Navigating the Scholarship Game
Seasoned Advice For Atlanta's Young Tennis Stars
By Paul Torricelli, former head coach of men's tennis at Northwestern University
We are frequently reminded these days about "making good choices." For today's prep tennis players, nothing could be more relevant when choosing a college program. The number of schools to choose from and factors that come into play when making the right choice may seem overwhelming to anyone, regardless of his or her tennis ranking and level. I have always characterized this choice for recruits as their first big adult decision, which doesn't make it any easier. With all of this in mind and so much riding on the decision, it's critical that each recruit seek some kind of guidance in order to make a wise choice.
One of the reasons I became a recruiting consultant and advisor with Scholarship For Athletes was that I saw so many recruits over the years making this decision quickly or without more careful consideration. Some ended up in programs and schools that weren't right for them.
As a coach for 30 years, I was always walking a fine line between promoting my program to candidates and trying to advise them on what was truly best for the recruit. I also had to rely on my own contacts for feedback about a particular player. I had a number of important factors to consider when offering a scholarship. The student-athlete had many more.
Prepare Priorities
For a candidate and his/her parents considering a school and a tennis scholarship, there are a number of very fundamental steps. First is compiling a list of personal priorities and requirements from any university and tennis program under consideration. I would even keep the two separate. My two lists would read as follows, not in any order of priority.
List One:
- School
- Location
- Size (enrollment)
- Academic standing
- Majors offered
- Academic support
- Quality of housing
- Quality of off-campus housing
- Career placement record
- Grad school placement record
- Student satisfaction
- General environment
- Extra curricular offerings
- Safety
- Weather
List Two:
- Tennis program
- Strength of schedule
- Conference
- Coach
- Assistant coach
- Ranking
- History/Tradition
- Teammates
- Facilities
- Location of facilities
- Academic support
- Scholarship/Financial aid
- Practice/class schedules
- Quality of practices
- Player development
- Mode of travel
We tend to do our best thinking when we write things down, so make your lists and make sure to file them carefully for easy and continual reference. The more effort you invest in this process, the longer lists you'll have. Put as much time, energy and dedication into this as you would a match or competition.
Know The Field
When researching a university at which you'll extend your prep career into a college career, understand it's a big playing field, especially when you think about scholarship opportunities.
According to the National Collegiate Athletics Association, $1 billion in scholarship money is awarded annually in the U.S. to more than 120,000 students. Plus there are more than 1,200 NCAA colleges at the D1, D2, and D3 level, and more than 400 Junior College and NAIA schools.
The big challenge in scoring a tennis scholarship is finding those places, figuring out which schools offer the right kinds of programs and which will best help launch a successful career, on or off the court. That comes down to, well, education. Without it, athletes and their families can play the odds, but with less than 10 percent of high school athletes advancing to NCAA competition, those aren't good.
Make A Plan
Sports scholarships are like sports training. You've got to have a goal and a well-defined plan. It needs to start in your freshman year of high school. By the time you reach your senior year, slots are already filling or filled. You should draft a short list of the schools you are most interested in and send a letter of interest to each as soon as possible. In your senior year, you should be visiting schools aggressively, and be a known entity to coaches who may well have visited your matches already; this all takes planning and commitment. It can be difficult, but non-biased expertise can be found: companies like Scholarship For Athletes(scholarshipforathletes.com) help in letter preparation and in individually representing an athlete's needs to coaches and their programs.
It's critical to choose a school that is the right fit academically and socially. The campus environment is as important as the tennis. Are the kids on campus going to fit your personality? Is the size and location of the school a good fit for you and your family?
Location Matters More Than You Think
A program's "location" means a variety of different things. First, you have the location of the school. Is it local, a reasonable drive or does it require a flight? Granted that you may want to go away to college, but getting home for holidays or an unplanned visit needs to be considered. Also, your family will want to come and see you play. How easy, within reason, is it to get to your new school?
Secondly, location also affects team travel as related to competition schedule. How often will you be traveling and how far? Is it easy to get to your road matches, or does the locale require extended driving or multiple flights? Remember, you have a class schedule, and travel will impact missed class days.
Finally, there is one other aspect of location that often gets overlooked. That is location of facilities. More and more colleges are building excellent indoor and outdoor tennis facilities. Where are they located? Are they on-campus and within walking distance? Or do you have to drive off campus or take a shuttle? If your class ends at 2 p.m. and practice starts at 230 p.m., will you make it on time?
Location is just one of a number of seemingly simple factors that actually can have a major effect on the quality of your college and tennis experience. The less stress in your college life, the better.
Remember, when it's time to consider continuing your sports career at the collegiate level, it's important to make a plan and build a network of informed sources that can guide you through the process. Have fun and good luck with the big decision!
Paul Torricelli is a consultant for Scholarship For Athletes, an independent organization that represents high school athletes and their families. Additional information about Coach Torricelli and Scholarship For Athletes can be found at ScholarshipForAthletes.com