Professional tennis player Jamie Murray has been discussing the major influence his mother Judy Murray had on him and his younger brother Andy on their particular sporting career path.
Speaking about his early years playing the game, Jamie highlights the key influence his mother Judy had in determining his and Andy's route into tennis, due to Judy being a keen participator and passionate supporter of the game when they were young. He also talks about his love for playing golf, having participated with his dad growing up.
Jamie took to Regents Park in London to discuss the importance of families participating in sport together, highlighting the Benenden Tennis Festivals as the perfect opportunity for families to play a sport together. Jamie also spoke about his thoughts for the upcoming grass court season, as well as sending a 'cheeky' message to brother Andy ahead of Wimbledon.
Jamie's views on his sporting allegiances and being influenced by his parents coincides with research conducted by health and wellness provider Benenden, which illustrates how British parents play a decisive role in deciding what team we support or the sport we play. Research revealed that three in four parents said that they would be more inclined to encourage their child to play a sport that they were either passionate about, or had played themselves.
More so, just under half of British men (46%) said they influenced their children into supporting the same team as them. The research also shows that parents aged 25-34 years old are most likely to push for their child to follow the same club as them, with 65% of parents in that age bracket agreeing that they play a part in swaying their child's mind.
1 in 4 parents said their choice of child's sporting activity was either a result of affordability of playing that particular sport or that they had easy access for their child to play that sport due to the nature of their location and surroundings.
The Benenden Tennis Festivals, organised in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), are a fantastic opportunity for clubs and venues throughout the country to host fun, themed competitions for local enthusiasts. The competitions are local and informal recreational competitions. 470 LTA-affiliated venues across the UK have signed up to run a tennis festival around the Grass Court Season, with an estimated 8,000 participants taking part across the country.
To watch the Jamie Murray interview please visit www.benenden.co.uk/jamiemurray
