ON THE BALL…
Young tennis players at Stonyhurst College and Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall are enjoying continuing success under their award-winning coach David Shaw
Having won two major tennis awards, Stonyhurst’s Tennis Academy has gone from strength to strength under the directorship of David Shaw and his team of coaches, who have developed a cohort of national and regional players.
Earlier this year, David was named Performance Coach of the Year at the Tennis Lancashire Awards, who also gave their Education Award to Stonyhurst College and St Mary’s Hall: “I was really hoping that we would get the Education Award, so when I was named Coach of the Year it was a real bonus and a bit of a surprise!” says David, who has enjoyed enduring success, spanning more than four decades, as a professional player and inspirational coach.
Having turned professional at the age of 17, tennis ace David went on to compete against some of the world’s top players, including the 1987 Wimbledon champion Australian Pat Cash.
He spent seven years travelling the world playing professional tennis competing internationally – not bad for a boy who hadn’t picked up a racquet until he was 13!
“My parents moved to Southport and I was invited to the local tennis club. I took to it like a duck to water,” recalls David.
“I was always good at sport at school, but I just loved tennis. Within four years I was spotted by national GB coaching staff and had turned professional.”
Turning professional changed David’s life – he had one of the UK’s best coaches who was then coaching the likes of Jo Durie, a former UK World No 5 player, he moved to London and travelled the world competing in Europe, Mexico, Australia and South America.
When he retired aged 24, he made the transition to coaching, attaining Elite Level 5.
“Over the years tennis coaching has changed dramatically, it is totally different,” explains David. “It is so much more advanced in terms of conditioning, nutrition and safeguarding. We have far more knowledge now and access to so much more information.”
Now playing a huge part in the success of the Stonyhurst Tennis Academy, which he joined in 2018, David designed the Tennis Academy Programme, which creates player pathways for pupils aged three to 18, of any ability, enabling them to play tennis on a regular basis. “The programme is for all standards and we now have 200 pupils taking part,” explains David.
“I have had a lot of experience designing programmes for various clubs but this one was quite a challenge considering the wide age range and varying school timetables, which span from 7am to 6.45pm across six days a week. We have had to be very committed, but it has been great fun.”
For the youngest members on the programme, their one lesson a week involves hand-eye co-ordination and basic balls skills: “You can spot the ones with a natural ability to do sport – to run, catch and throw but they all develop at different paces. For all ages we try to make it enjoyable.”
At the other end of the age spectrum the programme has already developed national and regional players: “They will be involved in the programme 10 or 11 hours each week. We build a programme around their school work, which can be challenging but we work alongside all members of staff which has worked very well. Stonyhurst’s speciality is blending sport with academic education. Pupils can have the best of both worlds.”
With 10 outdoor tennis courts and a further two indoor in the Grand Slam standard tennis dome, Stonyhurst pupils have all-year round access and training, which has raised the level of tennis skills under David’s coaching.
Among the pupils developed under David’s programme is 17-year-old GB player Lily, regional player James, Lancashire champion Hima and county player Noah.
“The Tennis Academy Programme provides a good support unit for players at that level,” says David, who is looking forward to upcoming tennis competitions including the LTA Aberdare Cup, the LTA Glanville Cup and County Cup. “We have been without fixtures for 12 months, so all the pupils are getting excited about taking part in competitions again.”
