Alumni News
International Monarch Tennis Family Working on New Rating System
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
When Tennis Coach Darryl Cummings began having success recruiting international players in 1995, he had only been on the job for 2 years. Since then, he's been at it for 13 more, bringing some of the most talented tennis champs to ODU from places you would be hard pressed to pronounce.
His current teams start players from nine countries including Israel, Brazil, France, Poland, Serbia, Germany and Venezuela. His athletes bring a work ethic, a scholarly attitude and produce wins on the court. But even more importantly, they have formed a bond with each other – and with those who have come before them – that has resulted in a multi-generational and incredibly diverse international tennis family.
One product of this close-knit group is the "Universal Tennis Rating System," the brain child of David Howell, a close friend of Monarch tennis, in collaboration with former players Johan Varverud '99, Raquel Araujo Kohler '99, Niclas Kohler '00, Patricia Araujo Cancado '02 and Alexandre Cancado '00.
Currently making waves with the leadership of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), this system rates players among 16 levels regardless of age. (Roger Federer is a Level 16 while Venus Williams is a 13.) The system encourages them to play older and more experienced opponents, helping U.S tennis players become more competitive with their international peers.
As this rating system becomes more prevalent in the United States, Cummings' international recruiting efforts over the past 15 years might end up being the great "leveler" for the sport, making an impact on tennis players as far away as Serbia to right here Hampton Roads.
To follow the 2010 Monarch Tennis program and its international players – most of whom rate at least a "13" on the Universal Rating System – visit odusports.com.