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College Information:

Materials & Resources

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Basic Steps for a Prospective College Varsity Player ………………… 3 & 4

Difference Between NCAA Division I, II, III ……………….………….. 5

How About the Coach ……………………………………………………… 6

Junior Calendar to Prepare for College …………………………..…….. 7 & 8

Questions for the Team ………………….………………………………… 8

Questions for Yourself ..………………….………………………………… 9

Seven Myths about College Sports ………….…………………….……… 9 & 10

College Tennis FAQs …………………………………………….…………. 10 - 14

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BASIC STEPS FOR A PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE VARSITY PLAYER

Step 1: Get a Game Plan

Just like you wouldn’t go into a match unprepared, don’t go into one of the most important decisions of your life unprepared! At the beginning of your junior year, log on to the Eligibility Center Web site at www.eligibilitycenter.org and register. The registration process has recently changed and is now more student-focused. Registration with the Eligibility Center starts your path to the student-athlete experience. Next, make sure you have the core curriculum requirements as well as ACT/SAT scores. You will need 16 core units for Division I and 14 core units for Division II. Your high school's List of

NCAA Courses can be found at www.eligibilitycenter.org.

Division I Graduate from high school, 16 core units, Core GPA & ACT/SAT test score based on

sliding scale index 4 English, 2 math, 2 science, 1 additional English/math/science, 2 social studies, and 3

additional core Qualifier or non-qualifier

Division II

Graduate from high school, 16 core units, 2.0 Core GPA and 68 ACT or 820 SAT.

3 English, 2 math, 2 science, 2 additional English/math/science, 2 Social Studies and 5

additional core

Qualifier, partial qualifier or non-qualifier

Division III Determined by each individual Division III member institution

You must also be certified to compete from an amateurism perspective. This process is also done with your Eligibility Center registration. Go to www.eligibilitycenter.org for more info!

You can also go to www.eligibilitycenter.org to download and print the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. This will explain eligibility, recruiting and other rules in more depth.

What’s most important to you about a college? It should be academics; tennis should be second, without question. Next, what else is important to you…?

1. Part of the country and city that a college is in/distance from home? 2. Size of the college, public versus private? 3. Scholarships available?

4. Conference?

Remember, just because a school is Division I it doesn’t mean it is the “best” with regards to level of play. There are Division III schools and even Junior Colleges that will beat some Division I schools. Research the college and conference on the Internet to find out more! Don’t forget that there are

great colleges in the NAIA conference www.naia.org as well as Junior Colleges in the NJCAA, www.njcaa.org. **Include your parents in this decision process as much as possible. They know a great deal more than you think and it is critical that you are all in this together! Not only will it bring you closer together, but also big decisions like these are not to be made on your own!

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Step 2: Get a Marketing Plan

Have an organized portfolio: Once you have narrowed down the schools it’s

time to sell yourself. Write letters to coaches, not overstating your ability, just

confident. Make sure you indicate your year in school. Very important: note your

accomplishments outside of tennis as well, e.g. volunteerism, academic

achievements, etc.

Video: Be careful here. Some coaches look at them; some coaches toss them in

the round file. Make sure the video shows you playing a match under pressure, not

just hitting. Mistakes are OK. The coach wants to see an honest video of your play

in a match. There are companies that can help you with video production if you

want to make it look more professional, but that may not be necessary. A simple

video on YouTube and sending the coach the link is the easiest way!

When you receive replies/inquiries, reply immediately! Understand that if a

coach does not reply to you right away it does not mean he or she is not

interested. The coach may not be allowed to return your call due to NCAA rules.

The coach may also be traveling with the team, spring break, etc. Keep trying!

Visit some college tennis matches of the team in which you are interested,

watch the team play, watch the coach interact with the players. Visit the college

websites to learn more about these schools and teams. Check out

www.itatennis.com and www.tennisrecruiting.net for college ranking info.

Be honest and straightforward with the coach. They will respect you and

appreciate your honesty.

