Tennis Scotland strengthens coaching team with key appointments
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Tennis Scotland are today announcing two exciting additions to our coaching team as we aim to capitalise on a period of significant growth for the sport across the country.
Following our recent announcement of the biggest-ever investment in Scottish performance tennis and the launch of the Scottish National Player Pathway (SNPP), we are delighted to confirm the appointments of Toby Smith and Jonny O’Mara.
Toby has been named National Manager for players aged 16 and under and Head Coach of the Scottish Player Development Centre (SPDC), and will bring more than 30 years of tennis experience to the role, having worked with players at all stages of their journey, from 11U to Grand Slam level. Scottish professionals he has worked with include Jacob Fearnley and Maia Lumsden.
Former ATP doubles World No. 44 Jonny, who has spent the past 18 months working with Sir Andy Murray, will be the National Player Programme Coach for 16+, supporting Scots who are competing internationally.
They will add significant support to a team which already boasts the knowledge and experience of Euan McGinn (who becomes 11U National Performance Manager) and Joe Gill (who is named SPDC Lead Performance Coach), alongside David Rodriguez as Strength and Conditioning Lead (Science and Medicine).
Today’s announcement comes during a time of huge momentum for tennis in Scotland, where more people are playing the sport than ever before, new indoor and public facilities are opening around the country and many of our professional players are celebrating regular success at international level.
Under the SNPP, a programme led by the 11U National Performance Manager will provide training at a local level and an updated competitions structure for the youngest players, while the SPDC will focus on 11-16 year-olds and be overseen by the Head Coach and Performance Coach.
Tennis Scotland will operate the SNPP from our central hub at the Scottish National Tennis Centre at the University of Stirling, alongside provision in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
'Passionate about player development'
Toby Smith said: “It is an honour to be appointed to this vital role and I am looking forward to working with our most promising young players and the rest of the coaching team. I am passionate about player development and the SNPP provides a fantastic opportunity to inspire and motivate the next generation of Scottish tennis players.
“There is plenty of tennis talent at all levels of the sport in Scotland and I am confident the team that’s been put in place will be able to pass on an incredible amount of knowledge and experience, providing young players with a top-class tennis education.”
Jonny O’Mara said: “Having spent my formative years training in Scotland, I am delighted to be joining Tennis Scotland at an exciting time for the sport. I have learned so much from my time on tour with Andy and I’m looking forward to passing that on to the next generation who hope to follow in his footsteps.
“There are many talented players doing Scotland proud around the world and I am confident there will be plenty of successes to celebrate in the months and years ahead.”
'Tennis is thriving in Scotland'
Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland, said: “I am delighted to welcome Toby and Jonny to Tennis Scotland, further strengthening our highly skilled and experienced coaching team.
“Tennis is thriving as a sport in Scotland, with record club membership, growing participation among adults and children, investment in new facilities and more Scots than ever competing at the highest levels.
“In partnership with the LTA, we aim to capitalise on that momentum by launching the Scottish National Player Pathway, which will provide the right training and competitive opportunities for players at all stages of their development.”
Karen Ross, Head of Performance at Tennis Scotland, said: “With the coaching team now in place, we can look forward with confidence to an exciting new chapter for player development in Scotland.
“These exciting appointments provide a wealth of coaching knowledge and experience and will significantly enhance the support available to our most promising youngsters.
“The SNPP is designed to support players at all stages of their development. At an early stage, it will provide localised training and competitive opportunities to develop tennis skills, then as players progress, they will have access to an experienced team of coaches and a challenging standard of training and competition designed to prepare them for future success.”
The new coaching line-up has been welcomed by Scottish tennis legend, the 27-time wheelchair Grand Slam champion Gordon Reid, who said: “The appointments are great news, and I am sure the exciting new coaching team will help talented young Scottish players develop their tennis skills to give them the best possible chance to succeed.
“There is so much to be positive about in Scottish tennis and I am looking forward to following the progress of the players and coaches involved in the SNPP.”
