Can Tennis ever be an everyman sport?

[BGod]

It's not a question of whether tennis is an expensive sport, see the following:
Average Costs
Noah Rubin

But if it can ever shed that reality and become a sport for the average kid. I for example can only do so much by running free clinics with my son and his friends. I was just a regional player and even if I ran drill after drill after drill, I'd still have to pay at some point to get him into tournaments and at least some private lessons from higher level players.

Or, I can practice basketball with him, a sport I played in college, and make sure he's on a club team or two year-round and also playing in school. That ain't going to cost me much and if he gets a college scholarship he's on his way. If he never gets a look from the NBA he could get a spot on a team in South America or Europe and get a decent salary to live off.

You would think it's in the best interest of the sport at large to have more Sampras stories than Noah Rubin no?

 

[Dartagnan64]

Tennis is a cheap sport. Tennis coaching is expensive. Still Canadians such as Raonic and Pospasil didn't come from wealth. But their parents had to make some big sacrifices to get them the right coaching.

 

[Russeljones]

Tennis is a cheap sport. Tennis coaching is expensive.

How exactly do you separate the two?

 

[BGod]

Tennis is a cheap sport. Tennis coaching is expensive. Still Canadians such as Raonic and Pospasil didn't come from wealth. But their parents had to make some big sacrifices to get them the right coaching.

I'm of the opinion a parent shouldn't be expected to make sacrifices so their kid is able to develop athletically. If you have parent spending time with their children after work and on weekends concentrating on one sport and making sure they are in proper programs, that should be sufficient. Tennis itself is in no way cheap unless you're playing with shredded shoes, worn out strings and flat balls. Common now. Here's a conservative estimate of 6 months in serious tennis training:

3 pairs of decent shoes= $120-240
32 cans of balls= $120-180
12 change of strings= $300-500
Weekly 2 hour clinics: $480-520

That's give or take a grand or two in a 6 month span for basics. And I'm not including clothes, broken racquets, tournament fees, transportation or extra coaching here and there privately. For one kid.

If you have a family of two with three kids making about $100,000 after taxes, which is a good income all things considered, spending $10,000 on one kid's after-school activities is a bit much for most people. Disagree?

 

[WhiskeyEE]

The average person wouldn't play it even if it was cheap. It's too hard to learn. 99.9% of people who play the sport never even learn to serve properly. That includes over 90% who play at club level.

Most people can just pick up a basketball, or kick a soccer ball, and play that sport properly. Tennis takes years just to potentially get decent at. That turns people off.

In Canada, it's extremely hard to find people to play with. Milos Raonic said his serve is so good because, when he was younger, he couldn't find a hitting partner and so he'd just go serve tennis balls. I practice my serve several hours a week just for that reason. The people I play with don't want to play often. They don't take it seriously. It's a recreational activity like bowling or frisbee golf.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

How exactly do you separate the two?

Racquets, balls, and all the accessories add up. Tennis is certainly not a "cheap" sport.


(Not to mention the cost of courts, ect).

 

[6august]

No and never.

Football will 4ever be the most popular sport.

 

[Minion]

Where I live, tennis is quite expensive, but not coaching. For example, a Head Graphene XT Radical MP costs the equivalent of $271 . A can of 3 balls cost $6.50. Given that the balls are useless after 3 sets max, it can quickly add up. There is no court hire fees if you belong to the club, otherwise you have to pay, but that's really cheap. Coaching by a certified instructor, and open level coach is $24 / hour.

 

[Attila_the_gorilla]

There will always be a massive gap between pro level tennis and recreational tennis. In my opinion, this gap is bigger than in most other sports. Because tennis requires not only athletic skills but also a very high level of intelligence and independent thinking. Only quality individuals can become good players.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

Tennis is a cheap sport. Tennis coaching is expensive. Still Canadians such as Raonic and Pospasil didn't come from wealth. But their parents had to make some big sacrifices to get them the right coaching.

That's counter to what I've heard about his parents... The broadcasters talk endlessly about that, and why he takes such a nuanced, analytical approach. I have heard that they hardly know the sport, though. I like the stories about him endlessly practicing solo (serving, ball machine, etc.).

