Paying current college players for practice?

NMTennis

Rookie
Hi there - I was wondering if anyone knew the NCAA rules about paying players to practice? My 13 year old 7.1 UTR son is struggling to find local players to hit with. I was thinking about reaching our to some of the local colleges (lower D1, D2, and D3) to see if any of the players were interested. Not a lesson...just a hitting session/practice partner. Of course, I would want to compensate them for their time... Are there any rules against this? or limits on player court/practice time?
 

jcgatennismom

Hall of Fame
As @LOBALOT states, there is a paid hits feature but you can also directly message players near your location-ideally within 2 UTR( a (UTR 9 will probably charge less anyway than an 11-12+) to ask if they would be interested in being a paid hitting partner even if they are not listed under paid hits. You could also Email those local coaches to ask if they had players interested and if you would be allowed to play on campus or not. With many NAIA and D2 programs with low athletic scholarships (most dont fund the full amount allowed) and D3 programs with no athletic scholarships (but with aid &merit), there are a lot of college players who would like to earn $$. Before NIL, juniors could hit with collegians but it had to go through an academy or 3rd party who paid the athlete. My son went from a 3 star 7th grader to a 5 star by sr year, and a big reason for that (along with good coaches) was the opportunity to hit with international collegians and be exposed to different styles of play. Whether you arrange a hit with an American or international player, be open to possibly picking up the player, providing balls, and arranging the courts if they cant play on campus and dont have a car. If that is the case, you also may be able to negotiate a lower rate than you see posted for UTR paid hits. Also offer to pay cash; college students wont have time in spring of 24 to file Schedule C and pay SSI (and possibly income tax) when they get a 1099 from Venmo (IRS delayed for a year but Venmo et al will have to report for '23). Cant believe IRS is going after young people just trying to pay for groceries, gas, and beer with side hustles over $600 when there are more bigger fish to fry. Also if any of the local universities have a grad assistant, those guys would probably be interested in hits-they get paid tuition, a small stipend to live on, and they may have an agreement to use campus courts off hours for lessons/hits. Finally recent grads are a great option-many work remote, have flexible schedules, and would be happy for a few hours of paid hits on the side outside their regular job. My son is a recent D1 grad, and he had 2 brothers who paid him a couple hours a week in the fall to get them ready for varsity tryouts (HS is very competitive in our area-some schools have 100+ come to tryouts).

Spring dual season is tighter as far as free time. If you have trouble finding hitting partners in spring, fall is less busy for collegians-less weekends of travel. Also check with college club teams.
 
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LOBALOT

Hall of Fame
As @LOBALOT states, there is a paid hits feature but you can also directly message players near your location-ideally within 2 UTR( a (UTR 9 will probably charge less anyway than an 11-12+) to ask if they would be interested in being a paid hitting partner even if they are not listed under paid hits. You could also Email those local coaches to ask if they had players interested and if you would be allowed to play on campus or not. With many NAIA and D2 programs with low athletic scholarships (most dont fund the full amount allowed) and D3 programs with no athletic scholarships (but with aid &merit), there are a lot of college players who would like to earn $$. Before NIL, juniors could hit with collegians but it had to go through an academy or 3rd party who paid the athlete. My son went from a 3 star 7th grader to a 5 star by sr year, and a big reason for that (along with good coaches) was the opportunity to hit with international collegians and be exposed to different styles of play. Whether you arrange a hit with an American or international player, be open to possibly picking up the player, providing balls, and arranging the courts if they cant play on campus and dont have a car. If that is the case, you also may be able to negotiate a lower rate than you see posted for UTR paid hits. Also offer to pay cash; college students wont have time in spring of 24 to file Schedule C and pay SSI (and possibly income tax) when they get a 1099 from Venmo (IRS delayed for a year but Venmo et al will have to report for '23). Cant believe IRS is going after young people just trying to pay for groceries, gas, and beer with side hustles over $600 when there are more bigger fish to fry. Also if any of the local universities have a grad assistant, those guys would probably be interested in hits-they get paid tuition, a small stipend to live on, and they may have an agreement to use campus courts off hours for lessons. Finally recent grads are a great option-many work remote, have flexible schedules, and would be happy for a few hours of paid hits on the side outside their regular job. My son is a recent D1 grad, and he had 2 brothers who paid him a couple hours a week in the fall to get them ready for varsity tryouts (HS is very competitive in our area-some schools have 100+ come to tryouts).

