In mid-July, the TennisTraveller set off for Leverkusen on several missions: the Keystone Sports College Tennis Showcase . My 16-year-old son, Tom, who plans to attend college next year, was also on board the TennisTraveller car and didn't want to miss the showcase. I was scheduled to speak on Friday afternoon in a special "parents' session," where I shared my experiences with Mia's college onboarding. And last but not least, I was eager to finally meet and speak with my partners at Keystone Sports. Unfortunately, Tom and I were only able to attend two days of the showcase, as an important league match on Saturday and a school trip on Sunday forced us to return home early. However, our wildcard winner, Silas, participated in the entire showcase from Friday to Sunday, allowing you, our readers, to experience it all firsthand. To anyone interested in a scholarship at a US college, let me say in advance: the Showcase is a fantastic event!
The Keystone Sports Showcase takes place annually in Leverkusen. The main event always runs from Friday to Sunday and consists of various matches where players can collect UTR points, as well as numerous information sessions for players and parents.
prep day takes place on Thursday . Since our time in Leverkusen was somewhat limited for the aforementioned reasons, Tom participated in this preparation day. So we traveled to the Ruhr area on Wednesday and checked into the players' hotel, the Lindner Hotel Leverkusen BayArena. A fantastic hotel for all tennis players, built right next to the football stadium. We already felt the international atmosphere at dinner, as in addition to the US tennis coaches, several players from abroad were already there.
Check-in with welcome bag
Great atmosphere on court
Tom during training
On Thursday morning, we headed to the beautiful and spacious RTHC Leverkusen facility at 9 a.m. After a welcome session led by Sandy Franz, Marketing Director of Keystone Sports Germany, his team, and the US coaches, we immediately split into groups for a fairly intensive warm-up. Then it was off to the tennis courts for the first training session . The courts were teeming with motivated players. The US coaches gave clear instructions and had the boys and girls practice various drills. After lunch, there was a mental coaching session and an information session with the US coaches, who explained what they look for in their players and what's important to them. Before the cool-down, Tom played a match, which was only played to 4 but also counted towards the UTR ranking.
Meet & Greet with all showcase participants
Welcome to the showcase
Perfectly "branded" center court
Around 6:00 PM, the venue became noticeably busier as many players from the "actual" showcase began on Friday and arrived for the general meet and greet. The atmosphere was very relaxed and pleasant, with interesting conversations with coaches, Keystone staff, and parents. And the kids had already bonded and were having a blast!
Unfortunately, it rained on Friday morning, so the planned training sessions before the matches had to be cancelled. As a result, the opening ceremony was moved from the main center court to the indoor tennis hall. It was a fantastic opening that delighted everyone!
Opening ceremony on Friday morning
Video shoot
My lecture room
After that, the first matches started in the tennis hall. Tom had booked the video shoot, so he and his hitting partner drove to a neighboring hall where the video was filmed. Upon returning, they went for lunch and then quickly onto the court for his UTR match, which was also live-streamed. These video recordings are available to the US coaches at any time. Simultaneously with Tom's match, Steffen Thies, the Admissions Chief, and I held my information session for parents, which was quite well-attended. Together, we were able to give several parents helpful advice and open and honest answers to questions about the US scholarship in general, as well as specific things to consider. After that, it was already 6 p.m. – time to head back to Swabia in the TennisTravellervan.
"It's amazing what new people I've met here. Everyone is so open and friendly – simply fantastic!" – that was Tom's comment after the two days in Leverkusen. I can only agree with his assessment. I also found the atmosphere incredibly pleasant, open, and welcoming! The Keystone staff are truly omnipresent and always ready to help. The coaches are relaxed and look forward to every conversation. And there was also a friendly and open atmosphere among the players – quite unlike what you sometimes see at other tournaments. We're taking home a wealth of information and new contacts. And Tom also earned his first UTR points, as he won both of his matches – a nice bonus. Several coaches contacted him during and after the showcase – we'll see what comes of it.
Silas, or rather his father Markus, won the wildcard for the Keystone Sports Showcase in our TennisTravellerraffle. It was wonderful to meet and accompany them both on Thursday evening and Friday. And since Tom and I only caught the first part of the showcase, Silas and his dad will be reporting from now on.
Many thanks to both of them for the detailed report!
