What I hate about Junior tennis. Kids, read this

[Misterbill]

Originally Posted by 10ismom

1. Did your family "sacrifice" money for junior tennnis?
2. Did your children "sacrifice" their childhood for junior tennis?

If you say yes and you did succeed without noone's resentment, then congratulations to you.

To work very hard at tennis when the kid love tennis is not a sacrifice in my book or many others'. It was the above 2 examples I was talking about.

We spent money that could have been used for other purposes, which we therefore sacrificed. We did not sacrifice our solvency. If it was the point that families should not sacrifice their solvency for junior tennis, then I agree with that

No one in our family sacrificed their whole childhood for tennis. If that was the point, I agree with it. Lots of other sacrifices, some small, some significant were involved.

In our family we teach that sacrifice is a precondition to success.

(Not preaching that you or any other family should do this, it is just our personal belief)

[BMC9670]

Originally Posted by Misterbill

Our family takes pride in sacrifice. We think sacrifice is necessary to be successful in studies, career, sports......practically anything.

Our thinking is that if sacrifice is not required to earn some "thing", then the thing is an entitlement. And we don't think we are entitled to success in anything.......we think we have to work, struggle and.....yes....sacrifice for it.

I think there are different views of sacrifice an I agree with what you're saying. In an earlier post I was referring to the stories we all know - a parent putting it all into the kids hopes of tennis stardom... selling the house and moving into a trailer, working part time to coach the kid, getting a divorce over differences of lifestyle... you know, that kind of sacrifice. Not worth it.

[BMC9670]

Originally Posted by Misterbill

We spent money that could have been used for other purposes, which we therefore sacrificed. We did not sacrifice our solvency. If it was the point that families should not sacrifice their solvency for junior tennis, then I agree with that

No one in our family sacrificed their whole childhood for tennis. If that was the point, I agree with it. Lots of other sacrifices, some small, some significant were involved.

In our family we teach that sacrifice is a precondition to success.

(Not preaching that you or any other family should do this, it is just our personal belief)

Exactly. To me, those are not sacrifices, but choices of how to spend time and money responsibly.

[Misterbill]

Yeah. Maybe it is just semantics.

To me, running hills while other kids are having fun hanging out is a sacrifice. Burning the midnight oil to study for an important test while others are going to a party is a sacrifice. Spending money on tennis instead of buying another car or taking a vacation to Europe is a sacrifice. Taking an adult course at a local college to boost a career while others are playing golf is a sacrifice.

Haven't done a scientific survey, of course, but I believe my thinking is in the clear minority on this. I think most families are not willing to make sacrifices to achieve success.............in junior tennis or any endeavor.........because as another poster said, this could lead to resentment.

Again, not trying to preach or convert. I am comfortable being in the minority on this.

[Tennisstringz]

Originally Posted by tball2day

Ah, regarding #3, I am guessing junior or senior facing the reality of recruitment, and I understand your pain. Seems a dirty little secret when you find out the truth doesn't it? I see parents/players in shock at this point all the time. If it makes you feel better, virtually no 5 star or blue chip boys get a full ride and hardly a partial scholarship worth much if they go to the school they really want to either. They too have to settle for a school they otherwise wouldn't have chosen except for tennis to get a scholarship. I read the stats one year - two boys took/got a full, total, in the entire class.

This is the dirty little secret that would cost USTA hundreds of thousands

If you are a boy and intelligent, your odds for getting a full ride to a school you actually wanted is about the same as if you played basketball or football. Never believe that tennis will be a means for scholarship. If you are a boy, play for fun only. If you are truly talented, you could go all out and pay thousands of dollars and do the USTA grind. Then your chances of getting a scholarship full ride to a school you like may be slightly higher than if you chose basketball or football.

If you are a girl, and a top ranked player, the odds are that you are an excellent students as well. You will pay to play tennis at a school that you would have gone to anyway like Ivy League or a top private school.

There will be Forty scholarships at schools you might have wanted to go to. Many of these will be given to foreignors. So you branch out and look for any big name college in the US, so now you have another 25 spots. If you don t get those, then you re just settling for anything to play tennis.

This is the reality. In the end, ten years after you ve graduated from follege, you realize your skills are not much better than the high school basketball player that picked up a racket three years ago and plays in the 4.5 league. And you have a worse job than you would ve had if you never played junior tennis.

For about 150 AMERICAN girls or boys per class, a satisfying placement for college tennis will be found. The rest will realize they settled for less, or quit compleyely.

So the message is, play tennis for fun only unless you are gifted and shoot up into the top 100 without effort. Otherwise, just Learn fundamentals as a kid, and enjoy tennis as a 3.5-4.0 league player after you get a job...

[barringer97]

Originally Posted by Tennisstringz

This is the dirty little secret that would cost USTA hundreds of thousands

If you are a boy and intelligent, your odds for getting a full ride to a school you actually wanted is about the same as if you played basketball or football. Never believe that tennis will be a means for scholarship. If you are a boy, play for fun only. If you are truly talented, you could go all out and pay thousands of dollars and do the USTA grind. Then your chances of getting a scholarship full ride to a school you like may be slightly higher than if you chose basketball or football.

