Inside THE AMERICAN COLLEGE TENNIS SYSTEM

0:00You're listening to Tennis Talk 101, a podcast dedicated to the game of Tennis. We explore ideas, experiences and conversations from across the sport. My name is John Thompson and welcome to another episode of the Tennis Talk 101 podcast. Today we're going to be doing a little podcast episode on our upcoming trip to the United States of America where we're going to get a behind the scenes look at Auburn University. Stay tuned guys! That episode is coming up very shortly. Hey guys, we're just doing a little podcast episode on our upcoming trip to the United States of America. We're actually leaving on Thursday the 10th of September which is coming up in a few days. I've actually got Kelsey Lewis online. She's actually at home doing some work at the moment. But she's on the phone. How are you, Kels? I'm great. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Awesome. It's going to be a really cool trip that we're about to undertake.

1:01What we're going to do is we're really trying to get a behind the scenes look at what college tennis is all about. We've been very fortunate to have Aussie coach Jordan Zabo allow us to come over and follow him around. I'd like to take a look behind the scenes of what college tennis is all about. And to do it with a college team like the Auburn Women's College team is just unreal. They were ranked. Number one last year. Unfortunately they lost in the national title but they did win the SEC title during the year. From memory that was a joint win with I think it was Texas A&M which is really cool. A massively strong college team that we're going to have a look at. And it's it's going to be amazing for us, Kels' coaches to be able to bring this information back to Australia and educate all the players and parents back home just around what college tennis is all about.

2:08Exactly. No exactly what you said. Jonathan such a I privilege to get this behind the curtains look at college tennis and the division one level. So it's going to be absolutely insane to to shadow Jordan and and see the the team and the girls and and getting inside a perspective of the culture and the coaching that he brings to the team and how they've been so successful. And absolutely can't wait to get over there and see it. It's going to be something that is just awesome and we're so lucky to have an Aussie coach over there that's doing some amazing things in the college scene. I just it's something that I wish we used a lot more here back home in Australia and and tapped into a lot more Aussies that are doing some great stuff overseas to to generate some more information to to get some education for our players and parents back home on just what college tennis is all about and what pathway that it can create for our young kids back at home because as you know Kels and I know very well.

3:19It's super hard to go from our year 12 here in Australia, which means you'd be you know 16 17 18 years of age to jump straight onto the pro tour and that's something that I know that we're very big on educating the parents and the players that we work with back here in Australia on all the time because it's also a financial burden on the parents. It's a massive cost to actually get out straight away on the pro tour after school and if you're not winning it's going to be costing anywhere between 50 and $100,000 maybe even more to go and play anywhere between 16 and 20 tournaments a year. So this could be a great option for many people many players to get over to the United States of America and try their hand at college tennis and not only will they be playing a high level of tennis but they'll also be getting an education and that's something that I think is is really big because it gives them time the players time to mature.

4:22They'll have four years and now with new rules coming in I'm not 100% sure on how it's working but there's been a real change where there is five years of eligibility and that's something that I want to get a lot more clarification on when I get over there I will be asking Jordan that question on how it actually works but that looks like there will be five years of eligibility for a player to play college tennis and that that could see a player go from 17 years of age you know up to that 22 22. 23 years of age where they matured a lot more and will have a lot better opportunity to get out there and try the hand at pro tennis. 100% it's exactly what you said John college is a fantastic opportunity for players to bridge the gap between you know just leaving high school to then being at you know their peak level at potentially 24 25 26 years old so it definitely bridges the gap and helps a lot of these families. Financially but also they come away with a degree as well which can set them up for a further career opportunities in the future so it's definitely an incredible opportunity especially for us Aussies that are so far removed from you know Europe and the US and these incredibly incredibly big tennis powerhouses so it's a fantastic opportunity for for our Aussie players to get over there and and gain some international exposure.

5:50And exactly what you said as well John about it's this whole trip for us is about going over there to bring as much information as possible back home so as many Aussies as possible have the opportunity to progress with their tennis and reach their potential. Yeah it's also a great thing for us Kels to for the trips that we take to the John you come tennis branch each year we do one in April one in October and one in December which is the year. In December which is the actual college showcase at New York's with what we're really trying to achieve out of this as well is all the education obviously for players and parents back here in Australia all players it's not just a players that we coach but we're trying to bring as much knowledge around these trips that we run to all Aussies that want to go on these trips so they can actually understand that we're not just taking them over there to to a training block or just have an experience it's it's a big. It's it's about knowledge and try to gain them a pathway and that's something that we're very passionate about because you can do so many things in this sport but if there's an actual pathway that you can work towards and you can actually understand I think that's a massive thing for our parents and players back here in Australia understand what the pathway is all about and what is actually on offer for them out there in the world of college tennis.

