Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

The Art of Outstanding Tennis, Rafa-style

The Art of Outstanding Tennis, Rafa-style
Rafa Nadal will not be making an appearance in Lakeville for the June tennis camp offered by the Rafa Nadal Academy; and probably the academy’s leader, coach Toni Nadal, won’t make it either. But the tennis instruction will be in the Nadal model. This photo of Rafa and “Uncle Toni” is from Wimbledon, 2014. 
Photo by Shaida Jacobs

Fans of the Spanish tennis great will be disappointed that Rafael Nadal will not come in person to the week-long Rafa Nadal Tennis Camp in Lakeville, Conn., this July.

“No, Rafa won’t be there,” camp organizer David Evans said apologetically when asked the question by email. “Maybe Uncle Toni,” he offered helpfully, referring to longtime coach (and uncle) Toni Nadal. He was kidding.

While tennis fans won’t have the thrill of seeing the handsome sports superstar, they can get a little piece of what made Nadal famous at the camp, which offers training for juniors and adults.

The camp will be held at The Hotchkiss School from July 5 to 9 and promises 38 hours of training in “modern and creative tennis — an attractive, technically/tactically skilled, forward-playing game.”

Training is mainly for players with tennis experience, although there are also private lessons available. The main focus is on serious players from ages 10 to 18. There is a high-performance program that meets daily from 4 to 7 p.m. (girls who participate need a Universal Tennis Ranking of 6, boys need a minimum of 7).

Programs for adults in doubles and singles are offered for 1.5 hours each on two days; private lessons are also available.

“The coaches all come from the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain,” Evans said. And yes, Uncle Toni oversees the coaching methodology for the camp.

There should be enough staff to ensure that only four players are in each training group with a single coach.

 

The Rafa Nadal Academy at The Hotchkiss School runs from July 5 to 9 and costs $995. Find out more at www.athena.rafanadalacademycamps.com/tennis-clinics-connecticut.

Latest News

Millerton kicks of 175th celebration

Millerton kicks of 175th celebration

Joey Duncan decorates his bicycle at the Irondale Schoolhouse on Saturday, July 11, in anticipation of wowing visitors and spectators as part of the kickoff parade for Millerton’s nine-day 175th anniversary celebration.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLERTON — The village’s 175th anniversary celebration kicked off Saturday, July 11, with a full day of activities for children, families and attendees of all ages.

Millerton will spend the next week celebrating its anniversary, commemorating the village’s history since the arrival of the Harlem Valley Railroad in 1851, a moment that the village’s founding fathers and historians have long heralded as the birth of the community.

Keep ReadingShow less
Landowners question Flock camera placement

A Flock Safety-manufactured license plate-reading camera near Millerton.

Photo By Graham Corrigan

License plate reading cameras have sprung up on private property across northeast Dutchess County, but property owners have said they don’t have formal agreements and often disagreed with the chosen install locations.

Julie Schroeder, the owner of Silamar Farm just outside Millerton, said she agreed to let the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Department install a Flock Safety camera on her property more than two years ago. “I wanted them to put it by the woods,” she said, “to the north of us.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Millbrook Fire Company carnival returns to Franklin Avenue

Children enjoy a spin in a carnival ride at the 2025 Fire Department Carnival in Millbrook.

Photo By Charlie Greenberg

MILLBROOK — This weekend, evenings in Millbrook will be filled with rides, games, live music, food, and a celebration put on by and for the local volunteer fire department.

Wednesday, July 15, Millbrook will be hosting their annual Millbrook Fire Department Carnival. Lasting four days, the event culminates on July 18, with a parade down Franklin Avenue starting off the evening.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

North East officials expected to limit EMS mutual aid

MILLERTON — North East Fire District commissioners have asked Town of North East officials to limit emergency medical service dispatches to Pine Plains and Milan.

A group of fire district commissioners including Millerton Fire Department Chief Keith Roger spoke at the North East Town Board meeting on Thursday, July 9, raising concerns over how often North East’s contracted ambulances are dispatched to Pine Plains and Milan for lower-priority calls.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sharon Hospital moves closer to renovation of Medical Arts Building

The Planning and Zoning Commission has tabled a proposal to expand and renovate Sharon’s Medical Arts Building pending an independent engineering review.

Photo by Allison Gollenberg

SHARON, Conn. — A proposed expansion and renovation of Sharon’s Medical Arts Building was tabled by the Planning and Zoning Commission on July 8 after commissioners requested an independent engineering review of the application. Stormwater runoff was their primary concern.

The project at 29 Hospital Hill Road, across from Sharon Hospital, calls for adding office space, improving accessibility and expanding parking to accommodate the hospital’s growing needs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dover to dedicate football field to longtime Town Justice

DOVER PLAINS — The Dover Union Free School District Board of Education has approved naming the Dover High School football stadium in honor of longtime Town Justice Redmond “Renny” Abrams, recognizing decades of service to the community and support for the school’s athletic programs.

The board passed a resolution last month naming the campus football stadium in honor of Abrams.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.