Things You'll Need:
- Undergraduate coach (optional)
- Volunteer to collect grades)
- Space to conduct workshops and camps
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Step 1
Recruit aggressively, but only during the open recruiting periods as designated by the NCAA recruiting calendar (see Resources below). Recruit not just players with strong technique, but also those who have a team-conscious attitude. You are building a club that will last decades or longer, not a one-year triumph.
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Step 2
Remember that strong junior and senior players will be gone soon. Focusing on their skills will leave you with a weak team in less than two years' time.
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Step 3
If possible, dedicate one coach or technique consultant just for freshman and sophomores.
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Step 1
Know that no matter how enthusiastic and technically proficient a tennis player is, college has a lot of distractions. Consider weekend camps and daylong workshops that focus on one element of the game, such as the serve, or a cross-court backhand. This gives the players a large block of time free from other distractions to work on technique.
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Step 2
Consider offering a workshop on how to juggle sports and academics. The more confident the players feel about the other areas of their lives, the more focus they can bring courtside.
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Step 1
Ask a team captain or a team volunteer to be responsible for collecting a copy of each tennis player's grade report every semester to be reviewed by you, the head coach. Each university may have its own grade requirements for sports eligibility. Some schools allow 2.0 and above, while others allow athletes to play with only a 1.7 GPA or higher. Find out what your school requires and stay on top of the students' grades.
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Step 2
Ensure that each new player has been okayed to play through the NCAA eligibility clearinghouse (see Resources below).