I think the sport's a lot more accessible than most due to the low cost of entry, and ready availability of courts. A little hand-eye, strong wrist, some mobility... you're off.

 

[norcal]

I'm of the opinion a parent shouldn't be expected to make sacrifices so their kid is able to develop athletically. If you have parent spending time with their children after work and on weekends concentrating on one sport and making sure they are in proper programs, that should be sufficient. Tennis itself is in no way cheap unless you're playing with shredded shoes, worn out strings and flat balls. Common now. Here's a conservative estimate of 6 months in serious tennis training:

3 pairs of decent shoes= $120-240
32 cans of balls= $120-180
12 change of strings= $300-500
Weekly 2 hour clinics: $480-520

That's give or take a grand or two in a 6 month span for basics. And I'm not including clothes, broken racquets, tournament fees, transportation or extra coaching here and there privately. For one kid.

If you have a family of two with three kids making about $100,000 after taxes, which is a good income all things considered, spending $10,000 on one kid's after-school activities is a bit much for most people. Disagree?

It is expensive but with a bit of planning it can be done for

3 pairs of junior shoes on sale = 100
32 cans of balls = 64
12 string jobs = 60 (easily if you DIY)
No idea on 2 hour clinics ?

 

[70sHollywood]

Give a group of kids access to a tennis court, a can of balls and some rackets and by the end of the day they'll be playing football (soccer) with one of the balls. Sad but true.

When I was a kid at school we used to play football with a crushed up soft drinks can across a narrow road! Even sadder and truer.

Tennis will have to become more desirable somehow than football or basketball, like how tennis is more appealing to kids than lawn bowls even though it is much harder and more expensive. I cannot see it happening.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

The title of the thread and the poll convey different things.

 

[bjsnider]

I'm of the opinion a parent shouldn't be expected to make sacrifices so their kid is able to develop athletically. If you have parent spending time with their children after work and on weekends concentrating on one sport and making sure they are in proper programs, that should be sufficient. Tennis itself is in no way cheap unless you're playing with shredded shoes, worn out strings and flat balls. Common now. Here's a conservative estimate of 6 months in serious tennis training:

3 pairs of decent shoes= $120-240
32 cans of balls= $120-180
12 change of strings= $300-500
Weekly 2 hour clinics: $480-520

That's give or take a grand or two in a 6 month span for basics. And I'm not including clothes, broken racquets, tournament fees, transportation or extra coaching here and there privately. For one kid.

If you have a family of two with three kids making about $100,000 after taxes, which is a good income all things considered, spending $10,000 on one kid's after-school activities is a bit much for most people. Disagree?

Richard Williams didn't have any money, and played the girls with dead strings and flat, used balls from a local club. Apparently talent is what counts.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

If a Rubenesque Marcus Willis could win Wimbledon then maybe.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I guess I come from an experience with Hockey, Skiing and Golf as being the major recreational sports.

Golf Clubs $2000
Golf Balls - $60 a dozen (average 3 per round)
Green Fees - $70-$200
Golf Shoes - $150
Tees, Gloves, Hats, Shirts - $100
Golf Lessons - $50 an hour

Hockey Equipment - $500
Hockey Skates - $250
Hockey Sticks - $70
Ice Time - $1000 year
Hockey Camp - $100/day

Skis, Boots Bindings - $1200
Ski outfits - $700
Helmet and Goggles - $100
Ski pass - $100
Ski lessons - $100

Tennis Racquet - $200
Strings $50
Balls - $4
Court time - $0-30
Tennis lessons - $75
Shirt, Shoes and Shorts - $250

I see Tennis as an inexpensive sport especially if you want to do it on a budget. You can get a used $100 racquet, free public courts, Costco $2 Penn balls, Sneakers and some old T shirts and shorts and go out and play. Golf and Skiing still require a $70-100 admission fee and Hockey Ice time is pricey but can be reduced by getting more players out.

