College Knowledge: Wheaton College

NORTON, MA - Wheaton College Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach Alex Wong is a New Englander through and through. Originally from Newton, MA, Wong played his collegiate tennis at Wesleyan University and has coached locally since graduating in 2003. He spent 10 years as the Head Men’s & Women’s Coach at Bentley University and then served as the Head Coach at Vassar College (NY) and Assistant at Brown University before landing at Wheaton, where he has been for the past two seasons. 

Wong lives and breathes New England tennis, and as a result, more than half of his current roster consists of former New England juniors. He shares some of his recruiting tips and what juniors can expect when being recruited by Wheaton. 

What type of athlete and person are you looking to bring to Wheaton?

We look to bring team-oriented players who are hard working and will help with our team dynamic. We want players who are eager to work hard and improve, players who will work hard to contribute to the team in whatever way possible. We also work to develop leaders on and off the court, so players who will contribute leadership and are looking to help the Wheaton community is also important. 

As a coach, what are your main focuses with each individual student-athlete once they arrive on campus?

Once players arrive on campus, I want to make sure that each student-athlete first gets integrated to the team and to the Wheaton community. From there, I want them to start thriving on the court and in the classroom so we will continue to check in throughout the first semester to make sure that the transition goes smoothly. I also will want to get to know each student-athlete on an individual basis so I can better help them. Our relationship is an important one and one that I work to develop even before a student-athlete gets on campus. 

The majority of your men's & women's rosters are made up of England juniors. Talk about the importance of recruiting locally.

It is very important to continue to recruit locally as it is a great community of tennis players. I think that local players know how great a place Wheaton is, so recruiting from a group of student-athletes who already know about the school and community is helpful to us. We will continue to form relationships with high schools, tennis clubs and academies in the New England area to join our teams. 

What advice would you give to a New England starting the recruiting process at Wheaton? 

We want student-athletes who are a good fit for Wheaton, so I would first suggest that you get to know the school and the team well. We want it to be a fit in all ways because that is going to allow for you to be most successful in all facets of your college experience. I think secondly, just continuing to keep good communication with the coaching staff through the process and utilizing the application pools. We have all different application pools, from early decision to regular decision, so it is good to know your options. And lastly, reach out with any questions. As I first said, we want it to be a fit so we want to get you as much information as possible so you feel enthusiastic about choosing Wheaton! 

What can a New England junior expect from you and your staff during the recruiting process?

A prospective student-athlete can expect for us to be here to help in any way possible. We will work to set up visits, phone calls and meetings with professors, meetings with admissions and financial aid, whatever you need to feel comfortable about making a decision about Wheaton.