" Silas was incredibly excited about the tennis showcase in Leverkusen. Especially since, having just finished 9th grade, college might not be a realistic option for at least another three years. Nevertheless, he's already considered the idea and is beginning to think about whether studying in the USA could be the right path for him, as tennis is quite important to him. For the showcase weekend, Silas and his father Markus booked a room at the Lindner Hotel in Leverkusen, which is directly connected to the Bayer Arena and, as a partner of Keystone Sports, offers participants excellent rates.
Our wildcard winner Silas
with his dad Markus
We arrived a day early and, after a short detour to Cologne, went directly to the RTHC Bayer Leverkusen tennis club for the meet & greet. There we finally met Susanne Köpf from TennisTraveller and Thorsten Bertsch from Keystone Sports. After some very pleasant initial conversations with them, we got a first impression of the RTHC's fantastic tennis facilities.
The next morning, after signing in and receiving our welcome gift (a really cool shirt, I have to say), we had our first meeting where we received the necessary information about the schedule for the coming days and met our assigned contacts from Keystone Sports. Afterwards, there was a joint welcome event in the tennis hall (due to the mixed weather on Friday). Here, the US coaches, who would be on-site scouting the players, were also introduced.
A buffet was set up at lunchtime for the players to enjoy. Since the weather on this first day brought a bit too much rain, several matches were moved indoors. After a brief adjustment of the video systems for the live broadcasts on the individual courts, Silas also headed indoors to play his first of three group matches. Due to the schedule, these matches were played in short sets with a no-ad rule. Besides his father and other spectators in the stands, family members who hadn't traveled with the team could also follow the match live via a link from Virtual Days. Thorsten from Keystone Sports also took the time to see Silas in person and share his initial impressions with us. It should be noted that all matches could be watched live online.
On the second day, the weather held, and the matches could be played as planned on the outdoor courts, while the indoor courts were used by Keystone Sports for the filming of professional application videos. Various information sessions took place alongside the matches. Here, players and parents could ask questions directly to the coaches and former college players and received valuable information. Susanne Köpf also shared her experiences from a parent's perspective. It was generally noticeable that short conversations took place between the coaches and individual players between matches – a first opportunity to get to know each other personally. Then it was Silas's turn for his second singles match. Although Silas was narrowly defeated, both boys clearly enjoyed themselves and played a very respectful and extremely fair match overall. We would also like to emphasize that, despite everyone wanting to perform at their best and, of course, win, the play was always exceptionally fair and respectful – something one often experiences quite differently at ranking tournaments! One of our highlights came during one of the many doubles matches. Tom Zeuch, a former college player and current professional whose planned exhibition match unfortunately had to be canceled due to his opponent's injury, stepped in to play doubles after a player from the group withdrew. Silas's comment on the match was: "Wow!" And you have to say, what Tom Zeuch, and especially the other three players, showed was something many people pay to see!
After lunch and a short break, it was Silas's turn for the doubles. The doubles pairings were drawn so that the boys in this group who didn't know each other from the singles matches were now playing together as doubles partners. This was another great experience for Silas, as his doubles partner was from Sweden, meaning they had to communicate exclusively in English, which worked out well from the start. A very exciting doubles match ended after almost two hours in a match tiebreak, which went in favor of the two German opponents. A fantastic, very interesting, and informative day of tennis, full of impressions regarding the different skill levels and the interactions between the players, was rounded off in the evening with a barbecue.
After checking out on the third and final day, Silas still had his last match in the group against his Swedish doubles partner. It was a successful finale for him, as he managed to secure a victory. However, it should be clearly stated that at this fantastic event, the focus wasn't on who ultimately emerged victorious. This was repeatedly emphasized. We also got the impression that a great deal of attention was paid to both the players' skill and their conduct.
Even though the event came a bit too early for Silas, as he is not yet eligible for recruitment due to his age and current school situation, it was still a very valuable experience for him. It reinforced his belief that going to college could definitely be a path he might want to take in a few years, both academically, personally, and athletically.
The showcase was definitely worth the trip, and who knows, maybe Silas will participate again in the near future to secure his ticket to the USA. This experience has certainly increased the likelihood.
At this point, we would like to sincerely thank Susanne and the Keystone Sports team for everything!
Stay healthy and see you next time!
Silas & Markus
Want to learn more about the showcase and tennis scholarships in the USA in general? Then feel free to Keystone Sports . They also offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation . That will definitely help you!
You will certainly also find our other blog posts on the topic of college tennis helpful:
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