 

[Tardigrade]

Tennis coaching isn't cheap. Parents making sacrifices still earn enough to be able to make sacrifices. The average family income in the UK would not be enough if their kid(s) were serious about a tennis career. It's a snobby sport, with snobby fans unfortunately. Just look at the likes @Say Chi Sin Lo, @ollinger, @Bartelby etc. Pretty much says it all.



It's why football and boxing will be known for being the best sports for this reason. The sports don't need you to be rich, or tall. Literally some of the greatest icons of these sports have been homeless at 8 (Pac), close to being shot in dangerous areas (Mayweather), some people have been discovered playing in the park (Messi).

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Tennis coaching isn't cheap. Parents making sacrifices still earn enough to be able to make sacrifices. The average family income in the UK would not be enough if their kid(s) were serious about a tennis career. It's a snobby sport, with snobby fans unfortunately. Just look at the likes @Say Chi Sin Lo, @ollinger, @Bartelby etc. Pretty much says it all.



It's why football and boxing will be known for being the best sports for this reason. The sports don't need you to be rich, or tall. Literally some of the greatest icons of these sports have been homeless at 8 (Pac), close to being shot in dangerous areas (Mayweather), some people have been discovered playing in the park (Messi).

We sure don't have space for people with (well) below average intelligence though.

 

[Tardigrade]

Furthermore, a beautiful story in tennis is pretty lame. Who was that British guy who bombed out to Federer this year??? Forgot his name, but seriously what was so special about his story??? He openly talked about how he messed about and partied. How the hell is this a beautiful story? His parents sacrificed money for his career, and he pretty much sucked at his profession. Meanwhile, Messi and Pacquiao, two athletes who grew up in poverty were able to reach levels only few have risen to. Tennis could learn from other sports.

We sure don't have space for people with (well) below average intelligence though.

Case and point. You could be a very smart person (I'm not), but this kind of talk makes me embarrassed to be a fan of a sport which attracts people like you. Do you really judge people by how smart they are?? I bet you're probably a guy who sits alone drinking alone at bars. Reminds me of my family (high achievers) who boast about their achievements. I was never really given a fair shot at being intelligent anyway, but I've got better things to do than be smart.

 

[bananaforehand]

I guess I come from an experience with Hockey, Skiing and Golf as being the major recreational sports.

Golf Clubs $2000
Golf Balls - $60 a dozen (average 3 per round)
Green Fees - $70-$200
Golf Shoes - $150
Tees, Gloves, Hats, Shirts - $100
Golf Lessons - $50 an hour

Hockey Equipment - $500
Hockey Skates - $250
Hockey Sticks - $70
Ice Time - $1000 year
Hockey Camp - $100/day

Skis, Boots Bindings - $1200
Ski outfits - $700
Helmet and Goggles - $100
Ski pass - $100
Ski lessons - $100

Tennis Racquet - $200
Strings $50
Balls - $4
Court time - $0-30
Tennis lessons - $75
Shirt, Shoes and Shorts - $250

I see Tennis as an inexpensive sport especially if you want to do it on a budget. You can get a used $100 racquet, free public courts, Costco $2 Penn balls, Sneakers and some old T shirts and shorts and go out and play. Golf and Skiing still require a $70-100 admission fee and Hockey Ice time is pricey but can be reduced by getting more players out.

Inexpensive because you come from a background of participating in expensive sports. At school, I don't know anyone that played golf, just the rich kids went skiing and virtually no one played tennis on a serious level.

It's an expensive sport, no doubt about it, and the fact it is an individual sport makes it even more difficult to get involved in.

Even the supporters tend to come from wealth background.

I love tennis, but there's no doubt in my mind that it's largely an elitist sport, from the players to supporters and I doubt that will ever change in al honesty.

