Description: Watch an Informational Video on How to Get Recruited to Play College Tennis in the Ivy League. College Advice from Ivy Coach.
Transcription: Student: Hello, Ivy League college tennis coach.
Coach: Hello, prospective student athlete. I would like to give you some insight into some things you can do to gain my attention so that you can continue playing tennis at the collegiate level and specifically in the Ivy League.
Student: I am not worried, the college tennis coach. I am ranked number 83 in the USTA rankings.
Coach: And that is terrific. You must be an exceptional player.
Student: My backhand is pretty sweet. My club coach thinks I could be the next Maria Sharapova.
Coach: Well, just in case the college coaches don’t come banging down your door to get you to sign with their schools, let us go over some things that can help you get recruited to play tennis in the Ivy League.
Student: Did anybody ever tell you that you look a lot like Hillary Clinton?
Coach: You should reach out to the coaches of the schools you are interested in attending. Go and meet them. When you go, bring with you an athletic profile that features your accomplishments in tennis as well as your academic achievements.
Student: Why would I put my grades and standardized test scores on an athletic profile? It is not sports related.
Coach: But coaches need to know if you are capable of succeeding at their school, and they also need to know how much they need to go to bat for you. If they think you can get in on your own, they may contact admissions and tell them that they want you and your academics are strong enough to get in own your own without the coach having to use a slot for you. It could tip a borderline candidate into the admit pile. Or, if your academics are not very strong, the coach may choose to go to bat heavily for you. It depends but either way they need the information.
Student: What else should I do, Madame Secretary?
Coach: Call me Coach. You should make a short video that features your tennis achievements and some clips of you playing. The person who you are playing against should be of equal ability or better. Don’t make a video of you hitting forehands on your little sister.
Student: My dad has recorded every tennis match I’ve ever played in. Can I put them all on the video?
Coach: No. A college tennis coach does not have time to watch all of that footage. Plus, we can often judge a player’s ability in just a brief clip. If you would like to include a match against a highly ranked opponent at the end of your brief video, you can. But I would not include anything more.
Student: So, basically, you are telling me that I should not wait for college coaches to come to me. I should go to them in order to get an athletic scholarship in the Ivy League.
Coach: There are no athletic scholarships in the Ivy League, but you are correct about not waiting for the coaches to come to you. You need to go to the coaches. You live in Wyoming. It’s not exactly the hotbed of tennis, and tennis is not football or basketball. A school’s endowment does not depend on their tennis team. You need to market yourself and you need to market yourself correctly.
Student: Thank you, Madame Secretary. I mean, the tennis coach. You have been most helpful.
Coach: You got it, tennis player. Visit Ivy Coach at TheIvyCoach.com. That’s www.TheIvyCoach.com.
