Wimbledon 2014: The Unsung Heroes of the Championships
The Tradition
With Wimbledon coming to an end, it is an important time to reflect on the success of the tournament and thank all those taking part – in true British style. The biggest thank you need to go to the Ball Boys and Girls (BBG's). The young individuals you see at every match, crouching perfectly still and retrieving balls with such precision and grace. Here we explore the tradition of the BBG’s, their vigorous training programme and why they are the best of the best.
The tradition of ball boys and girls was first introduced in tennis during the 1920 Wimbledon Championships. It began with only ball boys. Ball girls took to the court in 1977 and eight years later made their appearance on centre court. It has been reported that commentators are moving away from ‘ball boys’ and ‘ball girls’ and replacing the name with ‘ball kids’ in view of political correctness. However, the All England Club denies having formally changed the name and insist the commentators are doing it out of ease.
The Selection Process
Back in the 1920s, the ball boys were provided by Shaftsbury homes which was a charity founded by William Williams for homeless children. Nowadays, they are selected from schools in local London boroughs after being nominated by their Head teacher. The selection process is challenging – each candidate must pass written tests on the rules of tennis as well as fitness and mobility tests. If you are lucky enough to be one of the successful 250 candidates, you then have to start a grueling training programme in February, including 2 hour weekly sessions of physical, procedural and theoretical instruction, to ensure that they are fast, alert, self-confident and adaptable to situations.
Being a part of the prestigious group is by no means easy. There is always pressure of performing to high standards which tests physical endurance . “The pressure and expectations of ball boys and girls make training even more difficult, let alone the physical side of things being difficult too. Injuries are the hardest thing to persist with”, Diane Lewis, a ball girl at this year’s Championships said.
One of the biggest traditions at Wimbledon is the strict dress code. While other tournaments have become more relaxed with such guidelines, the All England Club has added to its mandate that ‘accessories such as undergarments, headbands, and wristbands’ must also be white. Understandably, this has not gone down well with the players and has left some having to change following an official uniform check. However, it is not only the players’ uniforms that come up against strict guidelines but also those of the ball boys and girls. All uniforms must feature the official Wimbledon logo and coincide with the Championships official colours-green and purple.
The Uniform Sponsors
Up until the 2006 championships, the ball boys and girls had to wear the same green as the chair umpires and linesmen, when Ralph Lauren was awarded the contract for the official outfitter. They now sport stylish navy blue polo shirts with a striped collar design that matches with the official colours of the Championships. The fabric base has been carefully selected to keep a better form, with stretch added for increased comfort and retention of shape. This partnership between Wimbledon and Ralph Lauren is one of a kind with it being the first time in the history of the Championship that an outsider has been awarded a contract to provide the uniforms. Wimbledon may be quintessentially British, but it has taken an American designer such as Ralph Lauren to keep it looking that way.
“It helps us make us look like the best ball boys in the world, and that is what we train and aim to be” (Cameron, ball boy, Wimbledon 2014)
Back when the contract was signed, Ian Ritchie (Chief Executive of the All England Club) was quoted saying “the Polo brand will bring to Wimbledon the look of timeless elegance, drawing on our rich history and traditions”.
David Lauren, Executive Vice President of Global Advertising, Marketing and Corporate Communications says “We were inspired by the way that we dreamt Wimbledon looked in the past, but actually never really did. When you look at the range now, it seems like it has been at Wimbledon forever.”
So let us congratulate these young and uncelebrated stars of Wimbledon and say a little thank you for the effort they put in and the pure determination and pride they emulate.