📝 Recruiting · May 2026

Writing a Winning
Tennis Recruiting Profile

📝
Coach Kazeem Rasaki
ITF / PTR Certified · Founder, AllONDECK HUB · May 18, 2026 · 12 min read
Recruiting NCAA Profile Nigeria
📋 Contents · 7 Steps to Your Complete Recruiting Profile
  1. 1 Create Your UTR and ITF Player Profiles
  2. 2 Film Your Highlight Video, The Right Way
  3. 3 Write Your Player Bio
  4. 4 Compile Your Academic Record
  5. 5 Build Your Coach Target List
  6. 6 Write the First Email to Coaches
  7. 7 Follow Up Without Being Annoying
  8. ★ Complete Profile Checklist
Every year, talented Nigerian players miss out on full college scholarships not because they were not good enough, but because their recruiting profile was weak, incomplete, or never sent. US college coaches cannot offer scholarships to players they do not know exist. The recruiting process is a sales process, and your profile is your product.

This guide walks you through exactly how to build a professional recruiting profile that Nigerian and African players can use to get responses from NCAA Division I, II, and NAIA coaches. It covers every element, the videos, the stats, the email template, the follow-up strategy, in the specific detail that most recruiting guides skip. Follow all seven steps and you will have a complete, competitive profile ready to send to coaches.
📊 What NCAA Coaches Look for in an International Profile
  • UTR: The single most important number. Coaches filter applicants by UTR before watching any video. Create yours at myutr.com immediately.
  • Highlight video (3-5 min): 90% of coaches decide whether to respond within the first 45 seconds of your video. Opening shots must be your best shots.
  • Academic eligibility: No grades = no visa = no scholarship. Coaches will not pursue a player whose academic record is not in order.
  • Personalised email: Mass emails are ignored. Coaches know when you have copied and pasted. Personalise every outreach message.
  • Responsiveness: When a coach emails back, responding within 24 hours signals professionalism. Coaches drop recruits who go silent.
1
Foundation, Do This First
Create Your UTR and ITF Player Profiles
🎾 Required
📋 What to Do
  • UTR Profile (myutr.com): Free to create. Sign up with your name, date of birth, and country (Nigeria). Upload your match results manually if they are not already in the system, any sanctioned tournament results can be entered. Your UTR will calculate automatically based on verified results.
  • ITF Player ID (itftennis.com): Register as a player on the ITF website. This is the official international database coaches check. Every ITF junior event you compete in will appear here automatically once results are uploaded by the tournament.
  • Tennis Recruiting website (tennisrecruiting.net): Create a free profile on this US-specific recruiting platform. Many NCAA coaches use it to search for international recruits. Include your UTR, ITF ranking, and video link.
  • AllONDECK HUB Talent Profile: If you are registered on this platform, ensure your profile is complete, photo, age group, playing style, and contact details. Coaches looking for Nigerian talent may discover you here.
💡 Tip

Your UTR is more important than your ITF ranking for most US coaches below the top-25 D1 programs. Enter as many verified match results as possible. Even state-level Nigerian tournament results can be submitted. Every result builds your UTR score.

2
Most Important Asset
Film Your Highlight Video, The Right Way
📹 Critical
📋 Video Requirements
  • Length: 3-5 minutes maximum. Coaches do not watch more than 5 minutes. Every second should show something impressive.
  • Camera position: Film from behind the baseline or from the side of the court. Never from inside the court, the ball disappears into the player. Chest height or slightly above, stable (tripod or propped phone).
  • Match footage preferred: At least 50% of your video should be real match footage, not just practice. Coaches want to see how you perform under pressure, not in a relaxed drill environment.
  • Cover all shots: Forehand, backhand, serve, return, volleys, overheads. A video that only shows forehands raises red flags. Show your weaknesses honestly, coaches will see them in person if they recruit you.
  • Host on YouTube (unlisted): Do not send video files by email. Paste the YouTube link in your email. Unlisted means only people with the link can see it, your privacy is protected.
🎬 Structure Your Video
  • Opening (0:00-0:45): Your 3 best shots, a winner forehand, a serve ace or near-ace, and one dramatic moment from a match. This must be impressive. If a coach does not keep watching after 45 seconds, they will never offer you a scholarship.
  • Middle (0:45-3:30): Extended rally sequences showing consistency, footwork, serve patterns, return games. Include at least one point where you win from a defensive position, this shows fight.
  • Closing (3:30-5:00): Serve highlights from both deuce and ad court. Include your second serve. Include one volley or overhead finish. End on a clean winner.
❌ Common Mistakes
  • Using only practice footage, coaches cannot assess match quality from drill sessions.
  • Including errors in the video, edit them out. Coaches do not need to see your mistakes before they know you.
  • Background music that is inappropriate or copyrighted, keep music minimal or none. The sound of the court and ball is enough.
  • Shaky handheld camera, use a tripod or propped setup. Shaky footage looks unprofessional regardless of how good the tennis is.
💡 Tip

