Monday 18 December 2000
Scottish Tennis is looking to build on its players growing success by appointing Judy Murray in the new post of full-time High Performance National Coach.
The four-year appointment has been made possible thanks to an award of £184,848 from sportscotland Lottery Fund.
Applications were received from all around the world before Judy was offered the role. Taking up her new post on January 3rd 2001, Judy has already had a distinguished career both as a player and as coach.
As a player, she won 64 Scottish titles and gained 27 International Caps, won the 1975 British Schools Girls title and the 1980 British Hard Court Doubles title.
As a coach, she was the first Scottish Coach to attain the LTA Performance Coach Award - the highest coaching qualification in the UK. With the LTA she has also worked as a coaching course Tutor and coach to the Great Britain under 14 Girls Squad.
Her major successes, however, have been with her own sons who have had enormous success on the international junior circuit in recent years. In 1988 Jamie (14) was runner up in the World Junior Championships. In 1999, Andrew (13) won the French Junior Open Singles title and the World Junior Championships.
John Stevenson, SLTA Vice President and Convener of the Performance Committee, said: "We are delighted to welcome Judy on board and are confident she will transmit her dedication and enthusiasm for tennis to all with whom she comes into contact and will make a vital contribution to the future of the SLTA performance programme and the game in Scotland.
"The national coach remit is to deliver a performance programme which will produce world class players for Scotland in Scotland.
"This will involve ensuring our domestic coaches are of the highest standards and can provide the players quality support so they are able to go on and fulfil their potential on the international stage.
"We have great hopes for the future with the surge of promising youngsters now breaking through. We have no doubt that Judy will ensure Scottish tennis continues to grow and be successful."
As well as the success of Jamie and Andrew Murray, Scotland girl's team of Elena Baltacha, Mhairi Brown and Karen Patterson won silver at the Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games in Edinburgh where they beat top seeds Australia on their way to the final. Baltacha has since moved up the world rankings and has now a WTA ranking of 400 and ITF Junior Ranking of 143.
Alastair Dempster, Chairman of sportscotland, said: "The role of the coach is a vital component in helping an individual or team to achieve success. If we are to continue to develop and sustain successful performances by Scots at world level we have to invest in the full-time coaches to support them.
"The recent success of the GB Team at the Sydney Olympics has shown what a combination of proper performance planning, backed up by proper investment, can deliver.
"As a nation we want to see more Scots on the winners podium, which in turn creates the role models we need to inspire more youngsters to take up sport and become more active, more often!"
Patrice Hagelauer, the recently appointed LTA Director of Performance, said: "It is a great pleasure to welcome Judy Murray as a National Coach for the SLTA.
"Her knowledge and skill as a coach will be of great benefit to both players and coaches alike and her personality and energy will be a boost for everybody. Her dedication and hard work on and off the court is a wonderful attribute and the pleasure the game brings her is obvious to all.
"I wish her good luck in her new job."
- Today's announcement brings the number to 13 National Coaches who have been appointed under sportscotland Lottery Fund National Coach Support Programme. National Coaches have been appointed in under the scheme in: football (women's), judo, curling, swimming, badminton, athletics (endurance), cricket, hockey (x2), triathlon, volleyball and cycling.
- The total amount awarded to date under sportscotland Lottery Fund's National Coach Support Programme, to support the appointment of national coaches in our major sports, is in excess of £1.7m.