Maybe the good academic school has a club tennis team....Bonus is teams are co-ed....Know players who were 4 star in middle school, dropped to 2-3 star in HS due to academic load of APs (players did play HS tennis), and then played on club tennis teams-one team reached national QFs. UTR 12 is high for club-he'd probably be top guy, but the best club teams at P5 schools probably have some UTR 11 guys... Lot of tennis options-in our state we know kids who enjoyed playing club, NAIA, D2, D3, as well as Power 5 and MM D1. Other option is to continue tennis in summer or winter break playing men's prize $ opens, UTR events, ITA summer circuits ,etc. Some tourney directors will work with players so they can play their matches after work or summer internships, and some tourneys are weekend only. The tennis adventure does not have to end unless player is burnt out. Knew one guy in similar situation-wanted top academic school, not good enough for men's team-he became a hitting partner for ranked women's team. He did not get athletic aid but he kept up his tennis for the year he helped the women's team.met parent of junior today utr12
boy quitting tennis now
can't play tennis at good academic school and not wanting lower quality college just to play tennis
so his tennis adventure over at 18 before college
met parent of junior today utr12
boy quitting tennis now
can't play tennis at good academic school and not wanting lower quality college just to play tennis
he will go to good college and not play tennis
so his tennis adventure over at 18 before college
I can relate
Ended up kickstarting tennis once more after college
was busy doing college things in college anyways
Burnout from the pressure, hardwork and also lack of progress. Many are pushed into it by parents for various reasons, and simply lose interest, others, like many teenagers who grow up and out of things, chose to leave it for other pursuits. Unfortunately, parents are quite commonly the cause as well because they put in the money and effort.met parent of junior today utr12
boy quitting tennis now
can't play tennis at good academic school and not wanting lower quality college just to play tennis
he will go to good college and not play tennis
so his tennis adventure over at 18 before college
I'm sure that happens, how often is hard to quantify.Burnout from the pressure, hardwork and also lack of progress. Many are pushed into it by parents for various reasons, and simply lose interest, others, like many teenagers who grow up and out of things, chose to leave it for other pursuits. Unfortunately, parents are quite commonly the cause as well because they put in the money and effort.
I picked up the same. It would be somewhat interesting to know the kids school choices and how open he is to other offers. Also if the kid has good enough grade for high academic scholarship dollars allowing him to go where he wants could explain some the desire to not participate in college athletics.I didn't sense from the post they were indicating that the kid was burnt out but that they couldn't find a strong academic school where they can play tennis and I don't understand that at all. There are plenty of very strong academic colleges where a 12 UTR would make the team and play in fact I am pretty sure they would be scrambling to have them attend if the kid has the grades and test scores to get in. If the poster is referencing that they won't get an athletic scholarship yes that is possible but why would that be a concern if academics are of primary concern as indicated?
so his tennis adventure over at 18 before college
The great thing about selective academic D3 is if it becomes too difficult to balance tennis and academics, a player can quit a D3 team without losing merit or need-based aid. If a player plays d1 on a mix of athletic and merit aid, the player has to keep up a high GPA while still participating in 30+ hours a week of athletic activities. If a player chooses a tough major, that player may be doing class, labs, and tennis on little sleep with their only social life being their time with teammates. Or the player may have to take the minimum 12 hours instead of 15hrs during dual season requiring summer school or an extra semester to graduate. For STEM or premed majors, D3 is often a better choice. Even at schools like GA Tech, where almost everyone else is a STEM major, most of the athletes including the tennis team are business majors.The reason I responded is my son is 16 and attends a very strong academic high school. He also is doing pretty well at tennis and is hearing from colleges. Our family and his coaches are looking at D3 schools and a lot of them are fantastic academic institutions. In addition, they have some great tennis teams and play against other strong teams as well. If academics are of primary concern and a kid wants to play tennis there are plenty of options where a kid can be challenged academically and at the same time play a high level of tennis.
The great thing about selective academic D3 is if it becomes too difficult to balance tennis and academics, a player can quit a D3 team without losing merit or need-based aid. If a player plays d1 on a mix of athletic and merit aid, the player has to keep up a high GPA while still participating in 30+ hours a week of athletic activities. If a player chooses a tough major, that player may be doing class, labs, and tennis on little sleep with their only social life being their time with teammates. Or the player may have to take the minimum 12 hours instead of 15hrs during dual season requiring summer school or an extra semester to graduate. For STEM or premed majors, D3 is often a better choice. Even at schools like GA Tech, where almost everyone else is a STEM major, most of the athletes including the tennis team are business majors.
My son was not as strong as the players mentioned above, but was still good enough to play at a lot of D3 schools but elected to go to one where he was not good enough to play. He's really happy, playing rugby (I kept him out of football growing up) lifting weights, getting good grades and has time for his girlfriend. I hate to admit it, but he's probably better off not playing tennis in college.
