Why oh why did Kosakowski go pro?

[bjk]

To be accurate, I'm not familiar with Amer Delic's schedule. I do know that he went to school while on tour.

[jdubbs]

Originally Posted by Avles

Well Michael Russell apparently recently got his BS from the University of Phoenix...

I don't think Kosakowski will be living in his parents' basement. Unless his arm falls off or something he should always be able to make a decent living from tennis in one form or another. So I don't blame him for putting college on hold.

Well, you can be a ball feeder giving lessons to housewives and beginners (that's where the majority of the players are in tennis) for the rest of your life, or you be Director of Tennis at a club, for instance. That takes knowledge of finance, marketing, business...all skills that they typically require a college degree for.
Which one makes more sense in the long run?
I know of a former pro that finished at Stanford and retired a couple of years ago to a very good professional job paying 6 figures plus.
Not going to be able to do that when the money runs out in 2-3 years and he's faced with either paying for college or giving lessons for the rest of his life.

[Rob_C]

Originally Posted by floridatennisdude

January thru USO is more than 2/3 of the season. It's only a month and a half break at the end of the year. Most pros are done in November except those that make the Tour Finals. Everything important (majors, 1000s, and 500s) are done so it's just a few small tourneys to skip.

Everyone needs break time and whether you take 5 one week breaks or 1 five week break is an individual's decision. McEnroe said in his book that when it came to down time, he ate and drank and sat around doing nothing for weeks.

So maybe I was off on my estimate, but there are still big tournaments to play after the US Open. There are 1000s, Shanghai & Paris, plus 500s, Tokyo, Valencia, Basel, Bejing. If you're a lower level pro, around 100, & you are able to play these tourneys, it's in your best interest to play these to gain enough pts to be able to get directly into the bigger tournaments the following year.

[socaltennnis]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

Well, you can be a ball feeder giving lessons to housewives and beginners (that's where the majority of the players are in tennis) for the rest of your life, or you be Director of Tennis at a club, for instance. That takes knowledge of finance, marketing, business...all skills that they typically require a college degree for.
Which one makes more sense in the long run?

I can't believe I am having this conversation, but here it goes. You do know there is more than just one way to live life, right? Just because a college degree is the traditional way that people go before making a living does not mean its the only way nor is it even an assured way of having a comfortable living. Depending on what concentration your degree is in, your degree can have little net value in the real world. On top of that, college tennis players are not majoring in the most job-desirable majors out there. They are typically graduating in jock majors and go into jobs that are outside their degree or sticking with tennis jobs.

I know of a former pro that finished at Stanford and retired a couple of years ago to a very good professional job paying 6 figures plus.
Not going to be able to do that when the money runs out in 2-3 years and he's faced with either paying for college or giving lessons for the rest of his life.

A Stanford graduate having a 6 figure salary does not have general application to all college graduates just as John Isner doing 4 years of college tennis and becoming top 10 have general application to all American juniors. You are just choosing two examples at the top of their professions. And if anyone were to end up with a low paying desk job or ranked 300th in the world, who are we to judge them or their decisions?

And why is "giving lessons for the rest of ones life" such a bad thing?

[jdubbs]

Originally Posted by socaltennnis

I can't believe I am having this conversation, but here it goes. You do know there is more than just one way to live life, right? Just because a college degree is the traditional way that people go before making a living does not mean its the only way nor is it even an assured way of having a comfortable living. Depending on what concentration your degree is in, your degree can have little net value in the real world. On top of that, college tennis players are not majoring in the most job-desirable majors out there. They are typically graduating in jock majors and go into jobs that are outside their degree or sticking with tennis jobs.



A Stanford graduate having a 6 figure salary does not have general application to all college graduates just as John Isner doing 4 years of college tennis and becoming top 10 have general application to all American juniors. You are just choosing two examples at the top of their professions. And if anyone were to end up with a low paying desk job or ranked 300th in the world, who are we to judge them or their decisions?

And why is "giving lessons for the rest of ones life" such a bad thing?

I sort of stopped at "I can't believe I'm having this conversation"
Sort of why they invented message boards, didn't they? I guess I could have made another Fed/Nadal thread but I found this an interesting topic.
And, since it's generated a lot of replies, others are also interested, pro and con.

And giving lessons is an option, not the best one, but it's always good to have options.

I guarantee Kosakowski -and I'm just picking on him, there are lots just like him -will one day be asking himself a lot of the same questions and wonder if he had chosen another path of finishing school before going pro, whether that would have been the better option.

Something to think about, that's all. I hope the kid makes it big...we need more great American players after all.

[tball2day]

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[onehandbh]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

Thing is, I will believe someone like John Isners mom who talked about all those other kids who went pro and are off the tour with no degree, no more scholarship money. Can you live at home and finish your degree in your late 20's? Sure, but how many do?
I get that the dream of a pro career is seductive, but the evidence is clear that 99 percent of these kids don't make it.
And its not as if playing tennis at 22 after 4 years of college is going to set you back, is it?

It's not as bad as gymnastics, but in pro tennis, for the most part, the
late teens to early 20's appears to be when most top pros start to
make their mark. If you think you might have a chance, then you probably
have to go for it and skip college. Not sure why it is, considering that
for men, the age they hit their peak strength and speed may not be as
a teenager. Not sure about reflexes, recovery, etc.

[Rob_C]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

I sort of stopped at "I can't believe I'm having this conversation"
Sort of why they invented message boards, didn't they? I guess I could have made another Fed/Nadal thread but I found this an interesting topic.
And, since it's generated a lot of replies, others are also interested, pro and con.

And giving lessons is an option, not the best one, but it's always good to have options.

I guarantee Kosakowski -and I'm just picking on him, there are lots just like him -will one day be asking himself a lot of the same questions and wonder if he had chosen another path of finishing school before going pro, whether that would have been the better option.

