.

This all depends on your itinerary. Most teams in Europe remain at a location for one week. This gives you an opportunity to explore each place and visit the major sights. In North America we are generally at a location for at least five days before moving on to the next stop.

Depending on the particular trip, we use air flights, European trains and minivans. In Europe, any travel under six to eight hours is by train and any travel over that amount is usually by air. In North America, if we are only traveling in Southern California, that travel is by van and is not more than several hours long. We fly from the Bay area to Seattle and to and around the Hawaiian Islands. On the Down Under Team, we generally fly among Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney.

We stay in clean, comfortable hotels, ranging from Marriotts in California to the Ibis or Best Westerns in Europe. In locations like Mallorca and Hawaii, we often use resort hotels or apartments which feature water sports and other facilities on site.

In Europe when off the court we immerse ourselves in cultural sights like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, Ramblas, harbor cruises and canal tours, etc. In North America we visit many scenic locations from Whistler to Volcano National Park. We also attend evening activities from rock concerts, baseball games, soccer games, BBQ, etc.

TENNIS: EUROPE is a valuable credential to gain admission to the college of your choice. Among highly competitive colleges, admissions officers and coaches are looking for those experiences that go beyond the academic classroom and distinguish one student from another. TENNIS: EUROPE’s value and reputation are recognized nationwide. Our network of over 4,600 alumni and college coaches throughout the country enhances the credibility of applicants. Dr. Vinokur, a Certified Guidance Counselor, has assisted trip participants in the college admissions process for over three decades. In fact, he has spoken at College Tennis Days in several USTA sections and at the National Convention of the USPTA. In many cases the directors speak to college coaches on behalf of our players.

TENNIS: EUROPE offers a total of $12,000 in matching grants each summer for players traveling to Europe or Australia. We will match up to $1,000 per person for trips over 22 days or $750 for our 11 day mini-trips. You can raise your part of the money through a job, fund-raiser or sponsor other than your parents. Contact us for our Matching Grant application with full details. The application also includes valuable fund-raising suggestions.