KERHONKSON, N.Y. – With 80 percent of the campers from previous years returning, youngsters were very much familiar with the routines of the 12-day Tennis Camp and eager to start another one on Sunday, June 24. Many had texted each other weeks before camp began to ensure that their friends were coming.
What’s amazing is that some campers have come back for three or four consecutive years. They come because of the tennis instruction and the friendships they have made at this special place called Soyuzivka Heritage Center, set in the beautiful Shawangunk Mountain Range area south of the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York.
Maya Lew
The campers dressed for Hutsul Night at Soyuzivka.
This year the campers ranged in age from 10 to 16 and stayed in Camp Lviv. Day campers, some who are younger and whose siblings attend “Tabir Ptashat,” (Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization’s day camp for children age 4-6), stayed with their parents. Some, like the Bula family, have parents who attended Tennis Camp many years ago, and some of the parents met their spouses there as well.
The staff included the director of the tennis camp, George (Yuriy) Sawchak, who is heavily involved with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Middle States Sectional Competitions as a player and sectional captain. He was assisted alternately by Leda Kopach and certified tennis professional Tetiana Sawchak (USPTA), both past champions of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK), as well as Don Kopach, also an accomplished tennis player and USCAK champion.
Petrusia Sawchak
The tournament’s winners and second-place finishers with Yuriy Sawchak and counselors.
This year’s counselors were Ariadna Louer, who also teaches tennis at the YMCA in Pennsylvania during the summer and is preparing for college in the fall, and newcomer Stephen Sosiak, a college sophomore. Katya Kopach, a college freshman, was a part-time counselor.
Completing the staff were Camp Lviv supervisor Olya Czerkas and coordinator/administrator Petrusia Sawchak, both public school teachers by profession. The camp nurse was Natalia Swyrydenko Girardi.
There were three sessions of tennis instruction each day: the morning session at 9 a.m. (beginning with some exercises executed with music to make it livelier), the 2 p.m. session and the after-dinner session, usually at 7 p.m., with supervised free-play activities. Campers were given instruction in the basics of tennis: proper strokes, serves, game strategies and court etiquette. A tournament was held during the second week of camp.
Yuriy Sawchak
During the presentation of Best Campers Awards (from left) are: Petrusia Sawchak, Tamara Tracz, Natalia Bula, Ivanna Voloshchak, Daniel Mazur, Adam Bis, Ariadna Louer, Stephen Sosiak and Olya Czerkas.
The emphasis was always on tennis, but there was always plenty of off-court activity, especially at the pool, because the second week was extremely hot this year with temperatures in the high 90s. As is the custom at Tennis Camp during rainy afternoons (only one this year), the campers were taught how to polka by Ms. Czerkas in the Veselka Hall. Campers attended Hutsul Night dressed in their Ukrainian “vyshyvanky” (embroidered finery) and enjoyed Ukrainian-style food. They ended the evening by dancing to their favorite tunes.
During the weekend, 11 campers participated in the eastern championships of USCAK. Campers attended the dance on Saturday night to a live band on the Veselka deck.
A banquet was held at the culmination of the camp. Organizers made the dinner a “learning experience” in social etiquette. The campers, attired in party clothes, were treated to Shirley Temples and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres. Many parents attended the banquet as well. Chef Andrey Sonevytsky, who provided excellent meals during the camp, outdid himself in making the banquet extra special, and hostess Marianka Hawryluk always made sure every detail was addressed.
During the banquet, each camper received a certificate of attendance from Mr. Sawchak. Trophies were also presented to tournament winners and second-place winners.
Girls’ tournament winners (round-robin format):
• First group: first place – Natalia Bula, second place – Diana Kozenyatko;
• Second group: first place – Violetta Szuper, second place – Sophia Nickelberg;
• Third group: first place – Tamara Tracz, second place – Agnes Hatalevych.
Boys’ tournament winners (round-robin format):
• First group: first place – Lucas Bula, second-place tie – Dan Bula and Adam Bis. This tie was resolved the next day with a 10-point tiebreak with Daniel Bula winning;
• Second group: first place – Mark Mazur, second place – Ivan Cienki.
The coveted Best Camper Awards were decided by the entire tennis staff based on behavior on and off the courts. The winners were Ivanna Voloshchak, Natalia Bula, Adam Bis and Daniel Mazur. This year a Best Day Camper Award was given to Tamara Tracz.
The counselors, Ms. Louer and Mr. Sosiak, presented special fun awards to the campers that added a little levity to the occasion. After dancing, the evening ended with the singing of “Nich Vzhe Ide” (Night is Falling).
The next day the campers met again, with some playing more tennis. Final farewells were exchanged on July 5.
Petrusia Sawchak
Exercise time with Leda Kopach.