Oftentimes, the statements that parents make on their child’s behalf have validity, yet there are a range of recognizable comments that are heard so often by coaches, and are hard to prove, that they lose their intended impact.
In college recruitment, it is natural for parents to want to help and represent their child in the best possible way to coaches. Oftentimes, the statements that parents make on their child’s behalf have validity, yet there are a range of recognizable comments that are heard so often by coaches, and are hard to prove, that they lose their intended impact. Parents need to be very careful to ensure that the well-intentioned advocacy of their child throughout the recruiting process does not translate into excuses, a lack of accountability, or inability to execute in areas that may be important to a college coach, either on or off the court.
Based on the feedback we have received from coaches at all college levels, below is a guide representing several commonly heard statements from parents in the recruiting process which unintentionally can raise red flags during recruitment. These select examples demonstrate how a coach’s perception of certain descriptors can affect the reality of your student-athlete’s process.
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What Parents Might Say…
“My kid is so busy with school and other commitments, so I am just trying to help out by telling you a little bit about him/her. And, they really can’t play many tournaments because they are so focused on their school work and preparing for standardized tests.”
What College Coaches May Interpret…
- Handling tennis along with academics is part of the student-athlete expectation in college. Does this prospect struggle with time management?
- Does he/she have the ability or practice skills to handle the commitment and independence required to manage scheduling their academic and social lives with a daily tennis expectation included?
- If this player is not taking ownership of his/her own recruitment, is competitive college tennis a true priority, desire or passion for this player?
What Parents Might Say…
“My son/daughter really competes well. Over the last several tournaments, almost every game went to deuce or every match was a 3 set match. And, he/she performs much better against higher level players. He/she wins lots of practice matches against tougher opponents.”
What College Coaches May Interpret…
- This sounds like a player who struggles with competitive pressure.
- Why aren’t they able to close out games and matches multiple times?
- Is this a player who gets tight or loses confidence or courage on the big points or moments in a match?
- Practice matches don’t count and don’t have true pressure, but college matches do…is this a player I can rely on in situations that matter for my team?
- I need to know that my players can pull off some good wins but also beat the players they are supposed to beat.
What Parents Might Say…
“My son/daughter is much better than the rankings and ratings show. I see that your team’s UTRs may be higher, but my child has the talent to definitely be a starter and impact player for your team.”
What College Coaches May Interpret…
- There are some special cases in which a player’s data might not accurately represent their level or potential, but given that we are in a sport with recorded wins and losses, and I can see posted results from tournaments, I know their general level.
- When I watch a player live, I will be able to know the player’s level and whether it fits what our program needs.
What Parents Might Say…
“My kid is usually much better than the top players in the section. It’s just that the last few tournaments did not go well for him/her. First, he/she was struggling with a sore wrist. Then she/he played someone who was such a cheater and stole the match away. When he/she lost to that lower player, it was after staying up late studying for a test so the sharpness just wasn’t there like usual.”
What College Coaches May Interpret…
- Some of these things might have happened and were undoubtedly challenges, but how much validity do they hold for the losses?
- Can this player handle adversity?
- Is he/she able to be accountable for losses and learn from them?
- It sounds like he/she might have trouble accurately assessing a match and taking constructive criticism which is an important sign of maturity and coachability in a college player.
- Can this player respect the work and level of opponents and have fun competing whether they win or lose?
What Parents Might Say…
“I know college tennis is more about “team” and my son/daughter really competes better in a team setting.”
What College Coaches May Interpret…
- How can I validate or quantify that, and how much it could potentially help my program?
- Being about the team is great and is a unique part of the college tennis setting, especially off the court, but my team members have to be able to compete at their top level in a one-on-one battle.
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Other points of consideration from the coaches’ point of view:
- While it is a flattering compliment to have a tennis player of note (such as a professional player or past college athlete) say that your child is appropriate for certain levels of play or types of college teams, oftentimes those individuals are not up to speed with the day-to-day and year-to-year status of the hundreds of tennis programs around the country. It is college coaches themselves, and professionals in the specific college tennis industry, who may be able to better assess what various programs are looking for and your child’s fit for a particular program.
- Trust coaches to analyze for themselves the results and data that are available to them. In most cases, coaches are savvy and very clued into trends with the ratings and rankings, whether it has to do with expected peaks and plateaus in most player’s trajectories, periods of rating inflation and deflation, how players compare across geographical regions and age groups, etc. Honesty in reporting about a player’s rankings and ratings is always the best policy. Coaches have access to all of this information, so seeing that a parent or recruit is misrepresenting data, exaggerating or rounding up numbers, overstating an expected path to improvement, etc., can have negative consequences when attempting to develop trust with a coach.
We at DTS are more than happy to listen to your concerns and provide guidance in language and timing that will enrich the recruiting narrative for your child.
Donovan Tennis Strategies
Donovan Tennis Strategies has been helping prospective college tennis players and their families navigate the recruiting process since 1997. In addition to consulting services DTS runs three College Prospects Showcases to help players get exposure to college coaches.