A tennis scholarship is a great reason to play tennis, but it’s not an easy path. In order to get a tennis scholarship you need to first get the grades, then train and try out for the team, then apply for the scholarship. If that sounds like a lot of work, well it is! But if you’re ready to put in the work and have some fun along the way, read on to learn what it takes to win a full or partial ride through college with your tennis talents.
It’s important to choose the right school for you
Before you begin the process of applying for tennis scholarships, it’s important to know what you’re looking for in a school.
- Choose a school that offers what you want: If your dream is to become a sports psychologist and work with professional athletes, then it’s probably not very practical to go to an Ivy League university. Likewise, if your goal is simply to play in college rather than get an education, then the best option for you may be a community college or junior college (also known as two-year colleges).
- Research each school thoroughly: Once you have an idea of what kind of institution will best suit your needs, find out what makes each one special by reading their website, visiting their campus and talking with current students and alumni. This way, when writing your essays and speaking with coaches on the phone—and even during face-to-face interviews—you’ll understand how each school could help shape who you are as an individual.
Check your grades
- You need to be an excellent student. Good grades show that you are a hard worker, and many coaches want to see this kind of drive from their players.
- Having good grades can also help you get into more competitive colleges and universities. If your school doesn’t have a tennis team, but its football (or soccer) team is really good and has lots of scholarships available, go out for football instead!
Train, train, train
You need to be good at tennis. Sorry, but this is a fact. If you’re not already playing in tennis matches and winning tournaments, then the chances are slim that you’ll get a scholarship from an NCAA school. There are exceptions to every rule, so if your game is on point and your grades are high enough (see below), there’s definitely something to be said for persistence. But if you want an easy route into college athletics—and who doesn’t?—then it’s best if you start early with consistent training and hard work. The more time spent practicing now means less time spent practicing later in college when it comes time for tryouts or matches against other schools in conference play.
If all goes well with your training efforts (and assuming that other requirements like SAT scores have been met), then there’s still another key element needed before applying: dedication. It takes years of commitment and dedication before any athlete can truly succeed at the highest level of competition; even those who reach professional status must commit themselves fully each day towards practice sessions as well as personal fitness regimes outside their playing days when injuries strike down competitors who fail to take care of themselves properly between games or matches during seasons like autumn where players may only compete once per week due to weather conditions hampering outdoor play opportunities on weekends throughout winter months instead opting for indoor venues instead where temperature control systems exist within buildings such as arenas stadiums etcetera).
Try out for the team
When it comes to tennis, there are many things that can be learned. You can learn to be a better player, but more importantly you can learn about yourself as an individual. This will help you develop into the best version of yourself and become more confident in yourself as well.
One thing that many people don’t realize is that tennis scholarships are available for both men and women. These scholarships will cover your tuition costs so you don’t have to worry about paying for school anymore! Before getting one though you need to check whether or not the school offers them or if it even has any sports teams at all.”
Apply for the scholarship
You should apply for a tennis scholarship as soon as you know where you want to play. Competition for scholarships is fierce, and many students are vying for the same spots. If you’re not ready to apply, don’t wait until the last minute!
If your dream school requires an athletic department application, start working on it immediately. When creating an athletic profile and résumé, keep in mind these important points:
- Be ready to wait for an answer—some schools take months before letting applicants know whether or not they’ve been selected for an interview. Some schools even require finalists to submit additional paperwork (like transcripts) after being selected from among all of the applicants who applied online—so be prepared!
- Be flexible about dates if possible; try not to schedule important exams or interviews during tournament time because coaches may need more time than usual reviewing materials submitted by potential recruits who haven’t yet been accepted into their programs’s ranks.* Persistently follow up with coaches by emailing them regularly with updates on how well you’re doing at tournaments while keeping track of when they say they’ll get back in touch with those candidates whose applications have been accepted into consideration by each program’s admissions office; this shows initiative which could help convince someone who might otherwise overlook an applicant’s talents because she hasn’t yet proven herself worthy enough worth getting excited about what she could offer if given
You can get a tennis scholarship but it requires a lot of planning and work
As you can see, you need to show that you are serious about tennis. You also need to have the right grades and skills, as well as the right attitude and personality.
Conclusion
It can be intimidating to know where to start when it comes to getting a tennis scholarship, but with the right guidance and a positive attitude, you’ll have no problem achieving your goal. We hope that this article has given an idea of what you need in order to take the first step toward your future!
