In its eighth year, the four-week tennis summer camp at Desert View High School is introducing children like 4-year-old Lupita to a sport normally associated with privileged country club members.
"There is an interest in the sport in this community," instructor Stacy Haines said. "It is just giving the kids the opportunity to actually learn it and feel that they can compete."
The interest has grown from the mere eight individuals who attended the camp in its first year in 1998 to 59 participants this summer.
Haines, the Desert View girls tennis coach, has been at the helm of the camp since it moved from Pueblo High School to Desert View.
The camp was conceived by Pueblo boys tennis coach John Davis.
"In 15 years (as a coach) I have had five players come with their own rackets," Davis said.
The majority of participants are from the South Side community, but one managed to make her way from Sabino High School. Kim Tham, 16, makes the 30-minute commute each morning to practice proper footwork and work on her service game.
"They have great coaches," Tham said. "I thought it would be a good way to improve my tennis game for next year," when Tham is hoping to make Sabino's varsity team.
Also making a significant journey to receive the instruction is Luis Alcala.
The 14-year-old attends Sahuarita High School and travels by bus to the tennis camp. However, he says the one-hour ride is well worth it.
"It means I am willing to get better at tennis since it is something that I do like," Alcala said. "It is something really great to me and I am quite honored to be here."
Alcala is not the only one honored to be at the camp. The five coaches, all of whom have either played collegiately or are still playing, share the players' sentiments.
"I think the kids' work ethic is great," said Jessie Rochefort, a junior on the UA women's tennis team. "They are always out here before we even get here."
Rochefort is back for her second year of coaching at the camp.
"Sometimes you go to other places and they are sent by their parents, but these kids are here on their own," she said.
Lupita Gamez was not there on her own. She has followed older siblings Francisco, Allan and Leslie to camp for the past two years.
And if she is as persistent as she is at 4, swinging over and over until she whacks the ball, she may eventually follow the eight students who have come before her and earned college scholarships.
"The sport does so much for these kids," Haines said. "They learn self-discipline, problem-solving and self-reliance, because it is only them out there."
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