Global Chick here, and racing to spend the remnants of Christmas shopping (well, getting swept in and out of random shops by the money-spending hoards on Oxford Street) but instead, I sit idly by watching planes take off and leave, dreaming of being on Richard Branson’s island, while 10balls.com’s British correspondent Ros Satar gets to enjoy some marvellous history nestled right in the heart of Londinium!
There seems no better time than now to award Judy Murray the 10sBalls.com Coach of the Year award – Murray’s two sons Jamie and Andy Murray played a pivotal role in this year’s historic Davis Cup Final win, and once more the spotlight falls on the Lawn Tennis Association to do more to capitalise on the success of Andy Murray.
But behind the boys’ successes this year, the work does not stop for their mother. Just one look at her Twitter and Facebook accounts show the tireless efforts to help promote not just tennis but sport in general.
Her work continues this week at the Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall, where she will be launching the Family Ticket Upgrade. Children who come to the tennis this weekend can have tips from tennis legends on a mini-tennis court, have their faces painted, and even experience the magical world of ‘George and the Ice Cream Castle’ – Forget the kids… we want in!
More importantly though, it is another opportunity for her latest venture Miss-Hits to show its worth, looking at ways to encourage more girls into the sport.
British Tennis may be enjoying its most successful run in over 70 years on the men’s side certainly, but immediately following the reveling in Belgium, came under attack, with Aegon GB Captain Leon Smith saying to BBC Sport that the governing body needs to create a long-term strategy in rather short order, saying: [Judy] can’t keep doing it on her own.”
Don’t forget she also leads the British women’s Fed Cup team, and constantly supports the top British women, and could also be seen with some of Britain’s top juniors this summer in Eastbourne supporting the players and cheering on new British No. 1 Johanna Konta throughout her outstanding breakthrough year.
Yet that is exactly what she does, week in week out, with Tennis on the Road, Miss-Hits, and helping create 75 new instructors alone for the latter. It is not just about encouraging children into sports, but making sure that the support is there for them and for the adults too.
For her efforts here in London over the weekend, Murray said: “Champions Tennis is a wonderful tennis event in a beautiful venue bringing together some of the best and most popular players of all time. I am always looking to encourage youngsters, in particular girls, to take up sport and get active, so bringing Miss-Hits to such a prestigious tournament is a brilliant opportunity to showcase what we’re all about.
“At the same time the kids activities on offer in the Family Advantage Package will really add something to the experience for families coming to Champions Tennis.”
Her grueling schedule also includes her tireless efforts as the patron for the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, founded by the late former British star and once more the focus is on fun no matter what skill level the boys and girls are.
She is not the only one who works hard for charities close to their heart. As well as spear-heading the new quick-fire Tie Break tennis format on Saturday, younger son Andy Murray has also been donating £50 per ace he has served to Unicef, and we can be sure a few more of these lesser spotted notes will be winging their way to the charity before the weekend is out. Lesser-spotted why? Well you try paying for a pint of lager and a packet of crisps (that’s chips to you) in a pub and you will understand.
The new format will be the highlight of Saturday’s play allowing Murray one more chance to play on home soil, before he combines his Dubai training block with his second appearance at the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) for the OUE Singapore Slammers.
Ten matches will be contested over a first-to-ten point tie-break with the six men in two groups of three playing in a round robin format. The top two players in each group will advance to the semi-finals, and the winner takes all – $250,000 to be precise.
And let’s not forget equally pivotal big bro Jamie. Earlier in the week, the crowds already had a treat when he walked out to a rousing ovation and joined the doubles field as he partnered Mats Wilander.
Talking to ATPWorldTour.com, Murray said: “It is nice to play with those guys, they are all legends of the game,” said Murray. “It’s been cool to play at the Royal Albert Hall with it being such an iconic venue. You never normally associate it with sports, so it is something different and very cool.”
How anyone can say that any of this stellar family has not given anything back to tennis is beyond the Global Chick. Who is to say that the kids who take up court space in the Chick’s local park have not been inspired over these last few years by their achievements? Maybe not even that – maybe that they have simply been inspired to be more active.
Back in our day we made up games and rules and played outside all the time – long live the day when kids will want to do that again, and there’s a good chance that perhaps one of these many initiatives spearheaded by Judy Murray will be behind it.
Ros Satar will be presenting the 10sballs.com Coach of the Year Award to Judy Murray on Saturday, at the Royal Albert Hall.
Topics: 10sballs.com, Andy Murray, Champions Tennis, Coach of the Year Award, Davis Cup Final, Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis, global chick, Jamie Murray, Judy Murray, Miss-Hits, Murray Brothers, Ros Satar, Royal Albert Hall, Tennis, Tennis News, Tennis On The Road
#TennisNews: @judmoo To Receive The #CoachOfTheYear Award
Where: London, The #RoyalAlbertHall
When: On Saturday…
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RT @10sBalls_com: #TennisNews: @judmoo To Receive The #CoachOfTheYear Award
Where: London, The #RoyalAlbertHall
When: On Saturday…
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RT @10sBalls_com: #TennisNews: @judmoo To Receive The #CoachOfTheYear Award
Where: London, The #RoyalAlbertHall
When: On Saturday…
https:…