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CTO attended Weil's Tennis Academy in Ojai, CA this summer for their Annual Showcase which consisted all about playing college tennis. Players about to enter their senior year of high school were able to ask questions directly to college coaches. The seminar included NCAA/NAIA Eligibility Rules and Requirements and How to Effectively Communicate with Coaches and Get Noticed. One thing that stood out about the coaches responses was their extreme passion and excitement for coaching. When someone speaks and you get excited that's one element of being a great coach.
"A rotten apple can spoil a bunch." This was a quote used by one of the coaches. One player with a bad attitude can destroy a team. But then there’s also that one player, the player that can ignite and motivate an entire team.
So, what are coaches looking for in a player other than ranking and academic eligibility? Answer the following questions below and you can answer it for yourself. (Don’t you just love a question answered with more questions?)
What’s your attitude on court? How do you handle pressure? How do you handle defeat? Are you willing to make good decisions when no one is looking? Are you a team player? What’s your work ethic? Are you willing to work? Do you have goals? Are you coach-able? Do you have potential? Would you want yourself on your team?
Head coach for Pomona College, Benjamin Belletto favorite quote is fitting: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears,” (Dan Millman). Stay tuned because we will be asking Coach Belletto more questions soon.
