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Welcome to Season 15 Episode 38 of the ParentingAces Podcast!
What if the biggest mistake in college tennis recruiting is treating tournament results like player development? Lisa Stone and tennis parent Jennifer Faulkner unpack the hard lesson every tennis family needs to hear: UTR, rankings, and constant travel are not the same thing as real growth. Jennifer shares the full arc of her family’s tennis journey, from her daughter Melanie’s gymnastics recruiting experience to her son TJ’s path from a late-start tennis player to freshman engineering major and team member at Rose-Hulman. Along the way, she reveals what happened when they lived far from strong tennis training in Austin, Texas, why they were on the road three to four weekends a month, and how they learned the difference between staying busy and actually getting better.
You’ll discover:
- Why a higher tournament load did not always move TJ’s UTR the way they expected
- How video, match play days, and academy changes helped them see development more clearly
- Why engineering schools changed the entire recruiting search
- What Jennifer wishes she had asked coaches before committing
- How the “student-athlete” reality can look very different from the recruiting pitch
Jennifer also explains the thinking behind TennisCourtGuide, the app she built to help families find college tennis programs that fit both academic priorities and athletic goals. Instead of forcing families to start with brand-name schools, TennisCourtGuide uses a smarter, wider funnel approach so parents and athletes can compare options based on the balance that matters most to them.
This conversation is especially valuable if your player is entering high school, you’re trying to make sense of UTR and recruiting timelines, or you’re wondering whether your child’s development plan is actually moving the needle. If you want a clearer, calmer way to approach college tennis, this episode delivers practical guidance, hard-earned perspective, and a powerful reminder that the right fit is about far more than tennis alone.
If you'd like more information on TennisCourtGuide, you can email them at courtguide.app@gmail.com or:
https://www.tenniscourtguide.com/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tenniscourtguide.app&pcampaignid=web_share
https://www.instagram.com/courtguide?stkn=YzhvMTN3em4wcHU%3D&utm_source=qr
https://www.facebook.com/share/1D7o23T6np/?mibextid=wwXIfr
As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
