Without a doubt one of the most commonly asked questions I would get from recruits in my fifteen years of college coaching is “What do you look for in a recruit?”. Tennis ability is certainly an important factor because at the end of the day a coach needs players that can compete and win matches for their team.
Level of play is actually one of the easiest factors for a coach to determine given all of the different rating and ranking services out there now plus the ability for a coach to look up results online and watch players either in person, in video or via live streaming at events. What I would argue is much more difficult to measure but is as important, if not more important, than one’s tennis ability are the intangible qualities of a recruit such as:
Character, Work Ethic, Passion, Potential, Selflessness, Integrity, Maturity and Respect.
The X Factors - Listen to Michigan State Head Women’s Basketball Coach Suzy Merchant describe the three intangibles that she looks for in a recruit:
It is essential for coaches to make sure that they get the right people in their program, not just the best players. As Coach Merchant says “A coach is one bad recruit away from losing her job.” I can assure you that the experienced and successful college coaches of all sports understand this principle and do their best to determine who you are as a person, not just an athlete.
At tournaments they’re observing your behavior on and off the court. How do you interact with your parents, coaches and other players? How do you treat the tournament staff and officials? Do you carry your own equipment or is your mom or dad carrying it for you? During campus visits are you on your phone disengaged or are you enthusiastic and present? Do you show gratitude and express thanks for what the coaching staff, team members and others have done to show you their school? What do you post on social media and how do those posts reflect on you as a person?
The Character Test - How Suzy Merchant (and other experienced, successful recruiters) evaluate the intangibles of recruits:
UCONN Women’s Basketball Coach, Geno Auriemma, on the character of players he recruits:
I think it’s really interesting and worth noting that in both the Coach Merchant and Coach Auriemma video they both say that they would rather lose than have players on their team that don’t fit with the values and character traits that are important to them. This idea is not limited to just these two coaches. If you talk with an experienced college tennis coach at any level I believe you’ll find most say the same thing.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that a recruit try to be someone they aren’t. Coaches will be able to see right through that. What I am encouraging a recruit to do is be their authentic self and allow coaches to get to know them over time throughout the recruiting process. A recruit will want to get to know the coaches just the same. After all, this is a two-way street and in the end both the recruit and the coach want to find the right fit for each of them.