To support the next generation of Scottish champions, £140,000 has been invested in the performance end of the sport which is led by the National Coach Ellinore Lightbody. Ellinore has recently taken up the position which is joint funded by Tennis Scotland and sportscotland. A former professional tennis player, Ellinore achieved a career best world ranking of 181 and has competed at both Wimbledon, the French Open Qualifying and was playing captain of the British Federation Cup team.
In her subsequent coaching career, she has achieved success in her native Wales as National Coach, producing eight GB national players with five Welsh players representing GB and five players winning National GB events. Latterly, she has worked for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) as Captain to the U14 girls team, winning a silver medal at the World Cup finals as well as a silver medal at the U14 Indoor Team Championships.
Already well known to Scottish tennis with family ties in the West, she has presented and tutored numerous coach education workshops in Scotland and worked for the LTA as Performance Officer Manager with responsibility for Scotland.
In her new role, Ellinore will be working with the Scottish and Area Institutes of Sport and the LTA to oversee all aspects of performance tennis in Scotland. Based at the National Centre at Stirling University, she aims to strengthen the performance club structure for up and coming players, ensuring they receive specific coaching, training and competition programmes to develop the next generation of talented players who have the potential to achieve on the world stage.
Patricia Ferguson said: "I’m delighted that sportscotland has allocated significant funding to help the development of Scottish tennis.
"Last year, one of our most talented young athletes, Andrew Murray, became the first British winner of the boys' singles crown at the US Open. That was a magnificent achievement and I believe that this funding will help more young Scots to compete, and win, at this level."
Commenting on her new post Ellinore said: "Scottish Tennis has some excellent young role models and I’m really looking forward to being part of the Tennis Scotland team to support the players and their coaches aspiring to bring more international success to Scottish sport. Aiming high will bring many exciting challenges.
"A key area will be to deliver quality performance programmes on a more local basis allowing more young players to commit to regular performance training. Identifying and supporting clubs and coaches with the desire and commitment to deliver is vital to gaining continued success. It is feasible that Scotland could provide all four players for Davis Cup ties in the near future. My goal is to ensure these high standards continue."
Following a successful year for Scottish junior tennis with Andrew Murray’s terrific US Open boys’ win, sportscotland is maintaining its investment to named players through the Athlete Support programme. The particular focus is to develop the competition and training pathway for the junior performance group which has identified players who show potential to progress to the LTA’s performance squad and International Tennis Federation’s world junior rankings.
Tennis Scotland’s Director of Tennis, Mat Hulbert, said: "This investment from sportscotland will give Tennis Scotland a big boost and will greatly assist us to achieve the performance targets set out in our five year strategy. The National Coach funding has allowed us to bring in Ellinore Lightbody, a top quality and highly experienced performance coach, who will be based at our National Centre in Stirling when it is completed in 2006.
"Players will also benefit from extra training and competitive opportunities through athlete support as well as through their links with the Scottish and Area Institutes of Sport. The performance of some of our top players has been phenomenal over the past year and has really brought Scottish tennis into the limelight. I believe that this funding will help us to continue to shine in the international arena for years to come."
Alastair Dempster, Chairman, sportscotland, said: "This is an exciting time for tennis in Scotland as the governing body embarks on a new phase in its development and we are delighted to be working with them to take this forward. Our integrated investment process reflects our new approach to working in partnership with sports, looking at their overall business needs to deliver the best support and value for money.
"This investment together with the announcement last year of a Lottery award of £500,000 from sportscotland’s Building for Sport programme towards the further development of a National Tennis Centre at Stirling University, demonstrates our firm commitment to this sport."
- A list of the athletes benefiting from the Athlete Support programme is detailed below.
- Piloted last year, the integrated investment process aims to streamline our support by combining Lottery and Exchequer funding streams enabling governing bodies to submit one development or business plan to be considered across all three sportscotland visions (Achieving Excellence, Developing Potential and Widening Opportunities).
TENNIS
Andrew Murray, DUNBLANE, FK15
Jamie Murray, DUNBLANE, FK15
Jamie Baker, GLASGOW, G3
David Brewer, BEDFORDSHIRE, SG19
Joanna Henderson, ABERDEEN, AB15
Johnny O’Mara, ANGUS, DD11
Katie Gater, DUNBLANE, FK15
Lorna Gater, DUNBLANE, FK15
Sam McNeill, DUNFERMLINE, KY12
Graeme Dyce, EDINBURGH, EH12
James McKie, EDINBURGH, EH10
Emma Devine, EDINBURGH, EH15
Hannah Sharp, EDINBURGH, EH14
Euan McIntosh, EDINBURGH, EH4
Keith Meisner, ELGIN, IV30
Caitlin Steel, GLASGOW, G32
Matthew Monaghan, GLASGOW, G12
Bradley Halsman, GLASGOW, G46
Colin Fleming, LINLITHGOW, EH49
Scott Lister, LINLITHGOW BRIDGE, EH49
Lindsay Murdoch, PERTH, PH2
Total: £207,000
Athlete Support: £80,000
National Coach £45,000
Elite Coach Development: £15,000
Developing Potential:£67,000