The trials for the tennis ball kids of the Barclays ATP world tour finals have started! They started on the 20th January in Southampton and since then there have been 5 more trials out of the 14 regional trials that they do across the country.
I myself went to the Bromley regional trial on the 9th February and luckily I was able to make it through. It’s very competitive at the trials though, a hundred and fifty people went to my trial but they only chose nine. The competition is high because of what’s at stake. If you pass the regional trials and pass the national trials after, you get to ball boy for the top 8 tennis players in THE WORLD. Yes that means the likes of Federer, Nadal, Andy Murray, Djokovic etc., and it’s in the prestigious 02 arena. You get to be so close to these superstars that you can literally smell their sweat and hear their breaths. Plus the overall experience. You’re at the 02 arena with thousands of people watching your every move. At the trials they test the kids on their agility, speed, coordination, concentration and balance, so you have to be fairly fit if you want to be one of the top 30 people that get to actually serve the athletes their balls.
There are still places to be won for this year’s ATP world tour finals, or you can apply next year for a better chance of getting in. Be aware that the ball kids have to be aged 12-16 to apply. The remaining centres where you can go for the trials are in Oxford, West Bromwich, Nottingham, Manchester, Sunderland, Edinburgh, Bristol and Plymouth.
Go to this site for more info: http://www.barclaysballkids.com/index.php
