Can you be part of a college tennis team if you are a great athlete, but not so great at academics? Or, what if you are really good at academics and intellectually gifted, but you don’t have the opportunity to play (or travel) as much. Hence, your tennis game is not always the best it can be.
There are 3 main factors which decide your entry into a College Tennis team in the United States, with a potential scholarship for you.
Academics
There’s a reason they will call you a ‘College Athlete‘, it’s because college comes first. Which means your academics are the 1st criteria of importance to get admitted into the college/university.
Unless you’re a Top 250 ITF Junior they may be a bit lenient. But if it’s an Ivy League college it might not be the case. Your grades in high school and your academic test scores determine whether you would be admitted, or not.
Athletics
Your athletic level decides whether or not a coach would be interested to consider you. Here are your benchmarks for staying competitive in your age group:
- Tennis practice: 5 days a week , 1.5 to 3 hr per day
- Fitness: Two to three times a week, 1 hr each
- Rehabilitation: Once a week, 1.5 hr
- Tournaments: 2 per month
Budget
College can get expensive. The total cost of tuition, books, room and board can add up really fast. Aiming for a full scholarship is possible, but very rare.
Parents, and students, have to realize that they will need to have a budget to cater to a percentage of the costs. How much depends on the above two factors. The better your Athletics and Academics, the less you might have to end up paying out of pocket.
How can you improve yourself?
If you are younger than 13, keep practicing and follow a regimen that gives you the proper training.
If you are older than 13, the time is now to start building a proper plan. Together with diet, nutrition and a fitness regimen that builds your physique for the demands of an ever demanding sport.
For all age groups ITL has a Player Development initiative, contact us to set up an appointment to discuss how you can take yourself to another level.