But let’s call it what it is: Wimbledon is the crown jewel of one of the most elitist periods in Britain’s social calendar.
The dress code on the pitch is unashamedly still white, despite calls for change from some of the biggest names in the game. Meanwhile in the crowd, while technically there is no formal code, “smart” is encouraged and slogans are not permitted – that’s if you can afford to get in. Prices for basic Centre Court tickets are now over £100, although ground tickets are available for £30. The truth is that tennis in Britain remains an elite sport, and that is harming future generations of talent.
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Even then they could not afford the coaching or indoor facilities needed to nurture talent through our rainy climate. Public courts are in disrepair. We have about 2,000 indoor courts nationally, compared to over 5,000 in Germany and more than 9,000 in France. The sport remains overwhelmingly southern and middle class.
There is surely a place for individual sports in our nurturing of young children, where they can learn to accept responsibility for their actions, decisions and mistakes. They learn to deal with stress, often compounded when scores are tight or if they’re losing, and there are obvious physical health benefits of a sport sometimes described as the “world’s healthiest” – it builds bone density and cognitive function, and can reduce the obesity and diabetes risks that so plague children in poorer areas.
We should nurture that both with encouragement and financial investment in making it as accessible as possible. That recent Lawn Tennis Association bid for £75m in funding to build 40 tennis centres nationally should be just the start!
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