Yup these are great suggestions. When my son was younger and we would vacation and he would want to hit I would reach out to local college coaches and also the local USTA district to find people to hit.
 

jcgatennismom

Hall of Fame
Yup these are great suggestions. When my son was younger and we would vacation and he would want to hit I would reach out to local college coaches and also the local USTA district to find people to hit.
Yes just ask around the local tennis community as post college players move around a lot-guys who play Futures may have different bases and they obviously need $. My son has lived in 3 different states in the last 18 months and yet he gets texts out of the blue- within a month of a move about possible hits. You hear of 6 degrees of separation; with tennis it is usually 3 or less. Someone always knows somebody else willing to hit.
 

LOBALOT

Hall of Fame
Yes just ask around the local tennis community as post college players move around a lot-guys who play Futures may have different bases and they obviously need $. My son has lived in 3 different states in the last 18 months and yet he gets texts out of the blue- within a month of a move about possible hits. You hear of 6 degrees of separation; with tennis it is usually 3 or less. Someone always knows somebody else willing to hit.

Exactly, and tennis players are always looking to play someone new that they haven't played before. Also, if male I wouldn't hesitate at all to reach out to a female college team and vice versa. UTR can help guide playing level and gender doesn't mater. We would often vacation in an area that only had a Women's D2 team and we would reach out them to hit with my son and they would certainly do a great job of running him around the court.
 

andfor

Legend
The UTR suggestion should help find a player to set up a paid hit. If you can't find them on UTR its a good idea to contact a local college coach and ask them. The coaches I know appreciate the reach out from locals to pay to hit with their players and were very accommodating explaining the rules and how to ethically stay within compliance regulations. With NIL in place now, I understand compliance is easier than when my son played just a few years ago.

I've told the story before that my son hit a lot with DI men and some women during his junior and senior year of H.S. Was a huge help to his game. Good luck
 

NMTennis

Rookie
Thank you for the feedback. Good suggestion of straight cash, not venmo, to avoid taxes. Paid Hits on UTR are over 1 hour away, will see if we can find some college men and women closer...
 

NMTennis

Rookie
So I emailed the coaches, and got radio silence from their end. I was thinking about reaching out to players directly through UTR messaging, but wouldn't want to upset the coaches. Do you guys think that is ok?
 

LOBALOT

Hall of Fame
Boy that is a really good question. The timing isn't great as the heart of the season is about to kick off. I didn't even think about that sorry but also didn't know your timing.

I have an idea!!!!!

What about going to the teams school web site and they usually have a drop down for the season?

Pull up last seasons (or the one before it) and look for seniors no longer playing (that graduated) and then look them up in the UTR app and message them...

Be careful as some "Senior" players got up to 2 years of eligibility back due to COVID.

Maybe that is a better idea given the current timing related to college tennis.
 

jcgatennismom

Hall of Fame
So I emailed the coaches, and got radio silence from their end. I was thinking about reaching out to players directly through UTR messaging, but wouldn't want to upset the coaches. Do you guys think that is ok?
Usually only 8 guys travel. You could look at the box scores of away matches and maybe contact players who are not regulars in the lineup if they are in the UTR range you want. If you are paying the guys, I assume you would want at least 1 UTR higher. @LOBALOT idea of contacting former players is a good one if the guys stayed in the area; some may have a year left to finish school. Others may have moved back home.
 

JLyon

Hall of Fame
So I emailed the coaches, and got radio silence from their end. I was thinking about reaching out to players directly through UTR messaging, but wouldn't want to upset the coaches. Do you guys think that is ok?
I believe coaches can not do this due to NCAA regulations, I could be wrong so UTR is best route.
 

LOBALOT

Hall of Fame
I believe coaches can not do this due to NCAA regulations, I could be wrong so UTR is best route.
I reached out to coaches all the time and received responses. I did not do so during the season however but not one time did one refuse to have a player hit and nor did I see or hear back from them about any rules against it. In fact I know coaches who have their team members hit with local kids during the off season.
 

andfor

Legend
So I emailed the coaches, and got radio silence from their end. I was thinking about reaching out to players directly through UTR messaging, but wouldn't want to upset the coaches. Do you guys think that is ok?
The UTR messaging is safe, it's been through compliance checks and would not be available otherwise. If you prefer to speak with a coach, drop by practice and chat one of the coaches up, even the ones who have not responded to email. I'd be surprised if your request was not warmly received. The only exception may be the in season factor. As mentioned earlier, the coach may have players not traveling with the team on occasion in season who would be good hits for your child.
 

