Since 2018, Iowa High School Tennis has produced 110+ players (and many more over the years) who have went on to continue their tennis careers in the college ranks and have represented all the division levels of DI, DII, DIII, NAIA and Junior College. There are so many paths that high school students can take after completing high school, whether it be entering the workforce, pursue college etc. College tennis is one of the many options that is available to junior players, being offered at all division levels across the country. The state of Iowa has seen many go on to play in college, and even so these last couple of years, there have been a ton of great players who decided to hang up their racquets coming out of high school. It has amazed me, especially over the last few years, the lack of interest in playing tennis in college. Why do a lot Iowa high school players not want to keep playing?
One thing I seem to hear fairly frequently from junior players is "I can't play in college" or "I'm not good enough to play in college." Most of the college tennis (in my opinion) that people have been exposed to would is at the DI level, and more specifically, power five D1 tennis. That is a very high level and the best of the best in college tennis. Yes, over the past number of years we have seen players from Iowa go play at the D1 level with some of the more notable names of Alex Brown (Illinois), Jackie Cochrane (Rutgers) and Victoria Flores (Georgia Tech). While there have been some others who have been in top division of college tennis (Rami Scheetz at Marquette and Luke VanDonslear at Northern Illinois), most are finding their way spread out between the other four sectors of DII, DIII, NAIA and JUCO.
Yes, while there has been a lot of people going on to play tennis in college, there have also been a lot of people who have hung up their racquets after their senior graduation. A number of high level players and even past state champions such as Cari Naanep, the Audrey/Emma Koch (College Basketball respectively), Emilia Porubcin, Sam Shin, Timmy Ellis to name a few decided to pass on collegiate tennis. We have even seen some start with playing college tennis and then transfer and/or drop out of the sport, Krisha Keeran, Anatta Charoenkul, and Anna Alons are a few of recent years.
I took this to a few former Iowa HS players to get their take and thoughts about college tennis while still in high school, and their current thoughts now that they are playing in college.
Brian Vandenberg, Northwestern College - Mason City ('19)
"I was very uncertain of what college tennis was like and if I would enjoy it as much as high school. I was able to watch a meet of NWC (Northwestern College) and knew my ability wasn't going to be a barrier of playing in college. The CIML prepared me well for collegiate tennis. One thing I have noticed is there is a variety of ability levels of players within individual teams. There are some very talented players, but also inexperienced players. There are also many excellent foreign players that are fun to compete against. My advice to current high school players would be to go watch a college tennis meet of schools you are interested in to get a good grasp of the level and atmosphere. Watching a teams practice is very beneficial."
"For anyone that is nervous about the commitment and intensity of college tennis, obviously I can't speak for all divisions out there, but the time commitment is essentially the same in college as in high school for me. My academics and social life have not been affected in any way at all because of tennis."
Olivia Fain, University of Northern Iowa - Columbus Catholic ('18)
"The last few years of high school tennis can be difficult. Simply because you are competing at a higher level and there is a lot on the line when it comes to finding colleges that fit you personally. I had a couple of concerns in high school about playing at the next level. I realized that it was going to be a commitment and that I was going to have to push myself to be a better tennis player while also focusing on my school work and personal life. Playing in college is a transition. The level of competitive is higher, but it is also a great experience."
"Competing UNI has taught me a lot of life lessons. Playing college tennis has taught me resilience, time management and so many other life skills. College Tennis has also brought me friends from all over the world. My perception of college tennis now is much different than what I thought it would be. I have learned so much and improved not only as a player but as a person. I would encourage any high school tennis player to have confidence in themselves and take the leap. You never know what might happen, but I can promise the commitment to a team is worth it."
Miyako Coffey, Hope College - Xavier ('21)
"I was extremely excited to play tennis at the college level, and compete in a completely different pool of players. I definitely had concerns, but I knew pretty early on that I wanted to play college tennis so I was excited to get here. After being at Hope for a semester, my choice of playing college tennis has been reaffirmed. I feel extremely lucky to be at a school that I love, with great teammates that share the same passion for tennis that I do. I think the most important part is picking the right school that is the best fit for you first, and then tennis. Going to a school that will help your love for tennis grow during your career."
Something that I think is prevalent in the state is Iowa among the tennis community is the lack of knowledge in regards to the information out there on college tennis whether it be scholarship opportunities (no athletics scholarships at the D3 level), recruiting video best practices, reaching out to college coaches and overall goals with college tennis. Below is one of the best resources that highlight all of these points and more in the most efficient and simple layout I can find, I highly recommend taking a look!
I started this blog a few years ago with the main purpose of promoting Iowa HS Tennis as I never felt it ever got good coverage during my playing days. I am always going to be a big proponent of playing tennis in college! As always, feel free to send me a message on twitter or email me should you have any questions or just want to chat. I am here to help!
-Iowa HS Tennis
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