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Twizzle


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Hello
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Hi I am a tennis parent. I have watched and encouraged my kids in the sports of their choice. Both of my kids play tennis to quite a high level but I now find myself trying to convince them to go to university in the USA. It is a good choice to continue to educate yourself whilst playing the sport that you love but it's such a shame that the LTA have no real structure in place for kids over 16. The cost of travelling abroad to compete is so expensive and coaching in the UK plus court hire is out of the reach of most families. I am a firm believer that the more kids that are encouraged and compete against each other the more the talent/results will rise. The LTA have a very strange policy to fund some kids and not others, I have never understood their policy but feel very sad that they don't encourage more to stay in the sport. I have watched many of my children's friends that they have made over the years leave the sport not because they weren't good enough but because of the cost. It's such a lonely sport - no help for parents and no encouragement for kids. This is my experience but I love to read your forum it's a great way to catch up with what's going on around the world.smile  



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Bob in Spain


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Hi Twizzle

Welcome on board. A friend of mine seems to have been in the same situation as yourself recently and managed to convince her son to go to the USA on a tennis scholarship. He has just finished his first year over there and has thoroughly enjoyed himself. The standard of competition, tennis wise, is great and he has fallen big time for the lifestyle - so much so, his mum is afraid he may never come back !!



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Twizzle


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Hi Bob in Spain, thanks for your welcome - I do enjoy your jokes and thanks for the advise.

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steven


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Welcome to the board. It's always hard to know what the most productive way to split funding is, but I'm inclined to agree with you that the LTA put their eggs in too few baskets too early as far as seniors are concerned - and it often seems to be counter-productive even for those who are fully funded.

Good luck with your kids anyway!

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Bob in Spain


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Twizzle wrote:

Hi Bob in Spain, thanks for your welcome - I do enjoy your jokes and thanks for the advise.

Please note everyone - at least someone appreciates my sense of humour biggrin



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Coup Droit


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Hi Twizzle.

We once were host family to two South American 18 year-olds doing the summer circuit in France. Neither were ever going to make it as professional tennis players (IMHO) but one had heard about a tennis programme at one of the US universities but didn;t know how to go about it (his English wasn't very good).

He was only with us 2 days but we helped him Google it, research it and write up his application (in perfect English!)and he got a full scholarship and went off a couple of months later. We saw him again two years later and he was having a real blast !

He's now finished college with a degree, played tons of tennis, had a great time, is a far more confident, self-assured man now than the kid who came to stay at 18 - it was the best thing he did. My only complaint is that his English STILL isn't very good - the college he went to had a strong Hispanic contingent and he spent four years speaking Spanish as far as I can tell!

I think it's a great idea . . .

Good luck with whatever they choose.

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Twizzle


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Hi Coup Droit,

 

Thanks for your message and your advise, we are talking to some colleges in the USA and I hope at least one of my kids will take up the opportunity. It was good to hear your experiences, thanks for your help!



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Twizzle


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Hi Steven,

Thanks for your welcome.

I must say that all your facts and figures etc. are brilliant I love the up dates you post and read them regularly!

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