The freshman year of high school often is the first time teenagers experience tennis at the competitive level. Some students get interested and try out, striving to make the varsity team and maybe someday even play at the college level.
But playing collegiate tennis requires athletes to practice more than the cloudy skies of Washington allow, say high school coaches. Private, indoor, year-round programs for high school players are becoming essential for tennis players.
Individual and group tennis coaching is available at several athetic clubs, including the Harbor Square Athletic Club and the Forest Crest Athletic Club. The kind of coaching these clubs offer can help high school students prepare for the future — and many coaches say it’s necessary.
David Buchheim, a tennis coach for 17 years, worked with players in the University of Washington’s junior program this past spring. In his opinion, if a tennis player wants to play at the collegiate level, he or she must play year-round in high school.
“The top two athletes in a high school team will be (private) club players,” he said, stressing the word “will.”
Private club players commit to playing every day and it can pay off. Some Division I and Division II colleges offer tennis scholarships that can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
“Mostly club ‘top 10’ players go to Division I through III schools,” Buchheim said. “It’s really hard for a non-club player to get a scholarship.”
One high school player who has landed a scholarship is Lauren Summers. She will be joining the women’s tennis team at the University of Washington. Summers, 17, has played at Harbor Square Athletic Club for seven years. She used to take group lessons, but once she decided to get serious about her game, she started taking individual lessons. Now she works under coach Buchheim, preparing to move to UW.
Summers said the individual lessons gave her a chance to improve her game drastically. With a coach paying attention to one player instead of eight, it makes sense for skills to improve faster.
Barry Majorowicz coaches boys and girls tennis at Shorecrest High School. He said only a small percentage of players go on to the collegiate or professional level. Out of last year’s 90-plus girls he coached, he guesses three or four were year-round players.
“Part of it is a money thing, 150-200 bucks a month. Also, it’s a cultural thing — if your family is one that focuses on the sport, you’ll do better,” he said.
Majorowicz said potential professional and college players should start as early in life as possible. He suggested starting when children are 6 or 7 years old if the player wants to be “really good.” His opinion is that if a tennis player doesn’t have access to a year-round playing facility, then they’re at a loss competitively
Arnie Moreno, Shorewood High School tennis coach, agreed, saying that year-round play is “definitely important.” He coaches girls varsity tennis and said out of last year’s team of 16 girls, a third were active participants in private clubs.
“Clubs have kids coming in with good fundamentals, they’re “battle tested,’” he said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