Step 3: Commitment Time By now you have the attention of a couple coaches and you have narrowed your search down to two or three schools at the most. You should be visiting these colleges and meeting with the coaches. Find

out how many of the players that are in the starting lineup are freshman, sophomores, etc. If they are stronger than you and are all freshman and sophomores, when do you get to play? Remember, there is no “guarantee on a four–year scholarship”. Scholarships are year-to-year and the coach can allocate

his budgeted scholarship money each year any way he/she wants!

Some questions to ask the coach:

How do I fit with the team?

What is your coaching style, what’s important to you?

Where do you see this team next year, in four years?

How much time is spent traveling/practicing/playing?

Where will I live? (Dorms vs. apartments)

Ask yourself: How does it feel when you go to a college the second time? Do you feel at home there?

What if you lost your scholarship or got injured and/or couldn’t play tennis for some reason? Would

this be the college of your choice?

Non-varsity option

Maybe you decide that varsity tennis is not for you but you still want to play while in college. There

are club tennis teams (traveling team that plays other schools) and intramural (at the college)

leagues/tournaments that can keep you playing in a flexible schedule. Check out the Intramural/

Recreational Sports office at the college to find out more!

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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NCAA DIVISIONS I, II, AND III

Division I

Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least seven sports for men and seven for women (or six for men and eight for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. For sports other than football and basketball, Div. I schools must play 100% of the minimum number of contests against Div. I opponents -- anything over the minimum

number of games has to be 50% Div. I. Men's and women's basketball teams have to play all but two

games against Div. I teams, for men, they must play 1/3 of all their contests in the home arena. Schools that have football are classified as Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Football Bowl Subdivision schools are usually fairly elaborate programs. Football Bowl Subdivision teams have to meet minimum attendance requirements (average 15,000 people in actual or paid attendance per home game), which must be met once in a rolling two-year period. NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams do not need to

meet minimum attendance requirements. Division I schools must meet minimum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed. Division II Division II institutions have to sponsor at least four sports for men and four for women (or four for men and six for women), with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented

by each gender. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria -- football and men's and women's basketball teams must play at least 50% of their games

against Div. II Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) or Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) opponents. For sports other than football and basketball there are no scheduling requirements. There are not attendance requirements for football, or arena game requirements for basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Div. II

school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student-athletes. Many Division II student-athletes pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings. Division II athletics programs are financed in the institution's budget like other academic departments on campus. Traditional rivalries with regional institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletics programs. Division III

Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season represented by each gender. There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics features student athletes who

receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete's

experience is of paramount concern. Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.

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HOW ABOUT THE COACH?

The coach is probably the most important person to the college athlete, especially the scholarship athlete. Many of these questions can be answered from the college website before your interview with the coach. Get to know the coach as well as you can and in as many situations as possible before you make a decision on a college. You need to see if your personalities will work together. Remember, you will most likely be spending the next four years with this person as your coach and mentor!

Learn more about the coach through:

Written communications and telephone conversations

College websites e.g., www.itatennis.com Planned interviews

Observations at a collegiate match or tournament Talking with current and former team members Talking with other college faculty and students Official and unofficial campus visits

Here are some important questions for you to ask the coach:

What is your philosophy on collegiate athletics? What are your expectations for the team? What kind of player are you looking to recruit?

What do you expect from the players? How do you view academics in relation to athletics? What are your thoughts on other collegiate social and academic activities?

What is your tennis background? Are you a certified tennis instructor? Do you recruit international players? Is there an assistant coach? Do the boys and girls have the same coach? If yes, how do you split your time?

Are athletic scholarships available? Academic scholarships? How many players on the team are freshman? Sophomores? Juniors? Seniors? How many positions are open? How do feel about missing a practice for important exams and tests?

