Ask The Experts
Countdown: Differences in Recruiting Men and Women
by Blair Henley, 5 November 2015
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The best coaches in college tennis skillfully bring out the best in their players, directing young talent tactically and technically. But they are also adept at finding talent to fill their rosters. Perhaps the coaches with the most difficult task are those that direct both women's and men's teams. Not only must they cater their coaching styles to two very different groups of student-athletes, but they must also adjust their recruiting approach depending on the audience.
In order to understand how coaches of both genders go about recruiting for each of their programs, we posed this question to our panel:
Q) What are the main differences between recruiting for a men's program and a women's program? Do you sell your school differently depending on the gender of the recruit?
Jay Tee, Chicago Men and Women
While I find that there are many differences when it comes to coaching the men's and women's teams, I've found very little distinction when it comes to recruiting. My goal, regardless of gender, is to develop good relationships and to find student-athletes who will be a good fit within our university and our tennis program. I try to tailor each recruiting visit and conversation to an individual's personality and interests rather than assuming what is important to them. Additionally, I believe that the qualities I'm looking for in a student-athlete transcend gender. A person who is positive, energetic, competitive and has a passion to learn will be a great fit for us whether they are a boy or a girl.
Paula Miller, Quinnipiac Men and Women
Working with the men's and women's programs at Quinnipiac over the past 19 years, I have learned different approaches in recruiting both programs. Yes, we know money is always an issue since the women have more scholarships than the men, but that's just a piece of it.
With the women, I have found the academic programs we offer, such as engineering, nursing, pre-med, physician assistants, physical therapy, business, law, etc. are what spark the initial interest from our recruits. That is not to say academics are not important to the men, as both programs have excelled and made academic All-American with a 3.2-plus GPA the past few years. However, with the men, I feel the level of competition, strength of schedule and the ability to play in the line-up become the initial attraction.
In the end, it's the combination of both tennis and academics that draws men and women to Quinnipiac. The women's and men's teams have been to Division I NCAA's eight and four times, respectively, and they've had proven success after graduation.
