Tennis, and all that.

[Kinoulton]

As a nation we've been well served by the achievements of Rusedski, Henman, Murray and a couple of very promising girls, but the strength in depth is just not there.

Well by varying schemes to do with the government's use of our tax money, the lottery and so on, money has been pouring into tennis development and seems to have been having b*gger all effect.

There is a bloke I know who lives locally, was always a good sportsman and primarily a swimmer of great talent. He then switched to tennis, where he immediately became so good that he was invited onto the ATP tour and found himself playing against the World's best in everywhere from Sweden to the USA.

That's good for starters. But (a) he obviously couldn't afford a coach and (b) his out of pocket expenses were horrendous, and were nowhere near the prize money he was able to attain at his level. But I have to reitterate that he very quickly became one of Britain's best.

His application for some of our money which is sloshing around the British tennis establishment was turned down flat because he was about 15 years too late.

Apparently the tennis gurus start allocating money to children under 8, or under 4. If you don't believe me, check their own website.

How they select these kids, I'll never know, but needless to say they all grow up to get bored with the game, or get interested in the opposite sex, or drink, drugs, partying etc and never come within a million miles of the sort of standard set by Murray and Henman. It's money down the drain.

Surely it would be a better use of our taxes to wait until young people had proved their commitment, dedication and international competitiveness and THEN give them a bit of cash to help them become REALLY good.

[Darc Tiger]

I thought there were a good crop of young tennis Brits coming through. All a bit young to be making an impact at the top level just yet, but there are quite a few making waves in the juniors, and Watson and Robson are starting to get somewhere in the WTA. Certainly looks the most promising crop in a long while.

[Kinoulton]

Robson has certainly done her stuff.

As I said, I will doff my cap to the likes of her, Henman and Murray that have risen high up the rankings, I am just annoyed at the hundreds of young British sprogs that have taken the money for a few years and then abandoned the game altogether.

[DickyP]

The problem with Tennis (which I personally find dreadfully boring, but that's irrelevant to this post) is that it just doesn't attract enough talented athletes - other sports are just seen as more attractive. In fact in terms of international success in ratio to the importance it holds as a sport in the British psyche I actually think we do rather well. However much is spent on it compare that with the billions spent on wendy ball - and we don't exactly do well at that either!

[kingol22]

There is quite a few young players coming up through the ranks at the moment but whether they will make the grade or not is yet to be seen.
The way the government has pumped money into the sport is wrong, if they concentrated more on increasing sports participation at school level they would probably get better results. Teach children a sport in a competitive environment at school and if they have a talent for it and enjoy it they will pick it up outside school and progress.

[byrontiger]

I know one of the tennis sprogs. His parents are really milking the system which I think is disgusting. Yes,they could afford a tennis raquet and transport.
There are millions of good athletes/cricketers who would love the funding that doesn't come down to such junior levels.
Sprog has has loads of body tests and at the age of nine has been told he 'might'not be tall enough! He's carrying on .....
No puberty yet...

[Kinoulton]

Interesting point. I knew a lad who was a terrific young tennis player (played regualrly against Andy Murray) and even at 16 was an amazing footballer for us. But he came to nothing at all despire the enormous amounts of money pumped into him. (Drink, drugs, laziness etc)

As this is an aside from a rugby forum, I am sure I am not alone in saying that I was a hopelessly lacking in skill but massively enthusiastic on the football and rugby fields and hence was welcomed into some sides, and always had the grudging nod from the manager "he's cr*p but we generally win when he's playing for us."

Surely this is the spirit we need and not buying expensive equipment for 5 year olds?

[Bill W (2)]

There exists in many walks of life, not just tennis, the niaive belif that any problem can be solved, any underachievement corrected and any failure turned to success by "throwing money at it". Central and Local Government (Health, Education, Military, Crime etc) abound with examples.

Very very few are successful!

[Kinoulton]

There exists in many walks of life, not just tennis, the niaive belif that any problem can be solved, any underachievement corrected and any failure turned to success by "throwing money at it". Central and Local Government (Health, Education, Military, Crime etc) abound with examples.

Very very few are successful!

This is old and from the wrong sport, but I think it was Allan Clarke (of that nasty old Leeds side) who said "What top footballer ever came out of a centrally heated house?"

He wasn't far wrong at the time.