Tennis wins for mental health, first-rate second serves & more
by Ruth Jarvis
SELT Team
October 10 is World Mental Health Day, and our chance to celebrate the positive benefits that tennis brings for mood and wellbeing. We all recognise that natural high you take away from the court with you – that’s your endorphins and dopamine neurotransmitters at work.
According to Sport England, being physically active can improve mood, decrease the chance of depression and anxiety and lead to a better and more balanced lifestyle; and not just among adults. The Mental Health Foundation has found strong evidence that sport and physical activity have positive effects on the mental health problems diagnosed in children and young people, which are on a troubling upward trend. The number of new NHS referrals for anxiety among under-18s has more than doubled in four years, standing at 204,526 in 2023-24. About one in four people of all ages will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
Most forms of physical activity will help improve mental health, but research often singles out tennis in particular. A recent study has found that players give themselves a state-of-mind score 13% higher than their peers. Perhaps this is because the benefits of tennis go beyond simple physical activity. It’s a mental workout, too, teaching you to overcome setbacks, anticipate your opponent’s moves and strategise, which helps you develop transferable skills of resilience, planning and problem solving. It’s also a brilliant social connector – and when you hit that wondrous (if elusive!) state of flow, you are about as mindful as it gets.
We witness the power of tennis for lifting the mood on a daily basis (it’s one of the reasons we love what we do), but sometimes picking up a racket isn’t enough. If you need more support, we encourage you to reach out. Lewisham Wellbeing Hub is here, and the Council’s help page here.
Talking of the social pleasures of tennis, our annual community tournament, Ladywell Cup, reached its climax with a fab finals weekend last month – despite the weather’s best efforts to thwart proceedings. Some nifty rearranging to accommodate the rained off matches from Saturday and fantastic weather meant the finals day delivered as planned with spectators enjoying some competitive and riveting tennis in the seven finals, along with Chris Howard’s wife’s now-legendary chocolate brownies.
This year marked an evolution in the tournament’s development, with the launch of a website, a great new logo, improved behind-the-scenes tech and a brand new category (mixed doubles).
Ladywell Cup is a really special event that embodies the unique spirit of Lewisham’s friendly tennis community. It’s run entirely by volunteers to bring players of all levels together to have fun while sharing a passion for the game – huge thanks to you all. It’s a massive task, but worth it, says organiser and spreadsheet supremo Mariana Fabris:
‘Seeing all your smiles and enthusiasm over these past two weekends has been an absolute joy for everyone organising this tournament. It’s been a journey, and as you all can see, I have great power, as I made some calls and sorted the weather for the last Sunday!’
A big shout-out to the winners:
Men’s Singles: Ben Walton
Women’s Singles: Tamaki Hasegawa
Men’s Doubles: Pavel Katunin & Edward Neville
Women’s Doubles: Jackie Hodge & Jessa Fries
Mixed Doubles: Thomas Kyle & Melanie Johnson
Men’s Plate: Felix Giallombardo
Women’s Plate: Senem Cilingiroglu (defending her title)
Facilities Two courts in lots of space, and the only floodlights outside Ladywell. Plus changing rooms in the pavilion near the café
How about coaching? We want to encourage the local community to enjoy this great new facility, and there are some free classes available for beginners of all ages who live nearby. For more info, call Chris Howard on 07739 936999. Everyone else can book courts on the ClubSpark Booker app.
Can I park nearby? SO nearby. The park has its own car park, accessed from Amblecote Road
How’s the public transport? The courts are a pleasant 10-minute walk from Grove Park station and local buses
What else is there to do in the park? It’s a big, bucolic space, with a natural river running through (the Quaggy) and meadows you can lose yourself in, including a new wetland area pulsing with pond life and a peace garden opened by Desmond Tutu
Where can I refuel? There’s a café, and in good weather the meadows are a great spot for a picnic: pick up supplies at the Sainsbury’s near the station
Good to know There’s an accessible toilet in the pavilion and wide, flat paths to the courts
Your second serve has to be failsafe. SELT’s head coach Michael Stephens demos three key techniques for making it count every time. Book lessons with Michael here.
Courts are usually blue or green
Green is a traditional choice to evoke the original grass courts and harmonise with natural surroundings, but blue is becoming popular for the contrast it provides for the yellow ball. Pro court colour is a whole ballgame of its own: the psychological benefits of green (for calm) and blue (for mental clarity) are factored in, along with branding potential – the USTA has trademarked the blue of the inner court at Flushing Meadows (Pantone 2965U) and the green outer court (Pantone 357U) for marketing purposes.
Match balls are yellow
We have Sir David Attenborough to thank for this, in his role as Controller of BBC2. When colour TV started to emerge in the late 1960s he mooted the change from white balls for their better visibility.
Wimbledon players wear white
Originally, because of Victorian snobbism and to minimise unsightly sweat stains. Currently, according to the All England Lawn Tennis Club: ‘The all-white rule isn’t about fashion, it’s about letting the players and the tennis stand out.’
Easy to learn?
Pickleball 15 Padel 0
The ball’s slower and no need to compute those angles off the wall
Popularity
Pickleball 15 Padel 15
400,000 people played padel in 2024 in the UK, triple the number in 2023. The figure for pickleball was up by 65% at 35,000
Health benefits
Pickleball 30 Padel 15
Tough call. Both are great for both mental and physical fitness. Pickleball edges it just because injury risk may be slightly lower
Famous fans
Pickleball 30 Padel 30
Emma Watson v Stormzy? It’s an easy win for the local grime artist
Older players
Pickleball 40 Padel 30
Pickle is easy to pick up or move on to from tennis, and is slower and lower-impact
Gameplay
Deuce!
Padel takes this one: those walls make for faster play and more strategic thinking
Children
Advantage Pickleball
Easy-to-learn pickleball with its sports-hall court is under consideration for the school curriculum
Cost
Game to pickleball!
Specialist courts for Padel mean higher fees
🎾 For SELT’s pickleball programme at the Ladywell Centre (pictured above), click here
Whether indoor (for pickleball) or outdoor (for tennis),
Chris, Michael and the SELT team
Website by Dan Stevens