 

[swizzy]

two different issues really are suggested here... 1, can tennis be a game that the masses might pick up and become competent players at..and therefore be enjoyed like many other sports by a large part of the population..who in turn would follow the professional circuit..and grow the sport. Tennis is always talked about being more popular outside the USA.. is that more about viewership or playing the sport..or both? tennis was more important a few generations ago in the USA as a past time and as a television market.. i think the game is too difficult and the learning curve pretty severe where only people in tennis families are likely to have the time to develop their game to a point where they become competent..on your own or in a poorer household tennis is not going to something most kids will gravitate towards.. 2, tennis is both a pretty inexpensive sport..as people have mentioned above..and can be very inexpensive [ I taught myself as a kid hitting against a wall..with a wooden racquet that i found in the garage from a previous owner.. never changed the strings until i was a bit older and became more knowledgeable and better at the game.. moving, anticipating, and developing an arsenal of shots can be done with any racquet.. i have my collection of gear and my preferences..but i can still play well with any piece of crap with dead strings. to become world class is a different story and not for a person who is not insulated from the reality of paying your own way..too impossible and too expensive..many articles on how many top 100 players lose money every year on tour.. so, tennis seems destined to be a niche sport on the recreational level and for the rich beyond that..

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Case and point. You could be a very smart person (I'm not), but this kind of talk makes me embarrassed to be a fan of a sport which attracts people like you. Do you really judge people by how smart they are?? I bet you're probably a guy who sits alone drinking alone at bars. Reminds me of my family (high achievers) who boast about their achievements. I was never really given a fair shot at being intelligent anyway, but I've got better things to do than be smart.

There's nothing wrong with any level of intelligence. But you announce your stupidity with your posts, something that is entirely within your control. But since you continue to choose to be stupid, I'm not going to stop you.

 

[Inanimate_object]

No. It will never be accessible to a great deal of people. It is a notoriously exclusive, lonely and expensive sport with a very steep learning curve and limited places to play and practice. This extends beyond the airy attitude tennis carries itself with. The logistics of the sport make it impossible.

 

[Tardigrade]

There's nothing wrong with any level of intelligence.

Just going to leave these here for everyone to see.......

I think OP's brain puts him at an unfair disadvantage.

I don't know about that. It's hard to put the blame on Wilson when there are hordes of idiots believing them, all the freaking time.

Humanity's biggest enemy is the horde of idiots. TT exhibits a fine sample of it.

But you announce your stupidity with your posts, something that is entirely within your control. But since you continue to choose to be stupid, I'm not going to stop you.

Firstly, most of my posts are me messing about. If you can't take a joke or have no sense of humour, that's your issue.



Secondly, I'm actually glad you dislike my posts, you talk just like my parents do. I dislike them as well. I'm glad that you are smart, no one deserves a fried brain like mine, and I'm happy you have good things going on for you, but seriously people need to lighten up. And no, it's not in my control, I suffered brain damage when I was 8 when I got my head thrown into the wall by some adults. Take a chill pill. Don't take my posts so seriously!

 

[Deleted member 743561]

No. It will never be accessible to a great deal of people. It is a notoriously exclusive and expensive sport with a very steep learning curve and limited places to play and practice. This extends beyond the airy attitude tennis carries itself with. The logistics of the sport make it impossible.

There may be an old "country club" element to it in some circles, but I think it benefits from being in the huge family of racquet sports, generally. Even ping pong can be a sort of gateway. Plus, there are all the other racquet sports, including squash, etc. Kids' playground games (wall ball, etc.) rely on some of the same principles.

It's a member of a much larger fam.

 

[wsk429]

People need to stop saying, "Parents sacrificed". Look, nobody is sacrificing shjt. If you got extra money or time to spare, you ain't sacrificing. You're merely investing. A sacrifice is when you give up essential shjt like food. Are parents giving up food?

 

[Chadillac]

Richard Williams didn't have any money, and played the girls with dead strings and flat, used balls from a local club. Apparently talent is what counts.

He was sponsored by wilson and i think fila. Dont believe the media hype, richard had like 9 wilson profiles and a ton of other stuff.