If you do not have match footage, ask your coach to film a full practice session and edit the best sequences from it. Clearly label your video: "Practice footage, [Your Name], UTR X.XX, Nigeria." Honesty about the source builds credibility with coaches. The worst thing is to send unlabelled footage that looks staged.

3
Your Story
Write Your Player Bio
📝 One Page
📋 What to Include (Keep It to One Page)
  • Header: Full name, date of birth, nationality, height/weight, playing hand, preferred email, WhatsApp number.
  • Tennis stats: UTR rating, ITF Junior ranking (if applicable), NTF national ranking, best tournament results, years playing competitively, current coach name and certification.
  • Academic stats: School name, graduation year, cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale), predicted final GPA, any test scores (SAT/ACT/TOEFL/IELTS), planned area of study at university.
  • Personal statement (2-3 sentences only): Who are you as a tennis player and as a person? What drives you? Keep it specific and honest, not generic.
  • Links: UTR profile link, ITF profile link, YouTube highlight video link.
📄 Example Personal Statement (Strong)
❌ Example Personal Statement (Weak)
💡 Tip

Your bio should be a PDF, not a Word document. A PDF looks professional, maintains its formatting, and cannot be accidentally edited. Name the file clearly: "Firstname_Lastname_TennisProfile_2026.pdf." Coaches receive hundreds of profiles. Clear file naming shows professionalism before they even open the document.

4
Academic Foundation
Compile Your Academic Record
🎓 Non-Negotiable
📋 What You Need
  • Official transcripts: Grade 10, 11, and 12 (or current year if still in school). Get official copies from your school registrar, not handwritten or photocopied originals. Some coaches will ask for these before making an offer.
  • Grade conversion: Nigerian grading systems (A1, F9 on WAEC, or percentage-based) must be converted to a 4.0 GPA scale for American coaches to understand. Use the conversion table: A1 (90-100%) = 4.0; B2 (75-89%) = 3.5; B3 (70-74%) = 3.0; C4/C5/C6 = 2.5/2.0/1.5; below C6 = below 1.5.
  • NCAA Eligibility Centre: Register at eligibilitycenter.org before your final year of secondary school. This is the official academic verification system for NCAA eligibility. Without this registration, no NCAA school can offer you an athletic scholarship.
  • English language proficiency: Most US universities require a TOEFL score of 79-100+ (internet-based) or IELTS 6.5+ for international students. As a Nigerian player educated in English, you may be exempt at some universities, check each school's specific policy.
💡 Tip

Start your NCAA Eligibility Centre registration as early as Year 11 (secondary school Year 2). The registration takes several weeks and requires documents from your school. Starting late can delay scholarship offers even if a coach wants to recruit you. This is the most commonly missed step by African recruits.

