The Affects of Equality in Sports

Introduction

The fight for equality in sports is founded on the view that it is crucial that the authorities involved should recognize, appreciate, and encourage the diversity of the people that make up the sporting world (Disabled World, 2013). In essence, the argument is that everyone should be valued equally, and should be given equal opportunities. Diversity, on the other hand, refers to the individual difference that is inherent in every human being. Equality in sporting opportunities is championed on the basis that in addition to the numerous benefits that are enjoyed by the individuals who are encouraged to participate, the nation and sporting communities also benefit as their health, growth and development are positively influenced (Disabled World, 2013). When everyone is afforded equal opportunities to discover and exploit their sporting potential, the community and nation are bound to benefit from their success and individual development.

Benefits of Equality in Sports

One of the major benefits of providing equal opportunities for people to participate in sports is that it increases the pool from which a sports organization can draw talent to be employed in various capacities. Sports organizations do not only need athletes, but rather are supported by people playing other roles such as administration, volunteering, and management (Disabled World, 2013). Embracing diversity and equality gives the organization the opportunity to discover talent among different people and to create employment and sources of income for them. In this way, the organization can benefit from the skills, knowledge and creativity of a wide variety of people regardless of their level of athletic abilities.

Secondly, treating people equally is also an important means through which cohesion, unity, and sportsmanship may be encouraged within the sports community (Disabled World, 2013). By teaching people to value the difference and inherent value in each other, a sports community is encouraged to see beyond the physical features that define people, and to appreciate them in deeper and more meaningful ways. Thirdly, equality in sports can also act as an important launch pad for championing equality in other facets of the socio-economic space. For example, when people grow accustomed to seeing women participating in sports that were previously dominated by men, they may experience a shift in their thinking and begin to embrace women acting in traditionally male roles in the economic environment. Therefore, the successes that are enjoyed in sports concerning equality may also spill over to the rest of the sectors that make up an economy.

Furthermore, the equality that is experienced in sports may also lead to positive impact in legislation formation and implementation, more so legislation that touches on the right to equality. Where there may have been difficulty in getting the relevant stakeholders to buy into the idea of the legislation, if the social facts on the ground change so that such legislation is rendered necessary for the times, it would be easier for the stakeholders involved to gather support to pass these legislations. It would also be wise to implement them among the people upon whom the laws are being imposed.

Challenges in Obtaining Equality in Sports

One of the factors that significantly hinder the encouragement of equality in sports are the social factors that affect certain groups disproportionately when compared to other groups (Marivoet, 2014). For example, it is note-worthy that due to biological differences, women cannot, in a strict sense, enjoy sports in the same manner that men can. For instance, married women will most likely have to sacrifice a part of their sporting careers to have children and possibly, raising them. For this reason, it is important to ensure that women are made aware of their reproductive rights and that they are provided with an environment in which they can make decisions regarding their bodies without undue external influences. For this reason, social activism is important, and it plays a leading role in ensuring that disadvantaged groups can enjoy their careers without the negative influences that may hinder such enjoyment and possible growth.

Furthermore, it has become increasingly evident that in some cases, especially where there is a severe disadvantage on the part of the parties concerned, that there is a need for policy provisions which will prevent discrimination and other negative behavioral impediments from reaching the sports community. Whereas equality within sports may lead to a decline in the rate of discrimination suffered by the disadvantaged groups, in some cases, it appears that the influence has to work inversely, i.e. changes in society may assist in improving equality in sports (Marivoet, 2014).

Lastly, the media has also been identified as one of the other factors that are hampering the growth of equality. For instance, by providing less coverage of disadvantaged groups that are participating in sports, the media cements the prejudices that are held by the public regarding the participation of women and the disabled in sports. Some commentators have argued that the media is seen to be partial towards men, with women receiving very little coverage, and even then, mostly in sensational stories which do not underline their performances, skills, or abilities (Mwambwa, 2018). The major complaint in this regard is that women are less likely to be portrayed as autonomous agents, but rather as subjects of the story to whom various unfortunate occurrences are happening (Mwambwa, 2018). Media is a powerful tool in achieving equality because it may serve to motivate for different people to participate in sports. If more young women see their counterparts participating in one form of sporting activity or another, they would be encouraged to do the same as such participation will move from the realm of the impossible and unprecedented to that of possibility and ordinariness.

Conclusion

In summary, equality in sports has been revealed to be an inestimable goal, which would create numerous opportunities for traditionally disadvantaged groups. These opportunities, it has been discussed, need not be directly involved with athletics but rather, could also be supportive and administrative. The goal in such a mission is to protect the dignity of individuals by giving them meaningful roles within the sports community, thereby allowing them to feel included and valued. As it has also been made apparent, numerous benefits also accrue to the organization which resolves to embrace diversity and equality as an organizational policy. However, it has also been shown that there are various challenges which operate as impediments to the achievement of this equality and which would have to be dealt with if disadvantaged groups are to be raised from the quagmire of discrimination and derision.

