Indian Wells Ballkids

[ScovilleJenkins]

Sorry this is old, but I never got around to posting it once i got home from Indian Wells. Did anyone else notice how AWFUL the ballkids were. I mean I know these kids are never going to be perfect or anything, but the kids were the most unathletic group of kids I have ever seen. This wasn't just one match either, I noticed this throughout my 3 days there. When balls would bounce or roll to them at the slowest speeds, it would roll between their legs or bounce off their hands. They acted as if they had flippers for hands. Sorry if this sounds rude, but I would like to know if anyone else noticed the same thing.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Isn't this the same event where Henman berated a ballkid for being fat & slow a few years ago? I think he actually told the umpire to replace him.

 

[Fee]

The ballkids who covered the Ancic-Gonzo match were pretty good. I remember watching one of them scamper across the court and thinking that he was pretty quick. One of the girls was pretty quick too, I'm sure she was a junior player. She was watching the match more intently than some of the others, it seemed.

Moose, in 2004 the ballkids coordinator wrote an article about her experience and yes, included Henman's complaints about one of the ball kids for being slow and fat. I wish I could remember who published that article.

 

[Salsa_Lover]

In Basel they had Roger Federer as a ballkid some time ago

 

[laurie]

Sorry this is old, but I never got around to posting it once i got home from Indian Wells. Did anyone else notice how AWFUL the ballkids were. I mean I know these kids are never going to be perfect or anything, but the kids were the most unathletic group of kids I have ever seen. This wasn't just one match either, I noticed this throughout my 3 days there. When balls would bounce or roll to them at the slowest speeds, it would roll between their legs or bounce off their hands. They acted as if they had flippers for hands. Sorry if this sounds rude, but I would like to know if anyone else noticed the same thing.

That's strange. Years ago, my brother and I were watching a match from Indian Wells on television, around 2001 or something. We were completely amused (and bemused) as to how slow the ball kids were, incredibly slow in fact - we were wondering if the problem was hot weather as to why they looked so lethargic.

 

[hollywood9826]

Yea it looked like they had porkchops on the end of thier arms.

When I grew up everybody played somethign or always out side doin something. We had a little league with 4 teams 11-12. I would either ride my bike or walk the half mile (not far) to the bus stop. we would stop in town once and pick up all the kids. Now there are double the houses and kids. no little league anymore. I never see kids playing basketball or catch or frisbee or tennis (but they turned thos courts into basketball ones). the kids wait in parents' car waiting for the bus. when I got stuck behind the bus in town it would a couple kids off go 200 ft couple more kids 300 feet more kids etc...

kids in america are lazy and are being coddled way more than they should. These ball kids probably get the gig because they have parents/frinds of parents organizing the tourney or something. So it is no suprise to me they cant move well around the court. Andhave you seen most of them try to throw a ball? Brutal

 

[skraggle]

I was a ball kid for WTT back in the day, and there was no training offered and no qualifications necessary.

I wasn't the best, but I was more than adequate. But a few kids were borderline spastic, and really held things up. We threw everything then, and I don’t recall missing by much, while other kids would miss by huge margins or just generally screw up by moving or making noise.

In fact, one kid was so eager that a ball came his way and he leaped up to grab it—in the middle of a point. The pro (a guy named Dick Stockton) was so pissed, he looked like he was going to swing at the ball IN the kid's hand. Needless to say, we didn't see that kid at any more matches.

Because of the decline in throwing skills, a number of tournaments make the kids roll the balls now. Pathetic.

 

[Leublu tennis]

I don't go to US matches but in matches around the world, part of the pleasure in attending the match was the activity and treatment of the ballboys and linesmen. In some places, there was quite a ceremony as they are all replaced periodically, for example. And I was amazed at how much activity takes place around the court that you don't get to see on tv.

 

[Duzza]

This is probably the reason tennis is going on a downward spiral.

 

[dbh1960]

This is probably the reason tennis is going on a downward spiral.

Ha! But seriously, this has to be one of the most thankless jobs ever. Not only do the kids have to deal with the balls, but they're also "towell kids," "umbrella kids," "court trash picker-uppers," etc., etc. The players treat them extremely disdainfully-last year Clement was booed by the stadium crowd (playing Nadal, or he'd never get to play there) for yelling at them incessantly. You have to remember that during the early rounds, lots of kids are needed, and you're probably not best, most experienced kids manning all those courts. My wife and I were at Indian Wells over the entire first weekend; considering the demands of all those simultaneous matches, we thought they did a very good job...

 

[simi]

Don't know about other tournaments, but the PLO ******** local kids. I could hardly believe how small some of them are. One little fellow was so small that they couldn't get a shirt small enough for him and it covered down to his knees.

They do get a degree of training and do a pretty decent job. Give 'em a break. They do all right. Sure wish I had one or two ballkids when I play. Can you imagine the pros shagging their own balls?

- - - - -

Edited to add: Don't know why the word substituted by asterisks above was not acceptable. I typed "r_e_c_r_u_i_t_s", (take out the underscores). Is that a "bad" word?

 

[PROTENNIS63]

they must be feeding them something really heavy that they move so slow.

 

[uni]

being a ballboy myself, i must say that ballboying is a very tiring thing to do. Especially the people at net. You need to be really fit and im sure that with the hot muggy weather, its really hard.

 

[ScovilleJenkins]

when i started this thread i was not meaning for it to get on to the point of the running and work load aspect of being a ballkid...i meant to point out how unathletic and uncoordinated the ballkids seemed

 

[LN_Dad]

I was sitting courtside for a few matches and thought they were doing a pretty good job.

 

[MIGHTY MANFRED THE WONDER]

Yes, the kids at Indian Wells were mostly round and/or uncoordinated- reminded me of The "Penguin hands" that Danny Divito had in "Batman".

They are supposed to train well before the tournament, but most of the "training" consists of that annoying "changing of the guard" performance from the Wizard of Oz they insist on doing (Linespeople as well).
I think they would have been better served throwing a tennis ball against the garage, just like we used to do, warming up for baseball season- or the more advanced/shortstop method- The Superball.

That being said, be aware that the parents of these children could buy and sell you most likely twice over, and then make you their gardener and abuse you for your lack of fitness around the palm trees.