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re: McEnroe: We are forcing Americans out of college tennis
Posted on 5/3/26 at 8:58 pm to upstate
Posted on 5/3/26 at 8:58 pm to upstate
This is the reality in all "minor" and Olympic sports. Tennis, soccer, track, swimming, etc. The only way to combat this is to cap the international scholarships per school per sport. I am 100% in favor of this. As a coach at an NAIA school, I am very aware of this reality. It hurts me when I try recruiting a kid from the South and told they don't want to consider an NAIA school and I can go get an international from Turkey who just wants to compete. Also, American students would be cheaper for schools. Easier to get them eligible, less paperwork, no health insurance needs, etc.
What I hate the most is seeing Olympic coaches coaching our competition in college.
What I hate the most is seeing Olympic coaches coaching our competition in college.
1
Posted on 5/3/26 at 9:10 pm to prplhze2000
This would be fine for American athletes if D2 and D3 were healthy but they’re not.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 7:35 am to Bengalbio
Pretty much every person I've known who played collegiate tennis was foreign born. They all became naturalized citizens but they were born somewhere else.
Whatever happened to the development program at Bolliterri's/IMG?
Whatever happened to the development program at Bolliterri's/IMG?
Posted on 5/4/26 at 7:53 am to RunningJacket
quote:
We are a dumb country. The only country in the world who doesn’t look out for its citizens first. Easy fix - require all scholarship athletes to be American citizens. Solved.
should be no international students period, would stop a lot of the BS going on
Posted on 5/4/26 at 8:16 am to prplhze2000
ULM was bringing over foreign kids to play tennis in the 70's. The school's president, Dr. Vines, was a big tennis guy and he made sure they had good teams.
In the late 70's & early 80's ULM was also bringing over foreigners for their multiple national championship water skiing teams. Water skiing wasn't an NCAA sanctioned sport but every year that they won Ski Nautique gave them money that was used for scholarships. Stacy Spiker and some of her friends on the ski team were from Australia. They were on 'scholarships' paid for with the Ski Nautique money that was given to the school for winning Nattys.
In the late 70's & early 80's ULM was also bringing over foreigners for their multiple national championship water skiing teams. Water skiing wasn't an NCAA sanctioned sport but every year that they won Ski Nautique gave them money that was used for scholarships. Stacy Spiker and some of her friends on the ski team were from Australia. They were on 'scholarships' paid for with the Ski Nautique money that was given to the school for winning Nattys.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 9:16 am to prplhze2000
A poster here is a great tennis coach and I was shocked when he told me it’s almost impossible for americans to make d1 rosters. Even at small schools like USM the players come from countries like Thailand or Spain.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 9:18 am to SabiDojo
quote:
A poster here is a great tennis coach and I was shocked when he told me it’s almost impossible for americans to make d1 rosters.
Probably because we’re trying to play college at 18-22 and they have no problem coming here at 22-25…
Posted on 5/4/26 at 9:21 am to SabiDojo
If you are top 150 in America you will have no issue getting a tennis scholarship at a great school
Exactly how far back do yall think that should actually go?
If you had only Americans playing college tennis the quality on courts 4-6 at most places would be utter country club shite
Source: I’m an American that played D1 tennis
Exactly how far back do yall think that should actually go?
If you had only Americans playing college tennis the quality on courts 4-6 at most places would be utter country club shite
Source: I’m an American that played D1 tennis
Posted on 5/4/26 at 9:30 am to lsupride87
quote:
If you are top 150 in America you will have no issue getting a tennis scholarship at a great school
Exactly how far back do yall think that should actually go?
Considering there are over 200 D1 tennis programs I don't think its insane to expect a #250 American high school kid to get a scholarship. But bringing in internationals has pushed those kids either out of the sport or down to D2/3
Posted on 5/4/26 at 9:36 am to prplhze2000
quote:
Are college sports primarily about winning
Yes (and money).
Want a scholarship? Be better
Posted on 5/4/26 at 9:52 am to slinger1317
quote:
And now becoming a thing in Cross Country as well.
