Who is behind the ball kids?

ATHENS, GA — There's something special about tennis when ball kids are involved.

Each of them dressed in the same uniforms, running like robots to the sideline after retrieving the ball. It's a tennis tradition that you almost never see in the college ranks, giving a feeling of professionalism impossible to replicate outside of large pro events. But at the "Mecca of college tennis," Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia, this environment is somewhat par for the course.

Debbie Beck knows this, as a former assistant for Georgia women's tennis under legendary head coach Jeff Wallace from 1994-2004. When the university asked her to lead an army of ball kids to keep the tournament running efficiently, she happily agreed. And she was the perfect person for the job.

"I run a tennis academy in Watkinsville and Winder [Beck Tennis Academy]," Beck said. "I have 75 kids, and a lot of them are tournament players so it's easy for them to understand what to do. But we do do a lot of training, and they had to attend four practices. We put half of our kids out playing matches while half of the kids practice. And we did every situation possible."

As a former player at Emory University in Atlanta, Beck sees many benefits of ball kids for players and the community.

"Logistically it helps speed things up," Beck said. "When you have these back to back matches, it saves a lot of time having the ball kids out there. With the temperatures that are coming, Saturday and Sunday, it's gonna be warm. It saves the player's steps. So, just, the logistically, it smooths it up."

"In terms of the experience, I think for parents and grandparents who are in the stands, and they can see their grandkids and their kids out there, it increases the community sense of tennis," Beck said. "It's also an inspiration for the kids that are doing it, to be around this level of tennis."

"Some of the the players may play pro, and they'll have a ball kid, but maybe some of them won't," Beck said. "And so this is their chance to have a ball kid. So, for them, I think, it's great."

The ball kids aren't the only thing making the event feel more professional. Dan Magill Tennis Complex already does most of the work on that front. With a capacity of over 5,000 fans, it is easily the best college tennis stadium in the country.

With Beck and the ball kids, the large crowd and the high-level of play, the experience of the 2026 NCAA Men's and Women's Tennis Championships will be one to remember for players and fans alike.