5
Smart Targeting
Build Your Coach Target List
🎯 Strategy
📋 How to Build Your Target List
  • Use the ITA College Search tool (itatennis.com): Filter by division (D1/D2/NAIA), conference, and state. Find coaches at schools that match your UTR range and academic profile.
  • UTR-based targeting: Find schools whose team average UTR is within 1.0 of your own UTR. If you are UTR 9.5, target schools with team averages of 8.5-10.5. You want to contribute, not be the weakest player on the team.
  • Research which schools have recruited African players previously: A school that already has a player from Nigeria or Ghana has a coach who understands the international recruiting process. These coaches are more likely to respond positively to your outreach.
  • Build three tiers: 10 "reach" schools (above your current UTR range), 15 "target" schools (at your UTR range), and 10 "safety" schools (slightly below your UTR range). You want responses, start with 35 outreach emails total.
💡 Tip

Do not only target famous D1 schools. Many D2 programs offer full scholarships, excellent academic degrees, and genuine professional development pathways. A full scholarship at a D2 school that fits you is worth more than a partial scholarship at a D1 school where you sit on the bench.

6
The Most Important Email You'll Write
Write the First Email to Coaches
📧 Template Inside
📋 Email Structure
  • Subject line: "[Graduation Year] International Recruit | UTR [X.XX] | Nigeria"This is scannable and coaches filter by graduation year and UTR immediately.
  • Opening sentence: Reference something specific about the coach's program. Not "I love your school"something specific: "I noticed your program finished third in the [Conference] championships this year." One specific fact shows you have done research.
  • Core paragraph (3-4 sentences): Your name, nationality, graduation year, UTR, ITF ranking if applicable, NTF ranking, years training, coach name. This is your data, keep it factual and clear.
  • Links: Video link, UTR profile link. Make them clickable. Test them before sending.
  • Academic summary (1-2 sentences): GPA equivalent, intended area of study, NCAA Eligibility Centre status.
  • Availability (1 sentence): "I am available for an online call at any time convenient for you and can provide full transcripts and references on request."
  • Closing: Professional and brief. "Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you." Full name, country, WhatsApp number, email.
📄 Full Email Template
💡 Tip

Send all 35 emails in the same week, preferably Tuesday or Wednesday morning US time (which is afternoon Nigerian time). Coaches are most responsive mid-week. Track your sends in a spreadsheet: date sent, coach name, school, UTR range, response received (yes/no), follow-up date. Organisation is professionalism.

7
Persistence Without Pressure
Follow Up Without Being Annoying
🔄 Follow Through
📋 The Follow-Up Protocol
  • Wait 10-14 days after the first email before following up. Coaches are busy during tournament season. Emailing again after 3 days looks desperate.
  • Follow-up email template (1 paragraph only): "Dear Coach [Name], I wanted to briefly follow up on my email from [date] regarding my interest in your 2027 class. I have since competed in [Tournament Name] where I reached the [quarterfinals/semifinals/etc.], the updated results are reflected in my UTR profile. I remain very interested in [University Name] and am available for a call whenever convenient. Thank you."
  • Maximum 2 follow-ups per coach. If there is no response after 2 follow-ups, move on. A non-response is an answer. Focus energy on coaches who respond.
  • When a coach responds: Reply within 24 hours. Be professional, enthusiastic, and specific. If they request a video call, treat it like a job interview, be prepared, dress appropriately (on camera), and have questions ready about the program.
  • Keep sending new emails: As you add tournament results and your UTR improves, send fresh first-contact emails to schools on your list you have not yet reached. Your profile strengthens over time.
💡 Tip

If a coach from a school you did not originally target responds to your email, do not dismiss it. Research the school quickly before replying. The best scholarship offers sometimes come from schools you had not considered. Stay open. The goal is to find the right fit, not necessarily the most famous school name.

★ Complete Profile Checklist · Tick All Before You Send

UTR profile created and verified
ITF Player ID registered
Highlight video (3-5 min) on YouTube
Player bio PDF complete and tested
Academic transcripts collected (Gr 10-12)
NCAA Eligibility Centre registration started
GPA converted to 4.0 scale
Coach target list built (35 coaches)
All email links tested and working
First emails personalised to each coach
Tracking spreadsheet created
Follow-up dates set in calendar

Need Help Building Your Profile?

Coach Kazeem offers a full recruiting profile review and coaching session, he will review your video, your bio, and your target list, and give you specific feedback to maximise your response rate from coaches.

Book a Profile Review Session →
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