Why would you pay $250 an hour for a clinic? That makes no sense, even privates arent that much with touring pro's

 

[Raindogs]

Tennis doesn't currently maintain, and rarely has ever achieved any kind of "cool" factor in American society.
I suppose there might have been a time when McEnroe or Agassi was seen as sort of exciting to a casual sports fan back in the day.
But tennis will never, I believe, shed it's general "lame" and "white" labels that the mainstream sports public has for it, the Williams sisters being a very rare and historic outlier.
I'd like to see more younger kids taking up the sport in the US where I live, as that bodes well for the future talent pool in the pros... but I don't envision it happening in my lifetime.
Cool is associated with urban, and yes, black... hence one reason for the popularity of the NBA and NFL in the states.
They seem like nice enough guys but kids aren't getting to excited about the athletic achievements of Sam Querrey or John Isner as they would generally be seen as rather dorky compared to pro athletes in the major US sports.
Show me a kid who's heavily into tennis here in the US and I'll show you a kid who's parents probably forced lessons on him or her at an early age in hopes they learned to love it.

 

[Meles]

Richard Williams didn't have any money, and played the girls with dead strings and flat, used balls from a local club. Apparently talent is what counts.

When I came back to playing tennis I was breaking strings right and left (3 in one evening.) I didn't want to buy a truck load of rackets since I didn't know what I wanted so I found a Wilson Titanium racket strung for $12 Walmart (may be $10 now.) Just kept buying those. The only expense that is hard to get around is shoes. Over $100 per pair for something that will last unless its a closeout. Other than the shoes, it can be a very cheap sport. Plenty of internet and video content on instruction too. Video camera on cell phone can be used with some help to film yourself even. It can be a very cheap sport if you're not hitting a hard western forehand.

 

[ibbi]

Probably never to the degree that some other sports are, but the way things have changed in the past 15 years it has certainly opened the door, lowered the bar, and made it easier to play than ever before, so it at least should be able to keep from becoming so elitist it becomes irrelevant, out of touch, and archaic.

 

[West Coast Ace]

He was sponsored by wilson and i think fila. Dont believe the media hype, richard had like 9 wilson profiles and a ton of other stuff.

Why would you pay $250 an hour for a clinic? That makes no sense, even privates arent that much with touring pro's

Yes. Richard taught the girls the basics. And obviously they were bigger and more coordinated and could beat the girls in their age brackets. But they were 'discovered' and shipped to Boletteri's academy in Florida where they got professional instruction and all the free clothes/racquets/shoes they needed. Richard certainly didn't pay. I assume either Nick ate it thinking one or both would make it as pros and the PR would repay it - or there was a private benefactor who picked up the bills.

Tennis will be very difficult for anyone who's not from a pretty comfortable (or downright wealthy) family to excel at. And obviously talent still matters - otherwise Gulbis would be #1 and have about 20 majors by now.

 

[happyloman]

Where I live, tennis is quite expensive, but not coaching. For example, a Head Graphene XT Radical MP costs the equivalent of $271 . A can of 3 balls cost $6.50. Given that the balls are useless after 3 sets max, it can quickly add up. There is no court hire fees if you belong to the club, otherwise you have to pay, but that's really cheap. Coaching by a certified instructor, and open level coach is $24 / hour.

Whee do your live

 

[TenS_Ace]

Tennis is for life

 

[Deleted member 688153]

Cost of entry isn't too high, provided you have free/public courts available locally.
Some sports are certainly cheaper though.

Ease of entry is the issue, I think.
Anyone can just start kicking a football, but hitting a tennis ball requires some degree of coordination and practice - so many kids lose interest very quickly once they can't hit the ball.
Also courts are often not easily available at all, as even if there are any in one's area their infrequency means they will be heavily used.

The only alternative for court access (what I do, as the local public courts are packed) is to join a club, which is where cost becomes an issue for many.

I don't see how this can change other than by large investment in more public courts.
When they were common here in Australia, we dominated the sport, but now they're not, we're reduced to a couple of clowns and underwhelming imports.

 

[GrassCourtFan]

Furthermore, a beautiful story in tennis is pretty lame. Who was that British guy who bombed out to Federer this year??? Forgot his name, but seriously what was so special about his story??? He openly talked about how he messed about and partied. How the hell is this a beautiful story? His parents sacrificed money for his career, and he pretty much sucked at his profession.

It's a cute story because it's one of barely making it in so many ways.

He was about to quit pro tennis completely, but his girlfriend convinced him to keep at it.
He was the last entry into the pre-qualifying for Wimbledon...
...which he won, getting him into the qualifying draw...
...which he got through, getting him into Wimbledon...
...where he won a match, and got to play on center court against Roger Federer.

