Physical Fitness - Tennis Camp:
Gaining That Edge During Summer Break

Tuesday, July 14, 1998

By Art Redd
SJSports Staff Writer

With high school sports put on hold for the summer, you would think that students would be enjoying their days off. With all of their free time, most would enjoy themselves at the beach, visiting family and friends or maybe having fun at some amusement park. There are those students trying to gain that extra edge over the break by preparing themselves for the upcoming fall and winter sports. Some students are getting that professional training to push themselves beyond their expected limits.

That's where Gregory "Graig" White has stepped in to help students polish up on their tennis skills. Nicole Henderson and Kristy Romeo have been getting that special training during Graig White's week long camp at Rutgers Camden. The camp is geared toward a physical training program while working on the tennis game. His goal while training is to provide a relaxed atmosphere with a well balanced workout routine. During the week, over 130 kids have attended the camp. This is the third year that the program has been in existence. "My goal is to introduce kids to tennis," said Graig White. "This program is to create players that can compete at the high school level."

That's the main reason Nicole Henderson joined the program. Her dad, Malcolm, got her into the camp and she has enjoyed it. Henderson, an 8th grader at Voorhees Middle School, said "I like this program because of the size and the extra attention I'm getting." She also has attended the Arthur Ashe Youth Center in Philly for the past three years during the winter. Henderson plans to attend Eastern Regional High School. "I really want to make the team as a freshman. That's the reason why I'm going through the extra training."

This camp was not just for middle and high school students. Kristy Romeo, a graduate from Hammonton High School, took advantage of the program. She also helps out Graig White with the tennis camp along with Henderson. "He's excellent and makes it alot of fun," Romeo said of Graig White. Planning to attend Rice University as an English major, she wants to excel even more at the college level at tennis and track. She has enjoyed tennis ever since her dad got her interested by hitting the ball around. So when her mom, an employee at Rutgers, found out about the program, she took full advantage of the opportunity.

Graig White has trained several students thought the summer this year. As a certified strength training instructor, his goal is to take each student and make them a better athlete. The reward he gets is seeing each student he worked with obtains the goals that they have set for themselves.

Photos by Art Redd