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
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aving 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.”
STONYHURST PUPILS HAVE ALL-YEAR ROUND ACCESS AND TRAINING, WHICH HAS RAISED THE LEVEL OF TENNIS SKILLS UNDER DAVID’S COACHING 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.