Tennis Scotland chief executive targets more top pros
- Published
Tennis Scotland hope to produce more players like Jamie and Andy Murray
Chief executive Blane Dodds is confident Tennis Scotland is now better placed to develop more top professionals like the Murray brothers.
Stirling University was last month confirmed as one of two national academies, Loughborough University also chosen by the Lawn Tennis Association.
Andy and Jamie Murray have won six Grand Slam events between them in singles and doubles.
"The future is very, very bright for tennis in Scotland," Dodds said.
"If we've got eight to begin with within the academy leading to 16 players we want to see firstly those eight players and then 16 players turning pro and playing at the very top of the game and the top 100.
"The more top 100 players we've got in both male and female, the likelihood is we're going to get some real stars as a legacy from the Murray achievements."
As well as the national academy in Stirling, there will be local and regional player development centres in Scotland.
"We will be recruiting a world-class coaching team to head it up," Dodds told BBC Scotland.
"There'll be a full programme of not only training but of competition throughout the world.
"There's a 15-week tournament programme and new budget in place to take the best of these young tennis players and budding pros all round the world to play the best tournaments, to get the best competition to develop them.
"With the Murrays performing at the top of the game I thought 'we need to make the most of this, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity'," said Dodds, echoing the thoughts of Andy and Jamie Murray's mother, Judy, who has long been involved in coaching and campaigned for better facilities in Scotland.
"Over the last year-and-a-half we have got the biggest investment in capital for new indoor facilities that we've ever had.
"There's now a pot of £22.5m, including the partner funding, which is going to be invested in new indoor tennis facilities, which is much needed to make our game all year round for as many people as we can. That's a massive step forward."
The programme aims to maximise development in age ranges 7-10, 10-14 and 14-18 - and also aims to attract more female players.
"We'll be going through a process over the next few months of attracting the best kids in the country, not only in Scotland but in the whole of the UK, to come to Scotland to train," added Dodds.
"We're pretty confident that we'll be able to actually get many more girls coming through the programme over the next few years as well and obviously they'll be targeted for the positions at the academy.
"Tennis players historically in our sport, if you get to 19, 20, it should be developed to the max and it's all about gaining experience following that."
- Published11 July 2018
