| |
The Woodbridge Tennis Club
Junior Tennis Program
The Woodbridge Tennis Club Facility
Set lakeside at both of its beautiful locations, The Woodbridge Tennis Club is situated right in the heart of Irvine, a family oriented residential city in the middle of Southern California's Orange County.
With 24 hardcourts -- 10 at the South Lake venue, 10 at the North Lake venue, and 4 other courts within the Woodbridge community -- all surrounded by beautifully maintained grounds within a gated complex, you'd be hard pressed to find a more pleasant place to play tennis. And that's before you take into account Orange County's perfect, all year round tennis climate.
 
The Beautifully Maintained Grounds at The Woodbridge Tennis Club in Irvine, Orange County, Southern California.
Add to that a friendly staff and a junior tennis program that caters to beginners through to some of Southern California’s best junior tennis players, what you’ve got is a tennis environment that is as pleasant as anywhere in the world.
The Woodbridge Tennis Club Staff
Since settling in Southern California in early 2006, I’ve been fortunate enough to team up with Woodbridge’s Director of Tennis, Chuck Brymer, and the rest of his coaching staff.
The club, which is professionally managed by Chuck and his wife, Mary, has a tremendous reputation throughout Irvine and Orange County, due to the competence of the staff and the "hard-work" ethos of Woodbridge's dynamic junior tennis program.
 
Chuck Brymer -- Director of Tennis Bij Noroozi -- Junior Tennis Director
What makes the club so successful is that Chuck's team, comprising of Bij Noroozi (Director of Junior Development), Jim Strong (South Lake Pro), Jarrid Baldogo (South Lake Pro), Webster Peterson (South Lake Pro), Tim Ludeke (North Lake Pro) and Justin Zillman (North Lake Pro) is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the Woodbridge tennis community is well looked after, and that every player in the junior program receives personal attention.
The Woodbridge Tennis Club Junior Program
Catering to the whole range of abilities, from the novice to high level national tournament players, Woodbridge’s dynamic junior tennis program is all about providing the right blend of technical and strategic instruction, combined with plenty of competitive opportunities in an environment that demands excellence -- from both players and coaches -- every step of the way.
Fewer in numbers than the major tennis academies, this allows for the Woodbridge Coaching Team to take a close personal interest in the development of the program's participants.
The Players
In the younger age groups, Woodbridge players are really making their mark on the Southern California junior tournament scene. In June, 2006, in the Southern California Junior Sectionals (effectively the Southern California Junior Tennis Championships) Boys 12 and unders, Reo Asami, Jonathan Huang and Nathan Lewis finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and David Blakeley came in 7th.
In the same tournament, Mayo Hibi finished 4th in the Girls 10’s, with Melissa Huang and Yuki Asami also turning in highly creditable results in the same age group. In the Boys 10’s, Stefan Doehler also did really well, reaching the quarter finals.
Since June 2006, Jonathan Huang has gone on to achieve the Number One Ranking in the Boys 12’s in the USA (Sept 1st, 2006), a significant achievement, and, in December, Reo Asami, won the Boys 12's Orange Bowl in Miami, and then followed that up with a win in the US Boys 12's Winter Nationals in Tucson, Arizona. As a result, Reo finished 2006 the number one ranked 12 and under boy in the US.
Reo Asami - Winner of the Junior Orange Bowl 45th Intl. Tennis Championships, Dec 2006
In mid 2007, Joseph Di Giulio and Stefan Menichella joined the Woodbridge program. In November, Joseph won the Eddie Herr 12 and Under Boy's singles, and partnered Gage Brymer to make it to the final of the doubles, a match which the Woodbridge pair were more than unlucky to lose in highly controversial circumstances. Two weeks later, Joseph won the Boys 12's singles at the Orange Bowl, giving Woodbridge back to back titles at the most prestigious 12 and under tournament in the world.
Joseph DiGiulio - Winner of the Junior Orange Bowl 46th Intl. Tennis Championships, Dec 2007
In the Southern Californian junior rankings, Woodbridge players are rapidly becoming more and more prominent. Gage Brymer, after finishing # 3 in the Boys 10's year-end rankings in 2005, has already climbed to # 5 in his first year in the Boys 12's.
Jake De Vries, Gannon Daynes, Stefan Doehler, Jamie Zillman and Kevin Pham are all making rapid progress, as is young Maxwell Cancilla, a hard working eight year old who won the Little Mo International Event in the Boys 8's, and who is now (Dec 2006) on the verge of breaking into the Southern California top 10 in the Boys 10’s.
Jonathan Huang, Ranked Number One in the USA Boys 12's, Sept. 1st, 2006.
The Woodbridge girls are also doing extremely well, with 10 year old, Stephanie Hazell recently winning the Little Mo USA West Regional section, and who reached the quarter-finals in the Little Mo National finals in Texas in October. And with Krystal Lai doing well in the Girls 12's, the Lewis sisters, 8 year old, Geneva and 11 year old, Rochelle, both performing well in their first year of playing tournaments, and the fast improving Vahdat sisters, 9 year old, Nika, and 13 year old, Nakisa, the future for Woodbridge looks very bright.
Yuki Asami and Melissa Huang
By no means is the above an exhaustive list of the Woodbridge Tennis Club Program players; many others are winning tournaments in the novice and satellite events, of whom a number will certainly go on to compete well in open events.
Visiting Woodbridge's High Performance Junior Tennis Academy, Ivan Lendl demonstrates the forehand to a group of attentive young players.
You can check out the tentative 2006 Southern California Junior Rankings of Woodbridge players by clicking here.
>>> STOP PRESS >>>
Woodbridge Tennis Club Joins PRINCE's "Plugged In" High Performance Academy Program. Click here for details.
If you live in the Irvine or Orange County area, and you’re a young player or a young player's parent interested in optimal tennis development, give Mary Brymer or Jennifer Salvadori a call at the Woodbridge Tennis Club (949) 733-1100. Hopefully, due to the popularity of the junior program, there'll be a place available for you.
|
