Top ten considerations for players and parents considering college tennis. Both scholarship and non scholarship.
1. Pick the school you would like to play. The primary schools that offer tennis teams are NCAA I, II, III, NAIA & NJCAA. In most cases, your level of experience, ranking and skill will determine which schools you are qualified to apply. For NCAA division I you should have experience playing at national tournaments as a junior with some successes. For the other divisions tournament experience, technique and mental toughness and ranking may qualify you for a position on a team.
2. Athletic scholarship, academic scholarship or plan to be a "walk on". Which is best for me? Athletic scholarships are available in abundance but there is fierce competition to receive one. Many of the top division 1 schools offer 8 full scholarships for the women and 4 for men. The Men's scholarships are commonly split into 1/2 and 1/4 scholarships and combined with academic scholarship to make up differences. The Women's teams that have eight full scholarships make "full" offers regularly. Women's teams with less than 8 full scholarships also do partials and combine with academics. Scholarships cover room, board, tuition, books, fees and some living expenses. (There are more scholarship for the girls because of Title 9. This rule require schools to offer the same number of scholarships for men and women and because of football women tend to get more scholarships in certain sports like tennis).
Non scholarship schools can offer academic scholarships and some of these can be very good! Non scholarships schools are typically a slightly lower level of competition and the pressure at these schools tends to be less because players are not being paid represent in competition. Don't fool yourself though, some of these schools especially the better ones have very good teams.
Walking on to a college team means no scholarship initially. Many coaches will encourage walk ons and encourage them to play with the incentive of future scholarship if results dictate. To walk on you still need the coaches permission.
3. Can they take my scholarship away? YES! The scholarship athletes sign for is good for one year. At the end of the year if you are not in the line up and/or contributing to team a cancellation of next year scholarship may be in order. Coaches usually help place players at new school when possible and appropriate. Also, poor grades, behavior, inability to function on the team, bad attitude and immaturity can all lead to a scholarship not being renewed (or revoked). Most coaches go into scholarship contracts with the intent to keep the player for the remainder of players eligibility. But there are NO guarantees. This is why it is important to pick the right school the first time.
4. Your school choice should have the broad areas of study that will help your career. Before picking a school for tennis make sure they offer the academic area you would like to study. It's a good idea to pick a school that has many choices if there's a chance of you switching majors. Most schools have policies for athletics and allow athletes to miss classes without punishment as long as all work is completed on time. Being a student athletes has its perks but remember you have to fight for your education do not expect it to be handed to you. The same way NOBODY is purposely going to hand you a tennis match. Getting a good job based on your academics should be the main goal! The tenacity and time management skills you learn as an athlete will give you the edge over competition when professional life becomes priority.
5. Finding a coach you are compatible with in terms of personal development, practice and competition. This is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. Finding a coach that you trust with your personal development is paramount. The coach has the ability to single handedly make you a better person by holding you accountable for your actions under pressure.
In addition, you should enjoy the way practices are structured, how the coach makes corrections in your game including, technical and mental. Also, winning and losing are both normal for most teams and I recommend you find a coach that supports your philosophy in this area. When visiting schools make sure to watch practices to see if you are comfortable with the structure. Discuss your game in detail with the coach and see what recommendations he is making. Make sure those recommendation are in line with your expectations.
6. What coaches are looking for in recruits. The number one thing coaches are looking for is players that can immediately contribute in the line up (six singles / three doubles) and add value to the character of the team as a whole. The second thing is potential to improve over the time span allotted (for NCAA that is four years). Most smart college coaches stay away from making significant technical changes and focus more on mental toughness, strategy and tactics to improve their players. If there are technical flaws corrections will be recommended but usually not mandated due to a potential decrement in performance.
Because tennis is mainly an individual sport (in juniors) coaches often have to teach their players how to work together for the good of the team. During the recruitment process coaches are on the LOOK OUT for players that can compete in the line up AND show good sportsmanship, attitude and demonstrate good character while playing tough matches. So, if you are a good junior player and coaches are watching you remember not to cheat your opponent, always give them a clap when they make a good shot, be nice to the umpire and tournament director, be respectful of your equipment and pick up your trash on the court after your match. These things can make the difference between being on your "dream team" or having a negative experience overall. Big difference here and it's all related to character!
Coaches are looking for players that are independent. They know college life is tough and playing on a team makes it even tougher! Note to parents here- don't be a helicopter parent when a coach is recruiting your child. Show the coach that your child is independent. I have personally seen excellent players NOT get recruited to their dream schools because of the PARENTS. Coaches see this as the player not being able to take care of themselves and adjust to college life in a healthy manner.
7. How to promote yourself to coaches and get noticed. If you are a nationally ranked player or ITF you are being noticed so make sure you are demonstrating good character qualities during competition. That is your best chance for success! If you are a local talent highlight your technique and skill in a YouTube video and send to 10-15 coaches along with your test scores (SAT/ACT) and a note from your personal coach outlining your unique abilities. Then, follow up with each coach with a phone call. Most likely you will leave a voice mail (coaches are very busy). Keep your voice mail message to the coach short! Make sure they know you sent a video for them to review and ask them to call you back. If you do not get a response within two weeks from your video or phone call it is safe to bet interest level is low and you can move your efforts to the next school.
8. The pressure is real make sure you are ready. College tennis is pressure packed! Not only are you training, competing, studying, traveling you are also representing the university on the highest competitive stage possible. Direct combat! There will be a winner and loser every time you walk on the court fall and spring. They will publish the results and everybody will know the outcome, forever! The pressure is what makes us better how we respond to it determines the type of person we become. Losing is not a problem in college tennis if you learn from your losses and show good character in the process. There are lots of ways YOU can help your school and being a good person is at the top of that list. Those that learn from their losses tend to win more in the future and most smart coaches know that! In order to deal with the pressure effectively make sure you put time management (not partying) at the top of your list. It's a tough thing to do (especially as a freshmen) but it will pay off with good results and increase your chances of winning championships and making a real contribution to your team, and school.
9. Being a good person counts. We've addressed this issue already but it warrants additional advice. Character counts, everything that you do while representing a university on and off the court counts! If tennis has taught you to be a self centered egotistical spoiled little brat that acts like a baby when they don't get there way you have to adjust. There's no "I" in team. Coaches want to know that you can play for your team mates. They want to know that you care about the team above self. The only way you can demonstrate this to coaches is through your behavior on court. There is no better place to see character flaws than during a tennis match or practice, so beware.
10. The rewards. The rewards are endless! Win an exhilarating match and Lead your team to victory. Win the deciding point for a conference championship. Qualify your team for the national tournament are all potential rewards that should not be ignored. Most of us in tennis know what it's like to win for ourselves but winning for your team is even better.
More important than winning is learning to work together with a small group of people for a common good. To learn to put differences aside and support those around you that need help. The primary reward of playing college tennis is learning life lessons through team competition. Winning, losing, trying, fighting, helping, learning, crying, persevering, courage, and being patient are all qualities that you acquire playing on a tennis team while getting a great education. Applying these skills to your career, family and life come more naturally after playing college tennis!
(Ken Olivier, MS- is Director of Spring Tennis Academy. He is an All-Time National Champion in NAIA, NCAA II All-American and received #1 national ranking in singles, doubles and team. Ken and both his daughters played college tennis on full tennis scholarships)
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