Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Controversy not foreign to college tennis

Copyright 2003 Las Vegas Sun

If college tennis had a catchy nickname like other sports, "The International Pastime" might be appropriate. Owing to an influx of foreign-born players that began in the 1980s, the caliber of U.S. college tennis has never been better.

According to latest statistics compiled by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for the 2001-02 season, 29 percent of all scholarship players in American college were foreign-born.

In some conferences, the numbers are even more dramatic. In the Pacific-10, 37 of the 87 players (43 percent) on this year's men's rosters and 34 of 82 women (41 percent) were born outside the United States.

In the most recent ITA rankings, 26 of the top 50-ranked men are international players. For the women, it's 25 of 50.

But the foreign invasion also has raised questions.

In many cases, scholarships once reserved for American players are now being used on more experienced foreign-born players.

Others believe the foreign invasion is at least a partial by-product of the mind set of top American players, who no longer seem interested in developing their games while pursuing a college education when there's money to be won on various professional circuits.

And many coaches charge that lenient NCAA eligibility rules that allow foreign-born players to enter U.S. colleges at advanced ages -- many even after having played as professionals in their homelands -- have resulted in an uneven playing field.

"It's not a perfect world," said Billy Martin, longtime coach at national power UCLA. "But we've always been a very active coaching fraternity. We're not afraid to bring things up and change legislation, if needed."

The recruitment of foreign players has become such a sensitive issue that some coaches contacted by the Sun, including UNLV's Larry Easley, declined to be interviewed.

Wilson Campbell, a former men's and women's tennis coach at Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana Monroe), is among those who believe the trend of recruiting experienced, foreign-born players is discriminatory against young, American players.

"The thing that was frustrating to me is that coaches go to these satellite circuits around the world and offer these (professionals) scholarships," said Campbell, who has written an editorial on the topic of international players for the NCAA newsletter. "It has taken away the concept of recruiting amateur players (in the United States) -- and this is coming from an Irishman.

"The American tennis player is being squeezed out of the athletic scholarship market by foreign professionals."

But at least part of that may be because in many cases, foreign players value a scholarship more than American players do.

UCLA's Martin is among the West Coast coaches who has enjoyed success by recruiting international players. Although Southern California is considered a hotbed for American tennis, 7 of the 14 players on this year's Bruins men's roster were born overseas, and that was after Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands quit the team this year to pursue a pro career.

Martin said in Europe and elsewhere, athletes must choose at an early age whether to pursue a career in sports or an education. Those who choose sports can join a club-based system, common throughout the continent, that provides participation opportunities at many levels, often for several sports.

But the term student-athlete does not exist in Europe and elsewhere. You are a student or an athlete. You can't be both.

Unless you come to America.

"Any kid from outside the country finds it hard to believe they can go someplace and combine both academics and tennis," Martin said.

Martin said he's not sure American players put the same value on a tennis scholarship.

In the NCAA, men's tennis is allowed 4.5 scholarships, which can be divided in any manner a coach sees fit. Sometimes, that isn't enough to entice the top American players.

Richard Osborne, associate editor for Inside Tennis magazine, agrees the landscape of college tennis has changed since John McEnroe played at Stanford and Jimmy Connors at UCLA, probably because there's so much money to be made playing professionally.

"American kids are deciding not to go the college route," Osborne said.

"You look at a guy like (Andy) Roddick. He could have gone anywhere he wanted ... but the competition is not what they need before turning pro."

And the need to succeed, especially at the elite West Coast programs, means coaches aren't reluctant to bring in foreigners.

"I am at a program where there is an expectation to compete and the reality is there are only a certain number of American players that can help me compete at the Pac-10 level," Oregon coach Chris Russell told the Ventura Star during the recent Pac-10 championships. "The No. 1 kid in the Pacific Northwest won't return my phone calls. If I want to be competitive, I have to find the best players I can."

Justin Gimelstob was an All-American for Martin at UCLA before turning pro in 1996. Born and reared in New Jersey, he said the idea of recruiting foreign players to offset the pressure to win is a cop-out.

"First, I love Billy Martin," Gimelstob said, "but I think the fact that all these foreigners are stealing scholarships from American kids is an absolute debacle. It doesn't seem right."

Gimelstob, who has won $1.6 million on the ATP tour, said if U.S. coaches would do what they are paid to do -- coach -- they could develop American players on their own, rather than have somebody do it for them, which he said is the lure to recruiting foreigners.

"Are you telling me there aren't any American kids who could play in the top 5 or 6 (in singles on college teams)? That's ridiculous," Gimselstob said.

Gimselstob said he's not opposed to foreign players competing at the NCAA level, but said there should be a roster cap.

That's hardly a new idea. The NCAA first proposed limiting the number of scholarships to international players in the 1970s but scuttled the idea, fearing it would be declared unconstitutional.

Instead, the NCAA has passed the so-called "tennis rule," which allows players to compete in organized leagues for one year before enrolling in college. The ITA is proposing an amendment to the rule that would mandate that players must start college before their 20th birthday. If passed, that rule could go into effect in 2004.

But Craig Tiley, the men's tennis coach at Illinois, said the coaches don't need rules changes to ensure there will be roster spots for American players.

"Two things," Tiley said. "I am a South African and I am not opposed to foreign players playing American college tennis.

"But I have adopted America as my country and when I took over as the head coach at the University of Illinois (in 1992), I made the commitment, first and foremost, to recruit American-born players and assist in the development of American tennis.

"Maybe by doing it that way you may not be in position to compete (for a national championship) with consistency. But you can find the athletes, and in time, develop them to the point you can be successful."

How successful? Well, Illinois will go into this week's NCAA regionals ranked No. 1 on the men's side. The Fighting Illini is 26-0, and all 11 players listed on the Illinois roster are American-born.

"Many foreign players do not fit the profile of the American student-athlete," Tiley said. "They come in as freshmen at 20, 21 or 22 years old with a great deal of playing experience. There are very few foreign players coming into college as 17- or 18-year-old freshmen.

"I don't think the solution is putting a cap on foreign athletes. The biggest problem is what age can somebody start as a freshman? Everybody in the coaching fraternity is moaning about (foreign players), but -- this is the great thing about America -- you can choose how you want to run your program.

"At Illinois, I think we have done it right and fair and square, and we have done so for years. And we have had some great years."

Although Tiley said he believes the NCAA will be taking a hard look at tennis eligibility issues, he said the coaches could make the sanctioning body's job easier simply by looking in the mirror.

"Is every avenue to recruit American players being exhausted?" Tiley said. "If the answer is yes, than fine, recruit foreign players.

"The (coaching) fraternity is the first one to blame the NCAA, but the fact is that we are the ones permitting it.""

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