“College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.” The college process is not about rankings, bumper stickers, or where others think you should go. You’re on the hunt for the schools that will push you, support you, prepare you, and make you happy. I was fortunate to have a successful career playing international junior tennis, college tennis at Stanford, and professionally for eleven years on the WTA Tour. After managing the football recruiting process for my son and tennis families, I saw a void in how we advise and counsel young…
Where to begin when setting goals with your athlete? In my last article, I suggested starting with past goals and asking tough questions to make sure the prior goals were appropriate, attainable, and successful. It is important to evaluate last year’s success before setting goals for the upcoming years. Goals should be written in the athlete’s own words, in the first person (I will), in their handwriting, and kept in a place where they will see them often. A proper set of goals is a road map to where the athlete wants to go, all the…
1. College Coaches Want to See the Player Compete College coaches want to see that you are competing and improving. The simple fact is that college tennis is tougher than junior tennis. Coaches need to know you can rise to the level of play and adjust to the collegiate environment. College coaches don’t want the players who run and hide from competition. Let me repeat, coaches don’t want players who run and hide from competition. If you are avoiding competition to protect your UTR or ranking, you are focusing on the wrong things. We hear constant stories of…