Category: E. SPORTS COMMENTARY

A CHECKLIST FOR ATHLETICS AWARD SPEECHES

On By ethomasparhamIn E. SPORTS COMMENTARY, HUMOR/ ODDS AND ENDS2 Comments

My job involved a lot of talking and listening. Lot of games , watching a ball bounce. And athletics award banquets. The links at the bottom are some observations about facilitating those “Awards Banquets”. The problem is the talks take too long.

Recently I witnessed a time saver. The Master of Ceremonies concluded that , being a college event he assumed that all the accolades in the program could be read, so he would not repeat the accomplishments.

The links below address 1. Guidelines for controlling the event , and 2. A collection of talks that may provide levity and some unique approaches.

I would like to suggest 1. Directions to the bathroom and license to —-“go” 2. A pledge to abide by the alloted time 3. To tell my story in a unique , possible light, even humerous way. 4. TO FILL OUT THE CHECKLIST ON TIME!

What checklist? * The new checklist consists of perfunctifory comments, , even cliches . I will mail this to the school for the written program, understanding that checked items are things most often that are understood, redundant and time consuming

FOR PLAYERS:

  1. I will not list every family member, friend, teammate I have known. Coaches either. Check ( )

2. Congratulate all the other inductees . ( )

3. “First of all I’d like to thank Jesus Christ, my lord and savior , without whom none of this would be possible. ” Enough. ( )

4. QB’s and Running Backs—” I want to thank my linemen ( or receivers , or who else) for doing what they are supposed to do.” ( )

5. Try not to cry. ( )

FOR COACHES

  1. This is a special Player ( )

2. ” “I didn’t score a point, make a goal ” etc. ( )

3. “Nobody thought this would happen!” ( )

4. ” We underwent adversity and overcame all obstacles” ( )

GUIDELINES:

https://wordpress.com/post/littlegreenbookoftennis.com/2273

A COLLECTION OF SAMPLES:

https://wordpress.com/post/littlegreenbookoftennis.com/410

IF ALL ELSE FAILS , TRY THIS:

https://vault.si.com/vault/2000/10/16/cliches-arent-everything-theyre-the-only-thingin-the-world-of-sports-at-least-in-which-theres-a-bromide-for-any-situation

MORE INJURIES ?

On By ethomasparhamIn E. SPORTS COMMENTARYLeave a comment

2015

The racquets allow shorter, more compact shots, and this is helpful particularly with mid-court shots (doubles, service returns, approach shots, volleys).

One negative with racquet technology is that the added pace they yield causes the player to have to move more quickly, more often, more awkwardly; thus causing more injury. Therefore, the role of conditioning and the necessity for good trainers and rehab have exploded.

Parity, too, caused much more intense effort at the elite levels (junior champions, college players, and certainly at the professional level).

We used to stress accuracy first, power later. I’m not sure it’s bad advice now to train talented kids to hit it hard, hit for the lines, and damn the torpedoes.

ME AND AI

On By ethomasparhamIn B. REVIEWS, C. COLLEGE TENNIS and INSTRUCTION, D. INTERNATIONALS, E. SPORTS COMMENTARY, The Little Green Book of Tennis ReviewsLeave a comment

User
You said:

Please summarize the key concepts of international tennis recruiting from Tom Parham

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

Tom Parham, a renowned tennis coach and author, has shared insights into international tennis recruiting, particularly in the context of college tennis in the United States. Here are some key concepts from his perspective:

  1. Global Talent Pool: Parham emphasizes that college tennis recruiting has become increasingly global. Coaches now scout talent from all over the world, not just domestically, recognizing that many international players bring high levels of skill and experience.
  2. Cultural Adaptation: Recruiting international players requires understanding their cultural backgrounds and helping them adapt to life in the U.S. This includes not only on-court performance but also academic expectations and social integration.
  3. Academic and Athletic Balance: Parham stresses the importance of balancing academics with athletics. International recruits must meet academic standards while also contributing to the team, which can be challenging given the differences in educational systems.
  4. Communication and Expectations: Clear communication about expectations, both athletically and academically, is crucial. Coaches need to ensure that international recruits understand the commitment required and that they can handle the dual responsibilities.
  5. Visa and Eligibility Requirements: Navigating the visa process and NCAA eligibility requirements can be complex for international recruits. Parham notes that coaches must be well-versed in these areas to avoid potential pitfalls.
  6. Scholarship Management: International recruiting often involves managing scholarship budgets effectively. Coaches must decide how to allocate scholarships between domestic and international players, ensuring a competitive team while staying within budget constraints.
  7. Long-term Development: Parham advocates for a focus on the long-term development of international players, not just immediate performance. This includes mentoring them through their college careers and preparing them for life beyond tennis.

