For Tennis Parents by a Tennis Parent

As you’re planning your junior player’s summer schedule, one event you may want to include is the USTA College Combine being held at the National Campus in Orlando June 16-20, 2019.

This college recruiting event is in its third year and is an opportunity for American junior boys and girls of all levels who have the goal of playing college tennis in mind. It will allow them to showcase their athleticism and tennis skills for college coaches from around the country in all NCAA Divisions.

Here are a few key points:

• Open to American juniors with high school graduation years of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
• Boys and girls singles match-play winners will once again receive a USTA Pro Circuit main draw $15K wild card.
• Last year’s Combine sold out (128 players – 64 boys and 64 girls).
• June 16 – optional day for players who want to play doubles.
• June 17 – fitness testing led by Dr. Mark Kovacs [click here to listen to my podcast with Mark], as well as stations led by Leslie Allen, Dwayne Hultquist and Sanela Kunovac. There also will be a parents information session and players welcome reception.
• June 18 – singles match play.
• June 19 – singles match play.
• June 20 – tournament shootouts.
• Roman Prokes will lead racquet education sessions June 17-18.
• USTA Player Development Coaching Education Sessions for all tennis coaches will be held on June 17 to discuss fitness tests and strength and conditioning and on June 18 to discuss on-court tactical tips.
• We will be introducing High School Coaches’ Night on June 18, and all HS coaches are invited to come out to listen to the USTA’s high school and college departments, and ask questions they may have as well. The curriculum is still being finalized.
• We are starting an initiative where USTA Sections that have college showcases can receive a boys and girls wild card (entry fee waived) into our national Combine.
• So far, 51 Combine participants are either on college tennis rosters, have signed an NLI, or have given a verbal commitment to play college tennis. The majority of past participants are still in the junior ranks.

USTA’s Brian Ormiston shared the following: “I do know a couple of those players who are now on college rosters was a direct result of playing in the Combine. A great example, one player didn’t have a UTR or a Tennis Recruiting bio, and he’s now with Nichols College (their coaching staff was on hand and that’s how they discovered him). His mom even told me she got influenced by the Combine and is now the high school girls team tennis coach. Hopefully we keep getting more stories like this as the years go on!”

To read more about the Combine on USTA’s website, click here. Registration opens March 25th here. 

If your child has participated in a previous Combine, we’d love to hear about the experience in the Comments below!