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Why Play
Tennis..?
by David Sammel
The benefits
of sport are well known and I believe tennis
offers more than most; this I have learnt
from both mine and others experience. Here
are some great ideas to excite our kids to
get on the court:
Tennis is
truly a global sport. If you play reasonable
tennis it is your passport into any
community. I've walked into clubs in many
countries and started hitting balls with a
member or youngsters who were sceptical but
soon very happy to arrange games, dinner
invitations etc so I would become part of
their club. Tennis is a wonderful GLOBAL
ice-breaker. It can also help you in your
career if you are a star in your company and
you work for sport-minded people. The
opportunities for a career involved in
tennis are expanding constantly.
There are
tournaments all over the UK and the world
for all standards. You don't have to
organise a full team to go and play. Just
enter and go. My daughter loves playing
tournaments during most of her holidays and
often we can drop her in the morning and
pick her up when she phones, in the
knowledge that she is in a good and safe
environment. Except at higher levels, girls
and boys can compete comfortably with each
other. This again makes organisation of
groups easier.
Playing
reasonable tennis is a fantastic leveller
and allows people from different backgrounds
to meet and socialise in a way that they
normally would not. It is also the finest
major non-contact competitive sport which
helps youngsters learn to mentally compete
as well as using their bodies.
Tennis has
survived a few hypes talking of its loss of
popularity and each time it bounces back
with new stars and new ideas. Ladies tennis
I believe will stimulate the next surge of
growth. Sell the sport to girls with the
exciting imagery of Kournikova, Clijsters,
Dokic and the Williams sisters. The boys
aren't immune to them either.
Tennis is a difficult game
which is its attraction. It is a challenge
at any age or standard and can be embraced
as mentally and physically promoting good
health.
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