Something to think about… Aiming for the top programs isn’t always the best strategy for you.

While it would be nice to play for a top division 1 program, it might not be the best fit for you if you prefer to play in the matches and not sit on the bench. At SFA, we frequently see thousands of athletes chasing a small, highly sought after number of spots at the top D1 schools in the country, regardless of their ranking. This is a recipe for disaster, and can be a waste of time and effort if your ability is not in line with the respective athletic program.

The numbers below serve as an example. We pulled the 2009 boys and girls four-star recruits’ college commitments list from tennisrecruiting.net.

As of April 27, 2009 86 girls and 84 boys had committed to a variety of schools across the board. As expected, the majority of four stars committed to division 1 programs. We took the analysis a step further by breaking down the commitments into the following five categories: Div 1 top 25, Div 1 top 75 (26-75), Div 1 not top 75, Div 2, and Div 3.

Contrary to common belief, the results show that the majority of the four-star players committed to Division 1 programs that were not top 75 (73% for the Girls and 67% for the boys). Most of the players being recruited to top ranked Division 1 programs are Blue Chips, Five Star recruits and International players, leaving lesser-ranked players with serious challenges when pursuing top programs.

What You Can Do

 
For current players in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 classes it is essential to begin forming relationships with coaches at the schools they wish to attend. The students in these graduating classes should be emailing coaches regularly, informing them of recent tournament results and of their upcoming tournament appearances. If you are a four star recruit or below, it is in your best interest to send emails to coaches at schools that have a ranking lower than the top 75 in division 1. This will give you the best chance of having coaches respond to your emails, while also finding a program where you can play in the lineup. This communication is critical for future coaches to consider interviewing you for a spot on their team.

Each junior player needs to develop a strategy to assess which coaches they will send emails to on a regular basis. This assessment should be based off of the recruiting classes from the prior year at the schools that you are targeting. If you are ranked 300 and the players in the previous recruiting class are ranked 150 and above, then that program is not a realistic one for you. The chart above demonstrates if you are a four star recruit or below, it is NOT in your best interest to be contacting coaches whose teams are ranked top 50 in division 1. The odds of those coaches heavily recruiting you are very slim. However, if your results improve dramatically and you become a 5 star or a blue chip recruit during your junior year, division 1 top 50 coaches will be watching you.

Top 25 Men’s Tennis Programs for 2009

1 Univ. of Southern California
2 Ohio State University
3 University of Virginia
4 Univ. of Mississippi
5 UCLA
6 University of Georgia
7 Baylor University
8 University of Tennessee, Knoxville
9 Univ. of Texas at Austin
10 Stanford University
11 University of Florida
12 Universities of Illinois
13 Florida State University
14 Texas A&M University
15 University of Kentucky
16 Universities of Alabama
17 Wake Forest University
18 Pepperdine
19 Univ. of Miami (Florida)
20 Boise State University
21 Auburn University
22 Univ. of Louisville
23 Duke University
24 Univ. of Arizona
25 Oklahoma State University

Top 25 Women’s Tennis Programs for 2009

1 Duke University
2 Northwestern University
3 Univ. of Georgia
4 California
5 Univ. of Notre Dame
6 Baylor University
7 Univ. of Miami (Florida)
8 Georgia Tech
9 Univ. of Southern California
10 University of Tennessee
11 Clemson University
12 UCLA
13 Stanford
14 University of Florida
15 Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville
16 Fresno State
17 University of South Carolina
18 University of Michigan
19 Florida State University
20 North Carolina
21 Univ. of Mississippi
22 Vanderbilt University
23 SMU
24 Louisiana State University
25 Univ. of Kentucky