Recruiting & Prepping for National Hardcourts

Summary

Tanner Stump returns to discuss the inaugural Slam Stocks USA College Showcase, scheduled August 1-3 at Michigan State University, immediately preceding USTA Boys 16s/18s National Hardcourts at Kalamazoo. The showcase is limited to 60 players (ages 13+, boys and girls), features 25+ confirmed college coaches from D1, D2, and D3 programs, and includes educational sessions, coaches roundtables, recruiting video shoots, and campus tours. Stump draws on his experience as a former University of Florida assistant coach to explain why showcases are valuable recruiting environments for both players and coaches.

Guest Background

Tanner Stump is a former Division 1 college tennis coach with 11 years of coaching experience across four schools (Middle Tennessee State, Furman, Mississippi State, University of Florida). He played collegiately at Mississippi State and now runs College Tennis Crash Course, a consulting business, while also working with Slam Stocks, a Dutch company that helps place players in U.S. college programs.

Key Topics

• Showcase logistics: August 1-3 at Michigan State, $350 early bird / $399 after July 1, UTR-rated tournament format, round robin groupings by level, minimum 3 singles and 2 doubles matches
• August 1 recruiting significance: First day coaches can recruit off-campus and meet face-to-face with rising juniors (class of 2025), making the showcase a prime first-impression opportunity
• Why coaches value showcases: Budget-efficient way to see many players, eye-test beyond ratings, observe intangibles like character, work ethic, and social dynamics in a relaxed setting
• Parent behavior under the microscope: Stump ranks parent-player interaction in his top 3 recruiting evaluation criteria — coaches watch for independence, maturity, and healthy family dynamics
• Doubles as a recruiting differentiator: Both Stump and a referenced prior guest (Violet Clark) were recruited significantly through doubles; coaches evaluate energy, communication, and willingness to work with a partner
• UTR still relevant: Despite USTA adopting World Tennis Number and ITA partnering with USTA, UTR remains the rating system coaches are most comfortable with for recruiting

Actionable Advice for Families

1. Play both singles and doubles at showcases — coaches see different qualities in each format, and doubles can open doors that singles alone cannot
2. Parents should be mindful of their behavior — coaches evaluate parent-player dynamics as a top-3 factor; independence and emotional composure matter
3. Consider showcases as an alternative or supplement to tournaments — they offer education, networking, and exposure in a more relaxed environment
4. Younger players (13-14) can attend for the educational component even if they are not yet ready for competitive showcase play
5. August 1 is strategically important for rising juniors — being first in line when coaches can begin off-campus contact is a competitive advantage

INTENNSE Relevance

• College pathway intelligence: Detailed view into the showcase/recruiting economy — pricing, coach attendance, format design — useful for understanding the market INTENNSE operates adjacent to
• Parent education as a product: Stump’s bundling of education sessions with competitive play mirrors INTENNSE’s thesis that families need holistic support, not just match opportunities
• UTR ecosystem dynamics: The ongoing tension between UTR, WTN, and USTA rankings is a strategic landscape item for any tennis technology or content play
• Doubles development gap: Stump confirms there are insufficient doubles opportunities in U.S. junior tennis — a potential programming or content angle

Notable Quotes

“In recruiting, information is currency. And so at showcases, I was always able to pick up a lot of different information to be able to use later in the recruiting process.”

“It’s in the top three, probably, of things that I look for… the dynamic between the player and their parents, how they’re treated, how they act, what’s being done for them, how much they’re taking on themselves.”

“If you’re just coming for singles, you’re going to be missing out… there’s things that coaches are going to see in doubles they don’t get to see in singles.”