Something to think about, that's all. I hope the kid makes it big...we need more great American players after all.

You do know that Kosakowski has an older brother & sister, Marcin & Sylvia, both of whom went to DI schools for four yrs, both of whom are now, guess what, teaching tennis for a living.

[Avles]

Originally Posted by jdubbs

I guarantee Kosakowski -and I'm just picking on him, there are lots just like him -will one day be asking himself a lot of the same questions and wonder if he had chosen another path of finishing school before going pro, whether that would have been the better option.

Easy to guarantee something which probably we'll never be able to verify!

I guess I'm just wondering how many players like Kosakowski there really are who wind up toiling in obscurity because they gave up their scholarship.

My guess (and it's just a guess, I don't travel in those circles) is that most guys who reach that high a level at his age end up doing fairly well for themselves, unless they make other bad choices.

[onehandbh]

Originally Posted by Avles

Well Michael Russell apparently recently got his BS from the University of Phoenix...

When I look for a new doctor I usually check to see where they
studied and did their interning.

When i see Devry University or University of Phoenix, I feel relieved because I know they got
some Kwality education.

[andfor]

Originally Posted by onehandbh

When I look for a new doctor I usually check to see where they
studied and did their interning.

When i see Devry University or University of Phoenix, I feel relieved because I know they got
some Kwality education.

Another degree snob.

All these folks here talk about kids needing to go to college, play college tennis and get their degree. Then play pro tennis. It's all because they'll never make it on the pro tour and it cost's too much, $150K a year blah, blah, blah. Then an ATP touring pro gets his degree from an credited college and then it's isn't good enough. Playing pro tennis before college or getting a degree while playing the tour, there's no way to win.

Name one doctor who you've ever personally been to that has a degree from Devry University or University of Phoenix. Although many may not exist, you can't name one.

I'm sure you'll scoff at the following pros who have completed college degrees.
http://www.10sballs.com/2011/12/16/v...llege-degrees/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_Tipsarevi%C4%87

[onehandbh]

For from it, mate. My objections to certain for-profit online universities is that
they are often *REALLY* expensive and the attendees end up with huge loans.
They are given a sales pitch that they'll make a lot of money with their online
degree so they bite the bullet and many end up in a bit of financial
mess when they default on a big federal loan.

I think there are often community colleges and city colleges (both public and
Less expensive) that would have been better options.

Originally Posted by andfor

Another degree snob.

All these folks here talk about kids needing to go to college, play college tennis and get their degree. Then play pro tennis. It's all because they'll never make it on the pro tour and it cost's too much, $150K a year blah, blah, blah. Then an ATP touring pro gets his degree from an credited college and then it's isn't good enough. Playing pro tennis before college or getting a degree while playing the tour, there's no way to win.

Name one doctor who you've ever personally been to that has a degree from Devry University or University of Phoenix. Although many may not exist, you can't name one.

I'm sure you'll scoff at the following pros who have completed college degrees.
http://www.10sballs.com/2011/12/16/v...llege-degrees/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_Tipsarevi%C4%87

[formula16]

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 dont think isner would have anywhere close to the success he is having if it wasnt for that serve

[kme5150]

Originally Posted by formula16

I dont think isner would have anywhere close to the success he is having if it wasnt for that serve

I agree, but that can be said about a lot of guys like Roddick, Karlovic, and Raonic.

[info81]

I am a newbie here but I say if someone wants to play pro they should skip collage. I did not go to collage until I was 23. I did not play tennis but worked at other things that did not pan out. If someone really wants to go back to school they will go back. 23-24 is not that old to start school and lots of people attend collage without a scholarship. If we want to have great American players they need to be dedicated. I think those years on the tour would help you in school later as well.

Having said that it is great that tennis is a global sport and people from Eastern Europe are hungry to win. For a female athlete it is one of the only sport where you can make big money.

[floridatennisdude]

Originally Posted by info81

I am a newbie here but I say if someone wants to play pro they should skip collage. I did not go to collage until I was 23. I did not play tennis but worked at other things that did not pan out. If someone really wants to go back to school they will go back. 23-24 is not that old to start school and lots of people attend collage without a scholarship. If we want to have great American players they need to be dedicated. I think those years on the tour would help you in school later as well.

Having said that it is great that tennis is a global sport and people from Eastern Europe are hungry to win. For a female athlete it is one of the only sport where you can make big money.

Plus, the great thing about college is that the chicks are always the same age

[LeeD]

We should let everyone live their own life.
K would probably never buckle down in college anyways, wasn't going to study and be a bookworm. Notice his hair lenght.
He's more a free spirit, living out his dreams.
And when he's 26, after graduating (if he stayed in school), he'd wonder why he didn't go for it when he had the chance.
He made the right move, for HIM at the time.

[ClarkC]

Originally Posted by info81

I am a newbie here but I say if someone wants to play pro they should skip collage. I did not go to collage until I was 23. I did not play tennis but worked at other things that did not pan out. If someone really wants to go back to school they will go back. 23-24 is not that old to start school and lots of people attend collage without a scholarship. If we want to have great American players they need to be dedicated. I think those years on the tour would help you in school later as well.

Having said that it is great that tennis is a global sport and people from Eastern Europe are hungry to win. For a female athlete it is one of the only sport where you can make big money.

Interesting post.

[tball2day]

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[yonexpurestorm]

i just wanted to give my 2 cents for what its worth. given the opportunity to take a stab at being a pro tennis player i think i would go for it. as for the whole free ride to college thing, my company offers full tuition reimbursement. there are a lot of companies that offer tuition, even to employees who arent very high in the corporate structure. for me college was fun and a good experience, but how many ppl get to take a stab at the tour.