GAME SET & MATCH
My Coaching Futures Journey
THE PRESENTATION
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Joe the tennis player
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Decision to move into coaching
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Transition from player to coach
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Coaching Futures role and how it evolved
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Key challenges and successes
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Key people
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The future
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Recommendations
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Questions
JOE THE TENNIS PLAYER
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Aged 6 at Graves Tennis & Leisure
Centre, Sheffield
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September 2006: Moved to University of
Stirling to train & study
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September 2010: Part time masters
degree in Sport Management (6 and a
half years study!)
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European University with Stirling in
Russia (2007) and Spain (2012)
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British Tour titles in Stirling (2010, 2012)
& Sheffield (2012). Top 30 in Great British
rankings
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October 2010: Helped Stirling win
European Clay Court Championships at
Roland Garros
JOE THE PLAYER CONT.
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BUCS Premier League & Trophy
Champions with Stirling 2012 & 2013
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BUCS Individual Championship
singles runner up and doubles winner
2012
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November 2012: Represented Britain
in the BNP Paribas University Event,
Aix-en-Provence
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June 2013: Reached final of $10,000
Futures doubles event in Greece.
Career high world ranking, 1268
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Shortlisted for World Uni Games
Kazan
DECISION TO MOVE INTO
COACHING
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2003: Started assisting/hitting
sessions with top juniors in
Sheffield. A way to pay for my
own lessons
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Helped me improve my own
tennis. Understand the game
better
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Early success: Jessica Ren won
12U Orange bowl championship
in 2006
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2006 to 2009: Put coaching to
the side to focus on my own
tennis and study
TRANSITION FROM
PLAYER TO COACH
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2009: Approached by Tennis Scotland
to assist coaching sessions as a
hitter to top junior players
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Again it helped me improve my own
tennis
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Worked with Mark Walker, mentored
by Judy Murray
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2011: Began to travel with the players
due to Mark family commitments and
to help me gain experience. Also
injured at the time
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Success: Jonny O’Mara winning 4 ITF
junior titles in 4 weeks
TRANSITION FROM
PLAYER TO COACH CONT.
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September 2011: Became a
Winning Student player/coach.
More formal role within the system.
Assisted Tennis Scotland and
University of Stirling
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Continued work with Mark Walker.
Started work with Toby Smith
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Success: Maia Lumsden won 14U
Orange Bowl Championship in
2012
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Travelled nationally and
internationally to Malta
COACHING FUTURES
ROLE & HOW IT EVOLVED
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Appointed October 2013
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A role similar to Winning Students role but more
formal
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Year 1: Continue to work predominantly with Toby
Smith & Mark Walker at University of Stirling
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Year 2: Look to develop own responsibilities.
Experience different events and visit academies
COACHING FUTURES
YEAR 1
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Exposed to many different
ages/levels throughout
Scotland & international trips.
Senior tournaments to talent
identification days
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Achieve 2014. Shadowing
Team Scotland at the
Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow.
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A lot of time on the road
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Started primary school
coaching
COACHING FUTURES
YEAR 2
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Year 2: Travelling with Colin Fleming during
summer of 2015. French Open to Wimbledon
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Shadowing top international coaches, Louis
Cayer and Leon Smith
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Gordon Reid - Wheelchair French Open Doubles
Champion & US Open Doubles Champion
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3 weeks with Maia Lumsden in USA/Canada.
Seeing her beat world no. 6 at a Grand Slam
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Coach to players at 3 of the 4 Grand Slams
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Blogged during my time away
http://www3.lta.org.uk/in-yourarea/Scotland/news/June-15/Behind-the-sceneson-the-professional-tour---Joe-Gill-Blog-No3/
KEY CHALLENGES
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Not enough time/opportunity to develop as a
coach. Didn't achieve any additional
qualifications
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Used more as an assistant coach/hitter than a
coach in my own right
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Year 1: Position wasn’t managed well
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Became a clone of the coaches I worked with
KEY SUCCESSES
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Achieve 2014: Being a part of the Commonwealth
Games and learning about other sports
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Summer 2015: Coaching at 3 Grand Slams in a row
Being part of a summer tour with top international
players & coaches
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Primary school sessions and competitions. Over
2000 children playing in Stirling area
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Blogs raised public awareness of my coaching. Not
just known as an assistant
KEY PEOPLE
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Mark Walker
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Toby Smith
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Adam Brown
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Tennis Scotland (in
particular Lee Boucher)
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Other coaches based
predominantly at Stirling
THE FUTURE: SHORT
TERM
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Continue work with Colin Fleming, Gordon
Reid & Maia Lumsden in Stirling
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Grow the game in the Stirling area. Working
with Adam Brown Tennis Academy at The
Gleneagles Arena
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Gain level 4 Senior Performance Coach
Award
THE FUTURE: LONG TERM
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Travel coach to Scotland’s leading players.
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Within 10 years I’d love to be sitting in the
player box at Wimbledon
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Create my own philosophy and produce
players through it
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Continue to help grow the game.
RECOMMENDATIONS
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Experience coaching at all levels and ages. Might discover another
area you enjoy
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Develop yourself. Not just qualifications. Get out there and learn from
others. Even if it is uncomfortable
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Do you really want to do it? Performance coaching has great rewards
but has drawbacks
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Learn about other sports. How other coaches work. How are the
similar/different
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Make a note of sessions. What have you learnt? What works for each
player/training sessions? How can you improve?
QUESTIONS?