7:16Definitely know there's there's so much out there but us Aussies definitely just have to be brave enough to get out there and see it and and I know we take that responsibility John. You know we take that responsibility on to bring back as much information as possible and and it definitely circles back to our trips and we know we've had so many young players come back with with such. It's incredible. Focus and determination for what's left for them and what's what the future of tennis is for them. Yeah it's it's an amazing thing I think the more that we can show Aussies firsthand what it's about the more we can educate them on these different pathways the better equipped they are to make an informed decision around which is the best way for them to go. I think that's the best way for them to actually proceed with their tennis and I'd really look at it like this if you've got an opportunity to go and further your tennis and also get an education play in a great environment and college tennis really is a great environment and when I say that you got to think about how well structured it is they've got everything organized.

8:35You've got your training when you get over there you've got your matches that you you get to play you have an environment where you are doing your strength and conditioning you've got your schooling you've got all the things around you that you need to actually progress as a tennis player as an athlete and also as a person and that there I think is really important because once you leave school here in Australia you've got to then unless you're in a program with tennis Australia and you're getting funding or you're getting a little bit more. You're getting looked after you've got to go and sort or source these things for yourself and it takes a lot of work and it's it's really hard to go and do all these things as an individual and do it all by yourself I think that's one of the hardest things as a tennis player and then when you get over to the US and you're in a good college team you've got a great coach these things are all sorted for you and you're training in a team environment and it helps you to actually stay motivated. And stick to the course of what you're trying to do and again this is why we're heading over there Kelsey's to really try to document as much as we can and for anyone listening we are going to be doing a vlog series on this whole trip this whole experience and sorry you'll probably see our ugly heads on there every now and again but what you what what we're trying to achieve is to bring the education and the knowledge around this trip back to anyone that wants to be able to do it.

10:03Back to anyone that wants to have a look at it to get an inside view and inside look inside knowledge of what college tennis is all about. Yes, definitely and if you you want to get an inside scoop on on our trip and our vlog please follow us and subscribe to our YouTube channel at ebt tennis we're going to you know film absolutely everything and and talk about all the different campuses we go to and and obviously the experience. With Jordan and we can't wait to document that and use it as such an incredible resource for all the the players and parents back home to see what college tennis truly is like and give them a great show. Yeah and that's that's something that we're really looking forward to is is bringing that knowledge back but the other thing that we're actually doing while we're over there we're spending the first couple of days getting in a car and we're going to visit 22 other college campuses to really get a an inside look at all the divisions from NC double a division one division two division three NAA and juco junior college or community college however you want to call it we want to go and experience and show people exactly the differences between different campuses different facilities what it looks like to be in a division two school compared to a division one school now we're very fortunate that we're going to be going to.

11:32All the university which is just an amazing school and they were at last year at stages rank number one in the nation which is just unbelievable and I think you did a little bit of research on their their roster tell us what the current UTRs or there above most of the girls or all the girls are above what level. All the girls are above a 10 UTR so it's going to be an absolutely incredible opportunity to see them train and get to meet them and speak with them and a lot of them have you know current WTA rankings and incredible experience playing super high level WTA events and and junior a couple of junior grand slams which is incredible so very much looking forward to seeing those plays in in their environment and and see the training culture as well. Yeah if I'm not mistaken I actually think there's a couple of the girls that are playing in the doubles at the US open which is just unbelievable I think I read that today that a couple of the girls in the team yeah are playing at the US open which is just absolutely amazing and what it shows you

12:47is the level that college tennis is at the elite standard that they're playing at it's it's something that I do hear a lot from Aussie players Aussie parents they really don't understand what the level is. We get into such a bad habit here in Australia if you're not going pro or you're not pro by 17 or 18 you're done well let me tell you that the average age of a top 100 player is getting older and older in both the men and the women I'm not quite sure what it currently is at but I know last time I looked both men and women were over 26 years of age that's the average age of a top 100 player now so if we're thinking that we're 17 18 and we haven't made it well we're done. So you've put all this work in from the age of maybe 10 11 or 12 all the way up to 18 and just because you haven't cracked what you think is the big time or you haven't made a dent why not take an opportunity where you can go and prolong your career you can develop your game you can develop as a person in a college system that would actually generate so much information for you

14:00so much knowledge for you and you will be getting better on a daily basis and that's something I hear so many players and parents back here in Australia say it's not great it's what I would strongly suggest is if you don't really know or you've heard it second hand third hand from someone you need to understand it first hand let me tell you from my own experience I coached in that college so with you Kels we've visited many many schools we've watched many many college matches we've been involved with sending so many players over to college the level of college tennis and what you gain from that is massive it's not that you're taking a step back it's just a pathway to maybe where you want to go and in the US open again something I read there's over 35 players in the draw of the men and women at the US open that have come out of college and I also read if college tennis was a country it would be the strongest tennis nation think about that

15:04it's absolutely incredible and it definitely shows the that the pathway is there for such a structured environment for these players but they've got to be willing to take the opportunity and like you said it's not I hate when people think it's a step backwards or it's second rate because a lot of the time the people that are saying that haven't seen it first hand and they're talking from you know like you said second hand third hand recounts instead of actually going and having a look at what it really is or really investing the time to find the right program for them I think that's really important as well yeah that's exactly and that's why Kels we are as coaches doing what we're doing as well not only do we want to educate the players and parents back here in Australia but we also want to keep our knowledge first up to date if that's the right way to say you and I want to get over there and we're spending our own money