You may come across a coach who says, "No thanks, I am only interested in nationally ranked

players." That's okay if this is the case. Thank them for their time and move on. If you are really interested in this school, check back after the early signing period in November and again in April-May. The coach may have changed their mind and appreciate your persistence! Almost all coaches would like to have nationally ranked players. Only 75-100 nationally ranked players

are available each year. So the numbers are in your favor! More importantly, many coaches find it

more importance in having players on their team who can handle adversity and who are coachable. Be patient at first, but persistent when a coach still has openings. If something about a coach doesn't gel with you, trust your feelings and look elsewhere.

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A CALENDAR TO HELP YOU PREPARE TO PLAY COLLEGE TENNIS

Freshman Year:

Beginning your freshman year and throughout your high school career, keep your grades up and be concerned about class rank. Perform community service. Colleges look closely at community service for admission and awarding scholarships. Develop an electronic portfolio of your academic and athletic accomplishments and update it every year. Work with your coach and parents in planning your playing schedule.

Sophomore Year: Start working with your guidance counselor to map out your academic plans. Begin researching colleges you are interested in. Visit their websites and their tennis team pages. A great website to use for all colleges: http://dmoz.org/Reference/Education/Colleges_and_Universities/North_America/United_States

Create a player biography. www.tennisrecuiting.net is a good free website to post your information. Contact friends and/or former teammates who are playing in college and get information from them.

Junior Year:

Continue working with your high school guidance counselor to make sure you are on track. Start setting the criteria you are looking to find at the school of your choice. Continue researching possible school selections. Add new schools to the list you created in 10th grade. Send away for applications and catalogs. Take the PACT and/or PSAT in October. Take ACT, SAT I and SAT II in the spring. Check to make sure which schools require the new SAT test – at this point, not all of them do. If you have a particular college picked out, make sure you know the academic requirements ahead of time.

Attend school college fairs and start collecting brochures. Keep track of your athletic records – matches, games or events played in a given year – make note of significant wins. Athletes should start making quality video tapes – leave in mistakes – your reactions are important. Include skills, drills and competitive situations.

Start writing letters of introduction to coaches of schools you have an interest in attending. Don’t be

too discouraged if coaches don’t return a letter right away. Most coaches receive hundreds of them and it takes some time to respond. Send the letter “snail mail” and follow up with an email. Ask the coach, which method of communication they prefer. Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center after your junior year. Ask your guidance counselor for the information.

Senior Year:

Early Decision - If you know that you want to attend a school that has high academic demands, your best odds are to apply early decision I (EDI) or in some schools, early decision II (EDII). EDI is usually late November or early December. ED II is mid-December. Check with each school. Work on possible topics for your application essay. Schools have varying application deadlines. Ask your guidance counselor, a favorite teacher or coach and/or parents for practice interviews. Have your English teacher, or someone with whom you feel comfortable, review your application essay. Send out your

applications WELL BEFORE THE DEADLINE. Students are usually notified as to their acceptance in

April. Take care of financial aid concerns and packages.

Plan official and “unofficial” visits. Choose the five schools that you would like to visit on the official visit. Make your visit in the fall of your Sr. year, if possible. DIII has no limits to the number of schools for official visits. Before an official visit may be taken, you need to provide the school with a copy of

your transcript (DI only) and SAT, ACT, PACT, PSAT or PLAN score. Make sure you are registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse or NO visits can take place! Keep track of your athletic records – matches, games or events played in a given year – make note of significant wins. If you haven’t already sent coaches your athletic portfolio, do so early in the year. Continue correspondence and campus visits with schools. Make sure all applications and supporting information are in place. Sports have an early signing date – usually mid-November, it varies a little each year. Check with the coach or the NCAA

for the exact date. The spring date for signing with an NCAA Division I or II school is generally within the first two weeks of April – it varies every year. The latest you can sign is August 1 before your freshman year. Become aware of quiet periods and dead periods.

