Blog: Ace

Punished for acting their age - another LTA stuff shirt decision.

This week two young tennis players had all their funding withdrawn beacuse they acted like any other teenager - they posted pictures of themselves onto a community web site. They weren't naked - they weren't drunk - they were not taking drugs - they were having fun and the LTA in their wisdom thought that this was unprofessional.
Lets just set aside the idea that these talented young tenis players were receiving funding from the LTA and look at the main issue.

How do you turn a talented youngster into a top athlete that is going to last the pace. And how do you make sure that they are rounded individuals. Not I would suggest by denying them hanging out with friends and doing what every kid does these days.

Alcohol does have a damaging effect on perfomance - but so does isolation and depression. Kids - actually all of us have to have release valves - it proably puts things in perspective anyway.

Footballers train hard - eat well and now and again behave appallingly when they celebrate. Ditto Cricketers and Rugby Players. Aggassi was no Angel and nor was Ile Nastase. I suspect Rafal Nadal has his moments and Marat Safin and Andy Roddick are not exactly shrinking violets with the ladies. In other words these are normal people that do normal things.

And when you talk about great athletes you also have to include great characters in this equation. Why. Because we like our heroes to be flawed. George Best - Muhammad Ali - John McEnroe - Hurricane Higgins - Daly Thompson not quite in the same category but Freddie Flintoff. and Paul Gasgoine

Having fun or being normal does not mean that a kid will not grow up to be a great sports person or athlete. And sure people will spout Sampras and Graff and Schumacher and Pele and say these were clean living people that achieved greatness.

But I say young people - no matter how good they are at their sport should be accepted as young people - and the LTA - not for the first time - have got it wrong

by Ace on 21:25 on 25th September 2007