Recent ATA College Prep grad Bailey Forgus is set to extend his athletic and academic careers at the University of Chicago. Beginning in a few short weeks, Bailey will join a Maroons tennis program while enrolling in a historic academic institution that both consistently rank in the national top 5.

Forgus landed on UChicago over schools like Amherst and Williams.

“What set UChicago apart for me was its location in a major city and the reputation it has for very rigorous and holistic academics,” Bailey said.

For UChicago Head Tennis Coach Jay Tee, Bailey brings a set of attributes common through a line of ATA CP graduates who have matriculated to the Maroons.

“Each player that we’ve had from ATA has been unique in their personality and game style but the one common trait I’ve noticed is they have an incredible work ethic,” Coach Tee said. “Coach Newman and his staff do a fantastic job of teaching their students and players to be self-sufficient, independent, and hardworking individuals.”

While his size, strength, and high ceiling were noteworthy factors for Coach Tee, he ultimately got back to the intangibles that Bailey brings beyond the basics.

“What intrigued me most about him was his work ethic and his commitment to improving his game on a daily basis,” Coach Tee said.  “Bailey is driven to be a great tennis player and a great student and I believe he will help strengthen the culture of the program and inspire his teammates to be their best as well.”

During the past decade, ATA and ATA College Prep have become experts in leveraging college choice through tennis.  Bailey started his process three summers ago by contacting coaches and playing in college showcases as well as national tournaments where coaches attend to scout prospects.  

“Bailey did an amazing job of communicating with coaches over two years.  This constant communication kept college coaches in the loop and even coaches of schools that were interested in Bailey, but he was not interested in them, were impressed by his follow through.”  commented Austin Tennis Academy CEO and Bailey’s primary coach Jack Newman. “This consistent work over time led to one of earliest offers of support by a college coach in ATA history.”

Over the past few years, ATA College Prep graduates Liam Leddy, Erik Kerrigan, Alejandro Rodriguez and Annika Pandey have gone on to play tennis and study at the University of Chicago. This storied history between the programs that helped Coach Tee connect with Bailey was similarly of service to Forgus.

“The fact that several guys I know and trust have done great things at Chicago allowed me to see myself in a similar position,” Bailey said. Throughout the process, Alejandro got me more and more excited about becoming a Maroon, and made me feel welcome to the team before I even knew it could be a possibility. Annika was an enormous help during the college process.”

Bailey will join a Maroons team with a long history of success that has secured a spot in the final four of the NCAA DIII National Championships in three of the last four seasons.

“I am most excited about playing for something more than myself,” Bailey said. “I cannot wait to put on the uniform and feel the pride of competing as a Maroon. Joining a team that has such a history of winning, I look forward to learning a lot and contributing in any way that I can.”

Academically, Bailey enters a highly rigorous and competitive environment that ranks number 3 for National Universities by U.S. News in 2018. As of now, he is leaning towards studying economics but is open to other areas.

Bailey has earned impressive academic results throughout his years at ATA College Prep. So far, the personal attention has stood out as especially helpful in preparing him to achieve his academic goals.

“The individualization at CP has served me very well,” Bailey said. “The small class sizes and willingness of the instructors to be an open resource we can use allowed me to get the most out of my time in high school.”

While the personalization played a role, so did the experiences he had playing with and for a team so far in his junior career.

“I think ATA’s culture of giving back and training/competing as a team is what has best prepared me for college tennis,” Bailey said. “I am nothing but excited for the next level, where team aspects of competition are far more important.”

For Coach Tee, it’s this ‘team’ focus that makes Bailey, and his ATA peers that paved the way, desirable as recruits and student-athletes.

“What impresses me most about our players from ATA is that they have a deep understanding and respect for a team environment.  It’s quite common for tennis players to focus more on the “me” aspect of the sport but ATA players are all about the “we” and the good of the team.  It’s incredibly reassuring to know that when we are able to matriculate an ATA athlete that we know exactly what we are going to get: a driven, respectful, and kind person.”