16 Jun Q&A with u11 Player Development Lead, Michael Millar

Marking a year since he was appointed East of Scotland Tennis U11 Player Development Lead, we sat down for a chat with Michael Millar and asked … so, how’s it going?

Michael: Going into this role my focus was on one main thing – collaboration.

Whilst I may be the lead coach for the age group, I am heavily reliant on the local clubs, coaches and venues to make things happen and create more targeted opportunities for the players in the district.

The biggest challenge thus far has been to create, organise and deliver the Futures Team Tennis Tour specifically for the 8 and under age group. This has involved collaborating with all the local clubs to get their players involved and assist with providing host venues throughout the year. Despite the logistics involved, the Team Tennis Tour has seen around forty young players getting on the court and competing each month.

The most notable moment for me, to date, was coaching the current 8 and under girls (Molly G, Lily DS, Thea W & Celine W) to a very strong County Cup win where they won twenty eight of the thirty matches played. While I’m incredibly proud of the way they performed and conducted themselves on the day, they should also be proud of themselves for their hard work during the months of training leading up to the event!

Tell us about your personal tennis journey and what have been your own tennis highlights?

M: If the story I’ve been told is true, I was taken to a tennis class at Craiglockhart Tennis Centre when I was four years old and hid behind a curtain not wanting to go on the court – which is quite ironic given I now spend most of my time trying to get young players to take their first steps on the court and into competition!

My personal tennis highlights as a junior would be playing in a Scottish Youth Games competition just after the millennium (I can’t reveal the exact year as that would break the illusion that I’m 21 😂).

I stopped playing tennis when I was around seventeen and came back to the sport via coaching a few years later. I haven’t looked back since and I’ve been extremely lucky to have been mentored and offered opportunities by some great coaches from different tennis environments (specifically Alex Harkins, Anna Myatt, Callum Lloyd, Karen Lamb and Simon Pender).

Who has been your inspiration in playing and coaching?

M: I very much admire Nadal and Alcaraz. I feel the way they present themselves as such strong competitors but still showing such humility is very inspirational, not just for me but for the children I work with.

I was a big fan of Lleyton Hewitt, for his tenacity, and I remember watching his Wimbledon win. I also enjoyed watching Ivanisivec winning Wimbledon from a wildcard. I guess I enjoy an underdog story!

How does your ‘9 to 5’ role at Merchiston fit with your role at East of Scotland?

M: Of course, the indoor Tennis Dome at Merchiston has been an absolute game changer for the East of Scotland players. This has given them a purposeful environment to train in, year-round.

In terms of crossover, many of the boys that I work with in the school are now actively getting involved in coaching the younger players with me, and many now have an LTA L1 qualification as a result.

For someone who has never picked up a racket, what would you say are the attractions of tennis?

M: As far as I’m concerned, tennis is the greatest sport on earth. It does have a steep initial learning curve but once you get going there are so many benefits! For the younger players I work with, the game itself is a great teacher of life skills such as resilience, problem-solving and discipline.

What’s your advice for young players and which current players would you flag up as good role models?

M: My advice for young players – and their parents – is to learn to love the journey. A junior tennis career is a marathon not a sprint, comparison is the thief of joy, and everyone develops at different rates! Whether you are on a training court working on your serve, or are competing at a County Cup, everything you do is another building block towards your future self.

I would point to Alcaraz and Sinner as great current examples of players who compete hard but, ultimately, help each other get better!

What are your hopes for East of Scotland Tennis, going forward?

M: I would like to see more and more local competitive opportunities for our young players to develop their game and themselves which should lead to more of them taking steps into LTA graded competitions around the country.