I started playing 2 months before my fifteenth birthday. One month after my 15th birthday I started playing nationally. After only 2 tournaments my national ranking is 67. I get coached 4 times a week and I do fitness and strenth training at a gym. I play everyday against highschool players and twice a week against club players.
136730
ohhh, that is really cool, I wish I could be as good as you are. You have a great chance, so keep doing it and Good Luck!!!
357432
if you want get recruited you have to play in tournaments and be open to opportunites. Also make a good name for yourself on and off the course.
525851
thats not that bad but im 15 to and i got a 9.1 and the only sport im out for is softball so im not that active the only one that beat me was a 9.0 and she was 14 but the guys in r class never got worse then a 9.6 so yeah i guess it's kinda slow srry to say.
352514
depending on what level you are playing at, you could graduate to winner leagues and go on to play for prizes if you keep winning from year to year. I usually play at the casual level. I won 2 years (not in a row) and each time I was able to play in a winners league.
233269
I would play those easy games multiple times, become te best at them and then play them for points. do that every few hours and in about a month youll have around 50,000. thats what i did! :-)
96532
I've known a huge number of players through the years, and I can't think of a pro who started that late.\nOn the other hand, if by successful you mean someone who plays college tennis and does well in open tournaments, then yes there are such players.\nI didn't begin to play until the summer before my junior year in high school, but I was still able to get a scholarship and play #1 at a Division I university, and subsequently win numerous local and even national tournaments. Naturally, I wonder what I might have done had I started earlier, and been given lessons, but you play the hand you're given to the best of your ability.\nYou have raised a good question, and most experts would believe that tennis players would have to start much earlier to become a pro. I'd like to take a top athlete at age 14 and see what he or she could do with intensive training and instruction. I think some could make it in the pro ranks even with such a late start, but they would have to be highly dedicated and have superb coaching.
560696
Well you should definitely practice a lot. You also might want to start playing on a summer team. I play defense and I joined a summer team and I feel like I am improving
237990
At first, don't shoot too high.  Build your "resume".  Allow yourself to coach at lower levels like junior high kids.  As you gain experience, always keep an eye out for job opportunities out there.  Don't be afraid to take chances and become a volunteer assistant coach (or what we call in the college level, a graduate assistant).  These are unpaid positions, but definitely will get you experience and gets your name out (networking).  Always display yourself in the best attitude.  The best method is word of mouth.  \nIt took me 10 years of coaching volleyball (I know it isn't basketball but it is still "coaching") before I made it to the level I wanted.  I started off playing.  I built my resume when I was playing.  I kept solid track of my record and abilities.  Teams want coaches who can play well or know the game.  I coached club ball for 10 years now.  I kept my eyes open and when a coaching position came up for the high school level, I applied.  It wasn't a power-house school, but an inner-city school with no budget.  Even though the job was hell, I stuck with it for the resume purpose.  I stayed there for two years or until I obtained my short-term goal of winning districts.  At that point,  I continued coaching club ball and keeping my eyes open.  Finally, a position opened up for the college level.  I applied and showed them that I coached 8 years of club (at the time I applied) and 2 years of high school.  I'm on my 2nd year of the college level and I reached my short-term goal.  \nSchools don't tend to hire someone who doesn't have much "coaching" experience.  Get some by coaching everywhere you get the chance.\nStick with it and always look forward.
559768
have fun with that. i live in america as a 6' sg/pg and shoot over 50% from 3. the most ive done is talk to a d2 coach or two. but fill out the ncaa clearinghouse info and just look on college websites and email coaches. that and make a video of yourself playing real games and send that to them.
217955
Okay. In order to play soccer, you have to be in VERY good shape. Soccer players are some of the best athletes on the planet because they have to be constantly moving up and down a huge field. If you want to be a striker/forward, you will need to be able to sprint, but you will not be doing as much running as midfield/halfback. Midfields stay in the middle of the field and run an average of 2-4 miles, depending on the intensity in the game, in high school, and more in college. Soccer is very competitive in some areas. Do not be afraid of coming into contact with the ball because you will need to head it(use your hairline), and trap it with your chest, torso, and legs. Practice should be intensive, based on the personality of the coach. You will do antything from running sprints to passing to running miles to scrimmaging. And as to the goalie question, usually a player volunteers to be a goalie. If no one volunteers, which is highly unusual, then the coach should determine the goalie based on which player is least intimidated by the ball and has the quickest reflexes. No, no one will make you be goalie. You always have the option of saying no or quitting the team. Soccer is a very intensive sport, but I love it. I am currently playing on a high school varsity team and I love it. I usually play right midfield, but can be subbed in for the forward position. In my opinion, soccer is the best sport and really helps get the stress out. Advice: think of someone you hate/would love to smack and kick the ball with all your might. Kick using your shoelaces and lean back to put power into your kick. Pass the ball with the side of your foot. When shooting, never use your toe. And finally, never use your arms to trap the ball. Some referees call a handball only if the ball touched the actual hand, but most usually call it for any part of the arm. Good luck, chica!!! :D
377607
My question is, why isn't the coach utilizing the skills you DO have?  If you are 100 pounds lighter than the other players, I have to believe you have an advantage in speed.  If blocking isn't your strong suit, perhaps a speed position IS.  Agility and speed are just as important as size, just in different positions.  At 13, your body is still growing, and size will come with age.  A good coach would realize this and use you to your true potential by playing you where you are effective, NOT where he feels the need to change you.  Hand speed, foot speed, and agility drills are where you will shine, NOT blocking some beast on the line.  Good Luck!
180954
Check my name I've played keeper for two years and i keep taking guy's spots who have played there 5x longer and i play for a nationally ranked club team
636915
Does it matter? Any number would do. As long you are a good player, your number would be famous.
