STARNBERG, August 28, 2020 (Guest post)
If you have been playing tennis competitively for some years now and have garnered enough experience, you can explore your talent to cover your college expenses. High school is a great time in your life to identify your talents and what you want to do next. If you hope to pursue your love for tennis in college while getting your degree, applying for a scholarship for tennis can be the way to go.
Several colleges offer scholarships for tennis players to get a star player onboard. This helps athletes enroll in the college of their liking while being able to afford tuition fees. Athletes wondering how to get a tennis scholarship must remember that only performing well at sports is not the way to get in. They must also have good grades to qualify for such scholarships.
Not all students are built alike, and some may struggle with their homework, especially since competitive tennis training requires a lot of time. In such situations, when athletes find themselves unable to keep up with their assignment, they can choose an online service such as essayontime.com.au and pay someone to do assignments online for them. Doing so assures that your course project is executed perfectly when you make your order, and your grades can stay up, enabling you to qualify for a tennis scholarship.
How to get a tennis scholarship?
Tennis is growing in popularity in several countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia. With athletes worldwide training themselves to compete in international events, the number of students applying for tennis scholarships has also increased. College fees can take a lot of money and aren’t affordable for all students. As such, many athletes look for ways on how to get scholarships in the USA as well as in other countries. The good news is that several colleges are also looking to build the best college tennis teams, which can be advantageous to competitive athletes.
Here are some tips to get a scholarship for tennis.
1. Market your skills
Ask your coach or a friend to film you when you’re training and during matches. You can then edit the videos to create a short bio of your talent and passion. By showcasing yourself at your absolute best, you get a chance to make an impression on the recruiter. This also gives the potential school’s tennis team to judge your abilities as a player and get an idea of whether you are a good fit for their team.
2. Seek out a recruiting service
If you don’t have the time to film yourself or have no idea where to start, seeking out a recruiting service may be your best bet. An athletic recruiting service can appealingly market your talents. They can also give you the best advice on where to apply and tips on what colleges are looking for a particular player like yourself. These services are not free, but they can help you stand out from other candidates looking to market themselves.
What tennis scholarship programs are there?
Some of the top scholarship programs for student-athletes are as follows:
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
The NCAA hands over $1 billion tennis scholarships to tennis sportspersons. The program offers 263 Division I, 161 Division II, and 314 Division III tennis to men. For the women, there are 320 Division I, 212 Division II, and 361 Division III scholarship programs. To be eligible to get your entire tuition fees waived, you must be an exceptional player and keep up your academic grades.
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
NAIA offers $500 million in tennis scholarships every year. There are 92 scholarship programs for men and 110 for women to apply to. While the athlete funding in NAIA is lower than NCAA, the requirements to be eligible are also less strict. Students need only meet two criteria out of these three to qualify:
- Graduate from the top half.
- Get at least an 860 on the SAT or 18 on the ACT.
- Have a 2.0 GPA.
National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
The NJCAA offers a two-year community college level scholarship to tennis athletes. Men can choose from 120 men’s programs, and women can choose from 141.
Scholarships in Australia
Several colleges in Australia offer athletic scholarships to gifted athletes. Some of these universities include:
- University of Melbourne
- University of Sydney
- Bond University
- University of Queensland
Sportspersons can have a great shot at applying and being granted a scholarship in tennis by actively combining their talent as an exceptional player and an academically good student. Since tennis is gaining popularity globally, several colleges are offering tennis scholarships to able athletes. Make sure to keep an eye out for new funding opportunities to ensure you don’t miss out.