-Sherif

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References

Disabled World. (2013, June 13). Embracing equality in sports coaching. Retrieved from https://www.disabled-world.com/sports/equality-sports-coaching.php

Marivoet, S. (2014). Challenges of sport towards social inclusion and awareness-raising against any discrimination. Physical Culture and Sport Studies and Research, 63, 3-11. Retrieved from https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/pcssr.2014.63.issue-1/pcssr-2014-0017/pcssr-2014-0017.pdf

Mwambwa, L. (2018). Media can promote women in sports. Gender Links for Equality and Justice. Retrieved from http://genderlinks.org.za/programme-web-menu/media-can-promote-women-in-sport-2009-06-29/

Becoming the Complete Tennis Player

How do we become a complete tennis players?

I have noticed from all of the places I have worked at that parents mostly think only about how many hours my kid is going to hit tennis balls? How many hours they will spend on the tennis court? This is not the way to get better, it is not the way to be able to compete in high school tennis, college tennis, or professional events. 

Tennis is a hard game, not an easy one like everybody would think about just from watching television. It is a lot of effort, hard work, and heart. If you don’t put 100% in everything you do, you are not going to achieve hardly anything. You have to push yourself as hard as you can and make sure that you are very tired after the end of each session. 

There are so many different ways to be a better tennis players. I will share today 6 tips that will helpful for you guys to read and follow and it will benefit everyone. We are going to be talking about: Diet, Legs, Cross-Training, Arms, Stretches and Confidence. We have to follow directions and make sure that we are on the right track.

Dieting

We have to train like professionals and eat like them as well. People think that diet is not important, and they can eat whatever they want and at anytime they want. Food is the fuel for your body. It is the same thing with the car, if there is not fuel they car is not going to drive. If we don’t eat the right food and at the right time, it is going to affect our performance on the tennis court.

Diet and nutrition play a key role in any pro-player’s healthy living regime. Although you might not be able to have a dietician on hand or a personal chef, you can still eat like a tennis player. One of the key food groups to focus on is carbs. During a match, a tennis player can lose typically between 500 to 1500 calories, so refuelling using carbohydrates is essential. Eat pasta, rice, or cereals post-match. Take a leaf out of Rafael Nadal’s book and eat some grilled fish, such as salmon, alongside a portion of pasta and fresh vegetables. On those days when you’re not playing a game, start your day with a smoothie. Venus  Williams eats vegetable-based smoothies, using kale, carrots, cucumber and protein powder to create a nutritious morning juice. For lunch, Venus likes to eat big salads with plenty of raw vegetables, beans, and lentils. To eat like Venus, knock up a lentil, pea and bean salad for lunch, adding honey, feta and some olive oil to liven up the dish. If you continue to eat this mix of protein, fruit and vegetables, fiber  and carbohydrates you should be able to get the body of a tennis player. Some people don’t like fish; you can switch fish for grilled chicken. You can always make your plate as healthy as possible. You have salad with very basic things in it like cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce and olive oil. There is always a way to eat get and stay healthy to be able to perform in the best way possible and stay on court for the longest period of time.

Legs

One of the most important things as well for any athlete, and specifically a tennis player, are strong legs. Speed, agility, and sheer strength is required from a tennis player’s legs, and you’ll need to work hard to achieve the toned legs that will help you to improve your tennis game. Having strong legs will give you all the confidence in your ground strokes and your ability as a tennis player. You are not going to worry about getting tired, and you will just remain focus on playing the right game. One of the best ways to tone your legs is to skip. Rumor has it, Roger Federer kicks off his training sessions by skipping, and so should you. Try to skip for one minute before resting. Repeat this between three and five times, depending on your fitness levels. Another great way to work your legs is to do some interval training. Serena Williams completes interval training as a part of her training and if it works for her it will work for you. If you are running on a treadmill, begin by walking quickly for two minutes, then walk a little quicker on a steeper gradient for one minute before sprinting with no gradient for one minute. Repeat this process between three and five times. If you are working outside, use lamp posts, or a stopwatch, to complete your session. You should also try to include some lunges with resistance, and some lateral raises into your exercise routine to get legs like a tennis player. Each player is different but we can always push as hard as we can to get the best out of it. 

Clearly if you want to look like a pro-player you have to play tennis. Although the stars play daily for a couple of hours at a time, chances are you have other commitments, which means you can’t dedicate so much time to the court. However, just because you can’t dedicate as much time to tennis as the pros, doesn’t mean that when you train you should only play tennis. You still need to work out your body doing other forms of exercise. This is known as cross training. 

