College tennis is a topic that's currently occupying a lot of my and my family's thoughts. After our daughter Mia went to the USA as a student-athlete two years ago, we're now in the middle of the "onboarding" process for the second time. Our son Tom will also be packing his tennis gear in August to play at a college in Alabama. This is reason enough for me to chat with Dennis Eichner, father of 17-year-old Leni Eichner from Meerbusch. Leni will also be graduating from high school in the spring and will be flying to the USA on a scholarship to play college tennis, so they're currently facing the exact same questions and challenges as we are. Dennis and I find this exchange of experiences between parents incredibly valuable. Even though we're going through the process for the second time ourselves, sharing experiences is invaluable. It helps you gain a better understanding of the vast world of college tennis and also shows that there are quite a few differences. You'll soon find out how it's all going for Tom in a separate blog post. Today, it's all about Dennis and Leni and their journey in the USA . Let's get started!
Dennis, please introduce yourself brieflyMy name is Dennis Eichner, I'm 45 years old, and the father of Leni Eichner. My main job is producing commercials, and I enjoy spending most of my free time with Leni at various tennis facilities in Germany and beyond. Fortunately, Leni has her coach, TennisEwigeLiebe, with Clinton Thomson in Neuss, which at least keeps the driving to a minimum. She's been playing for TC Stadtwald Hilden since last summer and will be competing with their women's team in the Lower Rhine League next year.
When did Leni get the desire to play college tennis and go to the USA after graduating from high school?We first came into contact with the topic of college tennis at the Düsseldorf Junior Open, when Leni played in the U14 category and, back then, UniExperts had an information booth. At that time, the whole topic was still very distant and not really tangible, but it planted the seed that has now led to Leni going to Missouri this summer.
Dennis Eichner
At what point did you begin to deal with the topic intensively and specifically?Since the summer of 2020, we had occasional contact with Sandy Franz from Keystone, but things really gained momentum in the fall of 2023 with a virtual parents' information evening. From then on, everything moved quite quickly, and by the end of the year the contract was signed and the journey could officially begin.
What were the individual steps then?After signing the contract with Keystone, the next big goal was, of course, the showcase in Leverkusen in July. However, starting in the spring, we began receiving inquiries from coaches through Keystone's player portal, leading to initial, non-binding discussions with various colleges. Naturally, we also talked to many other players and their parents who already had college experience, trying to shed some light on what was then a rather obscure chapter for us: college.
After the showcase, the discussions with the coaches and especially the exchange with Sandy, who supervises Leni as a recruiting agent, became more intensive, and in the fall we were able to decide together with Leni which college she would go to.
Leni will be starting at Missouri State in August – what were the most important criteria for you when choosing her college? What should be taken into account?We thoroughly researched the universities and colleges that were ultimately on our shortlist. Scholarship offers, location, weather, campus, potential fields of study, accommodation, etc., were all important criteria. However, our main focus was on the team and especially the coach, who, in the case of MSU, gave us the feeling from the very beginning that he really wanted Leni on the team. Leni was and is Coach Hale's first signing as a new coach at MSU (out of four so far), and that gave us a really good feeling at the time. At the same time, Leni also contacted all the players on the team through various channels and asked about their college experiences. Since we received only positive feedback, the decision was ultimately clear.
What's next on the to-do list?We're currently going through the college admissions process, which shouldn't be underestimated. After receiving our acceptance from MSU, we were able to complete the NCAA registration quite quickly, thanks to the support of KEYSTONE's admissions specialists, Nina Reiter and Christian Lewin, and also the excellent cooperation from Leni's school. Now we're waiting for her high school diploma and amateur certification, which we can finalize in April. At the same time, we're applying for the I-20 form at the college, which is required for the student visa that we still need to apply for at the consulate in Frankfurt. We're also getting to grips with the college regarding accommodation, health insurance, meals, and, last but not least, choosing our major. There's definitely still a bit to do before we start in mid-August.
Why did you choose Keystone Sports as your agency and are you satisfied with it?For us, there was really no alternative to KEYSTONE, as they have been with us from the very beginning, as mentioned before, and we have a fantastic contact person in Sandy Franz, whom we could reach at any time and who was always there to answer our questions. The rest of the team, including Nina and Christian, is also incredibly friendly and always available, making us feel like we made the absolutely right decision. We certainly haven't regretted it yet.
What are your three most important pieces of advice for parents of future college athletes?First… be open-minded when choosing a college… When you first start looking into college tennis, you naturally look at a map of the USA and immediately have dream locations in mind… California, Florida, New York, the East Coast… But the more you immerse yourself in this new world, the more you learn about it, and the more you talk to former or current college players, other factors like the team and especially the coach become much more important. This is essentially what KEYSTONE has been communicating from the very beginning.
Secondly… be honest with yourself… An honest self-assessment is important, i.e., how good is the child really, what team size should you be looking for, what are the individual goals during and after college…
Thirdly… Be prepared… If you are seriously considering sending your child to college, it is definitely a great advantage to play internationally from an early age, either at Tennis Europe or at the latest at the JuniorITF tournaments. This is the only way to get a good UTR rating and UTR ranking, which is certainly what coaches look at and compare most.
And last, but not least… Trust your gut feeling and trust your recruiting agents.
Thanks Dennis for the interview and all the best to you in the coming months!
What do we, as parents, need to consider when our child is pursuing a tennis scholarship at a US college? How can we best support our child throughout this multifaceted process, from the initial idea to the big, concrete step across the pond? These are just some of the questions we suddenly found ourselves asking in 2023 when our daughter Mia expressed her desire to go to the US on a tennis scholarship after graduating from high school. I wrote a five-part series on our blog about her journey, documenting how Mia, and especially we as parents, experienced the entire application process, right up to her departure. Currently, we're preparing everything for our son Tom's stay at college in Alabama in the summer of 2025. And that presents some new challenges as well!
Today I would like to warmly invite college tennis webinar for parents on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Sandy Franz from Keystone Sports and me your questions in this free and informal webinar. And I'm sure you'll have plenty, right? Whether you've just started looking into college tennis or are already in the middle of the application process, we will certainly be able to answer your questions. And we'll do so openly and honestly, just as you've come to expect from us.
For those who would like to delve deeper into the topic, various blog articles are available in our special feature. Enjoy!
If you have any questions about college scholarships in the meantime, or if you'd like to know specifically how we approached things, feel free to contact me anytime
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