British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Tennis

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Tennis

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

As a Stirling Uni alumni, that's great to hear her praising it. It also worked out well for Colin Fleming and Johnny O'Mara. About 95% of our top men go to the states, so it's high time more stay at home for Uni. It has a massive impact on our domestic tournaments due to being such a drain of talent. I wonder what it would take to encourage more to stay, in terms of scholarships or a higher level of team tennis. I'm sure something could be done.

the addict · Tennis legend

The Great Britain team for the 2019 World University games has been announced, and includes some well-known names.

www.lta.org.uk/about-us/tennis-news/news-and-opinion/general-news/2019/june/great-britain-tennis-team-for-2019-world-university-games-selected

-- Edited by the addict on Thursday 27th of June 2019 12:06:23 PM

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

Ah so it doesn't have to be only from British Unis. I wonder why Paul Jubb didn't make the team in that case. Ryan has almost been playing full time professionally, is he still at Memphis?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Paul probably did make the team but had other plans, I'd have thought.

the addict · Tennis legend

Paul has big plans, he's playing at Wimbledon !

(The competition runs over the same two weeks - it also means that Holly won't be at Frinton or Felixstowe this year, and I was going to go)

Kenneth · Lower Club Player

The level of funding and support makes it a very uneven playing field. I cannot really understand why any guy or girl would stay in uk as opposed to a USA scholarship. Paul Jubbs success will promote this route even more.

Kenneth · Lower Club Player

Born2WinTennis wrote:
As a Stirling Uni alumni, that's great to hear her praising it. It also worked out well for Colin Fleming and Johnny O'Mara. About 95% of our top men go to the states, so it's high time more stay at home for Uni. It has a massive impact on our domestic tournaments due to being such a drain of talent. I wonder what it would take to encourage more to stay, in terms of scholarships or a higher level of team tennis. I'm sure something could be done.

The level of funding and support makes it a very uneven playing field. I cannot really understand why any guy or girl would stay in uk as opposed to a USA scholarship. Paul Jubbs success will promote this route even more.

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

The LTA, if so inclined, could very easily make BUCS more attractive. A wildcard for Wimbledon qualies for the highest place Brit in the BUCS Singles. A wildcard for some ATP doubles events for the highest place British pair etc. So many college players seem to stay in the US after graduating, as coaches or starting their non-tennis careers. So in some cases it's a permanent loss of tennis talent for the UK.

I know Stirling, Loughborough, probably Bath etc offer full scholarships, so I don't see why the UK offer can't be much different to the US if the whole standard of BUCS was just lifted up a little.

Kolohead · Junior player

Why do they stay? Because to get to a top us tennis uni costs. What I mean by that is if you are not already competing at a high level to enter top uni like Wake is impossible. And to have reached that level or ITF RANKING would have cost a fortune. So if not at a high level already you are already fighting for a scholarship pot at lower levels as boys do not get fully funded. Go a bit lower say a boy ranked 45gb -60Gb under 18 you are looking (depending on uni ) at paying maybe up to average £8k-£10k per year . Some more some less. I know of one boy now paying £12k a year for a div 2 uni. To get to that higher level before applying has already cost the family thousands

Some kids with the promise of this alternative route to the pro level did not bother with A levels or only took two as American uni depend on gcse results and the SAT. Therefore they have reduced their chances of going to a top uk tennis uni like Durham, Bath etc and if they dont make tbe grade for a scholarship end up at a non uk tennis uni

I asked some uk uni players why they chose uk. 3 out of the 4 said parents could not afford it. You cant get a student loan to go to uni the USA .

Thats why they stay . But agree the uni uk system could be amazing and actually for some it is. We have got some very talented players here staying in the uk.

As with all things tennis its all about money and I cant see us producing a top player who has not bought or his parents bought his position for a very long time. LTA should be ashamed.

TennisMom · Social player

Kenneth wrote:
Born2WinTennis wrote:
As a Stirling Uni alumni, that's great to hear her praising it. It also worked out well for Colin Fleming and Johnny O'Mara. About 95% of our top men go to the states, so it's high time more stay at home for Uni. It has a massive impact on our domestic tournaments due to being such a drain of talent. I wonder what it would take to encourage more to stay, in terms of scholarships or a higher level of team tennis. I'm sure something could be done.
The level of funding and support makes it a very uneven playing field. I cannot really understand why any guy or girl would stay in uk as opposed to a USA scholarship. Paul Jubbs success will promote this route even more.

Exactly. Full scholarship USA . LTA Help/ British university- zero. Hard decision

Kolohead · Junior player

But only girls get a full scholarship at us uni

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Kolohead wrote:

Thats why they stay . But agree the uni uk system could be amazing and actually for some it is. We have got some very talented players here staying in the uk.

We do have some very talented players staying in the UK but the problem is, compared to the US, there are too few of them. In general at uni in the States you will get lots of competitive matches. Here, not so much.... there are too few good players at uni here so the competitive pool gets a bit thin. Loughborough v Bath v Stirling is going to involve high quality matches. Any of those 3 against anyone else is going to be semi-pros against truly recreational players. Also in the US you will have more hours on the training court and far more hours of strength and conditioning. Obviously there is a whole raft of standards and as with all things you have to pick carefully. I agree that it is not as good a deal for boys as for girls.

Kolohead · Junior player

. Unfortunately the sport is getting worse in my opinion regarding the elitism. Agree about the numbers in America and matches to play etc. But as I said earlier to have to pay £12k per year is just not affordable for a lot of players. I spoke to some good players at uk uni they basically said they did not go due to cost or of course the degree. Dont think it will ever be the same here as in America but some stay in uk not thru choice sometimes

The Realist · Junior player

Kolohead wrote:
But only girls get a full scholarship at us uni

That is true, unless you are an exceptional male player; but even on a full scholarship there are still costs for parents / players - most will still have to find the costs of flights - we did for our daughter and flights to and from California aren't cheap; and even though she was on a full scholarship, we still had to show that we had enough money in the bank to pay for a year's fees, in case she dropped out part way through the first year. Luckily we could do that - but one of our daughter's friends had to turn down a place because her parents weren't in a financial position to do that

I would recommend the University of Nottingham for tennis in the UK though - our younger daughter chose to go there rather than the States. They take their tennis just as seriously as Bath Stirling and Loughborough, attracting good quality players ( especially the men) and with a rigorous training regime