For more than a decade, we watched Tim Henman fly the flag for Britain at Wimbledon, performing heroics on the firm green grass of centre court.  The fans braved the rain, exorbitant London prices and even Cliff Richard to get a glimpse of Tiger Tim on the court.

When he won an important point, set or match, the fans went wild – except for two distinct individuals.  Tony and Jane Henman, Tim’s parents, most likely in keeping with tennis etiquette rather than their own urges, politely clapped and occasionally encouraged their son with a cheer.  But fist pumps, whooping and dancing in celebration were strictly a no-no.

But that was Hen-mania, and those times are, sadly, over.  In 2009, as you will probably have noticed, Murray-mania is the craze to catch, and the court-side mannerisms have followed the young Scot’s lead. 

In Andy’s dramatic fourth-round five-set win over Stanislas Wawrinka on Monday 29th June this year, there was a distinct difference in the crowd’s behaviour, particularly in the VIP section.  Andy’s Mum, Judy, is bucking the trend for Wimbledon parents.  She leads the way in support for her son, screaming until she’s out of breath, hugging everyone around her after a big win, and of course unleashing the famous fist-pump.  We can see where Andy gets it from.

Indeed, in many ways, Judy and Andy are the microcosm for what the Wimbledon of this generation represents, much as how Tim Henman was for the previous era.  Where once we saw emotions expressed in the form of nervous anticipation and hope, now we enjoy genuine expectation and passion, and that is reflected in the crowd.  When Ms Murray lets out a yell, she is telling her son that he must win, not that he could.

But of course, that is her job, as a mum, but also as Britain’s leading tennis coach.  It is no surprise that Andy is leading the way at the forefront of a tennis revolution in Britain, because Judy has been behind the scenes, plotting it for years.

She learned through the experiences of Andy’s big bro Jamie that the British tennis coaching system isn’t all it could be, certainly when it comes to producing genuine world-class players.  When Andy hit the headlines four years ago, it wasn’t long before she was elevated to an influential position within the LTA.

And now she is working to create her own ‘Britain’s got Tennis Talent’ Academy in Stirling to support the next generation of Andy Murrays.

In The Winning Zone were lucky enough to track Judy down for a quick Q&A on world-class coaching.  Here’s what Britain’s most famous sporting mum had to say...

WZ: What motivated you to become a coach? 

JM: I started coaching as a means to make a bit of extra cash when I was a student and then took it up when my kids were very small as we lived almost next door to the tennis club in Dunblane.

I love the game and I like teaching so I got quite into it and continued to upgrade my qualifications in order to do a better job!

WZ: What are the best things about being a coach?

JM: Working in a sport that I love. Working with kids. Watching kids learn and develop.

WZ: What is the worst thing about being a coach?

JM: Anti social hours and dealing with difficult parents!

WZ:  Who is your coaching role model?

JM: Louis Cayer, the Canadian tennis coach, Keith Reynolds, the British tennis coach who is so good at communicating effectively to young players, and Frank Dick, who pays amazing attention to detail.

WZ:  If you could be a coach in any other sport what would it be?

JM: Probably badminton, but I would love to be able to coach in beach volleyball!

WZ:  What would be your top tip for coaches in all sports?

JM: Get to know your athlete as a person. If you can understand what makes them tick, you can do a much better job.

WZ: Are there any other specific sports coaching that you would recommend tennis players did to benefit their ability to play tennis?

JM: I think badminton helps with the tennis overhead and serve, while basketball helps with change of direction, speed off the mark, speed of reaction and spatial awareness.

Football and hockey are great for coordination of arms and legs, and swimming is good for strengthening the shoulders!

At a young age any other sport is great for developing coordination and kids should be encouraged to try as many sports as possible.

WZ: Thanks Judy. 

RO
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