jcgatennismom
Hall of Fame
Many juniors playing USTA tournaments still attend public schools, and they have to ration days missed to avoid flack from school administrators. I know one player now playing regularly in the lineup for an ACC team, who played 2-3 years on his high school team, was 5 star or blue chip, but pulled out of public school his junior year b/c school officials gave family grief about 23 missed days of school. Didnt matter he still kept up his grades taking a rigorous curriculum. He returned his sr year and helped team win a state championship. If players have to choose which Monday or Tuesday to miss, they will choose to stay and play the MD Monday b/c going deep in a high level tourney could mean playing less tourneys as player earn enough points to get in nationals without playing every sectional. USTA sectionals can host 6 high level tourneys a year that earn sectional as well as national points, and most are held during the school year. Players have pulled out of tourneys to take AP tests. Kzoo starts later each year so now many southern players have to miss part of the first week of school to play. Nationwide schools have different calendars so there is no way USTA can pick a calendar that's best for every school district, but USTA sectionals could reduce draws-no need for 128 draws during school year! If more players had to earn their way into high level tourneys, the top players would miss less school due to shorter tourneys. Luckily most teachers ignore the tan of the kids who were out "sick" Friday and Monday if they have good grades. Used to have to remind my son not to wear tourney Tshirt first week back.I If I was a coach that would make me wonder about the kids desire to compete and improve and wonder why the player went to the tourney in the first place. If they made it deep in the main draw they'd have the same expense.
Dont assume players skip backdraw b/c they are afraid of losing to lower players. They may have legitimate academic reasons. The players who attend public school and even play for their HS teams while still playing USTA tourneys and an occasional ITF walk a tightrope to balance both tennis and school. The college coaches will appreciate that those guys have team experience if they also kept up their grades as well as TRN star/UTR level. That said some players withdraw for the wrong reasons. However, parents have to make the right choices for their financial, academic, and health situations. Many parents of serious players have the opposite problem-kids won't tell them they are sick or hurting until they are limping off court and miss the next 6 weeks. They dont withdraw when they should have.