Teaching highlight: Former Australian No.1 now guiding subsequent era | 15 Could, 2024 | All Information | Information and Options | Information and Occasions

Annabel Taylor (then recognized by her maiden title Ellwood) was as soon as Australia’s top-ranked lady, peaking at a career-high singles rating of world No.57 in 1997.

This adopted a profitable junior profession, the place she was a women’ singles finalist at each the Australian Open and the US Open in 1995.

The Canberra-born expertise was additionally a world-class doubles participant, reaching a career-high rating of world No.60 in 1997.

However on the age of 24, she known as time on her enjoying profession.

“There have been many causes,” she defined of why she made that call.

“The journey acquired to me, my rating had dropped and I didn’t really feel I had it in me anymore.

“I by no means went into tennis pondering it was going to be a profession, I simply wished to play.

“That additionally meant I used to be trying to see what else was on the market. I wished to get a level, I wished to see what life was like on the opposite facet.”

Taylor achieved her dream to review, finishing a danger administration diploma. She later labored on the Australian Bureau of Statistics, specializing in social and youngsters research.

She additionally grew to become a mom, having two kids of her personal.

But all through these off-court adventures, tennis continued to play an necessary half in Taylor’s life.

“I nonetheless wished to remain within the sport, so teaching was in all probability the plain choice,” the 46-year-old mentioned. “I’ve been teaching on-and-off now longer than I performed.”

Annabel Taylor (pictured with microphone) shared recommendation throughout a Girls and Women’ breakfast on the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier in Brisbane final month. Image: Tennis Australia

Following a stint at Tennis Australia’s Nationwide Tennis Academy in Brisbane, Taylor is now guiding Queensland’s most promising juniors as a Nationwide Growth Squad coach.

“I at all times love the expertise with the gamers, that’s what I take pleasure in essentially the most,” she mentioned.

“I’m very conscious of the duty that you’ve as a coach, as a result of the gamers belief you, the mother and father belief you they usually’ve spent some huge cash and time on this, so I at all times do not forget that. I feel the care issue is essential.”

Not lengthy after Taylor retired, she recalled overhearing one other coach declare ‘you’ll be able to lead a horse to water, however you’ll be able to’t make it drink’ whereas speaking a couple of participant at a event.

“That basically stumped me,” mentioned the three-time Billie Jean King Cup consultant. “As a result of I believed ‘no, it’s your job as a coach to power them to drink. You’ve acquired to discover a approach’. Generally you need to say ‘okay, in order that didn’t work, let’s do this’.”

This problem, in accordance with Taylor, is essentially the most rewarding a part of the position.

“I just like the teaching facet as a result of you’ll be able to actually make a distinction, significantly the upper up you go,” she mentioned.

“I’ve completed numerous work in participation the place it’s extra for enjoyable, and that’s rewarding in that it’s good enjoyable and you will get folks coming again, however I feel the place you’ll be able to see that you just’ve really made a distinction is when folks have made sacrifices as a result of they wish to be a tennis participant.

“You may give them an excellent alternative within the sport – and there are numerous nice alternatives in tennis, significantly in Australia. That’s what’s so rewarding, displaying them that they will do this.”

On the similar time, Taylor is cautious to not place an excessive amount of strain on junior athletes and believes it can be crucial they discover the enjoyment within the sport too.

“I’ve actually observed how society has modified rather a lot since I used to be enjoying,” she famous.

“We have been rather more unbiased. I really feel like now, and I may very well be mistaken and I hope I’m mistaken, however it appears numerous households are placing their children into sport to change into knowledgeable participant. That’s not what sport is about. That, for me, is the most important change.

“The expectations are a lot larger. We didn’t have that in any respect. It was simply play and see the way you went and take no matter alternative you bought.

“Positive, you must go for gold and purpose for the highest, however there’s just one particular person up there.”

In a training journey that now spans greater than 20 years, Taylor has realized many classes. She believes essentially the most helpful is to “observe your instincts”.

Taylor names Ken Richardson, who guided her throughout her enjoying profession after which mentored her when she began teaching in Sydney, as a serious affect.

She can also be grateful for her husband, David Taylor, who’s one in all Australia’s most esteemed high-performance coaches, for sharing his invaluable expertise.

“Asking for assistance is necessary,” she acknowledged. “There are numerous nice coaches in Australia, and everybody has acquired one thing completely different to supply.”