My son was not as strong as the players mentioned above, but was still good enough to play at a lot of D3 schools but elected to go to one where he was not good enough to play. He's really happy, playing rugby (I kept him out of football growing up) lifting weights, getting good grades and has time for his girlfriend. I hate to admit it, but he's probably better off not playing tennis in college.
met parent of junior today utr12
boy quitting tennis now
can't play tennis at good academic school and not wanting lower quality college just to play tennis
he will go to good college and not play tennis
so his tennis adventure over at 18 before college
I’ll bet good money that his tennis adventure isn’t over
Don’t have to play college tennis to enjoy playing tennis in the future, whether that’s club tennis in college / adult league tennis / etc
I don’t regret making a similar choice (choosing to go to a college where I was going to have no chance of playing for the team) - tennis is still a big part of my life
Depending on one's financial situation, the cost of attending and playing tennis at a high-academic DIII school can rival the cost of a state school. 100% financial need is met at many select DIII schools, where the quality of tennis can be high (many NESCAC, SCIAC, or UAA schools have several male players at 11.5 - 12.25 UTR... sorry, not familiar with the female ratings).
Very roughly speaking, at a $70k per year DIII school, a low-income family might receive full financial support, while a middle-income family might pay the equivalent of a state school (one would have to run the NPC and/or discuss with the school's financial aid office).
Thus, if a student will not earn a DI athletic scholarship and wants to continue playing tennis, DIII is worth investigating. Often, there is more immediate opportunity to play, and the financial aid (depending on the school and one's financial profile) can be generous enough to rival to the cost of a state school. While the benefits of DIII tennis are many, the prioritization of academics over sport can reduce burn-out, while allowing the student to pursue a rigorous academic curriculum.
Many of these schools are very selective, with ~10% admission rates. A high-level player with strong academics and the coach's support can often gain access to a school that would be a reach for even the highest ranking students. Not for everyone, but worth considering for some.
Cuz you can let your hair grow out now?...I honestly think I enjoy tennis now more than I did as a junior player.
By the way, just so you know. there are less than 5 kids utr 12 class of 2020 that have not committed. So it's easy pretty to figure out who is quitting tennis. Of course you could be talking about an 11th grader that plans on quitting tennis.met parent of junior today utr12
boy quitting tennis now
can't play tennis at good academic school and not wanting lower quality college just to play tennis
he will go to good college and not play tennis
so his tennis adventure over at 18 before college
When kids grow, they like to try different things to expand their horizons and to find what they really like to do. Tennis might be THE thing for the parent, but just A sports related activity for the kid. One of many possible activities.
Quitting before college or in high school is reasonable. The workload at high school or at college is much higher, and there is much less time. One does not go to college to play tennis. One goes there to get education and to get a well paid job afterwards.
A typical motivation for quitting at a young age is when a player reaches a plateau, either due to his/her own athletic abilities, or due to less than perfect coaching. Lack of progress leads to lack of interest.
The 12 year old who you mentioned is a smart kid. His parents must have pushed him too hard, beyond the reasonable goals of doing it for fun or getting into a varsity team at high school. One cannot do both, study at 100% and play sports at 100%. College sports put emphasize on a wrong thing. One has to realize that colleges have college sports teams to make money, not to benefit students. I would never ever recommend my kids to pursue sports in college. For me, it is the worst decision they can make, short of not going to college at all. College sports more often than not would kill their future professional career.
I think it depends on how much a person enjoys the sport.But I guess it depends on what one's vision is regarding what the purpose of studies at college and what kind of career one envisions. My opinion may be biased.
This is true that tennis is nowhere close to college football and more likely than not is not a profit machine. I totally agree with you that athletic activities are good for health. What I have trouble with, are athletic activities which run like regular classes with scheduled and mandatory attendance. Recreational sport can be pursued at almost any level, but it is different in the sense that one has full control when to play it and how much to play; the level of involvement can prioritized as needed and when needed. College sport is a commitment. If one gets a scholarship for participating in college sport (or a priority admission), it becomes a commitment with a high level of priority. This pushes other priorities down.
For recreational sports, one only needs access to athletic facilities and time and desire to use them. My daughter recently graduated from Harvard Business School, she did not have much time, if any at all, to use those facilities (or they were not anywhere close to the top of her priorities list)- and I got the feeling that her classmates felt the same. Had she, hypothetically speaking, done team sports, she probably would have failed her MBA.
But I guess it depends on what one's vision is regarding what the purpose of studies at college and what kind of career one envisions. My opinion may be biased.
I think that covers most of the kids you are talking about. Because the professional options for tennis are so poor compared to a lot of sports, the value of the sport often gets reduced to purely being the academic doors it opens.can't play tennis at good academic school and not wanting lower quality college just to play tennis
I don't think a large percentage of kids play college sports for the possibility of transitioning to professional athletic career. Not even close. There's really only a very small percentage of kids who are 4 star and above that skip college tennis.I think that covers most of the kids you are talking about. Because the professional options for tennis are so poor compared to a lot of sports, the value of the sport often gets reduced to purely being the academic doors it opens.
