Boys Tennis - Tryout Information - Spring 2024

Tryouts for Boys Tennis will be held starting Monday, February 26.  In order to tryout, players must have the KSHSAA Pre-participation Physical and SMSD Athletic Participation packet completed.  Players may not participate until these items are completed.  Information about these requirements can be found on the Shawnee Mission East Athletics website.  Also, please complete the player interest and contact information form.

Players do need to have a basic level of tennis proficiency - hitting groundstrokes, making serves, being able to keep score, knowing the rules of the game - before trying out. Because of the large number of players in our program, we do not have the resources to be able to prepare our teams for competition and teach beginner-level lessons. We would be happy to direct you to some great local programs that can more effectively teach you the basics of the game and welcome you to the team after you have gained some experience.
 
Placement in groups will be determined by skill level as demonstrated during competitive drill work and match play. Attitude and coachability will also be factored into the evaluation process. 

Our Tryout Evaluation consists of 2 Stages - Evaluation and Match Play.

Evaluation:
We use the first two days to evaluate players' tennis skills - groundstrokes, serve and return of serve, volleys, knowledge of the game - to determine which players are in contention for a spot in the Varsity/JV group.  Players who do not advance through this stage are placed in the Blue/White Group. 

Match Play:
We use the 3rd, 4th, and 5th days having players who are in contention for a spot in the Varsity/JV group compete for those positions.    

Hopefully, the late winter/early spring weather will cooperate so that players can be notified about their placement by the end of the day on Sunday, March 5.  

Varsity/Junior Varsity Group
Through the tryout process, we will designate a core group of players as the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams. This group is usually around 30 players.  Last season, this was a group of 32 players and has been as small as 28.  These players will practice from 3:15-5:00 after school. We generally meet at the Harmon Park courts and then use the 6 courts at Harmon Park as well as the 4 SME courts for practice. 

Assignments for specific matches will be determined based on the opponent's level, the opponent's squad size, and the event in order to create as many competitive matches for as many of our players as possible. Match assignments are sent out on a weekly basis. Because KSHSAA limits the number of events each player can play and because we schedule more events than any one player can play, you will not compete in every match on the schedule.

Competition for the 2 singles positions and the 2 doubles teams that will represent East in the Regional tournament will take place throughout the season. In determining these positions, our goal is to field a squad that gives our team the best opportunity to win a 13th team state championship.

Blue and White Groups
All remaining players will be placed in the Blue and White group. The Blue and White group will be organized after Varsity/JV teams have been determined.  Players will be organized into teams of between 5 and 7 players.  These teams will practice and compete with each other on a rotating schedule usually from 5:00-6:00.  More details about the schedule will be determined once we have a better sense of how many players will be part of this group.
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The goal is that all players placed in the Blue and White groups will have the opportunity to compete in at least 2 interscholastic matches. Players may be asked to play in additional interscholastic matches as opportunities become available.


**Many of our players also take lessons through several different clubs or academies and compete in USTA, ITA, and UTR tournaments.  Because of the KSHSAA rules about participation in outside competition and clinics during the high school season, please contact me so that we can discuss your situation. We want you to be able to attend clinics, take lessons, and compete in events, but we need to make sure that what you are doing during the high school season will not jeopardize your KSHSAA eligibility.