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Not all colleges/universities accept home-schooled students. If you are a home-schooled student, it is

advisable to check with the schools in which you are interested, to make sure of their acceptance policy. “Home-schooled” students entering NCAA Division I or Division II must register with the Eligibility Center, www.ncaastudent.org, and meet the same requirements as all other students. After

registering on-line with the Eligibility Center, students must send in the following information to them:

Standardized test scores must be on an official transcript from a traditional high school OR be sent directly to the clearinghouse from the testing agency.

Transcript listing credits earned and grades (home-school transcript and any other official

transcript from other high schools, community colleges, etc.) Proof of high school graduation Evidence that home-schooling was conducted in accordance with the state laws Detailed description of home-school teaching environment (e.g. name of instructor (s) method

of instruction, number of hours per day. List of texts used throughout home schooling (including text titles, publisher and in which

courses the text was used)

You can obtain information by contacting the NCAA Eligibility Center, 317-917-6222 (customer service Monday – Friday, noon – 4 p.m. Eastern time) or your school guidance counselor.

QUESTIONS FOR THE TEAM

This is a list of questions for you to ask regarding the team. Many questions regarding the team's record, conference, etc. can be found on the University's website. The other questions can be answered by the team members and/or coach.

In what conference does the team play? What colleges in the conference are the team's rivals? What is the team's record over the past few years? Have any players played in the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA tournament recently?

Has the team gone to any post season tournaments recently?

What is the team's ranking in the region? Nation? How do the players feel about the coach? When and where does the team practice and condition? How much time is devoted to practice? To conditioning? What kind of practice does the coach run? How long are they? How long is the tennis season? How much does the team travel?

How does the team travel? Where does the team stay and eat when on the road? Does the team travel during spring or winter break? Where? Are athletic trainers accessible and available? What are the team uniforms like? Are there special deals or free equipment from the manufacturers?

Where do most of the team members live?

Where does the team eat? What is the team grade point average? Are tutors available when needed? Does anyone have any animosity towards the coach? Is it okay to miss a practice to study for an important test? Are tennis players treated as well as other athletes on campus?

When are training facilities and tennis courts open for the tennis players?

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QUESTIONS FOR YOURSELF

Does the team treat you well or do they seem like they don't want you around?

Are you comfortable with the team and individual players? Do you have similar likes and dislikes? How do team members interact with the coach? Each other? What do you hear about winning and losing? Does the coach talk to the players like a parent?

Friend? Dictator? Drill Sergeant? Are there any players on the team that are injured? How are they treated?

SEVEN MYTHS ABOUT COLLEGE SPORTS -by Laura Mitchell www.nextstepu.com

Myth: College coaches will find me and contact me if I am good enough to play on their team. Truth: College coaches cannot possibly know about every one of the thousands of student athletes good enough to play college sports. There are far fewer coaches than there are athletes. There’s not a recruiting budget on the planet big enough for a coach to know about every qualified athlete.

Myth: If I’m not being recruited, I should forget about a future in college sports. Truth: There can be a successful college sports experience in the future of most varsity athletes. It’s up to you! Of course, this may mean that you compromise and go to a school that is not on your favorites list.

If you are determined to play, you can find a way. Start planning early, get a little better each day,

and you’ll be surprised at how your dreams can come true! Myth: Playing my sport at high school and in summer tournaments will get me noticed by the right school for me. Truth: Get yourself on coaches’ radar screens and recruiting lists by sending out your information before you attend competitions.

Send a simple e-mail to coaches at colleges you like and where you fit the profile. Make sure coaches know your jersey number and your team’s schedule. Only a small percentage of recruiters from any given college will be present at the tournaments you attend. Pre-market yourself to make sure you get noticed. Myth: It is against NCAA rules for me to make calls to college coaches.

Truth: You can call college coaches just about any time. It is very difficult for a student-athlete to break the recruiting rules unless a college coach knowingly helps you break the rules. Why haven’t you called a coach already? Fear of rejection? Don’t know what to say? Call and tell them who you are, and the coach will take it from there. Myth: I should pay a recruiting or scouting service, video company or sports résumé

company to help me get a scholarship. Truth: You can accomplish these tasks on your own. Often, college coaches toss the mail from recruiting services into the trash. Coaches prefer to receive mail directly from student-athletes. Fancy promotional materials or videos are not necessary to attract the attention of a college coach. Your skill is what matters. Your money is better spent paying a private coach to increase your skills.

