Do you think that taking an active interest in sport helped you to aspire and achieve more than if you were not involved as an active participant?
When I was young there was not a focus on being the best. You are almost not aware that you need to improve but you need to improve to make yourself better and you may enjoy it. I think a coach for young people is an authoritative figure. It is someone you can look at like you look at your mum and dad as an authoritative figure in your household and that can set you up for life. If you are not used to have someone there telling you what to do then you may not be fit or disciplined in school. I used to do Judo for example and you used to pay full respect to the sensei. You had to bow, you had to say please and thank you. That sort of thing.
Can you tell me in which way you are involved in the club and the joint venture with the Albany?
At Hylands I am a Senior Tennis Leader which involves a lot of stuff for example I assist with coaching on Thursdays at the Albany which involve two hours a week helping young children to get better. I was the under 18 Boys captain which involved organising matches and the team and I played in the team which was quite important to me as it gave me some opportunity to get some organisational skills. With the joint venture there have been a lot of consultation and to see it all happening has been very exciting.
What is your perception of tennis?
I think the traditional perception is that it is quite middle class but my individual perception is that at Hylands it’s available to anyone. Anyone can play it, it’s not exclusive, it’s not segregational and in this area there are many tennis club and it’s easy to join one so it is pretty popular.
What gets you excited and causes you concern about tennis?
The fact that it is as much a social event as it is getting an advantage over someone else, not in a bad way but as a chance of improving your own skills. Concern? In my school and age group it is less and less attractive to be part of an organised sport. There is a perception that if you are part of an organised sport you need to spend hours and hours every week doing the same thing over and over again but in truth there is also the social aspect as well as improving yourself.
Why do you think this perception exist in your age group?
I think it has to do with the fact that it is seen as quite cool if you do well but don’t have to try too hard while if you are outgoing and willing to do something you are perceived as outside the norm so it would be difficult to get on well between these two groups. We have two sets of people those who do sport and those who do not. I am quite lucky that the School where I go to is so sport orientated but there is such a clear distinction and you can tell there are two sets of people those who do sport and those who don’t.
Why did you decide to join Hylands?
Like I said before I first played mini tennis with Tina at my infants school like an after school activity. I must have joined Hylands soon after because I must have enjoyed it. In 2006 I also tried another local club which was very traditional and found it very different especially in the way Hylands was very people orientated. In the other club parents dropped the kids and left but at Hylands parents stay to watch their kids. The other thing about Hylands is that it is much friendlier and the focus is not just about competing and winning.
What do you think a coach should be at a club?
Primarily it should be the chance to improve whether that be mental or physical. The coaches are the link between the players and the management at the club. The club can look at the numbers and figures but if they do not know what the parents and children think of the club they cannot do anything with the money they have. You cannot just throw money at a problem and expect it to work. So it is the coaches job to report back on what the club needs.
In that case how would you use the coaches skills within a club?
Well, looking at Hylands for example you play tennis and know it inside out. I do not know if it is the same at other tennis clubs but if the managers are keen on the sport and they are not there just for the profit then there will be a keen interest from them to improve the club and the quality of the players. I also think that it works well when you grow the coaching team inside like we do with the tennis leader programme and help them with the level 1. I also think they should be part of the management committee.
How would you go about measuring coaches’ performance in a development club?
I cannot think of any other way but measuring participation that means numbers. If people start leaving there is a problem.
If you were co-ordinating the tennis leader programme, how would you develop it further? What else can the club do to make it attractive?
I think it makes sense to give different responsibilities according to age. If you are 17 you don’t want to be treated like when you were 13. This may sound a bit odd but I do believe in a tier system. I do believe that the more experienced tennis leaders should help the younger ones. Not sure what else you could do once they are 18 or older. I use the term tier to distinguish levels. I would call Tina a coach for example but I would not call myself a coach. I like the way we are now using terms like Tennis Leader and Senior Tennis Leader. It gives younger people something to aspire to.
Social Capital is very important at Hylands. Can you give me some examples of where you see evidence of this at our club?
My dad likes photography and he helps at the Awards ceremony. David Waldon helps with the graphics, he designs the literature and sponsors the WWJ event. You help out a lot in many different ways. You’ve got the tennis leaders with different skills and ideas we have different ideas we can add.
How would you describe a traditional tennis club?
It would be very serious, have a dress code and expect to fit in with the norms and values of the club. It’s almost like a status symbol, a social status.
How is it different from Hylands?
We have no dress code. It is easy to join and not expensive. There is no playing test. You can turn up and have a go. Membership seems to be linked to friendship here. I also think the fact that at Hylands there is no single ethnicity or single class is beneficial. I cannot see Hylands becoming cliquey as it has always been open to all.
If Hylands is so easy to join what do you think are barriers to take up tennis?
Price is important. If parents cannot afford the game the child will miss on the experience. By providing the equipment and unlimited access to the courts Hylands helps quite a lot. If parents do not know the sport and only know about football their children may miss out. Sometimes the scoring of matches makes it difficult for those families who have too much to do and are not time rich. Also, as I said before some people just do not want to do sport. They either do not like running or do not want to get sweaty or having to get changed. It seems like quite a lot of effort to them.
How can we sustain participation in the 14 – 25 age range?
This is one of the most important periods of your life. I think that if you have friends who do the same sport as you do you are more likely to carry on. The tennis leader scheme in the way is run at Hylands is almost an encouragement to stay on. It gives you an increased sense of responsibility. You can show you are enthusiastic and want to help. It is an opportunity to give something back rather than just doing a couple of hours every Saturday morning.
How do you keep up to date with tennis at Hylands?
We have regular emails and newsletters and tennis leaders also receive additional communication which is quick, easy and convenient. We can also contact the club and receive quick replies.
Are you surprised that despite the success of the Olympics and Andy Murray numbers are not going up as much as expected?
I am not sure how these numbers are collected but I am surprised. I also know the LTA has a website where you can put your postcode and it will come up with places where you can play and many parks are free. I suppose that cost remains the greatest factor so Schools like the Albany and clubs like Hylands linking together is a god thing. Also media attention regarding tennis is not as high as football for example and that would help.
Do you think that talent matters or is the idea about talent overrated?
That’s a tricky one. I don’t know how to put these into words properly but I suppose starting early and working hard at it is important to become good at something. I don’t want to sound big headed but I have done a lot of sport and I found that if you enjoy what you do, you want to be good at it so you spend more time practicing. That worked for me.
Is there anything you want to add?
Tennis is something I have done since early age. It is part of me. Something I do. I also think that as we talked about participation, I think that success breeds success. When you see Andy Murray winning the Olympics tennis event and Wimbledon is a good thing and it may inspire even those who do not usually follow the game to take it up.
Footnote
Shortly after this interview, Matt received his A level results with two A grades in Economics and Geography and a B grade in Politics. Matt will be reading Economics and Geography at Loughborough University with effect from this September 2013.
