Boys & Girls: European U14 Junior Championships, Most, Czech Republic, clay (Week 29)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Boys & Girls: European U14 Junior Championships, Most, Czech Republic, clay (Week 29)

TW18 · Lower Club Player

Coup Droit wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
I don't completely follow all this but I see that Hannah, Mika and Arabella Loftus have been selected as our team for the World Tennis Finals U14 in August ....

Slightly surprised that Isabelle Britton didn't get the call up over Arabella ??? She certainly did better in Junior Junior Wimbly...

www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/preview-and-team-announcements-2022-itf-world-junior-tennis-finals/
Yeah there was a little chat about this on the first page of this thread. Not sure Ive heard of Arabella tbh before this event
She was in the U14 Junior Wimbledon, as was Isabelle - I see quite a few people are surprised that Arabella got the call up over Isabelle - but, hey, there are lots of factors in play .....
PS sorry for the duplication

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Saturday 23rd of July 2022 09:33:34 PM

The choices are never obvious to me, apart from H. Klugman, of course. There are many very good players out there 2007/8/9. I think the net is narrowed too soon. Especially with the academies - children develop at different rates and the selection process narrows and effectively eliminates potential, imo. Other choices (and not sure of all the year of births) would be Tegan Bush (2008), Brooke Black (I believe Wayne Black's daughter), Ciara Moore (her father, I believe, was David Moore, the rugby player) a lovely player, Allegra KD (again, I think she might be 2007 but such a good player too), Annabel Hristova (2008 I believe and a very nice player), Hollie Smart (2009?), Flora Johnson (2007), Ruby Cooling, Amalia Widdowson (2008), Francesca Simpson (2007) fab player, Sophie Bekker of course (2008), Maria Ustic, Georgiana M (2008, very good player), Serena Manca, I could go on and I know the line has got to be drawn on who's selected but I believe there are certain players who are always chosen, despite other players' performances and it's often who the coaches are, where they're playing, etc, imo, and how tall they are at a certain age! Good old Ben GWan has disproved that theory! Lol!

TW18 · Lower Club Player

Meant to add Shamiso Ndoro in there too.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, I take your point completely, TW18, there are a lot of very respectable players and they do certainly develop at different rates

A lot of those names you cite are 2007-ers though, and I think U14 has to be 2008-2009

My point was more that Isabelle Britton really stood out, at mini junior Wimbly, over and above many of those mentioned (at the moment, which is what we're talking about - being chosen for the team now)

In terms of general, there should be a pyramid - that's what we had in France.

So, personally, I wouldn't have Flora Johnson, say, in my very top tier of funding, but I would probably have her in the next tier down.

The levels in the pyramid can be defined as the federation want - i.e. top tier gets you X hours per week of personal coaching, bottom tier gets you X hours per half-term holiday of group coaching, and all levels in-between. The point is to have a system that gives different levels of help to a whole heap - there's always got to be ones you rate more than others and they get the most help - but by giving some help to the others, in a tiered system, you make it flexible for the others to prove their worth, be promoted, demoted, whatever.

TW18 · Lower Club Player

Coup Droit wrote:
Yes, I take your point completely, TW18, there are a lot of very respectable players and they do certainly develop at different rates

A lot of those names you cite are 2007-ers though, and I think U14 has to be 2008-2009

My point was more that Isabelle Britton really stood out, at mini junior Wimbly, over and above many of those mentioned (at the moment, which is what we're talking about - being chosen for the team now)

In terms of general, there should be a pyramid - that's what we had in France.

So, personally, I wouldn't have Flora Johnson, say, in my very top tier of funding, but I would probably have her in the next tier down.

The levels in the pyramid can be defined as the federation want - i.e. top tier gets you X hours per week of personal coaching, bottom tier gets you X hours per half-term holiday of group coaching, and all levels in-between. The point is to have a system that gives different levels of help to a whole heap - there's always got to be ones you rate more than others and they get the most help - but by giving some help to the others, in a tiered system, you make it flexible for the others to prove their worth, be promoted, demoted, whatever.

I agree re Isabelle Britton - she's an excellent player with great form. She's won many titles over the years and I think, on form, has beaten Mika S and Arabella L many times. I agree, the LTA can only choose the team from the form "now" and that's my point.....when the academy entrants are chosen there's a longterm investment there, not taken in the "now". These players are young and so go up and down in their development. Look at Ruby Cooling....she's up now but was down and unheard of for many until "now". By choosing a child for the academy place, the LTA are nailing their choices early and, of course, try to make sure their "choices" come to fruition and are successful and that's my point....closing the door on others far too early. I understand what you're saying about the tier system. Just to add, many of the current successful 14u players (and 16u, and 12u I'm sure) are from very wealthy families who can afford 20 to 30 hours of coaching a week to get their child to a level where the LTA will notice them....I'm wondering about poorer families.....there must be a wealth of talent out there, untapped, unable to pick up a racket because their parents can't afford one or the court and coaching fees. I ramble. Lecture over. btw I would include Tegan Bush in my GB team right "now", as well as Isabelle Britton, of course. Maybe there aren't enough spaces for all my choices! lol.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Your point about only rich families being able to pay for 20 hours coaching per week is exactly why I believe that - in the very big picture - it is essential to help all passable tennis players, even the quite low level - NOT because they might be stars in the making (possibly but unlikely) but because they are needed to coach their future children (as well getting their children interested in tennis in the first place)

In France, Germany and Italy, there are a huge chunk of top players now (and lower ones) who are only where they are because one family member (usually mum or dad) spent inordinate hours on the court with them at age 5-13, say. There's no way the federation will pay for that amount, or that they could afford it themselves.

So if you get a lot of players up to LTA 5 or 6 (i.e. a decent enough level but nothing special), you've got the coaches for the next generation (no matter the income level)

From firsthand experience, that's exactly what the Elite level in France that I was with had. From a cost point of view, it's far more effective - far more flexible, the parent is really invested, knows the child perfectly, it's just the way it works. (It often breaks down in teenage years - either because the kid now plays too well for the parent - or because teenage tensions make it no longer suitable - but it doesn't really matter by that stage - the huge groundwork needed is done)

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 25th of July 2022 10:25:19 AM

Tennisfan2021 · Improver

Izzy Britton is a great player.
Funding is a huge issue amongst us u14 players and parents.
We simply dont have the money here that some parents seem to which means opportunities are limited.
Thanks to an amazing coach who believes in my child we are helped as much as possible but as a single mother on tax credits the disadvantages are huge!