These concepts highlight the complexities and strategies involved in successfully recruiting and integrating international tennis players into U.S. college teams.

User
You said:

what are the negatives of so many intrenational athletes in American colleges?

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

Having a large number of international athletes in American colleges brings both benefits and challenges. Here are some potential negatives:

1. Resource Allocation

  • Financial Strain: Scholarships and resources dedicated to international athletes can limit the availability of funds for domestic students.
  • Recruitment Focus: A strong focus on recruiting internationally might divert attention from developing local talent, leading to fewer opportunities for American athletes.

2. Cultural and Social Integration

  • Cultural Barriers: International athletes may face difficulties integrating into the broader student body due to language and cultural differences, which can affect their academic and social experiences.
  • Isolation: There is a risk of international athletes forming insular groups, which can limit their engagement with the broader college community.

3. Academic Concerns

  • Academic Preparedness: The varying educational backgrounds of international athletes may create challenges in adapting to the academic rigor of American institutions.
  • Language Barriers: Non-native English speakers may struggle with coursework and communication, potentially impacting their academic performance.

4. Perceived Inequality

  • Unfair Advantages: There can be perceptions that international athletes receive preferential treatment, such as leniency in admissions or academic expectations, which might foster resentment among domestic students.
  • Competitive Imbalance: The influx of international talent can create a competitive imbalance, making it harder for local athletes to secure spots on teams.

5. Compliance and Eligibility Issues

  • NCAA Regulations: Navigating NCAA rules and regulations regarding international athletes can be complex, leading to potential eligibility issues or compliance risks for colleges.
  • Visa and Immigration Challenges: Ensuring that international athletes have the correct visas and maintain their status can be administratively burdensome and risky.

6. Impact on College Identity

  • Erosion of Local Identity: A heavy presence of international athletes might dilute the local or regional identity of a college’s athletic program, potentially alienating local fans and alumni.
  • Shift in Athletic Focus: Colleges might prioritize sports that attract international talent, which could lead to less support for traditional American sports.

These challenges require careful management to ensure that the presence of international athletes enriches rather than disrupts the college environment.

Hot Off the Press

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

Seven Minutes

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association ( ITA ) has just released a video on the history of American college tennis.  It can be seen on YouTube.   Seven minutes of the production deal with the complex issue of International players ( beginning at minute 53 to minute 60 ).  David Benjamin gives an accurate and fair summary of this conundrum.   

Personally I am grateful for the concern I have expressed starting in 1972 is history.

I have concluded that some amount of tennis scholarship  money should go first to  Americans.  How much ? 50% ?  As the film suggests–”…that is the question”!

In 1982,  having been voted down by the NAIA , I exited the meeting only to hear the NAIA CEO (Dr. Charles Morris )  whisper to me “….you are right, don’t quit “!

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 !”

The one point I take issue with is the suggestion only parents  were concerned and disappointed.   Young Americans are eliminated .  300 schools have dropped men’s teams for reasons Coach Benjamin cites.  Many  Coaches throughout the nation had nice local programs rendered unacceptable.  Fans and students say who cares?

Still American Parents and citizens write the checks.  

To have Parents and youngsters dismissed to go hunting for a fifth option for their higher education is not acceptable .

As mentioned the video can be accessed on YouTube. Or you can show it from the ITA website below:

https://wearecollegetennis.com/

I have included a letter to the ITA on this issue and others related

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CTkVeUfiQ5Ny7QMlYPZH4kBPvqvIMzMO8YpkxDxD1_s/edit?tab=t.0

MORE !!

The  History Of College Tennis and the ITA

I viewed with pride and appreciation the new video.  Everyone in College tennis in general, and small divisions in particular,  owes gratitude to David Benjamin.  

The NAIA, Division II, and JUCOS were where the influx of international tennis players began.  From 1970 to 1980 was our boom.  

Early on many of us wondered if this was the best thing for our schools and students and their families.  Many of us still do. 

We lost the argument even though a majority of ITCA coaches supported limitations.  Fear of a lawsuit frightened  some.  The diversity issue merited influence. 

I do take issue with the video on several points.  

