Paths to Follow
This page is dedicated to helping parents and players figure out what path would be best for the athlete to follow
***Before reading the paths below...please let the path you choose below be 100% your child's decision. Although all parents have wishes for their children, the best path to follow is the one for which your child has a passion***
Path #1: Qualify for the state tournament and/or play in high level college
Description: This type of player wants to make the varsity team at Brookfield Central, but also make the state tournament, go deep in the tournament, then go on to play high level tennis in college when they graduate.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Very important. The benefits of playing these tournaments is to teach the athlete to utilize what they have learned in a competitive setting, to allow them to learn on their own (there is no coaching during these tournaments), and to allow the athlete to get noticed by college recruiters.
Tournament websites to search: Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). For the UTR website, you can make a free account and search for/sign up for tournaments, United States Tennis Association (USTA)
Private lessons: Very important in order to refine skills and make improvements for competition. Just make sure that between private lessons, work on skills in drills, working with groups and playing matches. Then, return to the private lesson with feedback to continue to refine your skills. If you don't work on a variety of skills between private lessons, you will get far less out of them than you could get. Parents, make sure to watch, be involved and ensure that your child is getting exactly what they want out of the private lessons.
Match play: Playing matches against high level competition is essential to this type of player. The gains they can make out of such matches will be invaluable to development of their game and performance in high pressure situations such as a state tournament match. If you are competing outside of a formal tournament, make sure play the match as a match with high stakes, and make sure you are competing against top players.
Group lessons: Important, but only if the group is comprised of those who have the same goal and are of a similar ability level.
Hitting with a ball machine: Very important to practice skills learned in lessons, to create muscle memory by establishing many repetitions of the same shot. Make sure you are using proper form, since this type of hitting reinforces the form you use. Done well, hitting with a ball machine can be very helpful since you can easily hit close to 1,000 shots within about an hour's time without overdoing it.
Hitting with friends: Not a major focus unless they are friends with the same goal. Certainly schedule in some fun times on the court, but this workout will not move you towards your ultimate goal.
Path #2: Make the Varsity team at Brookfield Central
Description: This type of player wants to make the Varsity team at Brookfield Central. Our program has won 13 state titles, we have been runner up 13 times, and have won 40 sectional titles. The boys team generally consists of 70 players, the girls team about 100. In order to earn one of the 12 Varsity positions, players need to be very competitive, and dedicate a significant amount of offseason time to tennis. Winter lessons are one way, and Junior/Senior Lancer Camp during June/July is another way.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Very important. The benefits of playing these tournaments is to teach the athlete to utilize what they have learned in a competitive setting, to allow them to learn on their own (there is no coaching during these tournaments). Very rarely do players perform well at the state tournament without having done so in USTA/UTR tournaments. Any player going out for Varsity should have a well established tournament record, with a Universal Tennis Ranking and a World Tennis Number (USTA).
Tournament websites to search: Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). For the UTR website, you can make a free account and search for/sign up for tournaments, United States Tennis Association (USTA)
Private lessons: Important in order to refine skills and make improvements for competition. Remember that for every private lesson you take, you should be playing a tournament, hitting with a ball machine or hitting against a player of a similar ability (ex: you'll get the best value out of your private lesson if you spend a few weeks using the knowledge you obtained from the pro). Parents, be involved, make sure the focus is what your child wants to work on.
Match play: Extremely important. Playing in a competitive environment on a regular basis is very important to success long term at state. The more competition a player engages in the better prepared they'll be for the pressures of a state tournament environment.
Group lessons: Important because you'll be able to practice your skills against players with different styles in a competitive and supportive environment. Similar to above, aim for players at a similar level to you.
Hitting with a ball machine: Important to practice skills learned in lessons, to create muscle memory by establishing many repetitions of the same shot. Same idea as above. Hitting off a ball machine will build muscle memory, so make sure your form is correct. If you can run through the machine 3-4 times, you'll have close to 1,000 repetitions, which should help build your muscle memory.
Hitting with friends: Hitting with friends is never a bad idea. However, doing so as the main component of a plan for making the Varsity team the following season won't work. The areas above will be the best focus for improving, while hitting with friends can be a way to relax from time to time.
Path #3: Be competitive, but no real goal of the varsity team
Description: This type of player wants to improve and get better, but doesn't really have any goals of making varsity.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Not important
Private lessons: Not important
Match play: Can be important to help development of skills.
Group lessons: Will be helpful...the more you practice, the better you'll get, but only if you are practicing the right way. Having some instruction in a group will allow you to practice your skills and learn about how to become better so that when you hit on your own you are practicing the right way.
Hitting with a ball machine: Can be very helpful, just make sure it is after receiving instruction so that you are getting better and not just practicing the wrong way over and over.
Hitting with friends: Always a solid idea in order to practice your skills against someone who might have a different playing style than you do. It also keeps you motivated and enjoying tennis, but if you're just going for a JV position, play with your friend when you want, take lessons if you want...basically whatever helps you enjoy tennis and feel like you're getting better.
Path #4: Just in it for fun
Description: This type of player is exactly what the name implies. Their goal is simply to have fun, and that's what you should do. Pick up the racquet in the spring and summer, play and have fun. Learn as much as you can at practices, then close up shop in the winter until it gets warm out again.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Not important
USTA rookie tournaments: Not important
Private lessons: Not important
Match play: Not important
Group lessons: Not important
Hitting with a ball machine: not important
Hitting with friends: Since your goal is to play for fun, get out there and have some fun hitting with friends.
Note on College Tennis
Every single person can play college tennis. It's not just major college tennis as an option. There is Division 2, Division 3, and all sorts of other leagues. Any player from Varsity down to a JV 2 team player...there is a college somewhere in the country where you can compete. If you have the desire to do it, you can play college tennis at any level.