16:06we're for going all of our coaching back here at home why because we feel there's a massive need to actually help the players and parents back here in Australia understand more about what college tennis is and there's also a lot of coaches out there that don't know a lot about college tennis so they don't quite know whether to advise their players on it not to advise their players on it advise them to go down the pro path well I looked up today and I did believe it but it was also a little bit of a shock when you I looked up there was over 500 male tennis players in college tennis at all different levels at all different associations that were over 12 and a half UTR that's 500 players now I don't know many players back here at home that are you know 16 17 there is a few there's a handful that are at that level that are ready to go and compete on the pro tool straight away

17:09and I don't know that any of those players wouldn't benefit from going to college even it was for a couple of years to further develop their game and themselves as individuals and also take that financial burden off themselves and their parents and I think that there for us is one of the biggest things that we want to try to achieve out of this trip is one we're updating our own knowledge but two we're going to be bringing the information first hand via vlog via videos via podcast so people can understand what it is all about and if you and I can help Aussie tennis and help more people understand that there is other pathways out there because I know for myself as a coach I just want to keep people in the sport I want to keep young players in the sport so we have players later on that can come and help the next generation come through that is what I really really passionate about

18:13I don't want to see players get to that 16 17 years of age group and have no understanding of what they can do what's out there because at the moment unfortunately in Australia our player pathway there's not a lot of information around it it's not great it needs to be sorted out and fixed in my opinion and that's why we're heading over to do these things to try to actually bring more knowledge and information about that and you know, because we are going to to be documenting it and videoing it but it's a great thing for us as a coaching team to be able to document this but also to gain more knowledge and experience for ourselves isn't it I know 100% I'm so incredibly excited to go over and I know we do a lot of travel around Texas but to see you know, just to broaden our perspective on college tennis in different states and different parts of the country is really important as well and

19:16now I'm just from the coach development perspective I'm really really excited to take this on and and really take this opportunity with both hands to further develop our our understanding and I really just can't wait to share all this information with all with everyone that's watching back home it's going to be incredible it is going to be great and hopefully it shows people that we're really invested in what we're trying to do and we're invested not only in taking players overseas to the john yukam tennis academy because it's absolutely awesome over there that those guys are I've got a great structure they've got great links with college coaches and that's why we are linked up with those guys because we know that that heading over there we have been able to create so many opportunities for our own players now we're going to be branching out to to taking more players after we come well after I come back unfortunately kehl smiths is next trip because the sisters getting married

20:21we're taking 20 young players from Aubrey and Wadonga from the Margaret court tennis academy with Phil shunahan back over there I'll be back home for I think five or six days and then straight back on a plane back over there to hopefully gain more experience and knowledge for these young kids and to understand about college tennis to open their mind about the opportunities that are there for them and I think that's unbelievable because one of the young girls at the moment Lara Miga who is over there she's gained an amazing opportunity to actually play qualifying in a pro tour event that's held at the john yukam country club right next door to the john yukam tennis ranch which those opportunities come because people work together and those opportunities have come for young Aussie because we are able to create these opportunities for young people to come and get married with great coaches a great association with the john yukam tennis ranch and I personally can't thank those guys enough and we're doing this to strengthen what we do with the john yukam college showcases held in December and we will be doing our utmost to help as many Aussies as we can get as much experiences and knowledge around what pathways are out there for them.

21:47Yeah, that's our goal just to get as many opportunities for Australian players as possible and and to be a part of that john is just absolutely incredible but a massive thank you to the the john yukam tennis academy and and everything you do and and to you know with what got a group of 15 Aussies that were taking December as well. So that's going to be absolutely incredible and and I know I'm going to miss the next group john yukam but I'm looking forward to to go back in December for sure. Yeah, can't wait. Well guys, please follow along if you want to get a good understanding of what college tennis is all about. We're going to be putting it up on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and I think that's stupid thing called TikTok. I think we're going to put it up on that as well. So yeah, follow along guys and you'll get a good insight about what's going on and I can't wait to get over there and really follow Jordan around and ask him as many questions as we can and to have an Aussie coach doing some amazing things over in the US like Jordan is and for him to be so accommodating to have you and I over there.

22:58So I think Kelsey's is pretty damn cool. So guys, please follow along and Kelsey. Thank you very much for coming on the podcast. Thank you for having me. No problems. We'll speak to you a bit later. Thank you so much guys for listening to another episode of tennis talk 101 podcast. I think Kelsey Lewis for coming on tonight to talk about all things college tennis and our upcoming trip to Auburn University. We've got to thank Jordan Zabo who is an Aussie legend coach who's doing great things over there at their college level. We can't wait to bring you the vlog and we can't wait to bring you an inside look of all things college tennis. Stay tuned guys. Speak to you later.