The suggestion that there are many opportunities for American youngsters at high quality Universities and colleges ( with a sizable scholarship) is flawed.  Division I schools number in the hundreds before most of those have Americans with large grants for tennis.  Division II is almost totally international among its elite institutions.  Ditto for JUCOS.  Women too.  Don’t mention DIII with no grants, just price tags that create family debt for even wealthy families and students.  The ITA website now makes data available  that refutes  earlier USTA numbers.  

Paying the players will attract more and better internationals.   They will bump more good  American kids and lesser internationals.  Will the same happen with basketball with losers being mostly Black kids?  Really all “Global Sports” ( Golf, Soccer, Volleyball, Track. Etc.)?

Don’t we have a right to take care of our own?

Links below are lengthy articles I wrote on scholarships, portal and payments, Artificial Intelligence and college tennis , colleges to pros. 

Please relay my sincere regards to David Benjamin.  Tom Parham.

“WHOA, NELLY!”
NEXT PLEASE

http://www.tompqrham.wordpress.com

INTERNATIONALS PLAYING COLLEGE BASKETBALL IN AMERICA 

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

INTERNATIONALS PLAYING COLLEGE BASKETBALL IN AMERICA 

1998

Mr. Rudy Washington, Editor-in-Chief The BCA Journal

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

****************************

2025– AI REPORT

Estimate of Non-American Starters in 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball

International Player Representation in 2023-24

The 2023-24 season saw a record influx of international (non-U.S.) players in Division I men’s basketball. According to FIBA’s analysis of NCAA data, 826 male international players competed in Division I during 2023-24 (2024 Migration Report highlights ongoing surge in International Transfers | About FIBA). This marked a 5.8% increase from the previous season and a substantial jump from a few years prior (for context, there were about 663 international players in 2018-19 (The Global Game: An Overview of European Players in College Basketball – BasketballNcaa)). The presence of foreign talent is widespread across schools: most Division I programs (78.5%) had at least one foreign-born scholarship player on their roster as of 2018, and nearly 30% of teams had three or more international players that year (The Global Game: An Overview of European Players in College Basketball – BasketballNcaa). With the continued growth in international recruits (Canada and Europe being top sources), it’s likely that an even higher percentage of teams carry multiple non-American players today.

International Players in Starting Lineups

Not all 826 international athletes are starters, but many play significant roles. By 2024, the majority of Division I teams have at least one international player, and in many cases that player is a starter or key rotation member. It’s common for teams to start one foreign player, and some programs even feature two international players in their starting five (given that roughly 30% of teams had 3+ internationals on roster in 2018 (The Global Game: An Overview of European Players in College Basketball – BasketballNcaa), those teams often start more than one). This trend has only grown as coaches actively recruit overseas talent for impact roles.

Estimating the Number of Non-American Starters

With approximately 350–360 Division I teams (each with five starting spots, ~1,750+ total starters), we can estimate how many of those starters are non-American. If we assume around 70–80% of teams start at least one international player, that alone would account for roughly 250–280 foreign starters (0.7–0.8 × ~350). In addition, a number of teams likely start two international players, which could add a few dozen more to the count. Considering these factors, a reasonable estimate is that around 300 (give or take) of the starting players in Division I men’s basketball for the 2024 season were non-Americans. In percentage terms, this is on the order of 15–20% of all starters. This figure aligns with the proportion of international players in the sport (roughly 16% of D1 men’s players in recent years) and reflects the significant global influence on college basketball.

Conclusion: Exact figures for “starters” aren’t officially tracked by nationality, but based on the latest available data and team trends, roughly 250 to 300 Division I starting spots were filled by non-American players in 2024. In other words, around three hundred international players were regular starters in men’s D1 college basketball for the 2023-24 season, highlighting the growing impact of foreign players at the collegiate level (2024 Migration Report highlights ongoing surge in International Transfers | About FIBA) (The Global Game: An Overview of European Players in College Basketball – BasketballNcaa).

Sources: Official FIBA/NCAA reports and analyses of player demographics have been used to inform these estimates (2024 Migration Report highlights ongoing surge in International Transfers | About FIBA) (The Global Game: An Overview of European Players in College Basketball – BasketballNcaa). The increase to 826 international players in 2023-24 and the high percentage of teams featuring foreign talent form the basis for approximating how many of those athletes occupy starting roles. The estimate is well-founded given the data trends, even if an exact count of starters by nationality is not published.

LO AND BEHOLD

On By ethomasparhamIn E. SPORTS COMMENTARYLeave a comment

Until now the blog offered 500 plus articles , access to my books, and updates and new edits.