It's been a thing. I guess NIL has probably made it grow even more, though.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 10:07 am to prplhze2000
quote:
Even highly ranked American juniors are finding fewer opportunities to earn meaningful roles on college teams. Players who once expected to contribute as players in college are now competing simply to make lineups.
quote:
If the goal is purely competitive success, the current trajectory is understandable. But if college athletics are also meant to develop athletes—over time, within an educational framework—then some recalibration is needed.
Policies that reward multiyear development, encourage roster stability and address discrepancies in age and eligibility could help restore balance without undermining competition.
I have generally been wary of quota systems. Open competition raises the level for everyone. But if incentives and structural adjustments aren’t enough to restore balance, then more-direct measures—such as limits on roster composition—may need to be considered.
So wait, instead of having to make the team based on talent and skill, they now want to change the rules to allow more Americans to make the team.
So DEI for whites.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 10:20 am to ragincajun03
quote:
It's been a thing. I guess NIL has probably made it grow even more, though.
Getting $15K in NIL money is a big deal if you are a 24 year old Kenyan runner
You had Kenyan runners coming over before, but largely because they wanted a US education (and many became US citizens largely by joining the military). Now there's a pretty significant financial incentive for runners who wouldn't move the needle in Kenya, but can be stars in the NCAA.
29 of the top 50 at NCAA XC last year were Kenyan
Posted on 5/4/26 at 11:32 am to slinger1317
quote:They will. It just won’t be at a big program type school
expect a #250 American high school kid to get a scholarship.
American junior tennis not nearly good enough to support this movement. It would make college tennis an absolute joke
There are roughly 1200 starters in D1 college tennis. Holy frick it would be embarrassing how bad the quality would be if it was only American
This post was edited on 5/4/26 at 11:34 am
Posted on 5/4/26 at 12:08 pm to RunningJacket
quote:
Easy fix - require all scholarship athletes to be American citizens. Solved.
No more rugby punters from Australia and our track and field teams suffer as well. Would also hurt Hockey and LSU basketball players like Geert Hammink never would have played.
This post was edited on 5/4/26 at 12:09 pm
Posted on 5/4/26 at 12:26 pm to prplhze2000
The problem with American tennis started in the late 80s and exponentially got worse in the 90s and early 2000s. The WSJ or Time had an interesting piece on this about 10 years ago. Once soccer rose in popularity in the U.S. among kids, it took young players away from tennis. In other words, per the article, the kids who would have been taking tennis lessons and been playing tournaments, were now on the soccer fields. I will try to find it, but it was a good, interesting read. Basically, soccer fckd U.S. tennis.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 2:03 pm to prplhze2000
Bollitieri / IMG - most recent male of note is probably Sebastian Korda . But he's a 20 -30 player.
.
.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 2:22 pm to prplhze2000
I would think a more palatable and fair path to a level playing field would be an age cap. American kids should have to compete with internationals, but I don’t think it’s fair if the internationals are several years older.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 2:47 pm to rpg37
quote:
This is the reality in all "minor" and Olympic sports. Tennis, soccer, track, swimming, etc. The only way to combat this is to cap the international scholarships per school per sport. I am 100% in favor of this. As a coach at an NAIA school, I am very aware of this reality. It hurts me when I try recruiting a kid from the South and told they don't want to consider an NAIA school and I can go get an international from Turkey who just wants to compete. Also, American students would be cheaper for schools. Easier to get them eligible, less paperwork, no health insurance needs, etc.
So what you would want more of on your team is guys who don't want to compete against the best and think they are too good for NAIA simply because they are American? Give me the kid that wants to compete all day every day on my team over the entitled kid, i don't care where he's from.
Posted on 5/4/26 at 3:07 pm to SabiDojo
quote:
A poster here is a great tennis coach and I was shocked when he told me it’s almost impossible for americans to make d1 rosters. Even at small schools like USM the players come from countries like Thailand or Spain.
I was at the Louisiana High School tennis tournament last week. There are 2200 high school students that played this year. I bet 5 make a college roster next year because there are so few opportunities for them.
This post was edited on 5/4/26 at 3:09 pm
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