How to get a tennis scholarship in the US? (International Players)

           A lot of junior tennis player dreamt, besides to be professional, to go play college tennis in the US. It is one of the only opportunities juniors have to keep playing the sport they love for a few more years. Going to study in the US represents an opportunity for any player in the world as they can experience the "American dream," while getting a valuable diploma in English, and as I said before, they get to play their sport longer. But, for many, going to the US is only worth it if they get a good scholarship. Indeed, college is very expensive and the price for one year can vary from $20,000 to $50,000 depending on the university. So, what is the best way for a player to get a good scholarship and make this dream come true?

Photo Credit: Jeff Pourchier

An easy answer would be: You need a good level. Well, this is true but there are some other factors that could help you catch the attention of the coaches. 

First of all, as you know the first impression matters a lot. Here, the first impression that the coach will have is on the video that the players will send him. The video is a requirement for any player to be recruited. So, the players need to make it look as good as possible. This video should be based on the following:

• A total of approximately 8-10 minutes.
• 10-30 seconds introduction of the player in English.
• 2 minutes baseline hitting
• 1 minute volley and overheads
• 1 minute serves and returns
• 5 minutes of points

In college tennis, doubles are important and a lot of coaches will appreciate better a player who can go the net and volley. It is important to show that in the video as it will give the player a big advantage.

Photo Credit: Jeff Pourchier

After really putting the effort into your video, you need to make sure you send it to the coaches and share it enough time before recruitment starts. This will give more options about where to go, as more coaches will have seen the video.

Finally, I highly recommend you to participate in the recruiting tournaments. Those tournaments are organized especially to recruit players for college. A lot of coaches are present and you can find those tournaments not only in the US but in different countries of the world as well.