If you are a competitive high school tennis player, another avenue to help pay for your expensive college tuition may be a tennis scholarship. Keep in mind, though, that the level of play expected on a college level is a little more advanced than you may be used to. The best way to see if you are on the same page as other college players is to take in a college match or two. Once you do and you are sure that you've "got game", then you can start to seriously take matters into your own hands and concentrate on getting a tennis scholarship for yourself!
Scholarship Basics
There are three different types of tennis scholarships available for both men and women:
•For the guys, there are about 274 Division I and 164 Division II scholarships. The NCAA allows each Division I and Division II men's tennis programs about 4.5 scholarships. That means that there are a total of no fewer than 1,971 NCAA tennis scholarships for the men.
•the ladies, there are approximately 316 Division I scholarships and 211 Division II scholarships. The NCAA allows for about 8 scholarships for each Division I and 6 for each Division II. That brings it to a generous number of 3,794 total scholarships and financial aid programs for women tennis players.
•For both men and women tennis players on the collegiate level, there are also some walk-on tennis scholarships.
How to Get a Tennis Scholarship
Tennis is growing in popularity among both American high school players and Internationally. Because of its International popularity, many players abroad are hiring scholarship-recruiting services to help them to claim some of the scholarships available. This situation makes it very important for every US tennis player hoping to cash in on a scholarship to really focus and concentrate on getting noticed by collegiate level teams. There are a few basic steps to increase your changes of getting noticed:
•Market Yourself!!
Have someone film your matches. You can use the film to make copies and send them with a short bio to schools you are interested in attending.
•Hire a Recruiting Service.
If you don't know how to market yourself or you just don't have the time, a recruiting service can be your saving grace! They can help to get you noticed, but usually charge fees. *Hiring any kind of recruiting service will not be breaking any NCAA rules or regulations*
Bottom Line
If you are a talented high school tennis player, you could have a great shot at getting a tennis scholarship to pay for some or all of your college expenses. Of course, getting into your favorite college by means of an athletic scholarship is only half of the battle. Once you are awarded the scholarship, you will have to be diligent at both the sport and your studies. Remember that only a small percentage of college players actually turn pro; you will need to also keep up those grades to keep your scholarship and earn the credits needed to graduate the program of your choice.