Category: C. COLLEGE TENNIS and INSTRUCTION

HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?

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BELOW ARE SOME EXCERPTS AND ARTICLES FROM MY BLOG, THAT SHOW A PATTERN OF DEVELOPING BELIEF IN THE DROP SHOT , AND AN AMERICAN TENNIS NEED ( WWW.TOMPARHAM.WORDPRESS.COM):

(2016)

In pro tennis both men and women have learned the virtues of the drop-shot. One–it tires opponents quickly.
Secondly, it has a subtle psychological effect that discourages opponents.

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Take heed. Develop your drop-shot. And your DEFENSE AGAINST THE DROP SHOT. That starts with conditioning and footwork/posture.

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I would remind all players that you have to develop defensive quickness, and movement patterns and postures that offset this demon.

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 One thing that does seem to be growing in effectiveness is the drop shot. The old adage that “you can’t drop shot on a hard court” is being tested more at the top level.

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. Maybe there is someone coming along with this unique touch, who combined with the other tennis skills needed, will produce the next level in the never ending evolution of tennis.

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To follow up, or evolve, as a teacher/coach, it then seems we must learn defense against the drop shot. In addition to the basic strokes of tennis there are auxiliary shots (returns, approaches, passing shots, etc. ) with different techniques to be mastered. Drop shots are one of these now more than ever. There are also an unlimited “awkward” shots in tennis (for example a backhand overhead, or running down a “shanked shot”).
These shots, including defending against drop-shots, must be identified, the proper techniques practiced, and implementation mastered. Please remember, players and parents, that this isn’t easy work.

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2026 –10 years later

SOME HAVE –SOME HAVEN’T !

But the best have.

The BASIC UNIT OF PLAY is 1. approach on short balls 2. they hit a passing shot 3. you volley away from them. You have to practice the approach shots, the passing shots, and the many volleys. And there are any number of other patterns. Including drop shot execution and defense against this tactic.

  1. You must practice proper forehand and backhand drop shot technique.
  2. You must practice how to defend against drop shots: Drop shot return of their drop shots, or down the line passing shot, or the extreme cross court pass.
  3. The PATTERN most are using on drop shots seems to be : A. the drop shot. B. defense hits a delecate cross court pass. C. Then the drop shot player recoils and volleys the cross court “floater” away from opponent.

Sure- there are other options. But the fundamental skills ( running to get there, foot work and posture) on these unique and, new to many, must be practiced properly.

Coaches: Many players don’t like anything about practicing these awkward and toug and different skills.

Evolution continues–TOPSPIN LOBS !

Zverev and Sablenka

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“… a tennis player is as strong or as weak as their weakest link, and the weakest link in tennis is the second serve.”

Wlmbledon Men’s Singles observation :

I don’t believe Shasha Zverev made many crucial double faults yesterday. Even elite players have problems. A short while back , two of the world’s best players ( Zverev and Sabalenka ) had big time second serve issues. Both seem to have corrected this significant flaw.

I’d like to know how their coaches helped them do it.

Pressure points in various sports must be dealt with. “Gimme” short putts in golf. Free throws in basketball ?

I think Dave Pelz had the clue. In dealing with golf’s “short game”. Pelz urged controlling pressure, or “nerves”, by

length of stroke adminstered with “dead hands”. (See THE SHORT GAME BIBLE ). No yips or jerks (Shaq’s free throws ?) Closers in baseball? Second serves ?

Motor memory through practice. Carnegie Hall ?—See THE TALENT CODE . Myelin , my Boy.

Discover what your second serve FEELS like. Practice it often. Trust it.

COLLEGE TO PRO?

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As the world turns !

(From—ESPN Wimbledon broadcast of the Ben Shelton–Otto Virtanen first-round match yesterday, the commentators had a brief discussion about the changing path from college tennis to the ATP Tour.

The main points they made were:

  • College tennis is no longer viewed as a detour from professional tennis. The commentators noted that more elite players are spending one or more years in college before turning pro because the level of competition is so high.
  • Ben Shelton was used as the prime example. They pointed out that Shelton played at the University of Florida under his father, Bryan Shelton, won the NCAA singles championship, and then made an exceptionally rapid transition to the ATP Tour.
  • They mentioned that NIL opportunities have changed the equation for top American juniors. Players can now earn meaningful income while competing in college, making it less financially urgent to leave school immediately for the lower levels of professional tennis.
  • The discussion also touched on how college players now receive:
    • world-class coaching,
    • strength and conditioning,
    • sports science,
    • and frequent competition against future professionals,
      making college a stronger developmental pathway than it was a decade ago.
  • They contrasted today’s environment with previous generations, when the expectation for top juniors was often to turn professional immediately if they had the opportunity.