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Myth: It is my high school coach’s job to help me get a scholarship.

Truth: Your high school coach probably does not have the time to properly market each athlete on your team. He or she may not know what college coaches want or how to properly market you.

Few high school coaches have college contacts. Your high school coach’s job is to field calls, give you mail you receive at the school, and be a solid reference if you are deserving of it. Myth: I just received a letter from a college coach. This means they’ll offer me a scholarship soon. Truth: Schools send out hundreds—even thousands—of these letters. An offer of a scholarship will

nearly always follow an offer for an official paid visit as a high school senior and an offer of a home visit by the coach. Ask the college coach specifically what their level of interest is in you as an athlete for their program. Or have your high school coach make a call to find out. One letter—or even a few—is not an indication that a scholarship is forthcoming.

DEFY THE MYTHS: Defying the myths about college sports is easy. A bit of planning and persistence can lead to success. Prepare a plan for yourself. Here are five suggestions.

1. Believe you have what it takes. You must start with a big dream, and then plan the steps to reach it. Your big dreams are the ones worth striving for.

2. Write a simple letter that describes your strengths, graduation year, contact info, academic GPA and SAT or ACT score. Include your times statistics, position, height and weight if relevant.

3. Look up college coaches’ addresses or e-mail addresses online and send out your letter to at least 25 coaches (approximately eight coaches at each level).

4. Follow up with an e-mail and a phone call until you get an answer about all of the coaches’

levels of interest in you. Keep marketing yourself until you find a school that will be a good fit for you.

5. Tell your high school coach your intentions. If your coach is not supportive, find someone who will help you in your quest to take the next step in your athletic career. Big dreams require a bit of support.

COLLEGE TENNIS FAQ

How do I know if I should be playing college tennis or professional tennis?

This decision is actually not as difficult as it seems. If a player has dominated his or her age groups coming up through the juniors and has already had solid pro results then he or she may need to weigh the benefits of each option for his or her development.

Without significant play (and wins) in Pro Circuit and Tour level events, then a player is probably not ready to turn pro.

College tennis is a huge time for player development and growth—99.9% of our junior players

will progress to college before embarking on a pro tennis career.

When/how do I know if I have a shot at an athletic scholarship? When and what do I do to find out?

The first thing to find out is if the school you at which you are looking offers athletic scholarships. We will provide a list below that shows the programs that offer tennis and the programs that offer athletic scholarships.

College coaches utilize a number of tools to figure out the level of recruits early in the process; these include USTA Rankings (both section and national), International Tennis Federation (ITF) Rankings, Universal Tennis Ratings (UTR), and Tennisrecruiting.net Star Ratings. You too can

utilize these to help you figure out if you are at the correct level for a particular program.

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As you start to narrow the schools you are interested in, take a look at their “starters” (i.e. top

6 singles players)—are your rankings/ratings similar to the rankings/ratings of those players? If the answer is yes, you could be a candidate for a scholarship.

How many colleges have tennis programs? And which ones offer Athletic Scholarships?

There are over 1100 women’s programs and over 900 men’s programs spread out over five different divisions:

o NCAA Division I o NCAA Division II o NCAA Division III o NAIA o Junior College

NCAA Divisions I & II, NAIA, and Junior College Programs all can offer Athletic Scholarships—although note that Ivy League Institutions, which compete at the DI level, do not offer athletic

scholarships. See below for maximum athletic scholarships allowed at each division. Even

though NCAA DIII programs cannot offer athletic scholarships, many programs can provide a large amount of academic and institutional aid.

o NCAA DI W:8, M: 4.5 o NCAA DII W: 6, M: 4.5 o NAIA W: 5, M: 5

o Junior College W: 8, M: 8

Where can I get a list of which colleges have men’s teams? Women’s teams?

