What's all that racket?

You might want to head over to the IMG Academy in Bradenton this week if you want to catch the next Roger Federer, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick or Ana Ivanovic. They all played in the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships in Bradenton - and look what happened to them.

All next week the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy at the IMG facility will be buzzing as the top juniors from around the world slug it out.

This year more players from more places around the world sent in entry forms to have the opportunity to play in a tournament with age groups ranging from 18-under to 12-under. The numbers include almost 2,000 players from 200 countries.

There will be more than 30 of the top 100 ITF players in the world competing in the boys 18s division. Among the top Americans are Denis Vladimir Kudla, Mitchell H. Frank, Raymond Sarmiento, Harry Fowler, Junior Alexander Ore and Sekou Bangoura Jr., a Bradenton resident who will be playing tennis at the University of Florida.

Brit Heather Watson heads up the girls draw, having lost in the final in the girls 18s last year but won the 2009 Junior U.S. Open Championship in September. She is currently in the running to be named the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in Great Britain.

The top American in the girls 18s is Beatrice Capra, who is ranked No. 29 by the ITF and has a WTA ranking of 705. Also in the field is Madison Keys, who won the Eddie Herr 14s division two years ago. That same year Melanie Oudin won the 18s title.

The tournament is open to the public at no charge. Call IMG Academies at 755-1000 for more information. For more details see the Bradenton Herald story here

And while you're there, why not stay in the best vacation rental accommodation available, with properties to suit everyone at www.annamaria.com

Beat the crowds, book smart

Here's an interesting piece from the Smarter Travel website: www.smartertravel.com

November, December, and January tend to be hectic months, with several major holidays crammed into a short period. There are family celebrations to plan, gifts to purchase, and feasts to coordinate. Certainly, there's no time to take a vacation, right?
Wrong! If you have any flexibility in your schedule, you'll want to consider planning a trip immediately after the holidays to take advantage of low travel periods and great bargains. Known in the industry as travel "dead weeks," the weeks following Thanksgiving and New Year's (first week of December, first week of January) show a major drop in travel and tend to be a great time to snag a bargain.

This year, it seems you can find great deals through mid-December and throughout much of January, offering even greater flexibility. If you can extend your vacation time this year, or backload your vacation days following either holiday, you'll be able to find a deal on nearly any type of trip, from sunny getaways to ski outings and city escapes to secluded resorts.

It's a very valid point, and if you fancy taking advantage of some truly fantastic special offers check out www.annamaria.com for online discounts that will take your breath away. But never fear, there's no better place to regain your composure than Anna Maria Island, a jewel of a place on Florida's Gulf Coast.

See you there soon...