Quick, name the African-American tennis players and golfers who are on pro tours and are not named Venus, Serena or Tiger. Take your time, there are none to speak of.
It is amazing that since these three athletes have won everything in sight no one of color has been able to follow in their footsteps and even qualify to play in major events. If there have been two sports that have opened its doors to African Americans, it would be these sports and yet there are no players ready to move up while the rest of the world’s youth continues to make significant strides.
Oh, the NBA is still dominated by African-American youth especially when you are at least 6’8”. As for everyone else the dream continues as many end up shattered when it comes to being the next LeBron.
Because of the money that has been poured into tennis and golf for African-American youth, you would think by now that there would be the next Tiger or Serena lurking about. Such is not the case.
What is even more amazing is that tennis associations have come to inner cities and set up shop – Fairgrounds Park is a classic example – with white and foreign aspiring players feeling right at home along with some African Americans, and yet no one can get to the next level.
Yes, some found scholarships to go to college to play tennis or golf, but to see none in the U.S. Open that is open to anyone is still a mystery. The First Tee Foundation along with Clubs for Kids make golf accessible now, and yet these aspiring players for the next level fade away.
And It will be an all-white Wimbledon in clothing and color should Serena fall.
Mind you, I root for the best players no matter the color. I do mind the fact that the world is not always represented like it may be in other sports and the fault with that lies with us.
The opportunity is there, and no one has yet to seize it as parents sometimes look at the dollar signs before they look at the chance to get their kids involved.
Spare me with the instruction issue of the private nature. If Richard Williams could teach his daughters Serena and Venus the game with fundamentals and hard work, then why not yours? Woods did this in the heart of Compton, California on a city tennis court, much like those at Fairgrounds Park. No back yard courts, no $75 an hour instructor. Just work.
These young people now have people they can look up to, unlike Woods and the Williams sisters, who only had their fathers to look to. Thank goodness for fathers in this case. Yes, dads, who occasionally claim their kids, its OK to get involved and not be like some of these slobs who want to come around and lay claim to your kids after all the work has been done like Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron found out when their alleged real baby daddy showed up only to be rightfully turned away.
I am not sure the effort is put forth at home as much as it could be. Williams saw that he had kids that could beat anyone in the world, as the sport of tennis was lacking athletes of the nature his daughters provided and now have mandated on the tour. He went for it, made the investment in time, and here you have two of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport who learned the sport and played it in the inner city. You know, the area where many refuse to go and others tell you is only a spawning ground for the NBA.
The opportunities are there. It’s time that someone take advantage of them before they pack up and go to another neighborhood, never to return. We are wasting a golden opportunity, as Tiger, Serena and Venus will not be around forever.
Dawn does it – again
As the Olympics are just around the corner, it is no surprise that the St. Louis area will be well represented again as East St. Louis’ own Dawn Harper will defend her gold medal championship in the Women’s 110 meter hurdles. I say defend because she won at the last Olympics in Athens.
Now that you know who the real champion is let’s get something straight. Media darling LoLo Jones is not the champion, although if you listen and read long enough you would have thought she had won as many medals as Jackie Joyner Kersee. While Jones is an accomplished, quite attractive hurdler, Dawn Harper has that going for her along with a gold medal.
If this is going to be a popularity contest between Harper and Jones then how about let the actions on the track do the talking here as Harper has already spoke once and is set to do it again. Good luck to both and may they represent well.
Drafting Bradley Beal
Good luck to St. Louis’ Bradley Beal who will be drafted tonight into the NBA. While it appears that the Washington Wizards are set to draft him third overall, let’s hope that someone better than the Wizards trade up to take him as the Wizards would have a lot of work to do even after taking Beal. Beal has accounted for himself well in the workouts leading up to the draft, so our best to the next big star from St. Louis.
The alumni list continues to grow when it comes to the AAU powerhouse St. Louis Eagles who will now have Larry Hughes, David Lee and Bradley Beal to go through the program and find gold in the NBA. Few legitimate Select basketball programs can make that claim without scandal following them. The Eagles continue to be the gold standard when it comes to high school ballers who play on AAU teams. They run it the right way, on and off the court.
