Todd Wojtkowski – Case Western Reserve (Men's & Women’s coach)

RG: At SFA, we try to explain to our clients that the recruiting process is like being on a job interview; is that how you view the recruiting process?

TW: I think that this is a very accurate way to look at the process. Simply put, it is a job interview because the player is “selling” or convincing the coach/school why the player would be a valuable asset, and why that school would need that player.

 

RG: What attributes do you look for in a recruit and why?

TW: First, I look for their academic attributes such as test scores, GPA, classes taken, volunteer work. I then try to get to know their family and what type of discipline they have. I am truly only looking for players that are disciplined, hard-working, and focused.

RG: What kind of questions should every junior player ask their potential college coaches?

TW: My advice is for the recruit to perform some research on the school and program before asking any questions. Questions will come into a player’s head as they are looking up some things about the school and program. How many players the coach plans on bringing in the following year? What are the chances of playing right away? What scores do I need to get admitted?

RG: Assuming that they have the academics and tennis level to attend your school, when should junior players begin to contact you or send you their resume?

TW: Junior players need to get onto a coach’s radar during their sophomore year at the latest. It is good to get on a coach’s radar while still in the 16 & under tournaments so that the coach can follow their results along the way.

RG: Should the athletes let you know what tournaments they will be playing in and their results from these events?

TW: I feel that a simple 3 sentence email to a list of coaches mentioning that they will be playing in a tournament is imperative and shows great initiative and responsibility on the recruit’s part.

RG: What should athletes do or not do while taking their unofficial and official visits?

TW: Athletes should ask tons of questions and spend at least one night finding out what a true experience that school has to offer. I suggest that the players dress in business attire and treat the visit as a job interview. Come with something in hand, anything from a list of questions, resume, transcript, personal goals for college, etc… Look everyone in the eye, shake hands firmly, ask all those you meet for a business card in order to follow up on the visit, and finally follow up on the visit.

RG: How important is it for potential recruits to build strong relationships with you and the players on your team?

TW: More important than the relationship with the coach, the recruits need to develop a relationship with the players on the team. I always like to hear that a recruit that has done a visit and met the team has then added the current players as friends on facebook. This will allow for the recruit to be able to find out more about the program and to keep in touch with current players.

RG: What do you do to ensure that the athlete will be a good fit for the team?

TW: I try to put this in the hands of the current players. To ensure if they are a good fit, I encourage an overnight visit to the campus. Once they have visited I try to have current players follow up with the recruit and to see what they liked, or did not like. I trust what my current players have to say and they usually let me know how that player will fit into the team.

RG: What advice do you have for the parents of junior players about the recruiting process?

TW: Be a macro-manager, not a micro-manager. Please allow your children to take the initiative in the process. Allow them to use this experience to mature and gain experience that will help them when they become adults.

RG: What are your coaching philosophies?

TW: I love this question as this is truly the reason I have decided to make my career in college athletics. I believe that through tennis we can teach young adults how to truly dedicate themselves to something, get better at it, master it, and take the lessons learned from doing so in order to best prepare themselves for the real world.