Are you interested in playing tennis in college? Unfortunately, the team photos aren’t as amazing as this 1901 Clemson men’s team photo, but it still has its many perks. Do you have absolutely no idea where to start with the whole recruiting process? Trust me, you’re not alone. Every high school student is attempting to navigate the college application process and floundering…at best they are doggy-paddling to stay afloat. Welcome to the college application process. Add tennis recruitment into the mix and you have basically doubled your responsibilities. You will find yourself sending out cover letters and recruitment tapes to a whole host of college coaches in the hopes that at least one will see talent and potential in you. But, how do you narrow down your choices to schools that are in line with your tennis abilities? How do you shorten your college list? This is where Universal Tennis Rating, or UTR, comes into play. In a world where US college tennis recruiting is becoming more and more global, a standardized rating is necessary to compare domestic players as well as international players all with one another.
HOW IT WORKS
Step 1: Make an account with universaltennis.com. The site then analyzes your last 30 matches based on the results as well as the competitiveness of the matches. The site will work its magic (thanks to a complex algorithm) and spit out your level between 1 and 16, 16 being the highest level (think Novak and Roger). The site will also display a reliability percentage, a number that is just as important as your level. Your rating won’t mean anything to coaches and other players if it isn’t backed by a 100% reliability. Need this percentage to increase? Play certain tournaments against reputable opponents.
Step 2: Once you have your reliable UTR, compare your rating to players on different college teams. See where you stand in relation to the top 6 players. Looking for a large scholarship? Narrow your comparison to the top 1 or 2 players on DI or DII team (because remember, DIII doesn’t give athletic scholarships).
Step 3: Once you find teams that are in line with your tennis ability, send your UTR, a cover letter, and a recruitment video to those specific college coaches. While there are multiple boxes to check before a coach decides they want you on their team (academics, personality, etc.), your tennis talent is obviously by far one of their top priorities.
Step 4: After contacting a coach (or being contacted by a coach because they are on the UTR site as much, if not more, than you are), you can start to see how the rest of your qualities and desires match up with the school. The coach is picking you, but you are also picking the coach, the team, and the school. Go on an official recruitment visit to get a feel for the team, the coach, and the school. Research the school’s academic strengths and weaknesses to see if they have what you are looking for. Scope out the social environment and make sure that it will be a good fit for you.
Good luck as you navigate this scary but exciting time in your life! We hope this article helps!
