Imagine you are a high school tennis star who is about to graduate and is forced to decide between two exclusive choices: go to college or go pro. For international tennis recruits such as Weinberg freshman Tobias Reitz and Weinberg junior Samantha Murray, the United States is the only escape from that decision.
International tennis recruits flock to the United States because it is the only place where they can play tennis while continuing their education. While this gives coaches many more options, it makes the international recruiting process much more difficult.
Tobias Reitz knew that he wanted to come to the United States to pursue academics and tennis simultaneously.
“In Germany, the whole university system is different,” said Reitz. “If I chose to go to university in Germany, I wouldn’t have the chance to compete in any sport. I wanted to play and compete in tennis but also to continue my education. That’s why I chose to go to college in America.”
This all-or-nothing system is not limited to Germany. Claire Pollard, the coach of the Northwestern women’s tennis team, said that the United States’ system is unique in nature.
“There’s nothing like it,” said Pollard. “There, it’s either school or pro. You can’t do both.”
Samantha Murray, who hails from England, had a similar experience. She said that though most of the people she played with went pro after high school, she knew that she wanted to pursue a different path.
According to Murray, in the United Kingdom, there are a few university tennis teams, but “it’s nowhere near the standard here and it’s not as organized. You can turn up when you want and it’s not really the same kind of thing.”
Reitz described a similar system in Germany. “In Germany, if you asked someone from a university if they have a soccer team, he probably won’t say yes,” Reitz said. “If he does and you ask him how many people come to watch his match, he’ll say maybe 20. If you ask someone here how many people come to your football matches, he’ll say 40,000.”
The differences between the systems give American coaches more recruits to choose from. At the University of Minnesota’s tennis team, for example, international students make up 13 of the combined 25 student-athletes. However, the distance makes it harder for coaches to recruit effectively.
“They don’t really get the opportunity to come watch you play so it’s a little bit of faith,” said Murray.
According to Reitz, most of the coaches’ contact with recruits is done via e-mail. While many American prospective recruits can visit the universities they are considering, most international students never see the school they ultimately attend until after they make the commitment.
“There’s a lot more uncertainty,” said Pollard. “You know how they play but you don’t get to see their character as much. You can’t really be sure if they’ll buy into the team and U.S. system.”
Pollard said that she helps the international students adjust to life in the United States by setting small rules, such as forbidding her players from speaking their native tongues around the team. She also helps them with the “little things,” such as where to get supplies and food.
According to Pollard, there is no segregation on the Northwestern women’s tennis team between the international players and domestic recruits.
“There’s nothing like that on our team,” she said. “Either you’re a Wildcat or you’re not — we don’t care where you’re from.”