It's the contrast between where he was a few months before wimbledon - about to quit pro tennis - to where he got, playing on center court against Federer. That makes for a much better story than a more typical path of working up the ranks.

 

[Tardigrade]

It's a cute story because it's one of barely making it in so many ways.

He was about to quit pro tennis completely, but his girlfriend convinced him to keep at it.
He was the last entry into the pre-qualifying for Wimbledon...
...which he won, getting him into the qualifying draw...
...which he got through, getting him into Wimbledon...
...where he won a match, and got to play on center court against Roger Federer.

It's the contrast between where he was a few months before wimbledon - about to quit pro tennis - to where he got, playing on center court against Federer. That makes for a much better story than a more typical path of working up the ranks.

His circumstances aren't cute. He said he partied and ate unhealthy. How on earth is this a cute story??? He had the opportunity to play tennis at a high level (something many good players don't get due to lack of funds) and he wasted it. Basically, all that happened was a low ranked player finally won a couple of matches.




So no, we aren't talking about a guy who has missed 5 years worth due to injury, or a guy who came from the slums to become a tennis pro. We are talking about a privileged individual who p!ssed about his life in a sport in which not everyone gets to play. Think of that!

 

[swizzy]

willis or something was his name.. he was wearing a federer jersey on match day.. like many of us do.. it was a nice story since it is a rare one.. we should not know this guys story because of the reasons many have touched on here.. professional tennis is not for people who are not 100% dedicated because it is practically impossible even with all the advantages and the personal drive.. this guy was a side note to the championships..played a quirky game and actually had a decent match beyond his first set with an icon.. pretty cool. if he had been a driven individual these past years this still might have been his one and only match against roger..and his successes few and far between..

 

[SoCalJay]

It seems like there's some confusion in this thread. Playing high level tennis is well within reach of the average kid here in the United States. A talented average kid could get a college scholarship here with a lot of hard work and a modest injection of funds from the parent(s).

Playing pro tennis, on the other hand, is far more unlikely, in my opinion, without a lot of high level instruction and traveling around to junior events to hone skills in match play. That stuff costs a lot more money.

Plus, here in the US most prospects tend to play college tennis if they aren't good enough to go pro or will play 1-2 years for free development before turning pro. There are a few exceptions, of course.

 

[Chadillac]

Yes. Richard taught the girls the basics. And obviously they were bigger and more coordinated and could beat the girls in their age brackets. But they were 'discovered' and shipped to Boletteri's academy in Florida where they got professional instruction and all the free clothes/racquets/shoes they needed. Richard certainly didn't pay. I assume either Nick ate it thinking one or both would make it as pros and the PR would repay it - or there was a private benefactor who picked up the bills.

Tennis will be very difficult for anyone who's not from a pretty comfortable (or downright wealthy) family to excel at. And obviously talent still matters - otherwise Gulbis would be #1 and have about 20 majors by now.

I think they were at Greenleaf with Macci before bolletteri's.

Thats what i dont like about them, if richard was their coach they wouldnt of made it far, they never give praise to the coaches who gave them free lessons for 6 years ($3-4k a week, they stayed over night)

Sharapova was the same, she was dirt poor and got a scholarship at bolleteri's.

 

[edberg volleys]

No, because it's too difficult, generally speaking.

 

[GrassCourtFan]

His circumstances aren't cute. He said he partied and ate unhealthy. How on earth is this a cute story??? He had the opportunity to play tennis at a high level (something many good players don't get due to lack of funds) and he wasted it. Basically, all that happened was a low ranked player finally won a couple of matches.




So no, we aren't talking about a guy who has missed 5 years worth due to injury, or a guy who came from the slums to become a tennis pro. We are talking about a privileged individual who p!ssed about his life in a sport in which not everyone gets to play. Think of that!

The cute part of the story is the last month, not the five years before it.

 

[Bender]

I suffered brain damage when I was 8 when I got my head thrown into the wall by some adults. Take a chill pill. Don't take my posts so seriously!