This wasn’t presented as a formal statistic but rather as commentary on how the landscape has changed, with Shelton serving as an example of a player who successfully used college tennis as a springboard to the top of the professional game.

HACKALOOSKI REVISITED

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“I learned to listen to an old man, who had been there, even though I didn’t think he knew much. ” ( Thomas Linne, 1984 ).

This was a comment from one of my players after our team won The NAIA national championship.

My son and I discussed how to advise his 10 year old tennis aspirant. Recently I reminded them of two suggestions I felt were very sound for any level of player:

!. Hit your first serve UP enough.

2. Play AHEAD. 40-15 and 30 -0 points. Up a break. Up a set and a break.

Play ahead, Stay ahead.

Often players grind out a tough point to get AHEAD. Winded or tired they then take an unwise shot.

****Develop this better thought : “Okay –I may be tired but they are too. If I grind out this point too, the odds go way up in my favor.

Believe an old man.

HACKALOOSKI–WHEN A LIMITED PLAYER TELLS A GOOD PLAYER WHAT TO DO.

Even the great players often play these “aheads” too loosly.

Believe an old man.

GUEST COMMENT

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This clipped from James Haslam

Is The Foreign Student College Tennis Debate Really About Player Development?

Players recruited from outside The US dominate D1 college tennis . This might mean that American tennis is doing something wrong in developing the best players … Or it might mean that in the US, fewer families choose to see the pro tour as the ultimate goal of playing tennis to achieve a better life for their children. Instead they prioritize tennis participation as a pathway to greater health, wellness and career success. In the latter case , it might be concluded that they are doing many things right. No matter what the outlook is , the economic realities of this issue are significant. For those not convinced that the foreign student college tennis issue is primarily about who should be given the opportunity to be a “student” driven by economic allocation , here are some numbers that frame this issue :

There are about 2500 D1 Tennis student athletes in the US with about 2/3 of these athletes or 1675 being foreign students on F-1 or M-1 visas.

When the cost of conducting the program , tuition, books, housing, fees , travel , medical care are broken down and calculated, a conservative estimate is that each student each year receives about $200,000 in value, before NIL monies.

So the cost to the college system yearly we can estimate to be about $335 million dollars before NIL. This means that in aggregate , in D1 tennis alone , four year scholarships cost the system well over one billion dollars. We can further extrapolate by understanding that the median lifetime earnings of a college graduate over just a High School degree is 1.2 million dollars. So each year an astonishing future earnings of over 1 billion dollars are facilitated by the opportunities given to foreign D1 tennis players who graduate each year. Even if we see more conservative numbers we can’t escape that an enormous amount of money is being used to further the educational opportunities of foreign nationals . With team roster’s limited to 10 spots , it’s a zero sum game in which the opportunity for a player outside the US is one less opportunity for a player in the US. As a precedent , enrollment in high school is not guaranteed to non district residents. It is usually evaluated on a case by case basis and the issue is not “fairness” ,”protectionism ” ” player development ” or ” rigorous competition”. It’s the question of how to allocate finite educational resources.

T. Parham: This seems more pertinent than the suggestion that this dilemma can be cured by American teaching pros and coaches.

Statement from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regarding the State of College Athletics, Recent Program Eliminations, & International Student-Athletes

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This is the link to the ITA  Statement

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MWiaejUXfubelwdH2JQD4bzwSrVJ3_MxWhQq8Qa-OWM/edit?tab=t.0

Author’s comments on specific points are in RED

One topic that has received increased attention is the role of international student-athletes in college tennis. This is a complex matter and requires more nuanced public discourse.

This is not a new problem, nor is it limited to tennis.

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There are presently approximately 20,000 college tennis student-athletes. It should be noted that without international student-athletes, many programs would struggle to field full rosters. Efforts to limit their participation risk undermining competitiveness, reducing institutional revenue, and ultimately threatening the viability of programs themselves. This is not a hypothetical concern; this is playing out in real time. Recent developments in Idaho, for example, underscore these broader concerns. Athletic directors and coaches across the state strongly opposed proposed legislation (ID S1357) that would have capped international student-athlete scholarships at 10%. Ultimately, the legislation did not pass, but it highlighted how policy decisions can directly threaten the viability of college tennis programs. Efforts to cap international student athlete participation in any U.S. college sport may also run afoul of existing federal and state laws and regulations, risking increased litigation and costs. 

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THE HEART OF THE MATTER: SCHOLARSHIPS  FOR AMERICANS

Is it illegal or unreasonable to award a percentage of scholarships to our youngsters first?

The issue has never been litigated: (  “…may run afoul” and “…risking litigation” ) 

For 50 plus years any allotment or quota that saved scholarships was dismissed by a lawsuit feared;  a threat based on “ discrimination based on national origin. “ 

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Age disparities, particularly cases involving significantly older incoming international student-athletes, have drawn understandable review. The NCAA is expected to address eligibility rules in the near future, and moving forward, there must be a fair and consistent framework in which all student-athletes, both domestic and international, compete on equal footing.

