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5 THINGS A TENNIS RECRUIT SHOULD NEVER SAY DURING THE RECRUITING PROCESS By Darryl Cummings
5. “MY PROM WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SAT TEST” At some point during the interview process the coach may ask the recruit “What is your SAT score?” Recruits have been known to use answers such as:
“My prom was the night before the SAT test”
“I don’t take standardized test well”
“I am taking it again”
THOUGHT: Project confidence with the answer and just give the score. It appears many recruits are sensitive about their respective scores. It is kind of interesting how the person that gets 920 can’t seem to remember; however, the 1580 person can remember their score. #4. “I WAS RANKED #1 IN THE 12 AND UNDER” If a junior player describes his level of play to the coach with a bunch of junior accomplishments then the coach may think the player’s best tennis is behind them. After all, does being ranked #1 in the 12 and under really determine how successful a player will be in college? THOUGHT: Give the coach some recent objective rating information such as a Universal Tennis Rating or a French Rating if the player is from France. Recruits may also want to refer to indirect or direct results as they relate to the coach’s program. If the recruit answers “I defeated player “X” who defeated your #1 the round before” they may have significant merit. If this did occur, then it may not matter what the recruits SAT score is:)
#3. “I TAKE THREE CLINICS A WEEK” A coach may ask the recruit how often they play or train. If the recruit is referring to clinics, then the coach may be skeptical about the player’s ability to play. Very similar to the person who is asked “Do you speak Spanish?” and the person answers with “I had four years in high school”. Does anyone believe they speak Spanish? THOUGHT: A coach may be more appreciative of hearing how many practice matches played and the recruit’s future tournament schedule.
#2. “I WANT A SCHOLARSHIP” Usually not a good idea to bring up “I want a scholarship” at the start of the recruiting process. Bringing scholarship may scare the coach away and they may question the recruit’s passion for playing. It gets even worse when the coach hears the parent discuss how much money was spent on the recruits tennis and that this was done to get a scholarship.
THOUGHT: Be patient if the program has scholarships to offer then this topic will come about in due time.
#1. “I HAVE POTENTIAL” THOUGHT: Recruits would benefit from being familiar with the level of play of the program they are interested in and be able to project their position within the respective program. |
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Contact Darryl Cummings Cummings Athletics Web Site darryl@cummingsathletics.com (c) call/text 757.641.6146 |