Thanasi

[andfor]

Originally Posted by Freak4tennis

Hmmm, I think..YES...As would John McEnroe @ Stanford, as was the Bryan Brothers @ Stanford, Jimmy Connors @ UCLA, Kevin Anderson @ Illinois, Somdev Devarmann @ VA...

The list goes on and on. There are a lot of articles on the subject but this is the best one. With the average age of a top 100 player in the mid to late 20s. There appears to be a great argument for college tennis for a year or two.

http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen12/s...nvestment-pros

Reminds me of Malavi Washington. He went to Michigan for 2 years. I remember his father saying he wanted Malavi at a very good tennis school but not a very top program. Thought it was more important to play #1 for development to the pros and have to play the best college players, as opposed to going to Stanford or USC and starting as a #4, 5 or 6 and not always getting the toughest matches.

Todd Martin was similar at Northwestern where he play #1 for two years then went pro. Todd, as opposed to Malavi, I don't believe he went to college with the sole intention of developing for professional tennis. Martin if I recall was only around #18 or so USTA ranking out of H.S. He was a late bloomer and college worked for him.

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by Freak4tennis

Hmmm, I think..YES...As would John McEnroe @ Stanford, as was the Bryan Brothers @ Stanford, Jimmy Connors @ UCLA, Kevin Anderson @ Illinois, Somdev Devarmann @ VA...

The list goes on and on. There are a lot of articles on the subject but this is the best one. With the average age of a top 100 player in the mid to late 20s. There appears to be a great argument for college tennis for a year or two.

http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen12/s...nvestment-pros

Ok so you have come up with how many who have gone to college and "done well" over a 40 yr span ? you are showing me 6 I will ad Isner so that is 7 over 40 yrs, n
Now do me a favor factor in how many tennis schools in the D1 arena per year times 40 , I believe its 6 to 8 per team , you can do the math on this for me I dont add well ,

My question if the no.s are what i am seeing then the route of college is a death blow for anyone "wanting" to go pro , but I am open for stats that contridict these that i am seeing ?

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by andfor

Reminds me of Malavi Washington. He went to Michigan for 2 years. I remember his father saying he wanted Malavi at a very good tennis school but not a very top program. Thought it was more important to play #1 for development to the pros and have to play the best college players, as opposed to going to Stanford or USC and starting as a #4, 5 or 6 and not always getting the toughest matches.

Todd Martin was similar at Northwestern where he play #1 for two years then went pro. Todd, as opposed to Malavi, I don't believe he went to college with the sole intention of developing for professional tennis. Martin if I recall was only around #18 or so USTA ranking out of H.S. He was a late bloomer and college worked for him.

did it work for him or did he realize it wasnt gonna work and he hightailed it out of their as did Blake ??

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by NLBwell

I started taking the game seriously relatively late (about 17 yrs old - when I game up springboard diving) though my dad taught me good strokes from a young age. I started passing up players who had been far better than me.
What I believed was this:
If you can play someone relatively close, you can win a set.
If you can win one set, there is no reason you can't win the match.
If you can win the match, you SHOULD win the match.

i agree with your thinking , a lot of people think the pros hit a different ball then the college or top Jr.s and trust me I have checked the can myself at a pro event , it is without a doubt the same ball that comes out of a can at a high level jr event ,

[andfor]

Originally Posted by Number1Coach

did it work for him or did he realize it wasnt gonna work and he hightailed it out of their as did Blake ??

I don't think Washinton ever planned to stay for 4 yrs. that's why he went to Michigan so he could play #1.

Martin is the opposite. He progressed at Northwestern then decided to turn pro after 2 yrs.

[Rina]

I never enter these debates, but here I go now. For most part college is not the right route to go pro. Almost nobody in the world is doing it apart from US where college sports are a huge thing. Young women are competing at age 14 and up in Europe, and not junior tournament, smaller pro tournaments. Unless all your college professors are going to pass you for no work, how are you going to balance training and studying? Your peers are playing pros at 17 and you are playing college tennis at 19? Playing better makes you better, not the other way around. I am for college education without question, and it is the right route for most tennis kids, but not for those with pro potential.

[Bash and Crash]

Originally Posted by Number1Coach

Ok so you have come up with how many who have gone to college and "done well" over a 40 yr span ? you are showing me 6 I will ad Isner so that is 7 over 40 yrs, n
Now do me a favor factor in how many tennis schools in the D1 arena per year times 40 , I believe its 6 to 8 per team , you can do the math on this for me I dont add well ,

My question if the no.s are what i am seeing then the route of college is a death blow for anyone "wanting" to go pro , but I am open for stats that contridict these that i am seeing ?

"Nine of his Stanford players, including John McEnroe, Gene Mayer, Alex Mayer, Roscoe Tanner and Tim Mayotte, have gone on to be ranked among the top 15 in ATP world singles rankings", college works for some, I will work on more schools see if the list gets bigger.