If you are a girl, and a top ranked player, the odds are that you are an excellent students as well. You will pay to play tennis at a school that you would have gone to anyway like Ivy League or a top private school.

There will be Forty scholarships at schools you might have wanted to go to. Many of these will be given to foreignors. So you branch out and look for any big name college in the US, so now you have another 25 spots. If you don t get those, then you re just settling for anything to play tennis.

This is the reality. In the end, ten years after you ve graduated from follege, you realize your skills are not much better than the high school basketball player that picked up a racket three years ago and plays in the 4.5 league. And you have a worse job than you would ve had if you never played junior tennis.

For about 150 AMERICAN girls or boys per class, a satisfying placement for college tennis will be found. The rest will realize they settled for less, or quit compleyely.

So the message is, play tennis for fun only unless you are gifted and shoot up into the top 100 without effort. Otherwise, just Learn fundamentals as a kid, and enjoy tennis as a 3.5-4.0 league player after you get a job...

That is completely not true.

I am a parent and I played Division 1 tennis and coached for multiple years (and I'm 6'1" and white).

My child has a MUCH better chance earning a full ride in tennis than in football or basketball...that's for sure.

[tennis5]

Originally Posted by barringer97

That is completely not true.

I am a parent and I played Division 1 tennis and coached for multiple years (and I'm 6'1" and white).

My child has a MUCH better chance earning a full ride in tennis than in football or basketball...that's for sure.

Facts are about full rides in mens college tennis:

1) There are only 4.5 scholarships for the men's team for tennis.

2) There is more scholarship money for football or basketball.

3) Most likely, the scholarship money for tennis will be spent on foreigners than Americans.

4) There is a trend in tennis for men's tennis( sorry, I don't follow womens), and the foreigners are increasing every year.

Folks, your son should play tennis for the love of the game.

There is no return on investment here. You will far outspend on tennis than any money that would come back through scholarships.

[Misterbill]

Originally Posted by barringer97

That is completely not true.

I am a parent and I played Division 1 tennis and coached for multiple years (and I'm 6'1" and white).

My child has a MUCH better chance earning a full ride in tennis than in football or basketball...that's for sure.

I agree with you, Barringer.

But no need for anyone to take your word, or my word............or the word of posters who come across as sour grapey or bitter.

All anyone needs to do is check out the College Commitments pages on TRN and cross-check to the players' pages to see if they signed NLIs. This is not 100% accurate, of course, but it gives very good factual data about how many kids at various ranking levels are getting offers, and from which schools.

[barringer97]

Originally Posted by tennis5

Facts are:

1) There are only 4.5 scholarships for the men's team for tennis.

2_ There is more scholarship money for football or basketball.

3) Most likely, the scholarship money for tennis will be spent on foreigners than Americans.

4) There is a trend in tennis for men's tennis( sorry, I don't follow womens), and the foreigners are increasing every year.

Folks, your son should play tennis for the love of the game.

There is no return on investment here. You will far outspend on tennis than any money that would come back through scholarships.

Yeah, I get it. Still disagree.

first of all, I have a daughter and son.

For my daughter, I think there is a pretty solid chance that I can get her a ride.

But let's talk about my son.

First of all:

There is no freaking way he gets a full ride for basketball. I'm 6'1", my dad is 6'4", my wife's dad is 6'4"...so he could (?) be 6'3"? He is also white.

Not many (none) 6'3" white kids get scholarships for hoops. Not happening.

Football? Maybe (still less likely than Tennis), but I don't want his brain mushed so he isn't playing.

On the other hand, I can give them excellent instruction 4-5 days a week. The cost is up in the air. Obviously, it's free if I'm training them, but my time isn't free to me...but on the other hand, I'm spending time with them.

In general, I agree with what you are saying, but I disagree on how you believe that they have the same odds in other sports. That isn't true. They are both low, but my kids have the advantage of me in the house that other kids just don't.

[tennis5]

Originally Posted by barringer97

Yeah, I get it. Still disagree.

first of all, I have a daughter and son.

For my daughter, I think there is a pretty solid chance that I can get her a ride.

But let's talk about my son.

First of all:

There is no freaking way he gets a full ride for basketball. I'm 6'1", my dad is 6'4", my wife's dad is 6'4"...so he could (?) be 6'3"? He is also white.

Not many (none) 6'3" white kids get scholarships for hoops. Not happening.

Football? Maybe (still less likely than Tennis), but I don't want his brain mushed so he isn't playing.

On the other hand, I can give them excellent instruction 4-5 days a week. The cost is up in the air. Obviously, it's free if I'm training them, but my time isn't free to me...but on the other hand, I'm spending time with them.

In general, I agree with what you are saying, but I disagree on how you believe that they have the same odds in other sports. That isn't true. They are both low, but my kids have the advantage of me in the house that other kids just don't.

I read everything you wrote, and understand you can train him ( which not all juniors have the luxury of a parent who is talented and can coach)....