Ignoring the rest of the contents of the exchange, I'm sorry to hear that, mate. Hope things are much better now.

 

[Bender]

Depends where you are from TBH.

In the States where land is (generally) abundant, it can be cheap if you can get a good deal on equipment (which you can get quite easily since pretty much every voucher, major discount, promotions, etc I've ever seen on the internet are for US and Canadian citizens only anyway).

However, live in a place like Hong Kong or South Korea where tennis is not popular and there is a general lack of spare land on which to build courts without charging fairly high prices for them, then yes, it can get quite expensive.

Not even going to factor in things like weather, which is sauna-like if not rainy literally 99% of the time over here.

 

[Tardigrade]

Ignoring the rest of the contents of the exchange, I'm sorry to hear that, mate. Hope things are much better now.

Things are far from better. Not good at all.

 

[Bender]

Things are far from better. Not good at all.

That's terrible.

May I ask what's been happening?

If you don't mind sharing, that is.

 

[Tardigrade]

That's terrible.

May I ask what's been happening?

If you don't mind sharing, that is.

Sent you a conversation.

 

[tennis tom]

If tennis is too expensive switch your kid to piano, no expensive shoes to buy, only the cost of a used Steinway for $30-90,0000 and lessons for $40-80 an hour. It's not that hard to get a tennis scholarship, the cost for the lessons will be well amortized compared to paying full tuition. If you're gonna' play youse gotta' pay. Hopefully tennis will someday be another entitlement and all children will be issued a life-times worth of equipment at birth--along with golf clubs and a Tesla.

 

[*Sparkle*]

People need to stop saying, "Parents sacrificed". Look, nobody is sacrificing shjt. If you got extra money or time to spare, you ain't sacrificing. You're merely investing. A sacrifice is when you give up essential shjt like food. Are parents giving up food?

I would make the point that almost all "normal" parents make sacrifices for their children. Kids are expensive, and the money spent on feeding, clothing and housing them could easily be spent on a more expensive car, and fancy holidays. As it is, most people are content to make that sort of sacrifice, and they routinely give up many hours to help them learn how to walk, read, eat properly and learn to ride a bike. Whatever your child's hobby or academic aspirations, the odds are that you will sacrifice a certain amount of time and money to make that possible.

If your kids excel at any hobby, the odds are that to help them to reach the top, you will need to sacrifice more time and cash to support them in that than if they are playing in the local rugby league, but you can be sure they all have parents who forgo a lazy weekend to taxi their kids to training and wash the kit.

It seems like there's some confusion in this thread. Playing high level tennis is well within reach of the average kid here in the United States. A talented average kid could get a college scholarship here with a lot of hard work and a modest injection of funds from the parent(s).

Playing pro tennis, on the other hand, is far more unlikely, in my opinion, without a lot of high level instruction and traveling around to junior events to hone skills in match play. That stuff costs a lot more money.

I think this is the key issue for this debate. If you are good enough to go far, then the key point isn't whether your parents earn loads of money, but whether they, or anyone they know, is resourceful enough to seek out sponsorship and find ways to get things to work on a shoe-string. It helps immensely if you happen to live near to a decent tennis club that values juniors and doesn't charge a fortune.

Neither the Williams, nor the Murrays were rich, but they had resourceful parents who were able to get them into a position where sponsorship was available, and to have decent facilities nearby. IMO, it was a huge advantage to have a sibling who was also keen and talented. Some people will need to travel to find decent practice partners, or have to compete with a siblings different hobby.

 

[tennis tom]

dupe post....

 

[tennis tom]

Sparkl'es got it right, very few rich kids make it to the top of tennis. Rich kids don't have the drive or hunger to succeed. Most great tennis player's come from immigrant families, many times their parents were janitors at clubs which gave them an opportunity to play and they learned all the shots from the members. Tennis is one of the most egalitarian sports there is. Rackets are just about littering the streets, sitting unused in closets or you can get a brand new POG for $5 at Goodwill. Now skateboarding, there's an expensive sport, good boards cost a lot and the cost for broken bones and concussions adds up--don't know if Stanford's giving out scholarships yet for it.