O/T - 4 year old tennis prodigy

[Matt W]

Did anybody see the 'future Wimbledon Champion' aged 4 years old on BBC Breakfast this morning?

What the fuk is that about? What good can the attention possibly do her? You cannot predict a future champion at 4 years old. She has so much development to undergo - physical, psychological, social, emotional - that it's impossible to say whether she will even stay in the sport, let alone be any good at it.

I used to be an athlete and the amount of potential champions I saw as teenagers, let alone under 5s, that disappeared from the sport is incredible. From my age group only Darren Campbell, Katherine Merry & Paula Radcliffe went on to international success. Of those Merry was always outstanding, whereas I used to train with a girl that always used to beat Radcliffe (she had to quit with injury).

It does my napper in when I see things like this

[Poncey]

We seem to be the bad at grabbing any kid with potential and hailing them as the "next big thing" from a very early age.

Putting more pressure on their shoulders.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Well, worked for Tiger Woods.

[DavidPayne]

Who, now aged 30ish, looks like an extra from Cocoon III.

[Bard of Boxrec]

I know of a 4 month old baby whose dad put boxing gloves on him, this guy is a hot prospect folks. look out for him to turn pro in 2027 after a glittering amateur career.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Did anybody see the 'future Wimbledon Champion' aged 4 years old on BBC Breakfast this morning?

What the fuk is that about? What good can the attention possibly do her? You cannot predict a future champion at 4 years old. She has so much development to undergo - physical, psychological, social, emotional - that it's impossible to say whether she will even stay in the sport, let alone be any good at it.

I used to be an athlete and the amount of potential champions I saw as teenagers, let alone under 5s, that disappeared from the sport is incredible. From my age group only Darren Campbell, Katherine Merry & Paula Radcliffe went on to international success. Of those Merry was always outstanding, whereas I used to train with a girl that always used to beat Radcliffe (she had to quit with injury).

It does my napper in when I see things like this

Agree completely I went to school with a lad who won the Brit cross country championships and never heard anything from him after that.

I remember Katherine Merry being talked about as a prodigy but she never made the transition to world class in the sprints until she moved up to 400m late in her career. Then she made world class but she only seemed to be around for a couple of seasons before disapearing.

Looking at our sport, boxing, many of the best start pretty young like Mayweather and Hamed. Then you have the Nigel Benns who start lateish at 19 and while being world class don't have quite the same refinement

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

I know of a 4 month old baby whose dad put boxing gloves on him, this guy is a hot prospect folks. look out for him to turn pro in 2027 after a glittering amateur career.

Is that your son by any chance?

[Poncey]

Well, worked for Tiger Woods.

Did you see his first appearance on Bob Hope's show. He couldn't putt for toffee.

I think Tiger is an exception based upon his Dad being/was very driven. Bit like Lewis.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Did anybody see the 'future Wimbledon Champion' aged 4 years old on BBC Breakfast this morning?

What the fuk is that about? What good can the attention possibly do her? You cannot predict a future champion at 4 years old. She has so much development to undergo - physical, psychological, social, emotional - that it's impossible to say whether she will even stay in the sport, let alone be any good at it.

I used to be an athlete and the amount of potential champions I saw as teenagers, let alone under 5s, that disappeared from the sport is incredible. From my age group only Darren Campbell, Katherine Merry & Paula Radcliffe went on to international success. Of those Merry was always outstanding, whereas I used to train with a girl that always used to beat Radcliffe (she had to quit with injury).

It does my napper in when I see things like this

Agree completely I went to school with a lad who won the Brit cross country championships and never heard anything from him after that.

I remember Katherine Merry being talked about as a prodigy but she never made the transition to world class in the sprints until she moved up to 400m late in her career. Then she made world class but she only seemed to be around for a couple of seasons before disapearing.

Looking at our sport, boxing, many of the best start pretty young like Mayweather and Hamed. Then you have the Nigel Benns who start lateish at 19 and while being world class don't have quite the same refinement

Some people aren't cut out for success in sport. In fact, most 'normal' people aren't. You've got to be a bit of an obsessive psycho to make it to the top in any sport. The countless hours, days, years of practice just aren't everyone's cup of tea.

There's thousands of naturally gifted competitors who just think 'oh sod it' and jack it in after a few years, or are content to be of middling level and make a living at it without ever achieving their full potential, that's just the way it is.

[Lenny]

We seem to be the bad at grabbing any kid with potential and hailing them as the "next big thing" from a very early age.

Putting more pressure on their shoulders.

Yep there is a lesson to be learned from Sonny Pike

[E]

We seem to be the bad at grabbing any kid with potential and hailing them as the "next big thing" from a very early age.

Putting more pressure on their shoulders.

Yep there is a lesson to be learned from Sonny Pike

Oh yeah - whatever happened to him?

[Lenny]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Pike

[E]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Pike

Lord poor kid.

How old is he now? I assume he has nothing to do with football now?

[Lenny]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Pike

Lord poor kid.

How old is he now? I assume he has nothing to do with football now?

According to this website he still plays Sunday league

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/jojo3/

[WildWaylon]

I know of a 4 month old baby whose dad put boxing gloves on him, this guy is a hot prospect folks. look out for him to turn pro in 2027 after a glittering amateur career.

Is that your son by any chance?

I thought that also.

[WildWaylon]

I knew a lad, a friends child, who was a very talented young footballer - He played for England as a schoolboy and looked set to have a great career ahead of him - He had a trial at Derby County but was off form having just got over a bout of flu - Stoke and another team which I cant remember were interested but he turned them down, no idear why - He went to live in America aged 20 and joined a soccer team out there - Then came the shocking news, he died of a fatal heart attack aged just 27 - You can never be sure when a kid is young what will become of them.

[Matt W]

A few observations:

Katerine Merry - the assessment above is bang on the money. In addition I could name British & World junior record holders that I know that either struggled or made no impact at all at senior level.

For every Tiger Woods there are hundreds of could-have-beens.

It's hard enough to spot world class potential amongts adults - it wasn't that long ago that Ricardo Williams and Francisco Bojado were can't miss future world champions.

Many of these 'future champions' are ruined by injury because the reason they are so good is that they are training far more than they should be for their age. Steve Ovett made a good point at the last Olympics when injury was blamed as a factor; he said that it isn't an excuse because it means that something is wrong with their training and it should be iidentified and sorted out.

Terry / Shaggy - it's Tom Cruise mate :P And I still have certain prodigious talents but they are, by necessity, confined to the privacy of my own home...