The age issue is another variable that hampers our kids in no small way.  It will soon dawn on other global sports, most significantly Basketball, they are also in the crosshairs.  

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For those who care about the future of college tennis, there is also a role to play. Supporting local programs through attendance, advocacy, and financial contributions helps ensure these opportunities remain available for future generations. Sustained visibility and investment are critical to the long-term health of our sport.

These variables are directly related to American children., parents and taxpayers–the very people excluded.  

Isn’t it about time some of our organizations screw up their courage and use their time, money and efforts to make these facts available to American 

parents and players.  CHANGE THE TERMS AND RE-TRY THE ISSUE!

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Mr. Rudy Washington, Editor-in-Chief The BCA Journal (BLACK COACHES ASSOCIATION)
P. O. Box 4040
Culver City, CA 90231-4040
Dear M.r Washington:
I’ve coached college tennis for 30-plus years and I have been dismayed by the preponderance of international players who have usurped many tennis scholarships from American youngsters.
There seems to be a trend toward this in basketball. Has the BCA addressed the danger to American student athletes this poses, in particular college basketball. Should there be a limit to this?
If your Journal has addressed this issue, please let me know. It seems basketball is a game that this should concern.
ETP:1h
Sincerely,
Tom Parham
Men’s Tennis Coach
March 9, 1998

“…you gotta know when to fold em. “

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Last week more colleges and universities announced dropping varsity tennis teams than anytime in memory.  Several reasons were:

  1. Expense    2. Title IX   3. The new rules (Portal/NIL )   4. Non Revenue, etc. 

Years back I realized this–

“I wonder how many Athletic Directors silently came to a conclusion similar to this? 1. All sports are counted in the standings for our ‘Conference Cup’? 2. We are in a conference with mostly good tennis teams with all foreign  players.  And we give the 8 girls and 4 and 1/2 boys grants to internationals. 3. I can find a better place for that size of budget.

Like a lot of sports, many tennis teams  dominate winning to the DYNASTY level. Those programs become the model.  

Many conference members have followed this path to the point that almost all the members of most conferences feature 90% of scholarships going to international players. 

Some hard facts emerge:

  1.  If all members do this, only one team wins.  Often the same teams win repeatedly.
  2.  It is like a poker game where you always ante up but never win. 

This may be OK for bragging rights and egos of the oil barons and tech billionaires, but last week several “folded”.

FINALLY

On By ethomasparhamIn C. COLLEGE TENNIS and INSTRUCTION, D. INTERNATIONALS, E. SPORTS COMMENTARYLeave a comment

FINALLY 

The link below recognizes the  issue International  player’s dominance of American college tennis:

https://www.ncaascholarshipguide.com/blog/ncaa-tennis-scholarships-for-international-vs-u-s-recruits

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This week also featured similar observations issued from the John McEnroe Tennis Academy.

( 90% of players are international, i.e. scholarship recipients’)

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EARLIER

A “SCORE ” Agenda Item

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What Coaches Are Doing (Tennis-Specific)

Recruiting shift:

  • Less emphasis on high school recruiting
  • More focus on:
    • Experienced transfers
    • “Plug-and-play” singles players

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2024

Earlier I have described how fast international tennis players thoroughly dominated American college tennis rosters .

” My involvement in this tsunami was as a small college Men’s tennis coach. It was tricky in 1970 and it is in 2024.

The NAIA was the first to eliminate quotas.  The coaches repealed the One International eligible for NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP play rule.   

Coach Jim Verdick of Redlands University warned  “…soon some Texas school, with all Mexican pros, will win every year.” He was wrong.  The next year Mercyhurst College  (Pennsylvania ) won featuring  six of six players from Finland won.   The paste was out of the tube. ” (See NEXT PLEASE -www.tomparham.wordpress.com )

Subsequently I tried to make the American basketball world aware of this scenario being repeated in our other sports that had international players. Men and women. That began 55 years ago.

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Once I questioned my own persistence to a respected professional. His adamant response was “… worth the effort? You’re damn right it is worth it. It’s our children. Child advocacy !”

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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.

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Technology makes research easier.  Embedded below is a “jackleg “ effort I made —studying the top college teams in 2025.   Bottom line:  All divisions (NCAA 1, 11, NAIA, JUCOS, men and women averaged about 90% of starters.  And most probably “scholarshipped “ players.  Only NCAA 111 (non- scholarship ) and NCAA 1 women were less than 90%.

!!!!! This has not been properly emphasized–What matters is scholarships.  The starters get the money and they are 90% international.