As I was drafting this article, I was contacted by Christophe Noblet of Stetson University, Florida through my Facebook page.
“My name is Christophe Noblet, Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Stetson University (NCAA D1 in Florida). I recruited Cóilín Mac Namara to join us this upcoming season. He recently reached the semis in doubles at the 15K in Dublin. You probably know him. Anyway I just wanted to introduce myself as I see you are very involved in the tennis community in Ireland. I am looking to recruit more talented Irish players in the future.”
It was a timely message as I had many questions about how players can obtain a tennis scholarship in the US.
Following are questions I put to Christophe and below is advice from Cóilín about applying for a scholarship:
Questions to Christophe:
What criteria do you look for when recruiting? Such as minimum standard, qualifications, age?
Each school set their own standards. Stetson is a top academic school so we might have higher standards than others. From an academic standpoint, the cumulative GPA, SAT/ACT, and TOEFL are the three scores that will matter the most. Some schools, like ours, also offer merit scholarships, based on academic performances out of high school. From a tennis standpoint, the NCAA DI level is extremely high, so it might be an option only for the best players. Division II and III also offer good alternatives, so it is worth considering. There is an age requirement in Division I, as players would start losing years of eligibility if they do not enroll within 6 months of high school graduation.
Is there a different criteria for men and women?
The maximum number of scholarships for a men’s tennis program is 4.5, while the women’s team would have 8. This is set by the NCAA for all DI institutions. A male tennis player will most likely have to participate financially to his education, while a female will either get a full scholarship , or nothing. Since there is more women’s tennis programmes than mens nationwide, a female student-athlete will have a higher chance of having her education paid for by participating in College Athletics.
How does someone from Ireland for example apply for a tennis scholarship?
I think it is important for the player to first come up with a list of criteria that are important to him/her, such as location, academic standards, tennis level, campus size, etc… Then, the player should send emails to the schools coaches he/she is interested in. The more details the student-athlete includes the better. It is important to be truthful, as everything can be researched on the internet nowadays. Finally, I would always suggest to include a link to a video. Results only tell one side of the story.
Below is Cóilín’s College Tennis Recruitment Video
Do you search for possible players in Ireland or do you just wait for an application?
I am trying to be proactive and find players before they start contacting so many coaches. In this case, I would be looking at the Irish National rankings (U18 and Open), and the ITF results. But I cannot look everywhere, so it is always good to see a player doing his homework and actively looking for a school. I would say, contacting coaches the summer prior to Senior year or at the beginning of it, are probably the best times to start.
Advice from Cóilín:
Cóilín Mac Namara is 19 years of age from Dublin, Ireland. Cóilín is now ranked 1460 in the ATP Doubles rankings after recently reaching the Doubles Semi Final of the $15,000 Dublin ITF Futures event.
“I’m glad that Christophe got onto you because he was a huge part in why I chose Stetson as a college when I had offers elsewhere, he is very efficient and was happy to help me whenever I needed it.
From a players point of view the coach is really important. You have to like the coach because he/she will be the person you see most for 4 years! Also, I recommend not being picky at the beginning and only emailing a select few universities. Email everyone and then start to narrow your search down depending on the replies you receive. Players should travel as much as they can to achieve an ITF ranking but unfortunately I could not afford to do this too often as will be the case for a lot of people. However, play all the events in your country to show your level of play nationally and more importantly to become a great match player. Finally, work hard on your SATS and in school….you need a good leaving cert regardless of whether you sign for a college or not!”
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