Cross-Training

Cross-training is essential for any athlete, not only because it helps build and work other muscle groups (which in turn helps you to become a better tennis player), but it also helps to reduce the stress on the body and hopefully will reduce your risk of picking up a common tennis injury.  Cross-Training is one of the best ways to develop muscular endurance for tennis. The goal for cross training is to provide your body with a variety of exercises that will develop and strengthen the muscles commonly used while playing tennis.Try to work some alternative training sessions into your routine, such as cycling, strength training or rock climbing. This will make you a better player and you’ll also have a flawless tennis body as a result.

Arms

If you want to have a serve that clocks up triple digits (the fastest ever serve on record is, according to the Guinness World Records, 163.7mph and was hit by Sam Groth in 2012) then you need to pay some serious attention to these arm exercises. As well as playing tennis, you need to do some decent strength training exercises too. Try to include a combination of exercises, such as straight-arm rowing, dips, chest presses, push-ups and medicine ball drills.

In order to keep progressing and building muscle and tone in your arms you have to make sure you keep your training sessions varied. Experiment with a range of different exercises. Having a strong arm will always allow you to have a bigger ground strokes, as well as a big serve. Having a big serve will help you to win points quickly, and you are not going to get close to the exhausting time because you do not have to run and chase the ball as much. Serve is 50% is your game. 

Stretching is a big part, and plays an important role in our daily life, not only on the tennis court. I have seen so many kids finish practice and decide to take their bag and leave. This is the easiest way to get injured, we have to stretch. We have to take our time in stretching, and spend at least 20 to 30 seconds in each stretch we are going to do to avoid getting an injury or a tight muscle. We can always stretch at home after shower, right before bed. Make it one of your daily routines. We have to take care of, and make sure that we stretch every muscle in our body.

Confidence

Lastly, one very important topic that I love talking about, and did a lot of research on, is confidence. If you watch tennis players, both off and on, court they don’t slink about or slouch. They stand tall. They are confident. Their shoulders are back, their hips are in line with their ears and boy don’t they look 10 times better for it. Remember that getting the body of a tennis player is not just about working out a lot and eating decent food, it’s also about your posture and your confidence too.

To improve your posture, work your core by doing exercises like the plank. You can also strengthen your core by doing a Pilates class, doing back extensions and performing exercises that work your obliques and your abdomen. This core work will also improve your balance and tone up your stomach, so there are lots of benefits to be gained by doing these exercises.

As well as exercising you also need to be conscious of your posture throughout the day and make sure you reposition your body and ensure your spine sits in an S shape when your posture begins to slip.

Players can build up their confidence by working as hard as they can, and putting everything out in practice because what happens in practice will happen in the tennis match. Working on the things that we need to work on over and over is the key to becoming an outstanding tennis player. These are all things that are going to build your confidence. Always believe in yourself, think about all the positive things, and how many hours you have trained. By doing this, you are ready to go and beat everyone.

Being a tennis player, or an athlete in general, is tough. You have to sacrifice a lot of things in life and put tennis, or any sport that you play or compete in, as your first priority. Do what will help you to get better, and when you feel like getting lazy or tired, tell yourself I want to be good and I want to reach all my goals, and this is not going to happen by sitting at home.

I hope you guys are staying home, and safe. Hope everyone is doing well, and doing some exercises. Let me know please if you have any questions.

-Sherif

Interested in taking lessons? Contact The Wembley Club at (440)543-8171 or dave@wembleyclub.com!

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Leadership Mentality

Being a leader is something that I have always wanted, and I am working always as hard as I can to be the best leader to all the kids and all the tennis players that I teach. The leader has to be a leader on and off the tennis court, and be a very good example for everybody around. You can be a leader with good attitude that everybody around loves you and respect you.

Staying focused, working hard to perfect your talent, inspiring people, being a good sport, having tremendous drive, and taking chances are key attributes. I am so thankful that my experiences with sports early on in life taught me these basic lessons that contributed to my success at work (and in life in general). Hard work, persistence, and experience are essential to becoming a great leader, and I do not believe that opportunities just fall onto your lap. You have to want them. It really helps to be passionate about the things you are working hard to achieve, like the love of the sport, the desire to win. 

On-Court Attitude

On the tennis court, part of working hard and getting the most out of it, was finding opportunities to lead – whether that meant displaying model sportsmanship, being a team captain or leveraging my experience as a coach to help others improve. Taking on any leadership role will shape you down the road and has a cumulative effect that will equip you to lead throughout your life. I have always known the importance of teamwork since I played college tennis and played on so many different leagues either in Egypt or in Germany. Working as a team and helping each other on and off court is something that I love about being a tennis player and now working at Wembely and being in that position and working with other coaches is always something that going to benefit me as a coach and the other coaches as well.

