Tennis camp busy at ABAC

Jun. 22—TIFTON — The weather has been, in short, oppressively hot for the last couple of weeks. However, that did not stop Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College tennis coach Dale White from a record crowd at his recent camp.

White reported 49 at the Red Hill Athletic Center. "That's the most I've ever had," he said. Participants were "mostly local," but stretching from a wider area as well. There is a usual crew who come in each year from Jeff Davis County.

Tennis camp was all day from June 13-16. The only respite from the blazing sun was on the second day during an afternoon thunderstorm. Lessons continued in the gymnasium.

White likes the impact it makes. Campers get familiar with ABAC and its campus, which hopefully will pay off when they leave high school.

As to what they work on in camp, "Everything," he said. Participants are middle school and high school ages. Specific instruction was in the mornings, with games putting those skills to test in the afternoons. Matches were a mix of singles and doubles.

"We try to make it fun," said White. He said he's fortunate in that many of the campers had been there before. They know the format and what is expected of them.

Besides the camp, White remains busy shaping up the 2023 teams. Currently, he is making sure forms are sent and returned, notably the I-20 form, which is for international nonimmigrant students.