No-cut policy beneficial to prep tennis players and coaches

Emily Sawvell might have had her best high school tennis season this fall. If her coach had operated differently six years ago, she might have never even played a high school match.

As a seventh grader, Sawvell was one spot from making the Chapin High team during tryouts. But coach J.R. Rodgers kept her around as a manager and let her practice.

The move has benefited both. With Sawvell in the lineup for much of the past five seasons, Rodgers has had a stronger team. And Sawvell, who plans to play in the top three this fall, has found the sport she enjoys the most and can play her entire life.

“I love it so much,” Sawvell said. “It’s just so much fun, hitting an amazing shot and (thinking), ‘Oh my gosh, where did that even come from?’ ”

Hundreds of boys and girls in South Carolina have benefited from the USTA’s no-cut tennis program, which gives resources to high school coaches to help students of all abilities play on the team.

But as Rodgers and many other coaches have learned, running a USTA no-cut program also benefits coaches.

By keeping everyone on their team, coaches create a natural feeder program for their varsity squad. Kids who might be No. 21 their seventh grade year can improve and become the No. 3 their junior year, which is what Sawvell did.

Coaches who run no-cut programs also provide kids of all socioeconomic levels time to develop their tennis skills and contribute to the school’s program.

“It’s one of the best things,” Rodgers said of the program, which started in 2006.

Rodgers, who coaches the Chapin boys and girls teams, has practiced the no-cut philosophy for years. Recently, it helped him achieve a first in his 39 years of coaching. Last fall he fielded a junior varsity squad, as well as a varsity team, because he had 24 girls try out. This spring, he’ll have junior varsity and varsity teams for the boys as well.

Running a no-cut program also can lead to state titles.

During her six seasons of coaching boys and girls tennis at A.C. Flora High, Amy Martin has never cut a player. She’s always had varsity and JV squads.

Last spring, the A.C. Flora boys team won the Class 3A state tennis title. Almost the entire JV team watched the championship match, Martin said, and will likely use it as motivation.

“It’s a no-brainer for me as a varsity coach,” Martin said of policy.

Sawvell said she cried a little after Rodgers told her she didn’t make the team. Had she been cut, she doubts she would’ve had such an enjoyable high school tennis experience.

“I don’t think I would have done as well,” Sawvell said.

This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 9:18 PM with the headline "No-cut policy beneficial to prep tennis players and coaches."