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Original poster

Do you think tennis is a ' posh ' sport?

138 replies

sinklineandhook · 21/06/2024 12:43

When you hear someone saying they play tennis, do you assume they're a bit well off / posh ? Whatever you want to call it.

OP posts:
PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:23

@Sillystrumpet In my area the Football Association run incredibly cheap football summer schools. They also run one off coaching days that are free, I think these may be partially for talent spotting.
The tennis association has never run anything. I do not even know where they would run it. A private club somewhere?

Sillystrumpet · 21/06/2024 17:19

soontobemumof3girls · 21/06/2024 16:38

How many under privileged kids do you know who have tennis lessons?

How many under privalged kids get any additional sports lessons. It’s a contradiction in terms. Under privalged don’t really get anything,

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:17

@Sillystrumpet Oh come on now!

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:16

@mummyuptheriver I am in a City. There are posh areas and poorer areas.

Sillystrumpet · 21/06/2024 17:16

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:08

Presumably these courts are in middle class areas?

Show quote history

What’s a middle class area?

Meadowfinch · 21/06/2024 17:16

It wasn't posh. My state school taught it. We have 8 courts, 4 people to a court made 32 people- a class.
Each year had two classes. Two PE lessons a week - we swapped around, athletics and tennis in the summer. Hockey and basketball in the winter. 🙂

mummyuptheriver · 21/06/2024 17:15

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:08

Presumably these courts are in middle class areas?

Show quote history

No, but in a city. Very diverse income wise like most cities.

Msmumm · 21/06/2024 17:15

Some of these comments have made me chuckle. We are a very normal family but both of my kids grew up playing tennis. Both played for the county and in national championships. DS spends his holidays coaching now at our local club to earn a bit of money for uni.
Lessons aren't cheap but group sessions are very affordable.
I'm quite chuffed to be thought of as 'posh'.😂
https://www.lta.org.uk/play/parents-area/start/
Great value for any parents who's kids fancy having a go.

Sillystrumpet · 21/06/2024 17:15

No, I grew up proper working class and me and my friend used to play tennis at the local courts,

in the village I live in we have public courts, very cheap sport, just a racket and some balls. So no, for me not posh.

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:13

@theowlwhisperer where?

theowlwhisperer · 21/06/2024 17:12

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:10

@theowlwhisperer everything is different in London. Kids even get free travel. Outside London our parks have a football pitch and a playground. I have never seen a tennis court in a local park never mind a free one.

I have. I have seen kids learning to ride their bike on tennis courts because no one was using them, I am not sure I would recommend it 😂 but in some areas there are plenty, not just London

Whenwillitgetwarm · 21/06/2024 17:12

Don’t. You’ll get Guardian journalists sniffing around soon. Next thing you’ll see multiple articles and opinion pieces on how tennis is elitist and clubs should be forced to give away free memberships or be closed down.

10storeylovesong · 21/06/2024 17:11

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:10

@theowlwhisperer everything is different in London. Kids even get free travel. Outside London our parks have a football pitch and a playground. I have never seen a tennis court in a local park never mind a free one.

Meadowfinch · 21/06/2024 17:10

Not in our town. We have council courts in the park and it costs £45 a year for a family ticket, to use them.

We also have a tennis club on the other side of town, and that's not 'smart' either.

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 17:08

mummyuptheriver · 21/06/2024 17:00

Yes
It doesn’t have to be, there are very very cheap courts in parks around us. But typically it’s middle classes that play tennis.

Presumably these courts are in middle class areas?

theowlwhisperer · 21/06/2024 17:07

As an example, there are 14 park tennis facilities managed by one company across Croydon.

Including free hire, here's ONE example pic included, so people can't say I am making it up.

Tennis is not posh, even in "posh" Croydon.

Do you think tennis is a ' posh ' sport?
bombastix · 21/06/2024 17:03

No. It used to be, and English tournaments still have plenty of class markers but it’s literally a game where anyone can make it to the top. Not posh.

A few upper middle class people being snotty does not make a sport

StrawberryWater · 21/06/2024 17:03

Not posh but you need a lot of money to play, even at low levels.

There are no public access tennis courts near us and the nearest LTA kids tennis scheme is about 100 miles away. Great if you have money to get there and stay over night in a hotel etc.

I heard a lot of waffle on the TV the other day during the Queens Club Championships from some executive or other talking about getting more people involved in tennis, more kids etc, and to be honest it's the same old crap I heard when I was a kid 30+ years ago. Nothings changed. Nothing will change. Unless you have money you can pretty much forget playing and forget making a career from it.

muddyford · 21/06/2024 17:01

It is now. Back in the olden days my sink comprehensive taught it.

mummyuptheriver · 21/06/2024 17:00

Yes
It doesn’t have to be, there are very very cheap courts in parks around us. But typically it’s middle classes that play tennis.

BringMeTea · 21/06/2024 16:58

Generally middle class, very much so. Not posh as such. My dh plays and is a club member and he is definitely one of few from working class backgrounds.

sleekcat · 21/06/2024 16:57

Only if you're talking tennis clubs and trying to reach a high level.

I used to play tennis a lot as a child, we'd go down to the courts and pay barely anything for an hour or so. I wanted to be in the school tennis team so I practiced for ages against the garage wall until I got in it. But top level I think is elitist.

PeachHedgehog · 21/06/2024 16:54

Cookerhood · 21/06/2024 16:33

I think it was more posh 50 years ago, but having said that, my father was the son of a coal miner & played.
Our local club is £100/year and is not for profit, run by volunteers. It's very middle class (definitely not a posh club) but we live in a very middle class area.

We are using a different definition of posh. I see middle class as posh.

AGodawfulsmallaffair · 21/06/2024 16:53

No.