[Bash and Crash]

To be honest the NCAA champs of late have not quite yet become household names or consistent top 50-100 players a couple exceptions.....The list from 70-80's is whole other story.
1996 Cecil Mamiit Southern California
1997 Luke Smith UNLV
1998 Bob Bryan Stanford
1999 Jeff Morrison Florida
2000 Alex Kim Stanford
2001 Matias Boeker Georgia
2002 Matais Boeker Georgia
2003 Amer Delic Illinois
2004 Benjamin Becker Baylor
2005 Benedikt Dorsch Baylor
2006 Benjamin Kohlloeffel
2007 Somdev Devvarman
2008 Somdev Devvarman
2009 Devin Britton
2010 Bradley Klahn
2011 Steve Johnson
2012 Steve Johnson

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by Bash and Crash

"Nine of his Stanford players, including John McEnroe, Gene Mayer, Alex Mayer, Roscoe Tanner and Tim Mayotte, have gone on to be ranked among the top 15 in ATP world singles rankings", college works for some, I will work on more schools see if the list gets bigger.

Please last 20 years at the most the game has changed from when they played !

Lets stick with the criteria of 4 years then go pro .

[andfor]

Originally Posted by Bash and Crash

"Nine of his Stanford players, including John McEnroe, Gene Mayer, Alex Mayer, Roscoe Tanner and Tim Mayotte, have gone on to be ranked among the top 15 in ATP world singles rankings", college works for some, I will work on more schools see if the list gets bigger.

I know there's already a list out there. Just have to find it. There's a lot of examples college players who went on to top 200, 100, etc. Careers. We forget about guys like Mike Russell UofMiami, Don Johnson UNC, Michael Yani Duke, Dom Inglot Illini. There's a bunch more.

The clear fact is many more don't go pro or don't make it trying. Same goes for going pro as a junior and bypassing college. We all know the safe choice, blah, blah blah. This is another popular circular argument.

Brad. I realize its a ways off, but if its decided DB go the college route. I'd look for a place he could play #1 without a doubt as a freshman. That way he get the toughest matches every time out. Just a thought. Know you don't want to go there. Just sayin'.

[barringer97]

It might change back to college players becoming good pro players. It seems like players are lasting longer and peaking later in their careers then 10-15 years ago. This, I think, would benefit the pro player that may want to go to college.

Before, it would have been a waste going to college at 18-22, I don't think that's the case anymore.

[TCF]

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[coaching32yrs]

#1 Coach- Your player is good enough now that he can work a deal with a college that if he leaves early to go pro they will let him return to finish his degree at no cost.

[TCF]

==========================

[Bash and Crash]

Originally Posted by TCF

I think BB said they are going exclusively futures now. They have been on this path so long, why not? The player is 6'5", will be 17 soon, been training for 11-12 years, other guys his age are already playing some level of pros.

Seriously, seems to me when the mind set has been so firm for so long its time to cut the cord and hit the pros. See what happens. Once he starts competing solely vs others trying to make it, his game could skyrocket.

The next few years will be interesting to watch, results will speak for themselve

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by TCF

I think BB said they are going exclusively futures now. They have been on this path so long, why not? The player is 6'5", will be 17 soon, been training for 11-12 years, other guys his age are already playing some level of pros.

Seriously, seems to me when the mind set has been so firm for so long its time to cut the cord and hit the pros. See what happens. Once he starts competing solely vs others trying to make it, his game could skyrocket.

We like the cycle of players he is in and we will watch and see if he makes huge jumps over this next year which we will train for and expect to happen , by the end of this year he should have filled out with some more size "weight" and then see over the next year what he does , we will be making adjustments along the way as he plays more futures and in 4 to 5 years will see where he is at .

[coaching32yrs]

Coach #1: Good move. Juniors are not important. Go right to the Futures. You will need to mix in weeks of training when you see what he needs to work on. Good USA schedule of Futures in Fla, Texas, and Calif. Thanasi's team has the right idea.

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by coaching32yrs

Coach #1: Good move. Juniors are not important. Go right to the Futures. You will need to mix in weeks of training when you see what he needs to work on. Good USA schedule of Futures in Fla, Texas, and Calif. Thanasi's team has the right idea.

Talked with Thanasi's coach and after the week he had he says ' were not passing out any cigars to much to work on' I love it , anyways yes we are looking to cover as many futures as possible this year another thing we have done is looked at the template of what the top So.Cal players have done over the last 6 to 8 years and see where they were game wise and physically to make our decisions.

WE believe we are ahead of schedule on some things behind on others such as junior compeiton but thats ok competition can be bought .

[tennisforlife77]

Originally Posted by Number1Coach

Talked with Thanasi's coach and after the week he had he says ' were not passing out any cigars to much to work on' I love it , anyways yes we are looking to cover as many futures as possible this year another thing we have done is looked at the template of what the top So.Cal players have done over the last 6 to 8 years and see where they were game wise and physically to make our decisions.

WE believe we are ahead of schedule on some things behind on others such as junior compeiton but thats ok competition can be bought .

Hey Brad - why did DB pull out of the Florida future this weekend?

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by tennisforlife77

Hey Brad - why did DB pull out of the Florida future this weekend?

DB played today against a kid from Arg today and plays tomorrow after 1030 at Sunrise ,as for last week home sick .