The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.
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Loughborough University National Tennis Academy
Full time and open ended (subject to external funding)
Loughborough University National Tennis Academy (LUNTA) is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, and dynamic Girls Head Coach to support the performance of developing elite junior tennis players as part of the LTA’s Player Pathway. The successful candidate will be responsible for the development and implementation of a world-class and transformative player development programme to produce female players who upon departing the LUNTA meet the Pro Scholarship Programme (PSP) selection criteria and have potential to be inside the women’s top 100-ranked players, by nurturing the player, performer and person.
This role will form part of the LUNTA Senior Management Team (SMT). The Girls Head Coach will work with the Academy Manager, Head of Performance Support, Boys Head Coach and Head of Education and Player Wellbeing to drive the vision, philosophies, and desired behaviours of the Academy whilst leading and mentoring players, staff and parents.
The Girls Head Coach will provide leadership to the Girls Coaching Team consisting of Academy Coaches and training partners, ensuring impactful coaching quality and appropriate training and competition provision for optimal player development.
The Girls Head Coach will be expected to act as Coaching Lead on a small number of players, which will require significant on-court presence, travel to tournaments with relevant players, and leading assigned player development.
Roles and responsibilities:• Provide leadership in the quality of coaching provision to support the development of British junior international female tennis players during their journey at LUNTA. This will include assignment of Lead Coaches to players, oversight of the quality of on-court technical coaching provision, and involvement and oversight of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for all female LUNTA players.• Direct line management, mentorship and support to the Girls Coaching Team. This will include creating Performance and Development objectives with reports that relate to outcomes for the Academy’s and player development successes, and progress in the development of an Academy Coach’s journey.• Act as Coaching Lead for a small number of female LUNTA players, incorporating accelerated development in the Player, Performer and Person areas. This will include creating, driving, and communicating player IDPs, integrating and utilising Performance Support practitioners to align with the developmental work on the players you are leading, travel to domestic and international tournaments to support development during competition, and upkeep of relationships with player stakeholders, including parents.• Alongside Academy Manager, Head of Performance Support and Boys Head Coach, provide oversight of all LUNTA players' individualised training and tournament plans. This includes working with the Academy’s Operations Team to ensure effective and safe delivery of tournaments, and working with players, parents and staff to ensure tournament schedules are appropriate and relevant to development plans.• Work with the Boys Head Coach to provide leadership and direction of coaching philosophy across both boys and girls at LUNTA. This includes designing a coaching strategy, philosophy and curriculum, aligned to the LTAs Performance Coaching Principles, and implementing this within the daily training and competition environment of the Academy. This will also involve communicating this effectively to the players, parents and an interdisciplinary staff team to ensure it is lived and breathed daily and upholding the principles of a LUNTA Code of Conduct.
There is an expectation with this role to travel to both domestic and international junior and senior tennis tournaments with other members of the LUNTA staff team and our junior tennis players. It will be necessary to work outside normal 9-5 working hours, including work in the evening and at weekends, at times.
Loughborough University is committed to developing staff. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to learn within the Academy, but also utilise skills and experiences of other Loughborough Sport performance and development practitioners to grow and develop.
Skills and experience – what are we looking for?• Proven track record, credibility and significant experience in developing tennis players aged 14+ to successful careers at tour level, particularly girls.• Significant experience within a high-performance Academy/programme with successful outcomes evidenced.• Experience of line-managing, mentoring and supporting coaches on their journey.• Proven high performance tennis coaching ability and reputation amongst elite tennis players, tennis coaches and practitioners.• Proven track record and significant experience of leading an interdisciplinary team of coaches and practitioners to review players development, establishing and implementing individual development plans (IDPs).• A proven track record of effective implementation of tracking and monitoring processes, with subsequent successful impact to player’s short-, medium- and long-term player development plans.• Significant experience of analysing the demands of pro tour and junior international tennis and defining and implementing a player development plan to support the transition from junior to senior tennis.• Excellent presentation and communication skills that can motivate behavioural change to have a positive impact on performance.• Ability to multi-task in an open-plan office environment and on the road, and work within a fast-paced, driven environment.• Growth-mindset – a candidate that is looking to develop a career in performance sport/performance operations, and willing to learn.• A great team player – a candidate who enjoys and is comfortable in working with multiple stakeholders.
More detail is provided in the job description and on request. Informal enquiries should be made to Nathan Miller – Academy Manager at n.miller@lboro.ac.uk.
The closing date for receipt of applications is Wednesday 21st August 2024, with interviews taking place on either week commencing 2nd or 9th September 2024.
For more information refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.
Loughborough University is committed to achieving equity and valuing diversity in all aspects of employment and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.