Recently I posted MILESTONES. It features new articles since 2015. UNCLE BUNKY features an INDEX of MILESTONES. A major segment within MILESTONES, entitled THE REST of the STORY, concentrates on College athletics changes ( i.e. Portals and amateurism etc ) in general — and college tennis in particular. And, how technology changes the game.

ALSO : In cooperation with Barton College THE BARTON PROJECT is now available through the college website and Facebook/Barton College. This is a personal recounting of the college, the town of Wilson, NC. and eastern North Carolina from 1960-1985.

SEVEN MINUTES

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

Seven Minutes

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association ( ITA ) has just released a video on the history of American college tennis.  It can be seen on YouTube.   Seven minutes of the production deal with the complex issue of International players ( beginning at minute 53 to minute 60 ).  David Benjamin gives an accurate and fair summary of this conundrum.   

Personally I am grateful for the concern I have expressed starting in 1972 is history.

I have concluded that some amount of tennis scholarship  money should go first to  Americans.  How much ? 50% ?  As the film suggests–”…that is the question”!

In 1982,  having been voted down by the NAIA , I exited the meeting only to hear the NAIA CEO (Dr. Charles Morris )  whisper to me “….you are right, don’t quit “!

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 !”

The one point I take issue with is the suggestion only parents  were concerned and disappointed.   Young Americans are eliminated .  300 schools have dropped men’s teams for reasons Coach Benjamin cites.  Many  Coaches throughout the nation had nice local programs rendered unacceptable.  Fans and students say who cares?

Still American Parents and citizens write the checks.  

To have Parents and youngsters dismissed to go hunting for a fifth option for their higher education is not acceptable .

As mentioned the video can be accessed on YouTube. Or you can show it from the ITA website below:

The Home of College Tennis

I have included a letter to the ITA on this issue and others related

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CTkVeUfiQ5Ny7QMlYPZH4kBPvqvIMzMO8YpkxDxD1_s/edit?tab=t.0

THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE TENNIS

On By ethomasparhamIn C. COLLEGE TENNIS and INSTRUCTION, D. INTERNATIONALS, E. SPORTS COMMENTARY1 Comment

The  History Of College Tennis and the ITA

I viewed with pride and appreciation the new video.  Everyone in College tennis in general, and small divisions in particular,  owes gratitude to David Benjamin.  

The NAIA, Division II, and JUCOS were where the influx of international tennis players began.  From 1970 to 1980 was our boom.  

Early on many of us wondered if this was the best thing for our schools and students and their families.  Many of us still do. 

We lost the argument even though a majority of ITCA coaches supported limitations.  Fear of a lawsuit frightened  some.  The diversity issue merited influence. 

I do take issue with the video on several points.  

The suggestion that there are many opportunities for American youngsters at high quality Universities and colleges ( with a sizable scholarship) is flawed.  Division I schools number in the hundreds before most of those have Americans with large grants for tennis.  Division II is almost totally international among its elite institutions.  Ditto for JUCOS.  Women too.  Don’t mention DIII with no grants, just price tags that create family debt for even wealthy families and students.  The ITA website now makes data available  that refutes  earlier USTA numbers.  

Paying the players will attract more and better internationals.   They will bump more good  American kids and lesser internationals.  Will the same happen with basketball with losers being mostly Black kids?  Really all “Global Sports” ( Golf, Soccer, Volleyball, Track. Etc.)?

Don’t we have a right to take care of our own?

Links below are lengthy articles I wrote on scholarships, portal and payments, Artificial Intelligence and college tennis , colleges to pros. 

Please relay my sincere regards to David Benjamin.  Tom Parham.

“WHOA, NELLY!”
NEXT PLEASE

http://www.tompqrham.wordpress.com

A NEW BOOK?

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

New Book by Tom Parham?

No but–It is as long as a book.  MILESTONES is an index to writings, projects, collections, since the last revision of THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS (2015 ). 

Along with free access to all  seven previous books and 500 plus blog articles, there are twenty new instruction articles on the changing world of tennis. Plus 10 of the most visited coaching parts of the revised THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS.

A brochure that highlights SHOT DOCTORS.

A new section , THE REST of THE STORY, focuses on three recent developments that have an effect on college tennis in America: 1. The Portal and Likeness issues  2. Article Intelligence (AI) and 3. College tennis is becoming “ the minor leagues of Professional tennis!”