Transcript The Case Studies

The Case Studies
Tennis Through Time
The Spec Says….
• For each case study activity candidates should be
able to, with reference to the content specific to
each activity:
– analyse the activity as popular recreation
– assess the influence of 19th-century public schools on
the development of the activity
– demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the
activity as rational recreation
– demonstrate knowledge and understanding of both
participation and barriers to participation in the
activity today
What we need to know…
• Real tennis as an exclusive, elitist pre-industrial activity.
• Tennis and other striking games in public schools: (fives,
racquets, squash) their status and organisation.
• Lawn tennis as a middle class invention; tennis as a social
occasion and as a vehicle for the emancipation of women and
their participation in sport.
• Factors that have helped develop tennis in the UK and the
impact of these factors on contemporary participation and
performance
Tennis as a Popular Recreation
Real Tennis
• Real or Royal Tennis originated in France and
became popular in Britain during the 14th
Century
• Exclusively for Kings and Nobles who played in
purpose built, highly-sophisticated courts
varying in size and shape
• Real tennis had complex rules and required
high levels of skill
• Henry VIII built a court at Hampton Court
Palace which is still used today – paid a lot of
lost wagers, so he wasn’t very good
• Most University Colleges had a court
Tennis as a Popular Recreation
Real Tennis
• To what extent does real tennis fit in with the normally
accepted characteristics of Popular Recreation? Discuss.
Natural/Simple – Complex, Purpose Built
Local – Kings, Nobles and Merchants would travel to compete
Simple, Unwritten Rules – Very complex rules, making it Elitist and exclusive for the Literate
Cruel/Violent – No elements of violence, more a skilful game
Occasional – Purpose built facilities meant the game could be played more often
Courtly/Popular – Strongly Courtly, made complex to keep the popular out
Rural – Some courts in Rural Palaces, others built at Inner City locations
Occupational – No, the courtly used to play recreationally, not as a source of income
Wagering – Yes, the Courtly would wager. Henry VIII lost a lot of wagers
Tennis as a Popular Recreation
Other Pre-Industrial Versions of Tennis
• A variety of hand or bat and ball games were all called tennis
• The exclusive nature of Real Tennis meant those not eligible to
play copied their social superiors and play their own versions
against church or pub walls
• The lower class also played field tennis or handball in the
streets and countryside
• Local versions of tennis such as Fives, Squash and Racquets
were taken to public schools and developed
Influence of 19th Century Public Schools
Fives
• Ancient and Informal in Origin. Best known structure is Eton
Fives, whose odd shaped court is a modification of the
space by Eton Chapel steps
• Fives was hugely popular in Public Schools but failed to
become a national game because:
–
–
–
–
It had a tradition or being played as a recreational game in free time
There were different versions of the game (Eton Fives, Winchester Fives)
It had limited scope for developing character
The more sophisticated game of Racquets was established
Influence of 19th Century Public Schools
Racquets and Squash
• Originated in Fleet Prison, London, and ended up being played
by upper class public school boys and university men
• It was not developed by hardened criminals but debtors and
gentlemen of high social standing – therefore allowed to
exercise in the courtyard
• Played informally by public school boys using naturally
occurring courts. By 1850, 2 standardised courts were built at
Harrow
• The game began to attain a high social status and became
more sophisticated, with the court rationalised with 4 walls
instead of 1, and a roof to protect against bad weather
Influence of 19th Century Public Schools
Racquets and Squash
• Many argue racquets lead to the
invention of the more compact and
less expensive game of squash
• Boys at Harrow who were waiting to
play on the courts used to ‘knock
up’ outside
• To avoid damage to the windows,
they used a less hard, more
‘squashy’ ball
• By 1860, purpose built squash
courts were common and boys took
the game on the university and back
to their country homes, spreading
the word about the game
Influence of 19th Century Public Schools
• Tennis through the stages of Public Schools Athleticism
Tennis as a Rational Recreation
• Lawn Tennis
• Invented by, and for, the middle
class as a social experience
• It became a vehicle for the
emancipation of women (Liberation,
new found freedom from societal
restrictions)
• Not welcomed with open arms by
public schools at a time when
manliness and courage were allimportant
• Its status and organisation was
limited in public school compared to
team games
Tennis as a Rational Recreation
• Why did Public School boys reject Lawn tennis as anything other than an
Informal social event held at ‘house courts’, and not a serious inter-school
event and never for the development of character? Discuss.
• Lawn tennis took up a lot of space for the number of boys that would be
occupied (Space was better in terms of Fives and Racquets)
• Did not require the courage and physicality or football or cricket
• It could not rival the contemporary status of football or cricket
• Did not require the teamwork or co-operation of major games
• Had a reputation of being ‘pat ball’ and a sport only for girls
• New invention, treated with suspicion
Tennis as a Rational Recreation
Development of Lawn Tennis
• Invented, patented and popularised by
the middle-class army major Walter
Clompton Wingfield
1874All England Croquet Club
1877,inthe
• He sold the game inintroduced
a box with poles,
Lawn Tennis at
pegs, netting, 4 tennis bats, a supply of
Wimbledon.
22 competitors
took part
balls, a mallet,
a brush and a book
of the
game
and the finals attracted 200
• Originally called
‘Sphairistike’By
– Greek
for3500 spectators
spectators.
1885,
ball, and started off as an hour shaped
watched the men’s final
court
• After a few years the name was changed
and the court became rectangular
• Lawn tennis was bought by the most
fashionable middle class families – social
occasions
Tennis as a Rational Recreation
Summary: Development of Lawn Tennis
• The middle class were excluded from Real Tennis so invented their
own form
• The game was perfect for Upper-Middle Class gardens
• It was an important social occasion and became a fashionable status
symbol
• Tennis clubs were formed allowing social gatherings, the lowermiddle class whose gardens were too small used these clubs
• The working class were excluded and had to wait for public
provision in parks, delaying their participation
• The development of Lawn Tennis reflected the Emergence of the
Middle Class
Lawn Tennis
Women’s Participation and Emancipation
• The game helped to dispel some
stereotypes of earlier Victorian times
• As a social occasion, it was part of
family recreation
• Women could participate but were not
expected to exert or excel in the sport
• It did not require special dress
• The social importance of tennis was it
could be played by either sex or both
together
• The privacy of the garden provided an
opportunity to invite members of the
opposite sex for supervised sports
Tennis Today
Tennis Today
Can we describe/explain/analyse…
• Real tennis as an exclusive, elitist pre-industrial activity.
• Tennis and other striking games in public schools: (fives,
racquets, squash) their status and organisation.
• Lawn tennis as a middle class invention; tennis as a social
occasion and as a vehicle for the emancipation of women and
their participation in sport.
• Factors that have helped develop tennis in the UK and the
impact of these factors on contemporary participation and
performance