IT JUST SEEMS RUDE TO ME Anyone who got to see the great play at the recent National Championships in Philadelphia certainly got treated to some of best platform tennis of a lifetime. Wow, how good are these players? They’re fantastic!! Sadly, some spectators at the Nationals may have also seen some of the worst displays of sportsmanship and etiquette by an admittedly very small minority of players. I am sure some of these players are not aware that they are being rude, others I think actually practice it in an effort to gain an edge over their competition. Okay, I admit I have always played the game for fun. While I liked to win, it wasn’t the be all and end all of my existence. I always tried to keep matches “friendly” and “courteous”. As I try to remind folks, no one is playing the sport because they need the prize money to put food on their family’s table. Platform tennis currently does not have a money tour. To me telling your opponent “nice shot” when they make a spectacular shot, doesn’t make someone any less competitive, it just seems to me the gentlemanly thing to do. It’s not like you will be ruining your concentration or giving your opponent an advantage by letting them know they just had a “put it on YouTube” moment. Heck, only two teams play in the National finals and I am watching a last chance back draw match. When switching sides and I have the ball, I like to hand my opponents the ball so that they can serve. I can never understand why players would place the balls on the baseline so that their opponents then need to bend down to pick them up. It just seems so rude to me. It reminds me of the gamesmanship seen at a junior tennis match. We’re all adults here, aren’t we? When I miss a shot, I know I may mutter under my breath words that may not be appropriate even in Norwegian. I really do try to keep my frustrations to myself. I am not a fan of shouting my displeasure for all to hear or throwing my paddle into the corner of the court. I am not impressed by the player who can make a double-bank shot off the screens with their paddle all the while yelling a stream of obscenities that would make a Marine drill sergeant blush. When I am down 5-0 in the second set after having lost the first 6-0, I don’t find it necessary to stop play so I can adjust my sunglasses or my headband or my windshirt for the third time as my opponent is in the middle of their service motion. What’s the point regardless of the score of the match? Thankfully, rudeness is not very prevalent in our great sport, and hopefully it will remain that way in the future. Please let me know your rudeness stories. what do you think? let me know! info@platformtennisnews.com |
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