Kids treat it as transactional - if college tennis gets them a better education at a cheaper price, they will play college tennis. If not, why bother? Better off using the time for study and other things.
I don't think that is a bad thing. I wouldn't want my kid compromising their education to pursue a sport that will probably never give them a decent living.
I know two physicians who were both All-Americans, DI and DIII. Both universities they attended very highly rated. Just pointing it out because it can be done. That said your Vets choice is his own and obviously a wise one. I have another physician tennis friend that played his freshman year only at an ACC school, then quit due to the pre-med study load. He said he wishes now he'd have done both, his son now is doing it. (Sorry, I've told that last story recently). Each case is unique and decision personal.I was actually talking about this with our veterinarian the other day. He was a college athlete (baseball at a D2 school) and quit his sophomore year. He said the competition to get into vet school was immense and he knew something would have to give. And because he wanted to have some semblance of a social life baseball was what he gave up. I'll never forget what he said - "you really had to love baseball" and he said he didn't love it enough to put his chances of getting into A&M vet school in jeopardy. Baseball is still part of his life, as he plays on an adult league and coaches his kid's team.
I know two physicians who were both All-Americans, DI and DIII. Both universities they attended very highly rated. Just pointing it out because it can be done. That said your Vets choice is his own and obviously a wise one. I have another physician tennis friend that played his freshman year only at an ACC school, then quit due to the pre-med study load. He said he wishes now he'd have done both, his son now is doing it. (Sorry, I've told that last story recently). Each case is unique and decision personal.
met parent of junior today utr12
boy quitting tennis now
can't play tennis at good academic school and not wanting lower quality college just to play tennis
he will go to good college and not play tennis
so his tennis adventure over at 18 before college
Yes, it is possible to win the powerball lottery too but the odd is extremely low. You can study to be future physician and play D1 tennis at the same time but the odd of that is a little bit higher than winning powerball lottery. Let not talk about those outliers.
At the college my daughter (not a tennis player) attended, there was a D1 midmajor female tennis player in the same Science honors program with a premed major. She played lines 1 and 2, volunteered 100 hours a year, graduated with a 3.93 GPA, continued at med school through the same university and now is doing her residency (BS graduate in 2015). That said only 41% of premed students who apply to med school are accepted to at least one med school with each individual school having acceptance rates of 3-18% (South and North Dakota). Considering some premed majors with low MCATs or GPAs dont even apply, the true % of premed majors who make into med school is even lower, and those are mainly regular students, not athletes. Only a student athlete with great discipline, high iQ, extremely fast processing skills, and excellent memory would be able to earn a 3.7+ in science courses with labs while also committing 30 hours a week to tennis, traveling, and missing class. Somehow they also have to get in research and volunteer hours and study for MCATs but maybe they do that during the summer. I agree it's rare but for a smart disciplined kid the odds are better than the lottery, especially if the players chooses to play D3 vs D1. Maybe those who hope to attend med school should play tennis at a university with a med school/hospital to make it easier to volunteer and to receive positive references from faculty who know medical school staff.Yes, it is possible to win the powerball lottery too but the odd is extremely low. You can study to be future physician and play D1 tennis at the same time but the odd of that is a little bit higher than winning powerball lottery. Let not talk about those outliers.
Yes, it is possible to win the powerball lottery too but the odd is extremely low. You can study to be future physician and play D1 tennis at the same time but the odd of that is a little bit higher than winning powerball lottery. Let not talk about those outliers.
I know a former Ivy League player who also got an Ivy League MBA and works on Wall St. Another DIII champ doc, another former SEC player doc, former ACC player lawyer. These are just former players I know. You act as if I know the only former college athletes who are doctors and lawyers. There’s many more.
IYour statement about odds and what can be accomplished shows how little you actually know.
Source?
I went to Ohio State University and I don't know of any medicine doctors that played "tennis" for Ohio State.
You’re making the sample smaller to fit your belief. You should get out more.
Ok, I'll bite. How many "tennis" players from Power-5 schools that go on to become a medical doctors in the past five years?
While I can't speak about Denis, giving David Hsu as an example of a player that can juggle D1 tennis with being a prospective doctor is perhaps not the best one? It appears David was on the team as freshman and a sophomore, but not later. Kind of seems it has become really, really hard to keep up doing both? (Disclaimer: I have zero knowledge of actual circumstances above what can be derived from studying Stanford roster - so my conclusion can certainly be a wrong one).I am a physician who played tennis back in the day (not nearly good enough for college) and have kids that are highly ranked juniors so have some interest in this subject. Without wasting time searching the internet, a couple of names I've previously come across below. Hsu is at UPenn and Nguyen is at UChicago Pritzker school of medicine
David Hsu - Men's Tennis - Stanford University Athletics
David Hsu - As a Freshman (2014-15) • ITA Scholar-Athlete • 21-9 overall and 13-5 in duals, including a 9-2 record at the No. 6 spot • 3-3gostanford.com