# Ball chasers in pro tennis.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [July 4, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320 "2008-07-04T20:38:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/1 "2008-07-04T20:38:37Z")
I’ve been watching Wimbledon on the tube.
Those kids who chase down the balls, what’s their job called and why do they do it? Are they paid, or is it volunteer work. Are they aspiring to be pros? What they do looks so demeaning to a non-fan like me. I’m wondering if John McEnroe ever did that job:
“What the hell’s the matter with you. You really expect me to chase that way over there? You go get it, idiot” 😛
Peace,
mangeorge, who actually admires McEnroe. Always has.
---
### Author:  [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/2 "2008-07-04T21:24:40Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge]
I’ve been watching Wimbledon on the tube.
Those kids who chase down the balls, what’s their job called and why do they do it? Are they paid, or is it volunteer work. Are they aspiring to be pros? What they do looks so demeaning to a non-fan like me. I’m wondering if John McEnroe ever did that job:
“What the hell’s the matter with you. You really expect me to chase that way over there? You go get it, idiot” 😛
Peace,
mangeorge, who actually admires McEnroe. Always has.
[/QUOTE]
Ball boys. Politically incorrect, but there you go.
They’re always volunteers, usually tennis players themselves. Kids of Wimbledon members probably get priority. It’s a prestigious position, to be sure, because they get close to their idols.
Actually a majority of workers at these events are volunteers, courtesy of the local tennis organizations. (Here in Cincinnati, our Tennis Masters series draws from the local clubs. Kids, like adults, have to apply and be screened and not all get accepted.)
---
### Author:  [@SharkB8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharkB8)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/3 "2008-07-04T21:48:08Z")
I’m sorry…I thought this thread was about something entirely different…
I’ll go now.
---
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/4 "2008-07-05T00:29:16Z")
[QUOTE=SharkB8]
I’m sorry…I thought this thread was about something entirely different…
I’ll go now.
[/QUOTE]
Uh, um, go ask your mother. :o
---
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/5 "2008-07-05T00:31:04Z")
[QUOTE=PunditLisa]
Ball boys. Politically incorrect, but there you go.
They’re always volunteers, usually tennis players themselves. Kids of Wimbledon members probably get priority. It’s a prestigious position, to be sure, because they get close to their idols.
Actually a majority of workers at these events are volunteers, courtesy of the local tennis organizations. (Here in Cincinnati, our Tennis Masters series draws from the local clubs. Kids, like adults, have to apply and be screened and not all get accepted.)
[/QUOTE]
I figured as much.
Why is it that rich people get so much free stuff?
---
### Author:  [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/6 "2008-07-05T04:38:30Z")
The above from **PunditLisa** is at least partly untrue; the Championships have a few (three at present) local feeder schools who nominate the children they think would be best suited as ball boys/girls. If they pass a written and physical test, they then have to go through a whole bunch of training before they’re actually selected. To the best of my knowledge there’s no preference for members’ children whatsoever, nor can you improve your chances by paying other than by sending your child to one of the feeder schools. The children need to understand tennis scoring, but there’s no requirement for them to be players themselves.
[http://aeltc.wimbledon.org/en\_GB/about/guide/ballboys.html](http://aeltc.wimbledon.org/en_GB/about/guide/ballboys.html)
---
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2008, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/7 "2008-07-05T06:03:56Z")
Moved to The Game Room from Cafe Society.
---
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ball-chasers-in-pro-tennis/455320/8 "2008-07-05T06:20:23Z")
Professional tennis and video games. That about sums it up, eh?
Heh heh.
We’ve needed this forum for a long time. Now all we need is a “shrug” smiley. 😉
:shrug:
No?