But, the "white" comment threw me? No white kids in college basketball?

[barringer97]

Originally Posted by tennis5

I read everything you wrote, and understand you can train him ( which not all juniors have the luxury of a parent who is talented and can coach)....

But, the "white" comment threw me? No white kids in college basketball?

My kid won't be playing center or forward (so limited scholarships).

And no, the % of white guards in NCAA D I is very limited.

[tball2day]

........................

[Misterbill]

Originally Posted by tball2day

Just keep in mind signing an NLI doesn't mean full, I am surprised how many people think NLI and full are synonymous. Many offers for freshman boys are 10-20%, which means 5-10k of a 50K price tag, if that.

Right. Doesn't mean full for the women either, if the school is not fully-funded for tennis

[paulmaben]

Barringer i am in your boat a bit. I can train my kids. Triplets are nine years old and started tournaments this year. Twins are 3.5 years of age and have started hitting. We train four or five days a week, play junior team tennis, and dont do privates or clinics. If they show promise i will travel a bit but i feel we have enough competition in the south( knoxville) not far from atlanta. Im not going to chase points when they r young.

[coaching32yrs]

I do not understand the obsession with scholarships. We made academics our #1 priority. Our kids worked very hard in school and were good tennis players. The top D3 academic colleges wanted them, along with a few mid major D1's. If you qualify academically and athletically the top D3 schools offer generous need based financial aid. In our case about 50%. The other 50% was a little tough but it wasn't that much more than we had been paying for lessons, training, equipment and tournaments. It was the best investment we could ever make. The key is the academics.
They have to be near the top of the class.

[barringer97]

For me, it's not financial aid, it's playing at the school they want to go to. Financial aid would by icing on the cake.

[Tennisstringz]

Originally Posted by barringer97

That is completely not true.

I am a parent and I played Division 1 tennis and coached for multiple years (and I'm 6'1" and white).

My child has a MUCH better chance earning a full ride in tennis than in football or basketball...that's for sure.

You're talking about ten to fifteen years ago? It seemed a bit easier then. Better funded and less foreignors. You got a full ride? Then you were probably from Cali and ranked in the top 50 nationally. Did you get your first choice?

Your child has a much better chance in tennis or football because he has a coach for a parent and he doesn t have to shell out $50 to $100 everytime he wants a lesson. Imagine erasing everytime you hit with your son or everytime he hit in your groups or with a connection you have... Now where is he in his tennis development?

[Tennisstringz]

Originally Posted by Tennisstringz

You're talking about ten to fifteen years ago? It seemed a bit easier then. Better funded and less foreignors. You got a full ride? Then you were probably from Cali and ranked in the top 50 nationally. Did you get your first choice?

Your child has a much better chance in tennis or football because he has a coach for a parent and he doesn t have to shell out $50 to $100 everytime he wants a lesson. Imagine erasing everytime you hit with your son or everytime he hit in your groups or with a connection you have... Now where is he in his tennis development?

i meant in tennis than for football

[10ismom]

Originally Posted by paulmaben

Barringer i am in your boat a bit. I can train my kids. Triplets are nine years old and started tournaments this year. Twins are 3.5 years of age and have started hitting. We train four or five days a week, play junior team tennis, and dont do privates or clinics. If they show promise i will travel a bit but i feel we have enough competition in the south( knoxville) not far from atlanta. Im not going to chase points when they r young.

Don't forget to let your children expose to other sports, music, art esp when they're young. You have a set of triplets and twins so chances are one or more children might enjoy or has great potential in another area.

Besides my full time career I am also an accomplished piano player. I can teach my 2 children and save money but chose not to. When they were young, they were given opportunities to play different sports, learn different musical instruments, exposing to dances, art, etc. My 19 yo chose to carry on tennis and a few things till finished up her high school while my younger one enjoys mostly tennis. They both excel in their on individual way.
The point is even though tennis might be convenient for you, if you can afford it, let your children expose to other sports, music or other areas. The one special gift that (at least) one of your child has, might then be discovered and nurtured.

[10ismom]

Originally Posted by Tennisstringz

You're talking about ten to fifteen years ago? It seemed a bit easier then. Better funded and less foreignors..... Did you get your first choice?Your child has a much better chance in tennis than football because he has a coach for a parent and he doesn t have to shell out $50 to $100 everytime he wants a lesson. Imagine erasing everytime you hit with your son or everytime he hit in your groups or with a connection you have... Now where is he in his tennis development?

Tennisstringz
I agree with the point that it is easier financially for a previous D1 tennis player to teach his own children tennis and maybe better chances to play and obtain college tennis scholarship(s).
Many posters and readers here pay for lessons so you're not alone.
I admired your dedication to your child(ren)'s tennis development and your many posts that certainly will make people think esp if their children are new to tennis. Having said that, we all need to make adjustments. You might think you've done everything (you could have) but when time for recruiting, college options might not be as planned.
Maybe starting with where will your child be happy at and what would work financially for you. The foreign student in another thread has to make some adjustment too. College recruiting/admission is just not easy.