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Coach: TBA
Barton
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What
Type of Person Plays Division II Tennis?
The Player who
feels that it would be more fulfilling to be an integral part of a programs’
success, instead of a peripheral contributor or someone who is not playing
at all in matches…
Sometimes a player may go to a larger, Division I program with the idea
that they will be happy "just being part of the team". Instead,
they end up not getting regular playing time despite working as hard
as they can…and they will never be better than a #6 or #7 player
in their coaches’ eyes. By attending the DII school, that player
becomes a solid, middle-of-the-lineup starter, who is now making a major
contribution to his team while getting that all-important match-play
experience!
Somebody who wants a small-school education with individualized instruction
and strong liberal arts atmosphere…
Everyone knows that a smaller, private school can offer the student
a better student-teacher ratio and greater education contact than larger
schools…you get what you pay for as the saying goes! The Player
who seeks that personal growth and attention is naturally drawn to that
setting and thrives both intellectually and spiritually.
The Player who is still growing into the game, and needs that individual
contact with the coach on a regular basis. This is a luxury that the
player may not have at a program where they are fighting for a starting
spot and can’t risk taking the time to work on new aspects to improve…
Getting better sometimes means taking time to work on new things, even
if that hurts your confidence at the beginning. We have all been through
it while training. But if you are worried about losing your starting
job, or looking bad in practice because it could cost you a spot, then
you won’t have as much ability to improve.
The Player who wants to compete in the POSTSEASON!!! There are so many
Division I schools that are not going to be contending for conference,
regional or national honors that it makes sense to those who are competitive
to seek out programs that will be playing for something besides pride!
Division II offers NCAA, conference titles, and national honors just
like Division I.
A player who takes a walk-on spot, or a minimal scholarship to a DI
just because they want to play "DI" tennis, may be making
a big mistake. Only 64 of those 300+ teams will be making the NCAA,
and therefore it becomes very difficult to get to the postseason. DII
not only gives that player a chance to make the postseason, but they
are likely to gain regional and national honors as well. And they still
get to play a high level of competitive tennis each time they go out
on the court!
Who Plays
Division II ?
The Player who cherishes an opportunity to become part of the tennis
programs’ identity. His/her contributions and importance to the
team are greatly magnified, compared to going to a DI that can buy and
sell players with scholarships. Because the DII coach must really plan
his scholarship dollar awards carefully, the player becomes more valuable
to the program.
Coaches don’t just replace players at DII (especially not this
coach). If you are a member of a DII team, chances are good that you
are part of that teams long-range plan and will be counted on heavily
to work hard and improve your game. It is common at Division I schools
that if you are labeled a certain level when you come into the program,
you will be considered that level your entire career. That makes it
even tougher to break in to the line-up quickly (or at all!)
The "Peripheral Player" who has a tough choice—try to
play a high level with the hope of improving, or go where you know you
can make a significant impact and play right away, but a "lower"
level in DII…
It might surprise you, but DII tennis offers the same level of play
that DI offers. The difference is in the NUMBER of players in DI that
are of a superior quality. The top players in DII programs could easily
be top level players at most DI schools, but DI will have 3 or 4 players
of that level, whereas DII teams may only have 1 or 2. The next few
players on a top DI will be fairly strong, where the DII level may drop
off sharply (due to the scholarships involved.) But you’ll play
players in tournaments and duals who are the same level as you are,
so it doesn’t matter what number you play!
The Player who realizes that there is "good" tennis and "bad"
tennis at every level! DII teams routinely beat DI schools, and DIII
schools at the national level can beat anyone! Good tennis schools are
those who play strong schedules, build the players’ skills, and
compete for regional, national and NCAA honors!
This is not as easy to understand as it sounds, but DI tennis schools
are NOT automatically stronger than DII and DIII teams. To the contrary,
DII teams that have tradition, facilities, and the backing of the athletic
department can be far stronger programs than many, many DI programs.
A significant way to tell what kind of school you are looking at is
to find out when the team last made the NCAA tournament (or if the coach
has a history of doing so). Find out how high the team is or has been
ranked, or if they are in a tough conference. What kind of schedule
do they play? Finding good tennis is important since EVERY good player
wants to win, and have something to play for team wise that will motivate
them to train and sacrifice!!!
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