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College Prospects Showcases

Many high school juniors are starting to consider colleges and college tennis programs. Finding a school that fits both their academic and athletic needs can be a challenge; one such challenge is getting exposure to college coaches. While coaches can get an idea of a player’s overall level of play through a ranking and list of accomplishments, there’s no substitute for them seeing a live match in both singles and doubles.

To facilitate this task for both players and coaches, Donovan Tennis Strategies holds annual College Prospects Showcases in January and July. The 4th Annual DTS Southern California Showcase was held Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11 at the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, CA. The 9th Annual DTS College Prospects Showcase will be held Wednesday, July 1 and Thursday, July 2 at the Yale Tennis Center in New Haven, CT.

Event Details

These events have no USTA ranking ramifications. Participants will be divided into teams and the format will be identical to a college tennis match, with each team match consisting of three doubles and six singles matches. Each team will play three matches over the course of event. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. and the event will kick off with a Q&A session for parents and players starting at 8:15 a.m. on Day 1, with introductions and the start of matches to follow. The event will conclude by 3 p.m. on Day 2.

Players wishing to apply can submit the online registration or download and mail the form. The entry fee, along with a head shot photo (a digital photo emailed to Hope Rupley: hope@donovantennis.com) are required to complete the registration process. College coaches will receive a packet containing a short bio on each player, including their rankings, grades, and test scores. This information will be available to college coaches only and will otherwise be kept confidential.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to get a head start on the recruiting process and perform in front of coaches from some of the top schools in the country. In addition, these events will be excellent preparation for important summer tournaments at the sectional and national level. Last year at Yale there were many more applicants than spots.  Clients of the DTS College Selection Assistance Program are given first priority in the selection process.  Ranking, geographic location and academic credentials will also be considered.  Players not accepted will have their entry fee returned. While this event is primarily for high school juniors, a limited number of highly qualified sophomores may be accepted. 

Yale Event - July 1-2 (Registration opens Jan. 15, 2009)

The registration deadline is June 5, 2009 at 5pm. Players will be notified of their status by June 9.

The La Quinta Inn & Suites, New Haven ($109/night; telephone 203-562-1111) and the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale ($149/night; telephone 203-772-6664) are the event hotels. Rooms have been blocked off for Tuesday and Wednesday night, June 30 and July 1. Players should mention Donovan Tennis College Showcase to receive the reduced rates. Reservations need to be made by June 22 to guarantee these rates.

There will be a pre-event training session on Tuesday, June 30 from 4-6pm. More details on how to register will be in the information packet e-mailed to accepted players.

Directions:

• Yale Tennis Center
• LaQuinta Inn & Suites
• Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale

Register online or download a registration form.

Coaches Attending

Coaches from the following schools are scheduled to attend the 2009 Showcase at Yale. We expect this list to expand as we get closer to the event and will update it periodically.

Men's Programs

Women's Programs

Event Questions

Any questions can be directed to Tim Donovan at 781-556-5305 or by email at tim@donovantennis.com.

2009 Showcase Review

California Showcase

The 4th Annual DTS Southern California Showcase was held January 10th and 11th at the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, CA. The event started with a question and answer session for parents. A small panel of college coaches representing a variety of programs, including Adam Steinberg, men's head coach at Pepperdine University, Keith Puryear, head women's coach at the US Naval Academy, Ben Belletto, head men's coach at Pomona-Pitzer, Max Retzlaff, head women's coach at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Mark Bohren, head men's and women's coach at Azusa Pacific University, was assembled to field questions about the recruiting process.

Matches began after the introduction of players and coaches. A total of 20 boys and 16 girls from 10 states and one foreign countries participated. Players were divided into teams and competed in both singles and doubles. Coaches representing 25 college programs attended the event. Each coach was provided a profile on each participant; including the player's contact information, grades, test scores, ranking history, and a picture.

Day two started with a presentation by Adam Miller, Assistant Dean of Admission at Claremont McKenna College, who provided insights into college admissions procedures and gave valuable advice to players and parents.

The following players participated in this year's event:

Coaches from the following schools have attended the Southern California College Prospects Showcase in at least one of the past four years:

Showcase Raves

"Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate in the Southern California College Showcase... I really do feel that it will help me immensely in the college recruiting process. I felt like the event did more than just allow me to show my tennis skills to coaches. It taught me more about the recruiting process in general, it gave me a feel for where I stand at the college level, and it opened me up to many more colleges that I would never have considered without this event. Everything from the scheduling to the Q&A sessions were impeccable. The search for the right college is not easy, but thanks to you and all those who assisted you in this event, my search is going to be much less stressful."

—Markie Westwood, 2007 Showcase Participant

"The Donovan College Showcase was the best organized event in which I have ever participated. Coaches were provided with accurate and complete information on each participant well in advance of the event. This allowed me to observe selected players which met the academic criteria of Washington and Lee University."

—Cinda Rankin, Former Head Women’s Coach, Washington & Lee University

“The Donovan Tennis Stategies College Showcase is a great tool for any college tennis coach. You get to see young men and women play singles and doubles in a team atmosphere. Last year I viewed recruits from Massachusetts, Florida and California! Since there are no ranking points at stake, the prospective athletes can relax, have fun and play without fear, so a college coach can get a closer look at what their true potential is.”

—Barry Schoonmaker, Head Women’s Coach, Cornell University

"There is no more knowledgeable voice of New England and Northeastern tennis than Tim Donovan. His showcase is the best organized and most beneficial one of its kind in the country."

—Dave Schwarz, Head Men’s Coach, Middlebury College

"I gather a big part of my recruiting information and contacts from the DTS College Prospects Showcase. This is a "must" event for any junior aspiring to play college tennis."

—Constantine Ananiadis, Head Women’s Coach, Oberlin College

“The Showcase has given my recruiting picture more clarity and has been a great benefit to our program.”

—Nate Simms, Head Men’s Coach, Skidmore College