Another important part of being a team is embracing the help of a coach or mentor. I am so appreciative of the opportunities I have had to both be a coach, and learn from a coach, that I have continued this practice throughout my life. Taking chances is another “must do” in life and leadership. I depend a lot on my gut, my instincts, and my emotions. I kind of have a feeling of what is right, and what is wrong and then I balance that with facts. Every leader has to rely on their ability to make the right call at the right time. 

All Kids Are Different

I believe that everyone is different and being leader means being responsible. Kids are different, and coaches have to make sure and learn about kids as fast as they can, and make sure they give the right information in the best way possible. Being a leader doesn’t mean that you have to shout or yell at the people you are working with, or the kids you are teaching. It is all about respect, and knowing what you have to do or say on the right time and that is what is going to make you different than anyone else. Some kids needs special treatment, and/or telling them things in a different way without hurting their feelings. We have to be responsible for our actions and everything we do to make kids better.

How does being an effective leader involve taking more risks?

I believe that taking risks means facing fears or challenges, and having the courage to move forward. A successful leader is the one who finds new or better ways of achieving things. He/she is the one who finds different solutions for problems or issues. An effective leader should understand that taking risk is so essential when it comes to achieving results; they should step out of their comfort zone and understand the nuances of the challenge they are facing in order to achieve success. Nothing would be accomplished if we refrain from taking risks.

Conclusion

Although, being a leader doesn’t mean that you have to be talking all the time, and not giving the chance to anyone to talk. You always have to give enough space to parents or kids to talk and discuss things with you. Ask questions and they answer. Let them ask questions and you have to answer all the questions they have for you in a very honest and polite way. Leaders should voice their opinions, however, the followers should feel accepted and appreciated. I believe that leaders should listen in order to challenge themselves and learn from others. I have seen some stubborn head coaches who doesn’t want to listen to anyone and think that they are the best. It is good to have self confident but no matter how good you are, you still have to listen to others.

-Sherif

Interested in taking lessons? Contact The Wembley Club at (440)543-8171 or dave@wembleyclub.com!

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Growing Up With Pressure

Growing up, having your own dad as a tennis coach can be pretty rough. I know many people understand where I’m coming from. My dad used to be a professional tennis player and played in many grand slams, so you could say he knew what he was talking about. While he was coaching top players in the nation, he always managed to have time for me. Having tennis run through your blood has its positives and negatives, but I know that growing up as a junior 

I felt immense pressure. So this is what I’d like to talk about in this blog post. Pressure. 

Whether parents know it or not, junior players always feel the pressure due to the sports nature of individuality. My own father never really put much pressure on me to play, but I knew there were standards I had to meet. Without him saying it, I knew he wanted me to win every single match. Many adolescents deal with this pressure differently. For me, I chose to take it out on the ground with my racquet.

As a kid, I overcame this slowly (somewhat) as I matured. I remember when I was 13 my dad didn’t enter me in any tournaments for 6 months. He could see I was getting burnt out mentally already at an early age. So, I took the 6 months off. Still training every day. The second half of that year was probably one of my best as a junior. I felt relieved of all pressure, all I needed was a break. 

So, I encourage everyone to take this break as a real “break” mentally. Especially from competition. Once it’s all over and we are back on court, it’ll feel that bit more special. Never take it for granted, and enjoy the game!

-Dre 🙂

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Tennis at Wembley Through the Eyes of Dre

There’s an incredibly joyful social presence that comes along with being a member of The Wembley Club. I love to see all our members getting involved whether it be tennis, fitness, or through the use of our ever growing list of amenities. We like to see everyone getting involved no matter what your level of play is. Whether it be as an individual or as a family there’s so many ways in which you can have fun!

Growing up, I was constantly around tennis courts every day as my dad was a Tennis Professional. Before coming to Wembley, I had never been a part of a club socially where it almost feels like family. The functions, parties, random pool sessions in the summer make it all worthwhile, especially after enduring a tough training session. 

Our philosophy for tennis is based around the fact that we want everyone to have an incredible learning experience, and make it fun for everyone that steps onto our courts. It’s important to us that we mold our programs to be catered to everyone. My ideology comes from a long running background in tennis, and I believe that everyone needs the chance to maximize their own style of play and find their individual flair. One of my main goals as a coach would have to be that everyone has a fun and positive experience with tennis once they leave the court. As a team, all of the Wembley employees are extremely easy going and in most cases you will see us building friendships that we will have for years to come.

Wembley knows how to have fun both on and off the court which is what I think sets us apart from other clubs, and for that, I’d like to thank all the members for making our staff love our jobs! 

We like to work with our members to create the best possible experience so I would like to encourage you to share with me any ideas you have that would make your experience the best there is!

-Dre Mick

Interested in taking lessons? Contact The Wembley Club at (440)543-8171 or dave@wembleyclub.com!

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