Tennis is a beloved sport on the East End, and an activity that many can’t wait to engage in during the summer months. With so many camps for kids to choose from in the Hamptons whether it be arts, science, or sports, Mimpify asserts itself as one of the best camps in Southampton, dedicated solely to tennis.
Coaches Dimitar Pamukchiyan and Wena Tsan have extensive backgrounds in the sport of tennis, both previously competing at the collegiate and professional level, and they decided to start Mimpify three years ago following the pandemic. Dimitar says, “We initially built on the mission to give kids a sense of normalcy when COVID was at its peak. We were just a couple of regular tennis professionals who love being outdoors and active, and we felt like that freedom was compromised. For young children, their entire daily routine was thrown off. No outdoor activities with friends. Schools were closed. Sleepaway camps were cancelled. Sporting competitions were postponed. Kids could not just be kids anymore.”
Mimpify Summer Tennis Camp runs in conjunction with Southampton High School Tennis, and it is offered as a half-day program. The coaches noted that with a low coach to player ratio, kids will receive more personalized attention to learn and improve in a shorter period of time. The camp is open to the public and is also accessible to Southampton District students with a special flat rate for participating. The coaches say that this year in particular they are excited to be running a summer tennis camp on the newly resurfaced seven hard courts at Southampton High School.
Dimitar and Wena expressed that, “In order to build strong athletic programs in schools, we must be able to provide the opportunity and the exposure for the kids. And we must start them from a young age. With the right people, and the right coaches, which we have come to learn this community is overflowing with, we can all work together to develop not only great athletes, great teams, but also great students that will be great members of communities everywhere.” This vision is shared by the coaches at Mimpify and Southampton High School’s head tennis coach, Richard aka “Juni.”
Coaches Dimitar and Wena also offer quality and elite private tennis lessons at home, for individuals and groups, kids, and adults of all levels. Additionally, they offer private multisport camps and birthday parties for kids ages 2-12. Dimitar says, “Growing up, we both played many different sports, and picked up many different skills that allowed us to be fully rounded athletes and excel in tennis. Our goal was to get kids outside, teach, and coach them on how to move, run, jump, throw, kick, and most importantly have fun. Whether it was tennis, yard games, or other sports we wanted to get them active and engaged. Since summer camp was cancelled in 2020, we thought why not bring summer camp to them! Right in the backyard of homes, kids with their siblings and close friends had something fun and exciting they could look forward to.”
Mimpify has not steered far from their initial mission when they began in 2020. The coaches say, “We believe in maintaining the physical health outlet that has been linked with increased self-esteem, reduced stress and anxiety, and elevated academic and professional achievement not only for children, but adults as well. Whether you are getting your children to learn a new sport or simply want to improve the family’s collective physical and mental fitness, we want to provide the resources to do so in a fun, friendly, and easy-going environment.”
Coach Dimitar was born and raised in Varna, Bulgaria. He has been coaching tennis in the Hamptons for the last 12 summers. He says, “Tennis has taught me so many life lessons that I still use to this day, like how to never give up, how to respect people, how to be a team player, as well as how to overcome difficult obstacles by myself. With each loss, I learned more about myself and how I can improve. The ability to self-motivate and to keep pushing forward has not only helped me in my tennis game, but also throughout all my life experiences.” He went on to say that tennis is not about winning or losing, and he wants to share what he knows and has experienced firsthand with all his students.
Coach Wena is from Kuching, Malaysia, and has been in love with tennis since she was introduced to the sport by her uncle at five years old. She says, “Tennis is a meaningful sport to me because in many ways, it reflects our daily life experiences. Tennis legend Andre Agassi said it best in his best-selling book, ‘It’s no accident that tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature.’”
The word Mimpi means “Dream” in Malay, which is Coach Wena’s native language. The coaches spoke about how “Mimpify” means to make dreams work. They say, “When we first started working together before beginning Mimpify, we always had a saying, ‘Teamwork! Make the dream work!’ And here we are!”
Coaches Dimitar and Wena are excited to meet many new faces this summer, and to build relationships for years to come. They say, “Our reward comes in the form of laughs and smiles. When our players achieve the smallest of successes, we cannot wait to celebrate them just so we can see the joy on their faces. This is what it is truly all about for us, to see them have fun while learning and growing at the same time.”
The coaches expressed how sports provide experiences and knowledge that can’t always be learned in classrooms. “Starting sports from a young age, kids can learn to experience excitement, joy, sadness, anger, patience, anxiousness, nervousness, and so much more. The more they experience these emotions, the more they can learn to self-regulate. As they grow older, they will have the ability to look within themselves for acknowledgements and be able to self-motivate to overcome life’s obstacles.”
Dimitar and Wena love connecting with people from all walks of life and exchanging life experiences and stories. Most of their clientele have blossomed into long-term friendships and they are excited to keep building new relationships here in the wonderful East End community. They concluded by saying, “We strive to always give our best on and off the court!”
To learn more about the coaches, Mimpify Summer Tennis Camp, and the programs they offer, visit https://www.mimpify.com.
