A sports scholarship abroad is the goal for many young aspiring athletes but how do you get a sports scholarship abroad? How do you get a sports scholarship to the USA specifically? Many of our Nike Sports Camps coaches have been to the USA on a sports scholarship, including tennis coaches Alex and Ana. We talk to them both to hear how the experience was for them, how they prepared themselves and what advice they would give to other young sports players and their parents hoping to secure a sports scholarship abroad.

Hello Alex and Ana, can you introduce yourselves? 

Alex: Hey, I’m Alex Chan and I’m from West London. I’m a Tennis coach at Bisham Abbey for Nike Sports Camps. Outside of this role I’m studying Psychology on a tennis scholarship in the USA. 

Ana: Hello my name is Ana Yrazusta and I’m from Spain. I work full-time with Euro Sports Camps and I sometimes help with the tennis coaching on camp. 

Tell us a bit about your tennis background…

Alex: I’ve been playing tennis since I was 4 years old. My Dad brought me up playing tennis alongside my elder brother. He had no tennis background but he taught both of us and we both got to nationals. I think he did a pretty good job! Growing up, I trained in a few different academies and I got offered a tennis scholarship in the USA in 2017. 

Ana: I started playing tennis when I was around 4 or 5 years old. Although my Dad was a big fan, he didn’t take it so seriously himself. He was more of an amateur player. I was a decent player in Spain but because tennis as an individual sport is very expensive it got to the point where I had to decide what to do. Trying to pursue only my tennis career was not an option for me. I didn’t just want to quit playing though because I really love the sport. 

In Spain it’s pretty much impossible to combine sports and studies so I decided to go to America. I had a couple of options in terms of schools that I could choose that were better in terms of tennis, but I went for the better academic option instead and opted to study Sports Management. 

How did the opportunity to get a sports scholarship come about?

Alex: It’s quite a common thing to go to the states if you’re looking to study and play tennis at the same time. The system has been in place for years. For me there were two options - go to college in the USA and play, where the standard of tennis is high, or study at one of the big sporting universities in the UK like Bath, Loughborough, Durham or Sterling where the academics are high but the scope to play tennis is less. 

An old coach of mine went to the states on a scholarship, as well as some other players and coaches that I know so I knew from around the age of 14 that going to the USA was something that I really wanted to do. I understood that I needed to have a decent ranking and a decent rating so I worked on that through the ages of 14, 15, 16 and 17 years old. Knowing that my goal was to go to an American college, I started playing tournaments and generally training harder. I went to the USA through Tennis Smart.

Ana: There are agencies that can help you look for the scholarships. I think it’s easier for girls to find a full scholarship that covers everything, in terms of Division 1, because of Title 9 which says that men and women must have the same opportunities. This means that each school has the same amount of scholarships available for male and female sports. Men have American Football so a lot of the scholarships go on that. In female sports you don’t have that so the scholarships get more evenly distributed across the different sports. An agency came to my tennis club to give a presentation and when my Dad told me about it initially I wasn’t interested. I thought I wanted to go to Madrid because my friends were there, but when I listened to the presentation and all the opportunities a US scholarship offers I came away thinking, “Yep, I am going there.” 

Tell us about the application process…

Alex: Your grades get translated into a GPA (Grade Point Average) and you need to have a decent GPA, at least above 2.0, to both get a scholarship and actually compete under the NCAA rules. I had to put out a video to showcase things like my forehand and my backhand. 

Ana: It’s quite stressful! If you want to get into a good school, then you have to keep your ranking up. You need to be performing well. I had to do a few exams, including a TEFL test which is to test your level of English. Also, when the agency contacts the school, the agency has to provide a video of you playing plus your test scores. So it’s all of that plus your high school grades.

How important were your academic grades in being offered a scholarship?

Alex: Academic grades really help with an academic scholarship. If you really want to go to those big Ivy League colleges, then you need to have good academics. Generally it really depends on the university you go to, but academics do help with how much scholarship you get.

Ana: I think it depends on what kind of school you want to get into. My school asked for high grades and a good tennis ranking. It really depends on what you want.  

How was the overall experience for you?

Alex: I’ve completed two years in the USA and I have another two left. It’s been really good so far. The culture is very different, but I like that. It’s very sport-oriented. I’m in the Honours programme so the academics is challenging enough. I feel engaged. In terms of sports, it’s very competitive. I play in Division 2 and the tennis standard is good. The fact that I am playing tennis in a team really helps - it’s a huge motivator.

Ana: For me it wasn’t tough because I was enjoying what I was doing. Also, I’ve been flying by myself since I was 12 so when I went to America at aged 17 I didn’t find it scary. The coaches (in the USA) are super nice and they understand that you are not from America and that your family is so far away. They understand that you can’t just catch a flight on the weekend and see them. Also, there are at least 8 other girls on the same team as you so they end up being your family there. Overall it’s a great experience. You get to travel around America and visit other schools. Tennis is an individual sport, but when you go to America you get to play as a team. I found that a cool experience. Having a degree from an American university is also a good thing because it opens so many doors. When you go to an interview for example, and you say that you have a degree from an American university, you have an advantage. 

What is the balance of academics and sports like?

Alex: My coach really wants us to focus on our academics. Our academics come first and tennis comes second.. I find the balance to be pretty good. You can choose what classes to study and depending on that you can decide how much time you spend on tennis during the day. If you are struggling then there is support there.

Do you have any tips for parents who’d like their children to get a sports scholarship?

Alex: First and foremost I would say that parents need to be supportive and allow their children to make the choice of which university they want to go to. Advise them as to which university might be better and help them know all the information, but ultimately it’s going to be their experience. 

Ana: Be as supportive as possible but don’t go overboard! Tennis can be a very demanding sport and many young players suffer from burnout. Be supportive and let your child make their own decision. It can be a lot to deal with unless you actually really want it.  

What can be done at home in terms of sports training to help get children to a good level?

Alex: Ensure that they have a complete game and that they are practicing regularly with a regular routine. Also, help them to understand how to manage time and allow them to manage their own time, including their social life. Help them to understand the importance of fitness too. I think endurance is probably the most important thing because you’re often spending so much time playing tennis, in the gym and playing matches. If you’re not well prepared it can really shock the body. You don’t want to get injured in your first year and not be able to play for the rest of it.

Do you have any tips for young tennis players hoping to go to the US on a scholarship?

Ana: I would say focus on getting good grades, as best as you can. Also, don’t quit. There are so many young players who once they get to age 16 just don’t want to take it seriously anymore. If you really want to go to a good school, you have to keep going with the tennis too. Good grades and a good game - both are equally important to get into a good school. Also, if you do care about the degree that you’ll have at the end then you have to work hard.

Lastly, do you have any words of encouragement that you’d like to give to someone who is about to go to the USA on a sports scholarship?  

Ana: It is a great experience, so enjoy it! It is tough leaving your friends behind, but it’s important to know that they will still be there when you get back. Your friends will be wishing that they were you! It’s great to just get out of your comfort zone too. It was the best experience of my life.

Thank you, Alex and Ana!