Being a ballkid

This year I had the opportunity to be one of the 380 ballkids that were selected for the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. 

Tara Kasmai 

Year 8

I was very excited to be part of this group because I knew that lots of kids wanted to be involved. 

In 2021, because of COVID-19, the whole training and preparation for the ballkids was very short and intense. We had to learn the special ballkid skills quickly to be prepared to work at actual matches. 

I was very nervous for my first shift, but as I did more matches I became more comfortable. All the ballkids and supervisors are very supportive of each other. 

It was thrilling to be on the same courts next to top athletes that you would usually only see on television.  I found the whole experience really rewarding and I will definitely try out to be a ballkid again next year!