For information on college tennis programs go to the ITA website http://www.itatennis.com/

For a small fee ($60.00), junior players and their families can gain access to the ITA online directory, where they can access contact information for every college coach in the country.

If I don’t get a scholarship can I still play in college?

Some college coaches actually recruit walk-ons while others hold tryouts in the fall. This is something you can discuss with coaches on the front end of the recruiting process if you aren’t a candidate for a scholarship.

If Varsity tennis isn’t for you, Tennis On Campus provides an opportunity for the top non-varsity players on a campus to compete both sectionally and nationally through USTA sponsored events.

The USTA Tennis on Campus website (http://www.tennisoncampus.com/ ) has a directory of all Tennis on Campus programs nationwide.

If your school does not have one, you can find information on how to start a club team through the Tennis on Campus Website as well.

I want to play college tennis. When do I start? What do I do?

To aid in this process, the USTA has produced the Guide to Tennis on College Campuses: http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

The USTA Guide is also available for purchase at:

http://www.ustashop.com/product_p/usp10b03.htm, Another resource is the USTA’s College Tennis page: http://www.usta.com/College-Tennis/

When do I start? What do I do?

First, read the Forward to the USTA Guide to Tennis on College Campuses by Patrick McEnroe: http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

As a high school freshman, begin thinking about what part of the country, class size and academic environment in which you want to spend your college years and read Chapter 1 ( Choosing a Path That Works for You) & Chapter 2 (What Kind of Tennis Experience Works for You) in the USTA Guide :

http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

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What about Financial Aid?

Read Chapter 3-Financial Aid in the USTA Guide: http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

How do I determine which colleges are a good match re: academics and tennis for me?

The balance of tennis, academics, and social life is crucial to your success once you get on campus.

Read Chapter 4 (Varsity Tennis—Taking Your Game to the Next Level) in the USTA Guide : http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

• Read Chapter 8 (Finding the Right School for You) in the USTA Guide :

http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

Should I go to a summer tennis camp on a college campus?

Summer camps can be a wonderful opportunity for young players. Taking a break from the individual nature of junior tennis, summer camps allow players to interact with others, spend multiple hours a day practicing, and compete in a team atmosphere that mimics that of college tennis.

It is also a great opportunity for you to start to get a feel for colleges—and their campuses. However, attending a summer camp should also be something that you want to attend as

coaches rarely use their summer camps for recruiting.

What is the ideal parental involvement in the college tennis recruiting process?

One great thing to remember is that the student, not the parents, will be the one actually

attending college and playing on the team. College coaches and recruits forming a solid relationship is key in the recruiting process and hopefully will help the student select the best

school for him/her. In addition, coaches will be impressed with the initiative that the student is showing –

something that they are definitely looking for when recruiting student-athletes for their teams. With all of that in mind, parents should be there to support and guide their children through

the process— but not to run the process!

How do I contact the coach at the school I am interested in?

Read Chapter 7 (The Recruiting Process) in the USTA Guide :

http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf E-mail is generally the best way to contact a college coach, although we recommend the

student, not the parent, initiate that e-mail. As explained above, for a fee, junior players and their families can join the ITA to gain access to coach contact information, however almost every school has an athletics website which will contain a staff directory. A coach’s e-mail address can usually be found there, and NCAA Division I coaches are able to e-mail your

student back following the start of his or her junior year of high school. Coaches may also be contacted by phone. If you initiate this contact, phone calls may be

made at your convenience. Keep in mind, however, that a NCAA Division I coach is unable to return his or her phone call until after July 1st following your junior year of High School.

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What do you say in the e-mail?

In an initial email, a player should introduce themselves, indicate their graduation year, and

provide a link to your full biography. We recommend linking to a player’s FREE bio on the Tennis Recruiting Network (www.tennisrecruiting.net ). Through this bio coaches can access a player’s information such as USTA Tournament results, Test Scores, GPA, intended major, etc.