578680
When I was a kid playing tennis at our local park with my friends, I remember dreaming of the pro tour. We were all pretty decent players, but I remember going to my first big junior tournament. I ended up losing both the matches I played to kids in my age group. I then realized how much work was ahead of me. I spent the next few years going to junior clinics and private lessons. It was a great experience and I really improved. I never realized the dream of being on the pro tour that I had as a 12 year-old kid, but that's because I had to decide between devoting my life to tennis (spending hours per day on court and in lessons) or pursuing my education.\n\n    That being said, some kids are born with the special combination of hand-eye coordination and athletic ability that enables them to be a professional tennis player even if they pick up their first racquet at 16 years old. So, if your son started at 5, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Heck, even if he isn't dominating high school varsity players while still in middle school he can still make it to the pro tour. The secret is by being good enough to play D1 tennis. If he plays at the NCAA D1 level, he'll then have the chance to succeed, play in challenger tournaments, and gain an ATP ranking.\n\n    However, if his dream is of being the next Federer, then he really should be dominating every tournament he enters on both the city-wide level, but also the USTA regional tournaments. He should be one of the top players in the state. If this isn't the case, he can still make it, but it's going to take lots of effort. Jim Courier is a good example of a former pro who wasn't blessed with a lot of physical ability, but through 'blood, sweat, and tears' was able to turn the ability that he did have into a style of play that led him to success on the pro tour.\n\n    If you want more information on tournaments--because they're really the key to becoming a pro player--then I recommend the USTA website. I'll include several links in the sources for you (a link to the USTA junior tournament page, to the USTA future champions page, and to the USTA sections page--where you'll be able to go to your region's website and find more information on regional and local tournaments).\n\n    Anyway, I hope that everything works out, and that I was able to help.
599129
Hey Bond35. I'm from out West--I grew up playing in the Intermountain region--and so I don't know anything about the recruiting showcase going on in your region. I suggest that you contact a local USPTA pro to ask them their opinion of the showcase.\n\nWe  have similar showcases out west, but they're mainly for football. If I'm not mistaken, the goal is to video tape and record the stats of the different high school players to make that information available to college coaches. If such is the case, then I'd say that it wouldn't be worth the money for a tennis player to do it. But again, I'm not from NE, and so I don't know.\n\nCollege tennis coaches look at one thing when they recruit: tournament results. They want to know how you did against your peers. I know that when I contacted D1 coaches, their first question was always, "What's your Intermountain ranking?"\n\nHowever, there are significant differences between women's college tennis and men's. You see, because of Title IX, most division 1 men's tennis teams have just one or two scholarships to divide among their whole team, while on the women's team each young lady has a scholarship. This has led to a situation where it is much easier for girls to get scholarship money playing tennis (because there's more of it). You could very well end up with a full-ride scholarship if you know how to attack the process.\n\nInterestingly enough, your regional singles rank could be the key to getting a scholarship, and even getting a coach to meet with you. If you don't think that you're ranked high enough as a singles player, try to play more tournaments as a doubles player to improve your ranking. College coaches are always looking for good doubles players (a college player who is good at singles but horrible at doubles is a liability) because the "doubles point" is often the difference between beating and losing to another school. I have had several female friends who weren't very good singles players in juniors, but because their doubles record was so impressive they were offered D1 scholarships.\n\nI suggest that you make of list of schools for whom you'd like to play. You can usually go to that school's website and see a list of players who are on the team. Often you'll recognize players from older age groups that you knew growing up. That's a good way to gage the level of tennis you'll need to play at to go to that school. Try contact their coach and discuss your possibilities of playing for him/her. You could also throw together a video presentation with film from matches and practice sessions to send to coaches. But again, for coaches, the most important factor when recruiting is your rank.\n\nBond, i hope that helps. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any other questions. Good luck.
629245
Tennis is a GREAT sport! I love playing. I love the fact that you can be at any level and still really have a great time. When I played high school tennis, we had several players who were able to make the team without prior experience. We also had players who had never played before who made the JV and freshman teams. Is that an option for you?\n\nIf you really want to make the team, this is what I suggest: find a place that offers lessons in your area--this could be a local club or a your city's park and rec department--and spend a few months getting the basics down. Also, find someone to hit with regularly. Growing up, my best friend was a guy who I hit with every day after school. We were able to progress as players because we spent so much time on the court. If you're able to find someone to hit with and spend a lot of time on the court before try-outs next spring, then you'll find that you're more than likely in a good position to make the team. \n\nAnyway, I'll give you a link to help you track down places to play, to learn the game, and to find players to hit with. I hope that helps. Good luck!
196105
This is a hard one. I am a fairly high-level competitive gymnast (*points to username*), and state champion though nowhere near elite level, and I started at age 4. It's really hard to accustom your body to the movements and have enough time to even reach the easiest competitive level if you start after age 10, or maybe 12 at the latest. 17 is supposed to be the peak that you reach after years and years of constant work.\n\nI certainly don't want to discourage you from starting my beloved sport, but I just want to warn you about it all. If you still feel sure about it, go right ahead and try it, though! (It will be a lot easier if you lift weights and stretch at home as well as at practice.)\n\nHowever, if you are not sure, I'd advise you to start off with a tumbling and dance class instead of full-blown gymnastics. You'd be able to advance more quickly since there would be less to learn, but you'd still get the floor exercise elements of gymnastics. In fact, if you're really good at it, you may even be invited to join the actual gymnastics team!\n\nAlso, most gyms offer "open gym" a couple of times a month (usually a Friday night), when you can go into the gym to play around and practice. It's a great opportunity to get used to the equipment and stuff.\n\nI hope this answer isn't too long, but I just really wanted to help someone who's interested in my passion! Whatever you decide to do, I'd love it if you'd email me to let me know. Happy gymnastics!