JLyon

Hall of Fame
I reached out to coaches all the time and received responses. I did not do so during the season however but not one time did one refuse to have a player hit and nor did I see or hear back from them about any rules against it. In fact I know coaches who have their team members hit with local kids during the off season.
That's the catch, I believe during the season, might be hands off, so off season is better for responses, ultimately it is upto the coaches to determine if they feel a player can handle the extra commitments of giving lessons during a school year or season
 

bobleenov1963

Hall of Fame
That's the catch, I believe during the season, might be hands off, so off season is better for responses, ultimately it is upto the coaches to determine if they feel a player can handle the extra commitments of giving lessons during a school year or season


The easiest thing to do is to reach out to the players themselves. The university has the roster list of players on its website. You get those names and you can message them on LinkedIn. Everyone has a LinkedIn profile these days. That way, you deal directly with the players themselves thus bypassing the coach or other administrators. Is that easy enough?
 

jcgatennismom

Hall of Fame
@bobleenov1963 "You get those names and you can message them on LinkedIn. Everyone has a LinkedIn profile these days. "

LinkedIn? No it's Instagram and Snapchat. look for a friend of a friend and message.... I think my son was the only guy on his team that had a LInkedIn account some years because he did internships-many guys just coach camps and play tourneys over the summer. For international players who dont go to flagship P5 schools with boosters happy to provide jobs, coaching may be the only job they can get in the summer if they stay in town. Remember most tennis players are not CS and engineering majors who can easily get work visas.
Searching UTR by location and messaging is still a very good option to possibly locate those post grads who have relocated to new cities. My son has been a paid hitting partner, and players have found him via word of mouth, UTR messaging, and even the PGA store. Son drove to PGA store with a teammate when it was rainy in the spring since his team didnt have indoor courts; there was a dad with a 14yo in store, saw him play, and asked if him would be interested in being hitting partner. My son did coach some in season but off campus. Even 2 hours a week helps pay for food.

Also could call or Email local academies and/or HS coaches for numbers of players currently in or graduated from college who might be interested in paid hits. Most players stay in touch with their coaches.
 
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bobleenov1963

Hall of Fame
@bobleenov1963 "You get those names and you can message them on LinkedIn. Everyone has a LinkedIn profile these days. "

LinkedIn? No it's Instagram and Snapchat. look for a friend of a friend and message.... I think my son was the only guy on his team that had a LInkedIn account some years because he did internships-many guys just coach camps and play tourneys over the summer. For international players who dont go to flagship P5 schools with boosters happy to provide jobs, coaching may be the only job they can get in the summer if they stay in town. Remember most tennis players are not CS and engineering majors who can easily get work visas.
Searching UTR by location and messaging is still a very good option to possibly locate those post grads who have relocated to new cities. My son has been a paid hitting partner, and players have found him via word of mouth, UTR messaging, and even the PGA store. Son drove to PGA store with a teammate when it was rainy in the spring since his team didnt have indoor courts; there was a dad with a 14yo in store, saw him play, and asked if him would be interested in being hitting partner. My son did coach some in season but off campus. Even 2 hours a week helps pay for food.

Also could call or Email local academies and/or HS coaches for numbers of players currently in or graduated from college who might be interested in paid hits. Most players stay in touch with their coaches.

@jcgatennismom: Just about everyone who is a college student or working professional has a LinkedIn profile. I just randomly looked up two current tennis players on UVA men tennis roster and both of them have LinkedIn profiles.
 

jcgatennismom

Hall of Fame
@jcgatennismom: Just about everyone who is a college student or working professional has a LinkedIn profile. I just randomly looked up two current tennis players on UVA men tennis roster and both of them have LinkedIn profiles.
UVA again- of course students with the connections and/or smarts to go to UVA have LinkedIn. The year before my son graduated, I randomly checked a bunch of athletes in similar fields to my son-those who had graduated with honors-for their LInkedIn profiles, and many did not have one. (Note: colleges have their own recruiting sites similar to LI through Handshake). I was curious where they landed. My son created his profile during his soph year. His college had good career resources and hosted several fairs and career organizations, but it was not a priority of athletics. Now when my son went on visits to P5 schools, coaches would talk about booster club and connections. However it was 75%+ cheaper for him to go to a MM university and do his own job searches.

