Walla Walla Valley is known most prominently for its wheat fields, the Blue Mountains and, of course, wine country. Often called “the Napa Valley of Washington state,” thousands of tourists come far and wide year-round to experience around 2,800 acres of grapes and around 120 wineries, some of which are nationally ranked. According the their official website, the Tennis and Wine Camps began a few years ago with only 12 clients. Now, according to Kattie Pak, a Whitman women’s tennis player assisting with the program this year, “they sell out within hours.” So what makes it so special? In addition, why does it matter to Whitman as a community?

The program’s website is able to answer this first crucial question with the following statement:

“Tennis and Wine Camps has proved to be a unique adult tennis camp that combines tennis coaching from some of the top college coaches and tennis professionals in the nation with an outstanding food and wine experience in one the top wine locations in the world. There is a reason that our camps have grown from one camp to eight camps in a few years – a truly unique fun and worthwhile experience.”

In regards to its connection to the Whitman community, Pak also tells us that the purpose of the tennis and wine camps is to “raise money for the tennis program, but also putting on a high level performance camp for adults that basically feels like a summer camp!” Pak also tells us that the camps are crucial to the tennis program as the money from these programs goes towards buying both the men’s and women’s programs new gear and even sending them on international trips, like the trip men’s tennis took last year to Cambodia.

The next camp is a Pro-Am Camp; the camp will start on Oct. 26 and continue through Oct. 28. This camp includes tennis drills, doubles play with the Whitman tennis teams and evening winemaker dinners.