Stonyhurst and its pupils were honoured to welcome Judy Murray OBE for a Q&A evening on Friday 29th April. Stonyhurst pupils also had the privilege of attending a tennis coaching masterclass by the Scottish tennis coach as part of their elite tennis programme.
The mum of Wimbledon champions Andy and Jamie was invited to the school by Stonyhurst’s Director of Tennis, David Shaw, whom Judy first met in 1995 when they both completed their final tennis coaching qualifications. Pupils had the opportunity to ask Judy questions about her career in tennis and coaching, her life in tennis and work to promote more women to get involved in the sport. Stonyhurst Tennis Academy pupils were thrilled to have the opportunity to attend a tennis masterclass led by the former Scottish tennis international the following day.
Judy is set to return to the school in the future and commented:
“The children that I have met here [Stonyhurst] have been absolutely exemplary, they’re so incredibly curious, they’re polite and they’re looking to learn.’’
Stonyhurst, recently named Lawn Tennis Association’s Lancashire Tennis School of the Year for the second consecutive year, boasts a successful Tennis Academy which has seen increasing success under the directorship of former professional David Shaw and his team of coaches who have developed a cohort of national and regional players within the school.
The Strictly Come Dancing star said she was impressed with the tennis facilities and could see that the future was bright for Stonyhurst’s Tennis Academy:
“I’ve been so impressed with the facilities here. For tennis to have two [outdoor] courts and an indoor dome allows you to play all year round and it means that you can really put on a meaningful tennis programme if you’ve got covered facilities. I’m sure that tennis in the school will go from strength to strength and the kids are very very lucky to have the opportunity to train here alongside all their other academic pursuits.’’