WILL ACADEMY WORK IN CALIFORNIA?

Byline: JOE JARES 

It's surprising that it took so long, but California, the most fertile territory in the world for players, is finally getting into the tennis-academy business. Until now, Florida, led by Nick Bollettieri, has been the leader in educating foreign and domestic prodigies.

Andre Agassi, Carling Bassett Seguso, Monica Seles, Jimmy Arias, Anna Kournikova, Jared Palmer, Mary Pierce, Venus Williams, Jim Courier - they all have been on one of the Florida-academy assembly-line belts at one time or another.

Parents with plenty of money and talented kids might be pleased to learn that New Orleans-reared entrepreneur Mark Weil is starting the Weil Tennis Academy this fall in Ojai.

For $26,300 to $29,800 per student (cost depends on whether the student boards or commutes, and some other factors), Weil promises to provide first-rate academics and outstanding coaches. And even decent food catered by an Ojai restaurant.

I dislike the idea of families sending kids to boarding schools. I think in almost all cases, teen-agers are better off living with their parents. But for moms and dads who want their offspring to hone skills and earn college scholarships and maybe even win Wimbledon someday, Weil offers some terrific temptations.

He appears to be doing everything right:

Wayne Bryan, who owns a club in Somis, will be director of tennis. He is an excellent coach, as demonstrated by his twin sons, Bob and Mike, who just completed fine freshman seasons at Stanford.

``Nobody else out here is doing this,'' said Weil. ``Being in Southern California, I have access to the best coaches in the country.''

Skip Redondo will be head coach. He has a good reputation, and not just because his sister, Marita, and brother, Walter, were outstanding juniors. A bonus for Weil in hiring Redondo: Skip's son, Ryan, a highly ranked 14-year-old, has enrolled.

``Ryan is a legitimate phenom,'' said Weil, ``not only as a player but also as a person.''

(Weil said ex-Davis Cup and USC hero Stan Smith plans to send his 14-year-old daughter to the academy in the fall - all the way from their home in Hilton Head, S.C. Also enrolled, according to Weil, is Jieun Jacobs of Valencia, who was No. 1 in the girls' 14s last year.)

The site of the classrooms and courts is the Ojai Valley Racquet Club, which has 10 hardcourts and four clay courts. Club owner Karl Pope says his members will not be inconvenienced. He adds that Weil has kept all his promises so far, met all his obligations.

Dr. Carla DuPuis of California Lutheran U. in Thousand Oaks has been hired to direct the academic side.

There will be summer camps leading up to the fall term. Among the coaches signed up to teach: USC's Dick Leach, UCLA's Stella Sampras, Georgia's Manny Diaz and NCAA Coach of the Year Greg Patton of Boise State.

Ojai is a fine place for such an academy. The little Ventura County town already has Pope's well-run and attractive club, the Billy Martin-Glenn Bassett tennis camp at Thacher School (which has been running for more than 20 years) and the annual Ojai Tournament that attracts up to 6,000 entries in umpteen divisions.

Weil said he has 20 kids signed up for the fall and has room for only 10 to 12 more.

Skeptics, including me, will keep an eye on the Weil Academy. Will the tennis prodigies really have to study? Will some parents put ridiculous pressure on their kids and the coaches because they dream about prize-money riches down the line?

Stay tuned.

Local winners: The aforementioned Karl Pope is ranked No. 1 in the country with son Derek in the senior father-and-son division (wherein the old man has to be 60 or more). The Popes won the national indoors in Cincinnati three weeks ago and the national clay courts in Sarasota, Fla., last November.

Ex-Indiana U. player Derek, 20, has good genes. His mom, the late Paula Jean Myers Pope, was an Olympic diver. Dad Karl, a good basketball player for Hollywood High and the USC frosh, was prominent i(n the surfboard business (Morey-Pope boards) before starting his tennis club, and has authored a book on playing tennis in Europe. . . .

Dexter MacBride, pro at North Ranch CC in Westlake Village, is scheduled to undergo surgery today for a herniated disc.

He suffered the injury in the first set of the final of the 30s sectional recently in Studio City (``It just sorta went'') but went on to win the match anyway.

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Photo: WEIL