Why oh why did Kosakowski go pro?

[jdubbs]

At least with Donald Young, he had one junior world tournaments and it looked like he was the future. I could understand guys like him and Agassi and Sampras.

With these guys, just breaking the top 200 would be an accomplishment. And there really isn't much money until you break into the top 100.

Most will have quit long before then due to financial concerns. And then you're looking at trying to get a job with no degree. Guess it's ok if you're feeding balls to little old ladies, but that's fairly limiting for most.

Wayne Odesnik, #134 in the world, made $49,838 so far this year.

[Clemson_tennis]

exactly. If your a world class talent then you should go pro. The US has less world class talents now simply because the game is so global. The tennis world does not run through southern california like it once did. It nows seems to run through Eastern Europe.

Like you said, in the case of Kosakowski and Sangren, what are their goals? Because at best these guys will be floating around the 150-180 range

[Tennishacker]

For those that are taking a "practical" look toward DK for "abandoning" his scholarship, the meaning of one's life is different for everybody.
Those decision made are not easy or simple, they are many reasons why DK decided to turn pro.

All of us are not at that level of play, so who are we to say that he made the wrong choice.

Of course I personally think staying in school would of been the best choice, but I'm not living DK's life, and don't know the true reasons why he turned pro.
My daughter is friends with his sister, I've meet DK and family on several occasions, they are a solid good family. Tight Polish family.

I'm guessing that it was a family decision.

[Vicious Vik]

UCLA would be very good. What an idiot

[SoCal10s]

Originally Posted by Vicious Vik

UCLA would be very good. What an idiot

Maybe the best ,elite 3 for sure..

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by Tennishacker

For those that are taking a "practical" look toward DK for "abandoning" his scholarship, the meaning of one's life is different for everybody.
Those decision made are not easy or simple, they are many reasons why DK decided to turn pro.

All of us are not at that level of play, so who are we to say that he made the wrong choice.

Of course I personally think staying in school would of been the best choice, but I'm not living DK's life, and don't know the true reasons why he turned pro.
My daughter is friends with his sister, I've meet DK and family on several occasions, they are a solid good family. Tight Polish family.

I'm guessing that it was a family decision.

4 kids...4 D1 tennis players. Some good genes there.

I do think he made a mistake, but who am I to judge another man when I haven't walked in his shoes. I just would have thought having 9 losses in a college season would have made him see that he still needed to work on things before abandoning the free education.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by Clemson_tennis

exactly. If your a world class talent then you should go pro. The US has less world class talents now simply because the game is so global. The tennis world does not run through southern california like it once did. It nows seems to run through Eastern Europe.

Like you said, in the case of Kosakowski and Sangren, what are their goals? Because at best these guys will be floating around the 150-180 range

Sandgren got really bad advice from someone. He went on a little run over the summer and has come back to earth in no time. This guy could have done very well in the sec this year and threw that away.

[josofo]

if he doesn't make it in the pros he can always go back to school with loans like the rest of us.


to me the whole you are losing so much to quit college and go pro, never made sense to me in any sport. the football player luck probally lost 5-6 million in carreer earning to stay another year at stanford. he probally made stanford atleast 5-6 million but they aren't going to give him that.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by josofo

if he doesn't make it in the pros he can always go back to school with loans like the rest of us.


to me the whole you are losing so much to quit college and go pro, never made sense to me in any sport. the football player luck probally lost 5-6 million in carreer earning to stay another year at stanford. he probally made stanford atleast 5-6 million but they aren't going to give him that.

Football and tennis are apples and oranges. A tennis player has to be in the top 150 range to even break even on expenses. There are 32 NFL teams with 53 man rosters and all those athletes have contracts. Quite a bit different being top 150 vs top 1500 with a salary.

[gavna]

Watched him today vs Zverev at the clay courts - looked pretty good - was up 3 - 0 in the 3rd when Misha quit due to the heat (wasn't that hot nor humid). DK was running him into the ground.

[jdubbs]

He's 315 in the world...I don't see him progressing more than outside the top 200. The money he's making is laughable.

Its sad. He definitely got some poor advice.

[Clemson_tennis]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

He's 315 in the world...I don't see him progressing more than outside the top 200. The money he's making is laughable.

Its sad. He definitely got some poor advice.

At least he's doing much better than Britton.

315 isn't that bad, it's within striking distance. If he was down in the 400's and 500's it would be worse.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by Clemson_tennis

At least he's doing much better than Britton.

315 isn't that bad, it's within striking distance. If he was down in the 400's and 500's it would be worse.

He has not even been full time on tour for a year. Stop bashing the kid or if he has rich parents this thread will be removed.

[Clemson_tennis]

Originally Posted by andfor

He has not even been full time on tour for a year. Stop bashing the kid or if he has rich parents this thread will be removed.

I didn't bash him, I said 315 really isnt that bad.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by Clemson_tennis

I din;t bash him, I said 315 really isnt that bad.

You're going to be banned.

[Clemson_tennis]

Originally Posted by andfor

You're going to be banned.

lol, jdubbs was actually the one who bashed him.

[Clemson_tennis]

The post directly above mine that I quoted. In fact I actually defended Kosakowski a bit.

[jdubbs]

Something John Isner's mom said the other day made me think of this thread. She said there were a lot of juniors who went pro while John went to college. Now he's top 10 or close to it and none of them made it.

With the game becoming so physical and guys doing better later in life, it's better to get your degree and compete straight after.

I guarantee Kosakowski will struggle in the lower levels until he can't afford to tour anymore (since it costs $140K on average to tour). He could go back to school later in life, but of course it won't be paid for.

Kind of a sad story.

[ClarkC]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

Something John Isner's mom said the other day made me think of this thread. She said there were a lot of juniors who went pro while John went to college. Now he's top 10 or close to it and none of them made it.

With the game becoming so physical and guys doing better later in life, it's better to get your degree and compete straight after.

I guarantee Kosakowski will struggle in the lower levels until he can't afford to tour anymore (since it costs $140K on average to tour). He could go back to school later in life, but of course it won't be paid for.

Kind of a sad story.

I think the $140K (and similar) estimates that have been given in these discussions are wildly exaggerated. They assume things like traveling with a coach for half the weeks in the year or whatever, and staying in hotel rooms week after week. The truth is that a lot of players only get some coaching on their weeks back home in between Futures tournaments, and they often stay with a local family who belongs to the club that is hosting the Futures.

That does not make it easy to make a good living at tennis, but it greatly reduces the number of people who are supposedly losing their shirts while playing tennis.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

Something John Isner's mom said the other day made me think of this thread. She said there were a lot of juniors who went pro while John went to college. Now he's top 10 or close to it and none of them made it.

With the game becoming so physical and guys doing better later in life, it's better to get your degree and compete straight after.

I guarantee Kosakowski will struggle in the lower levels until he can't afford to tour anymore (since it costs $140K on average to tour). He could go back to school later in life, but of course it won't be paid for.

Kind of a sad story.

The sad story here is your post. The kid has been pro a little over a year. Just because a kid leaves college to go pro does not imply his plan is to be in the Top 100 in a year. Do you know his plan and goals? Looks like he's making progress to me. http://www.itftennis.com/ProCircuit/...erID=100122323

Keep working hard everyday and looking for ways to improve Daniel.
Good luck.