Bob, have you heard of logic?
A All upperclassmen at UVA have LinkedIn profiles
B A very small percentage of college students attend UVA
C All college upperclassmen have LinkedIn profiles

Assuming A & B are true, is C true? What do you think?
 
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bobleenov1963

Hall of Fame
UVA again- of course students with the connections and/or smarts to go to UVA have LinkedIn. The year before my son graduated, I randomly checked a bunch of athletes in similar fields to my son-those who had graduated with honors-for their LInkedIn profiles, and many did not have one. (Note: colleges have their own recruiting sites similar to LI through Handshake). I was curious where they landed. My son created his profile during his soph year. His college had good career resources and hosted several fairs and career organizations, but it was not a priority of athletics. Now when my son went on visits to P5 schools, coaches would talk about booster club and connections. However it was 75%+ cheaper for him to go to a MM university and do his own job searches.

Bob, have you heard of logic?
A All upperclassmen at UVA have LinkedIn profiles
B A very small percentage of college students attend UVA
C All college upperclassmen have LinkedIn profiles

Assuming A & B are true, is C true? What do you think?

In the year 2023, if you don't have a linkedin profile, it is a"red" flag to potential employers. A lot of High School students in the DMV have linkedin profiles. All of my nieces and nephews, some in high school, some in colleges, have linkedin profiles. Even a lower tier local university near where I live, George Mason University, tennis players there also have linkedin profiles. Btw, Linkedin is not something new, it has been around for a long time.
 

texrunner

New User
So I emailed the coaches, and got radio silence from their end. I was thinking about reaching out to players directly through UTR messaging, but wouldn't want to upset the coaches. Do you guys think that is ok?
Yes it’s definitely ok. My daughter is a d3 player and gets messages via utr every once in awhile. During the school year particularly in season she’s usually way too busy to do a paid hit, but will send the message to her coach in case he has anyone who has time to hit. Or she’ll ask her teammates if they want to do it.
 

NMTennis

Rookie
Ok - Thank you...I'll probably wait until the season is winding down a bit and then message players directly via UTR! Thank you!
 

NMTennis

Rookie
ok - I think I found a college kid for my son to hit with...now that the season is done. How much would you guys pay per hour for a hitting session, maybe some light coaching (tactical stuff if it comes up).
We are in North Carolina...
 

LOBALOT

Hall of Fame
ok - I think I found a college kid for my son to hit with...now that the season is done. How much would you guys pay per hour for a hitting session, maybe some light coaching (tactical stuff if it comes up).
We are in North Carolina...

I think it depends on the player, their age and their level.

My son is a D3 player playing for one of the better programs and is heading into his Junior year and will play 2s/1d and is charging $40/Hr which is pretty cheap. When he was a kid he hit with a red shirt senior D1 2s/1d player and we were paying $80/Hr which in my book was too much so something between those two would be fair in my opinion.
 

3kids

Rookie
We used to pay $40-60/hr in Phoenix area for hitting with college players for my son around 2018-2021
$60 for high level D1
$40-50 for community college player
$80 would be high for the Phoenix area but may be in line for other parts of the country?
 

jcgatennismom

Hall of Fame
ok - I think I found a college kid for my son to hit with...now that the season is done. How much would you guys pay per hour for a hitting session, maybe some light coaching (tactical stuff if it comes up).
We are in North Carolina...
Offer to pay cash (not Venmo) and u may get lower rate. My son was getting paid $45-$60; he did lessons on the side as a recent grad with high 12 UTR. When he did lesson thru a club, they charged member $75, he got $50 and with self employment tax and income tax $45 cash was a better deal. Last year he lived out west and then came back South-similar pay for both sections. U may get better rate for 2 hour lesson, if u r driving to their courts, etc. For a lower UTR collegian, u might be able to negotiate lower pay. However when my son worked a camp, he was earning $30/hr for 30 hours a week so $40+ for a stand alone lesson seems to be a minimum unless u r in an area with a lot of collegians and not many juniors looking for a paid hit
 

tx10is

Rookie
Yeah, summer is the best time to catch a current college player for a hit. During the school year, players are usually very busy with tennis, classes and just college life in general. During my freshman and sophomore years I would come home and do lessons/hits with juniors when not playing tournaments. My junior and senior year I was more busy with job internships. If you are looking for a consistent weekly hit, I would probably recommend someone who has already graduated as they are likely more reliable with their schedule. There are plenty out there, they just don’t advertise. Mostly word of mouth. Good luck to your son.
 
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