37th annual Tennis Camp attracts youths to Soyuzivka resort

by Petrusia Sawchak

KERHONKSON, N.Y. - A phenomenon of summer for youngsters is going to camp. For some, going to Soyuzivka after school ends in June to learn and improve tennis and make new friends is a natural.

This year 30 youngsters between the ages of 12 and 18 attended Tennis Camp at Soyuzivka, the Ukrainian National Association resort in the beautiful Shawangunk Mountains of New York state. Many repeat campers arrived, as did the children of former tennis campers like Dr. Hilary Cholhan who brought his three sons, Larko, Christian and Remy.

"I wanted my sons to experience the same great times I had at camp many many years ago," said Dr. Cholhan. Evhen Serba reiterated these same sentiments when he came with his son Greg. Andrij Charchalis, frequent tennis tournament player at Soyuzivka and former counselor, brought his children Katherine and Oles for the past two years.

The 37th annual camp was held from June 20 to July 2 and was directed by George Sawchak, the director of the camp since its inception. He is also a United States Tennis Association organizer, ranked tennis player and instructor and a tennis director of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK).

Joining Mr. Sawchak as a teacher was Yuri Kusina from California, a United States Professional Tennis Association coach. Off-court, Olya Czerkas, a schoolteacher from St. Petersburg, Fla., provided 24-hour supervision. Marko Czerkas and Tanya Skvirska served as counselors, and Petrusia Sawchak, a high school teacher, also aided off-court activities and supervision.

The program at the camp consisted of five to six hours per day of basic stroke instructions, strategy and competitive play. Campers began each morning with calisthenics, followed by detailed instructions about one of the basic strokes. Throughout the day, the campers practiced that stroke under the supervision of the tennis instructors and counselors. The evening sessions were devoted to competitive free play to execute the newly learned stroke in competitive play.

This year's camp was noted for its high level of enthusiasm for the sport of tennis. Many of the campers opted to practice tennis even after the session was over. More experienced players initiated games with each other during free time, and beginners were motivated to practice their strokes, overcoming their frustration level.

Besides playing tennis, the campers swam in Soyuzivka's Olympic-size swimming pool, participated in several camp dances, enjoyed a bonfire and played other sports during their free time. Impromptu soccer games and volleyball matches, particularly those against the Soyuzivka's worker teams were especially lively. The campers also attended the resort's popular social event "Hutsul Night."

The last several days of the camp were devoted to both singles and doubles tournaments in various groups. There were four competitive groups in this year's camp - two boys' divisions, one girls' division and a mixed group. The tournament was organized in a round-robin format with all players in each group competing against each.

The singles tournament results were as follows:

• Girls - 1. Katherine Charchalis, 2. Andrea Kusina, 3. Alyssa Kowcz;
  
  
• Boys I - 1. Adam Ogonowski, 2. Christian Cholhan, 3. Larko Cholhan;
  
  
• Boys II - 1. Alex Hryhorowych, 2. John Puhalla, 3. Chris Benoit and Nick Chomut (tied);
  
  
• Mixed Group - 1. Laryssa Boyko, 2. Victoria Kononchuk, 3. Maksym Mycak.

The winners of both the Girls and Boys I groups, Katherine Charchalis and Adam Ogonowski, were repeat winners from last year.

Results of the doubles tournaments were as follows:

• Girls - 1. Andrea Kusina and Anissa Boyko, 2. Christina Vorobets and Aika Danayeva;
  
  
• Boys I - 1. Mikhaylo Szczupak and Larko Cholhan, 2. Adam Ogonowski and Remy Cholhan;
  
  
• Boys II - 1. Chris Benoit and Julian Chernyk, 2. John Puhalla and Alex Roik;
  
  
• Mixed Group - 1. Andrew Labunka and Tatiana Skvirska, 2. Maksym Mycak and Laryssa Boyko.

At the closing banquet held in Soyuzivka's renovated dining room on Thursday night, all the campers were presented with certificates of attendance and camp memory booklets with addresses of all the participants. Tournament winners and finalists were awarded trophies and memorable patches.

The coveted Best Camper Awards selected by the staff were awarded to Victoria Kononchuk, Andrea Kusina, Greg Serba and Mikhaylo Szczupak. The evening ended with a farewell dance.

In his remarks, Mr. Sawchak thanked his staff for their hard work and encouraged the campers to continue playing and practicing all they had learned in camp. Campers left Soyuzivka with many fond memories, with many saying they would return next year.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, August 1, 2004, No. 31, Vol. LXXII

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