Ages range from 11-13, yet many of the kids stay on if they're particularly good at the job. They help to mentor and lead the younger ones. The best ball kids are honoured at the end with a presentation and prize.
Half the children work in the first week of the tournament and the other in the second, working either a day or a night shift. Time on court is around 45 minutes at a time. It's voluntary, but expenses are covered so the children can eat and drink onsite.
"It's always nice to see the enjoyment on the ball kids' faces when their tennis hero comes in; it's a memorable experience for them," says Budge. "They also get cheers from the crowd if they pull off a great catch. They can become famous themselves if they do that and there's even a YouTube clip 'Incredible Ball Boy Catch' off a Roger Federer ball in the Australian Open'."
Budge tells me Rafael Nadal is always a gentleman and tends to hand his towel back to the kids with a thankyou. Some others he would rather not name have been known to throw the towel at the kids if the game isn't going their way.
"Players can be fined if they're aggressive towards a ball kid," says Budge, who admits some players have quite superstitious routines after each point. One female player insists on heading to the corner, wiping her brow and hitting her right leg with her fist a few times.
Sasha McEwen (16), from West End Lawn Tennis Club in Westmere, is used to adapting to any player's quirks, having been a ball kid for the past five years. She says she does it because it's fun and her mother wants her to get the experience.
"You don't have to be the best player to be chosen, you just have to know how to play," says McEwen, who admits she was nervous at first. "I thought it would be much harder."
Jake Ellis (15), from the Glendowie Tennis Club, has been a ball kid for four years.
"There's nothing to panic about and once I understood my role, I could watch the players more," says Ellis. "I like the excitement of watching them live and to see how they handle themselves - with maturity, and sometimes without. The players also say a few comments to me sometimes and that's really cool."
Ellis' advice is to listen at the training sessions and to enjoy yourself while you can because there's a limited timeframe to being a ball kid. Afterwards, the ball kids can work towards becoming a line umpire and later a chair umpire, or a volunteer handing out leaflets.
Sometimes ball kids do go on to become famous tennis players, such as James Greenhalgh, a doubles specialist. He went on to win the boys' doubles at the 1993 French Open and 1993 Wimbledon Championship, among other achievements.
And those out of town, can take heart: Budge says they are keen to expand the ball kids programme and bring squads up from other regions in the country, such as Christchurch. There's also talk of a ball kid exchange programme with overseas tournaments such as to the Australian Open.
Ball kids are a well-loved part of a tournament from the players' perspective.
Budge and this year's ball kids went so far as to film a "happy birthday" video message for former world number one, Ana Ivanovic, who is playing in this season's ASB Classic.
"She was very touched," he says. "We're a very player-focused and friendly tournament and the ball kids are a big part of this impression. We couldn't do it without them."
Centre court
See the ball kids in action at the ASB Classic from December 30 to January 4 or the Heineken Open from January 6-11.
For more information about volunteering as a ball kid for next year's tournament, visit festivaloftennis.co.nz