Address the e-mail to the specific coach that you are reaching out to (i.e. Dear Coach John Smith or Coach Smith, not Dear Coach).

Finally, you should express your interest in the school and ask the coach what other

information they would like from you. Most of the time the introductory e-mail should be short to ensure that the coach does read it. If they are interested, they will follow up requesting the information that they need.

How many players are usually on a tennis team?

On average, you can figure that a tennis team has 8-12 members. This may vary by

conference, Division, and school.

Are there minimum requirements for SAT scores and GPAs?

The NCAA has a SAT/GPA sliding scale requirement which may be found on the NCAA website (www.ncaa.org ). However, just because a student meets this requirement does NOT mean they will meet minimum requirements for the particular college or university they are interested in.

Look at the admissions requirements for each school, found under Admissions on the school’s main website. This information usually contains a profile of the freshman class and possibly minimum standards that incoming freshmen must meet which will give you an idea of where your student falls.

What else do I need to know about eligibility?

Eligibility varies by division and it is important to read Chapter 6 (Eligibility) in the USTA Guide to understand the variances: http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

Once I have narrowed down the list, what is next?

Read Chapter 9 ( Applying to Colleges) in the USTA Guide: http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/2010_USTA_College_Guide_7.pdf

How can I find out if the college coach really wants me?

Ask questions about scholarships, playing time, and expectations upfront. By answering these types of questions, a coach will be giving you a good idea of where you would potentially

stand on their team.

What is more important to a coach, tennisrecruiting.net star ratings or a USTA standings list?

Both are great tools for a coach to initially assess a player’s level. However, both are just that- tools. Other tools coaches utilize include: Universal Tennis Ratings (UTR) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) Rankings.

Coaches are much more interested in players’ results; much more so than the number next to their name— regardless of who publishes that number.

• A majority of coaches prefer to see someone play more than anything and will make an

effort to do so for all the players they are considering seriously. If a coach can’t watch a player, often he or she will request a quick video of some match play. Watching a player play a competitive match can help a coach gauge a player’s talent level, competitiveness, attitude, desire, love of the game, and ability to improve much better than looking at a ranking or even looking at results.

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How many hours are devoted to playing college tennis?

Playing a college sport is very demanding of an individual’s time. Between travel, practice, matches, strength training, and meetings, college athletes’ days are filled with activity.

The NCAA at the Division I level has implemented rules to limit the amount of time a student-athlete is required to participate in his/her sport each week.

During the off-season this number is 8 hours, and during the season the number is 20 hours. Even though each week may vary in schedule, at least players know how much time may be blocked out of their schedule.

Other divisions and sometime conferences have similar sets of rules—some are even more strict.

How can I make up classes I missed due to away matches?

While classes are usually not able to be made up, teachers and professors are usually more than willing to work with student-athletes.

The key to balancing the relationship between academics and athletics successfully is

communicating with teachers ahead of time. If students let their teachers know that they will be missing classes but would like to make arrangements to complete the work there is not usually an issue.

Most schools have a policy for athletes that should be well communicated during the recruiting process.

Where can I get academic help?

Most institutions have an academic center that is solely for use by their student-athletes and/or one for all students needing additional academic help.

While each school may have different resources, the basics usually include a study

center/computer lab and an academic counselor(s). These counselors are in place to help students learn study skills and successfully navigate their way through their courses.

In addition, academic support centers for student-athletes generally hire tutors to assist in studying.

What should parental involvement be once a junior player transitions to college?

Parental support and encouragement is always appreciated by both players and coaches. However, keep in mind that this period of your student’s life is one of much development. They are, in essence, becoming adults throughout their college experience.

Therefore, parents should encourage their children to assume responsibility for both their

schedules and their actions. If parents step in and assume too much of a role in assisting their children, they are actually hampering their child’s development.

This is actually a great question for a parent to ask a college coach during the recruiting process. Some have very specific parent policies for their teams.