DEAR ANDY,

AGAIN, CONGRATS AND THANKS FOR YOUR TENNIS LEADERSHIP.
HERE IS THE “PACKET” MY EARLIER E-MAIL ALLUDED TO.
INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS ARTICLES REGARDING AMERICAN COLLEGE TENNIS AND THE NUMBER OF INTERNATIONALS RECEIVING AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIPS. TONS OF OPINIONS, YET NO REAL SOLUTIONS.
THE BRYANT GUMBEL “REAL SPORTS” SEGMENT WITH THE MCENROES REKINDLED MY CONCERN AND BELIEF THAT THE USTA IS MISSING SOME OBVIOUS FACTS AND POSSIBILITIES. WHILE THE PACKET IS CUMBERSOME, PLEASE TRY TO FOLLOW THE VARIETY OF EVENTS AND HISTORY THAT CAUSES ME TO “THEORIZE”. TO SUMMARIZE LET ME STATE MY CASE:
THE AWARDING OF A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF AID TO INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS HAS INFLUENCED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO NOT CHOOSE TENNIS FOR UNTOLD TALENTED AMERICAN YOUNGSTERS.
THE NAIA AND JUNIOR COLLEGES BEGAN THIS TREND IN THE EARLY 1970’S. IT SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE. I PARTICIPATED. AND BENEFITTED, ALL THE WHILE REALIZING FOR EVERY SCHOLARSHIP TO INTERNATIONALS, ONE DENIED AN AMERICAN JUNIOR. WHAT I HOPE TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF IS THE INSIDIOUS AFFECT THIS HAD ON HIGH QUALITY PLAYER DEVELOPMENT IN USA.

YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I WHAT IT COSTS AN AMERICAN TO COMPETE AT THE ELITE LEVEL. THERE ARE ONLY TWO MAJOR WAYS TO RECOUP PARENTAL/FAMILY INVESTMENT : 1. PRO TENNIS ( IN NC ONLY ISNER, WILKISON, AND SADRI MADE ANY LIFETIME $) AND 2. COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. THE RISING COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION MAKES SCHOLARSHIPS MORE VALUABLE AND MORE APT TO AFFECT THE CHOICE OF SCHOOL AND SPORT TO PURSUE.
WHILE ACADEMIES HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN TENNIS, MOST IN AMERICA HAS BEEN BY INTERNATIONALS. THAT, AND GIVEN THE EVIDENCE THAT OUR PARENTS ARE SKEPTICAL ABOUT ACADEMIES AND/OR PREFER TO KEEP THEIR KIDS AT HOME. THIS HAS LIMITED VALUE. TO BE BLUNT, THE USTA HAS COME UNDER FIRE JUSTIFIABLY FOR THE LACK OF RESULTS FOR THE TREMENDOUS MONEY POURED INTO “PLAYER DEVELOPMENT”.

AT AGE 74 I AM TIRED OF AMERICANS JUST BITCHING. SOME SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED IN ANY NUMBER OF ARENAS. COLLEGE TENNIS IS ONE OF MY DEEP LOVES. HOW ABOUT A THINK TANK WHO INVESTIGATES THESE POSSIBILITIES:

FIND A WAY TO ALLOT USTA MONIES TO THE INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD FOR SUCCESS—-(A. AMERICAN FAMILIES AND (B) COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
THE 50/50 SCHOLARSHIP PLAN IS A WORKABLE POSSIBILITY.
USTA INCENTIVE PLANS (SCHOLARSHIP AID) TO INDIVIDUALS AND/OR INSTITUTIONS THAT REWARD AMERICAN AID. FOR EXAMPLE GIVE AID TO VARIOUS COLLGE DEVISIONS THAT GIVE LARGE PORTIONS OF SCHOLARSHIP AID TO AMERICANS . THIS WOULD TAKE CARE AND THOUGHT. BUT ISN’T IT TIME?