How does TennisRecruiting know what grade a player is in?

[topspinnerMN]

I see some kids playing in USTA 12U tournaments who look like they are in 5th grade but TR.net says they are in 7th grade. I check with the kids' parents and TR.net is right. And these kids never even updated their TR profile with graduation year etc. How does TR.net correctly know which grade they are in? Doesn't it need to know which year they are born or the graduation year to guess the grade?

 

[innoVAShaun]

My tennis buddy just went to a coaches' workshop yesterday and his only takeaway is that there's a system tracking junior players. They get registered once they play some sort of organized play such as USTA tournaments and leagues, UTR, or even just playing on a school team. He said they didn't disclose the name of system.

I guess that's why you see 10U players with WTNs.

 

[LOBALOT]

I see some kids playing in USTA 12U tournaments who look like they are in 5th grade but TR.net says they are in 7th grade. I check with the kids' parents and TR.net is right. And these kids never even updated their TR profile with graduation year etc. How does TR.net correctly know which grade they are in? Doesn't it need to know which year they are born or the graduation year to guess the grade?

They do it just as you suspect by the age division the player is playing USTA Jr., etc. tournaments in except they list the player as "Provisional" until the player / parent then log in and setup and actually enter their intended graduation year. Then "Provisional" is removed.

 

[topspinnerMN]

They do it just as you suspect by the age division the player is playing USTA Jr., etc. tournaments in except they list the player as "Provisional" until the player / parent then log in and setup and actually enter their intended graduation year. Then "Provisional" is removed.

That's what I thought but they seem to be pretty accurate. A kid playing in 12u USTA could be in grades 4 to 7 and TR has been pretty accurate on picking the right grade.

 

[LOBALOT]

That's what I thought but they seem to be pretty accurate. A kid playing in 12u USTA could be in grades 4 to 7 and TR has been pretty accurate on picking the right grade.

Sometimes they miss pretty badly as in your example.

Also, parents who think that tennis is going to be their kid's be all/end all will also take a gap year after high school and work on their game if they aren't getting into their desired school (i.e. D1). That can also throw things out of kilter.