About David Buckingham
David Buckingham is a New Zealand Professor of Chemistry and Author, who worked internationally.
David is also Grandfather to Josh who features in the following story.
A local success story
In today’s climate of international tensions brought about by different cultural and religious backgrounds, and the apparent spread of disease and poverty, not to mention global warming, it is pleasing to report in this newspaper a local success story, of how sport, in this case tennis has brought two young boys from different backgrounds to mutually respect each other’s similarities and differences, and how this has resulted in a growing friendship. It is a good story and needs telling.
The two boys are Josh and Jacob. Josh comes from Wanaka (New Zealand) and Jacob is a pupil at St Joseph’s Primary School in Bracken Ridge. Presently both boys are aged eight years. They have just taken part in a local tennis tournament, the Lincom Cup, organised by the Junior Tennis Association of Queensland Inc. (JTAQLD) and played at the Action Arenas tennis courts in Bracken Ridge.
The boys came together some 5 years ago at the age of 3 1/2 when Josh’s parents moved to Brisbane from Dunedin and Josh began tennis lessons with Teddy Bednarek at Coops in Teddy’s Toddler Tennis Programme. Both were, and still are, ordinary kids with no apparent special skills. But with encouragement from their parents and a well thought out programme to develop eye-body coordination skills in a very general way they rapidly learnt not only to hit a tennis ball, but to play soccer, to dance on their feet to the tune of a skipping rope, to do 20 press-ups, and to run nimbly between spaces in a rope ladder lying at the side of the court. Such exercises have led both boys to excel in many sports besides tennis; soccer, swimming, golf, rugby. But it is through tennis that their rivalry and friendship has grown.
In 2004 at the age of seven Josh won the inaugural Teddy’s Cup tennis tournament for 10-and-under boys singles, and Jacob did the same last year. In 2005 both went to Wanaka in New Zealand with a group of Teddy’s proteges to gain experience in match play against children from a different tennis background, and in January of this year, following Josh’s return to live in New Zealand, this visit was repeated with another group from Brisbane. Now Josh has returned to play in the Lincom Cup and to play Jacob in the final of the 11-and-under boys singles, (which Jacob won) and both boys joined forces to win the Boys Doubles final.
The Lincom Cup is held over 5 days with one singles match and one doubles match per day for each player. Experience has shown that for young children too much tennis in one day ceases to be enjoyable. Matches begin at 8am, and to avoid the heat of the afternoon sun are completed by midday. This year some 80 matches in all were played over the 5 days in 8-and-under and 11-and-under boys and girls grades.
For Josh and Jacob no quarter was asked or given on court, but following a hand shake they returned to other outlets for their friendly rivalry. This involved playing hand-ball, kicking a football, and later at home playing pool and DVD games. They are still just ordinary kids, but it is marvellous to watch their growing friendship based on the game of tennis. Others should follow their example as participation in sport at an early age clearly helps develop both healthy bodies and minds.
David Buckingham.
(A Frequent Visitor from New Zealand.)
Teddy's Toddler Tennis 