In Season 9, Episode 1 of Seinfeld, Kramer somehow lands a job as a ball boy at the U.S. Open. Dressed in tennis whites and sprinting around the court like a lunatic, he looks utterly ridiculous—and that’s the joke. An adult man, performing a role typically reserved for nimble teenagers or preteens, is totally out of place. He trips, he overextends, he probably pulls something. The audience laughs, but underneath the humor lies a curious truth: in the world of professional sports, some of the most visible support roles are filled by kids.
Ball boys and girls. Bat boys and girls. Water carriers. Towel fetchers. These young assistants appear in nearly every major sport. Tennis, baseball, soccer, basketball—they’re there, crouched near the action, dashing on and off the court or field with practiced precision. It’s easy to take them for granted. But stop for a moment and ask: Why are kids participating in professional sports? Where did this tradition begin? And what does it say about the relationship between youth and the games we love?
From Fetchers to Fixtures: A Brief History
The use of children in supporting roles in sports dates back over a century. In baseball, the concept of a “bat boy” appears as early as the 1880s, when teams would recruit local kids to help out in exchange for a close-up view of the game—and maybe a signed ball. These early helpers weren’t paid much, if at all, and their duties were limited but essential: carry bats, fetch foul balls, and assist players with small tasks.
In tennis, the tradition is equally longstanding. Wimbledon first introduced ball boys in the 1920s, though it wasn’t until 1977 that girls were included. Initially, these positions were filled by children from military schools, and the role was seen as both an honor and a discipline exercise. Today, ball kids (a more inclusive term now widely used) are selected through rigorous tryouts, especially for major tournaments like the U.S. Open or Roland Garros.
In basketball and football, similar roles exist—though less formalized. You’ll often see young kids rebounding balls during warmups or handing water bottles to star athletes mid-timeout. In soccer, mascots or “player escorts” accompany pros onto the pitch before matches—symbolic gestures that turn into once-in-a-lifetime experiences for the children involved.
These roles blend practical assistance with ceremonial value. They serve the sport, but they also serve as a bridge between childhood dreams and adult greatness.
The Allure and the Hazards
From the outside, being a ball kid or bat boy looks like a dream gig: you’re close to the action, sometimes even interacting with your heroes. You’re part of the spectacle, part of the broadcast. But it’s not without risk—or embarrassment.
Take, for instance, the viral video of a ball boy at the Australian Open who sprinted onto the court to retrieve a stray ball, only to trip and tumble awkwardly in front of a packed stadium and millions watching on TV. The commentators laughed gently, and the boy recovered quickly, but the moment became an internet sensation.
In another famous instance, a young ball girl was accidentally hit by a Rafa Nadal forehand during a match. The ball was errant, and Rafa immediately ran over, full of concern. He checked on her, gave her a gentle hug, and made sure she was okay. The girl, stunned but ultimately unharmed, smiled sheepishly as the crowd applauded Nadal’s kindness.
These are high-stakes environments. Tennis balls can fly at over 120 mph. Baseball bats and foul balls can whip into dugouts. Slip on a wet field while carrying towels or equipment, and you risk not only injury but disrupting a professional athlete’s concentration—or worse, causing a stoppage in play.
Most leagues and tournaments now provide training to these young participants. At Wimbledon, ball kids practice for weeks leading up to the event, learning choreography that rivals a Broadway show. In Major League Baseball, bat boys are often issued helmets and given strict instruction on where to stand and when to move.
Still, the occasional mishap reminds us that these are kids operating in grown-up arenas.
The Bigger Team Behind the Team
While ball kids and bat boys tend to capture public attention, they’re only a small part of the army that keeps a sporting event running smoothly. Behind every televised game is a team of unsung professionals: the grounds crew.
In baseball, the grounds crew maintains the infield, ensuring the dirt is level, the bases are aligned, and the chalk lines are crisp. When rain threatens, they sprint into action with giant tarps, covering the field in synchronized precision. The whole operation can look like a well-rehearsed military maneuver, and for good reason—every second counts when you’re trying to protect the field and avoid a delay.
Tennis has its own version of the grounds crew. At clay court tournaments like Roland Garros, workers drag nets across the court between sets to smooth the surface. They sweep the baselines, realign the lines, and clear away any debris. In case of rain, they too deploy covers—often in comically frantic fashion.
In American football, crews paint logos, measure yardage, and repair divots left by cleats. In soccer, they mow grass to exact lengths and water the field just enough to allow for fast ball movement but not so much that it becomes slippery. These tasks seem minor, but in professional sports, surface conditions can influence performance, injury risk, and even the outcome of a game.
Without these behind-the-scenes contributors—many of whom are adults, and some former players themselves—the games wouldn’t happen at the level we expect.
Why Kids?
So why are some of the most visible support roles still given to kids? There are a few reasons.
1. Symbolism and Spectacle: There’s something emotionally powerful about children on the field. They represent innocence, potential, and the future of the sport. When a child hands a towel to Serena Williams, or a kid sprints across the baseball diamond, we’re reminded of the generational continuity that defines sports.
2. Accessibility and Inclusion: These roles serve as an entry point. For kids who love a sport but aren’t playing at a high level, being a bat boy or ball girl offers proximity to greatness. It demystifies the professional world and creates aspirational moments that can inspire lifelong fandom—or even future careers.
3. Tradition: Sports are steeped in ritual. The presence of ball kids or bat boys is part of the visual grammar of a game. Removing them would change the look and feel of the experience. As long as it’s done safely, keeping kids in these roles preserves that familiar rhythm.
4. Practicality: Let’s be honest—kids are small, fast, and agile. A well-trained 13-year-old can duck and dash around the court far more nimbly than a grown adult. (Just ask Kramer.)
When Youth Meets Excellence
It’s easy to scoff at the idea of kids working at sporting events. But these aren’t jobs in the traditional sense. They’re privileges. Opportunities. Training grounds. The kids who serve as bat boys, ball girls, and towel assistants aren’t exploited—they’re celebrated. They are granted access to a world that most people only see from a distance.
Still, it’s worth reflecting on the strangeness of it all. Grown adults earning millions rely on teenagers to keep the rhythm going. Kids are trusted with tasks that, if mishandled, could interrupt broadcasts or even cause injuries. And they do it with a seriousness that often belies their age.
In many ways, the presence of children in professional sports underscores what makes these games special. They’re not just contests of strength or speed. They’re communal rituals—spectacles that include everyone from the superstar to the sideline helper.
So the next time you watch a tennis match, a baseball game, or a soccer tournament, pay attention to the quiet choreography happening in the background. Watch the ball kid dart in and out between points. Watch the bat boy run a well-timed dash from the dugout. Watch the grounds crew hustle when the skies open up.
They’re not just keeping the game going. They are the game.
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