The Calm in the College Tennis Storm ft. Todd Wojtkowski

Summary

Todd Wojtkowski, head coach of Case Western Reserve University’s Division III men’s tennis program, joins Lisa Stone live from the D3 NCAA Championships at Claremont Mudd Scripps. The conversation covers CWRU’s remarkable run (three of the last four NCAA championship matches after being historically weak), the transfer portal’s impact across divisions, the value of D3 tennis, the importance of developing players as whole people, and growing the sport through grassroots initiatives. Todd discusses his upcoming ITA Board of Directors role and his philosophy that player development — both as tennis players and as human beings — should take priority over roster shopping.

Guest Background

Todd Wojtkowski is the head men’s tennis coach at Case Western Reserve University (D3), where he has coached for 16 years. He transformed the program from perennial last-place finisher to national champion (2023) and three-time NCAA Championship finalist. He is a USTA board member (Northeast Ohio district), serves on four organization boards (including ITA, starting July 1, and Racket in Hand Foundation), and is a former transfer player himself (Toledo to Ohio State). He grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. He is a friend of Charles Allen and recently sent a podcast recommendation list.

Key Topics

• Program rebuild and player development philosophy: CWRU lost 9 of 12 starters but still reached the NCAA quarterfinals by developing players who waited their turn — sophomores and juniors who had not previously played in the lineup.
• Transfer portal nuance: Todd acknowledges the portal has valid uses but favors development over roster shopping. Notes that being a good dual-match player differs fundamentally from being a good junior player.
• D3 value proposition: Argues the student-athlete experience at D3, D2, NAIA, and mid-major D1 are more similar than most families realize. The real divide is power-four vs. everyone else. Urges families to look beyond name-brand schools.
• Growing the sport from the ground up: Racket in Hand Foundation distributed $40,000 in grants to 50+ nonprofit tennis organizations in Northeast Ohio. Emphasizes overnight camps on college campuses (decimated by COVID) as a critical pipeline for introducing kids to college tennis.
• Junior coach education gap: Private teaching pros lack education on developmental pathways, college recruiting, and parent communication. Only 3% of certified teaching pros have played college or professional tennis.
• First-generation players: Todd notes a demographic shift in junior draws toward first-generation immigrant families who bring deep appreciation and work ethic to the sport.
• ITA Board alignment mission: Todd’s goal is to align the ITA with both the NCAA and the USTA so the ecosystem works together rather than in silos.

Actionable Advice for Families

• Consider D3 and other non-D1 programs seriously; over 1,000 varsity team opportunities exist in college tennis, and the level at top D3 programs rivals many D1 programs.
• Attend college tennis matches with your junior player — even young children benefit from exposure to the college team environment.
• Ask about player development philosophy when recruiting; coaches who invest in building players over four years may offer a more meaningful experience than those who rely on portal acquisitions.
• Start with the broadest possible funnel of schools; you can always narrow, but you cannot easily reopen options once you have committed elsewhere.
• Worst case, start at a smaller school and transfer to a larger one if it does not fit — admissions will be easier as a transfer than as a first-time applicant.

INTENNSE Relevance

• Direct mention of INTENNSE: Lisa Stone references Charles Allen and INTENNSE by name, describing the vision as creating team-oriented franchises in local markets where players connect with the community and give back. Todd engages with this concept enthusiastically.
• Ecosystem alignment: Todd’s ITA Board mission (aligning ITA, NCAA, USTA) mirrors INTENNSE’s strategy of bridging organizational silos in tennis.
• Grassroots pipeline: The conversation about overnight camps, local college match attendance, and Racket in Hand Foundation maps directly to INTENNSE’s community-engagement thesis.
• Personal connection: Todd is a friend of Charles Allen. Lisa mentions that Charles brought up Todd’s name during a conversation in Atlanta. Todd is a potential advisor, collaborator, or early champion for INTENNSE’s college-to-community pipeline.

Notable Quotes

“Tennis in general, you grow up and it’s all about you. Your parents are doing everything for you… And then you get into this team environment and you have to completely put yourself aside.”

“We lost nine of our twelve starting positions. So for us to be exactly where we finished last year, it’s pretty incredible.”

“Tennis gave you a life. It saved you. Like, you owe it to that sport. Keep going, keep going, keep going.”