Money well spent

Just read in the article below from the Beeb that Draper earned £640,000 last year including a bonus of £201,000.

What does he do to justify this huge salary? In fact, just what does he do? How can a bonus possibly be justified in any circumstances given the total lack of any progress in the Men’s game (given that Mrs Murray had the good sense to take her son away from the LTA coaching)?



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/20773530

Simples.

Come out with a 5 year plan which will see 5 GB men in the top 100.

All else fails, ride the coat tails of a Murray Slam success and the progression of Robson and Watson

Sounds like a plan. Where can I apply?

I'm not defending the salary, but I can't see there ever being a situation where the head of LTA would be praised.

Even if good players come along, people will always say that the NGB had very little to do with 'producing' them.

This is what happens in most individual sports, particularly those where participants tend to do their own thing and not be centrally based (athletics is another one.)

I get that dj, but in this case the problem is apart from Murray we haven't produced a top 100 player in donkeys years on the men's side (and I think Ward was only in the top 150 for a couple of weeks or so). At least in Athletics we have plenty of world class performers.

How come France and Spain produce constantly lots of players in the top 100 and we are unable to? Is it down to climate for instance (colder in the UK)? maybe a cultural thing? lack of available facilities (at decent prices)? I genuinely don't know...

How come France and Spain produce constantly lots of players in the top 100 and we are unable to? Is it down to climate for instance (colder in the UK)? maybe a cultural thing? lack of available facilities (at decent prices)? I genuinely don't know...

Some valid points in terms of the culture, climate, facilities.

I would agree they play some part, but the overall structure for me fails. In terms of how the youngsters are blooded from an early age, I think is fine. However, it seems when they reach the teenage years, they become stagnant very quickly because if a group of players excel to the top of their age groups and regions, they are seldomly tested because instead of moving beyond the players they are ahead of, they keep playing them again and again and progression becomes even more impossible. Hence why the Murrays, Robsons and Watsons of this world went outside the UK for their late developmental stage to progress them onto the pro tour. Andy remarked the amount of time that Spanish Pro's put in helping of developing players. I mean christ Nadal got to hit with Moya on occasions.

I will never forget when in late 2009 in his Miami training season that Andy made himself available for youngster in the British game to come over and train with him. Not one youngster took him up on his offer. That in a nutshell really said everything about the ambition of young players in Britain.

Golding is coming along nicely. Not making the headways that Murray did, but slowly is progressing. Hoping at some stage he can break into the top 100 in a couple of years. Edmund looks decent enough. He has Rusedski in his corner and Greg has even spoke volumes of Kyle's attitude and commitment to the game. Broady well it is difficult to measure because he has fallen down the singles rating, though he is handy in the doubles which for me bodes well for the future of Davis Cup fixtures. Again, they need time. Not sure they have the multi-slam winning auora, but they could be a top 200 players for sure.

Good points LK. I see alot of this...good kids progressing from 8 to 12 then they dont seem to get much further...some of it is funding, some of it is lack of competitive progress...some of it is too narrow a focus on 5-6 players.
The structure of the LTA coaching programme from 12+ is fundamentally failing this country...we're getting loads of juniors going in, thats not a problem...but keeping them moving along is. They need to dig deep, get international coaches over here for the 12+ and sponsor many more to train or travel abroad to tournaments.

Agree Golding looks best prospect...maybe Kyle Edmund too...given the age of the game is moving up at higher end they have a few years yet to break through...but boy is it tough in tennis to do that.

Agree there lydian. I think juniors wise we can produce the goods. It is just the very next level that the LTA fail quite spectacularly. Why on earth that they have never been able to retain the services of current and ex-pro's is beyond me. They went big when they signed Annacone, Gilbert and that other fella (martens I think his name) and it failed. They were given massive contracts and unfortunately you can't polish a turd.

I also think that any promising junior breaking out on to the ATP/WTA tour needs massive financial backing as travelling and competing in top tournaments is not cheap. Look at Josh Goodall who decided to play in future events in the UK only. Ok he isn't a top 10 calibre player, though it does make you wonder if he could've gone on to better things if he had the financial backing which is of vast importance for any budding pro.

Juniors and their families from early on look at the potential future outlay before they take to a pro court and decide whether to progress with their child's training and so many pull the plug. I think making a decision so soon for a 13-14 year old's prospect can be misguided. Look at Isner. I think he only took up tennis when he was 16 and progressed nicely through the college ranks.

For the time being it seems the safer bet for budding British juniors is to obtain LTA funding to finish their development abroad until they provide a decent program themselves for the talented ones beyond 14-15.

Seems like Oli Golding took Murray up on his offer this year.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/golding-prepares-for-life-in-fast-lane-8210365.html

Will hopefully show benefits in the New Year.

at last someone actually realising Andy may know a thing or 2 about being a successful tennis player.

Well done Oli!

Wait, who turned Murray down earlier?

That sounds rather moronic.??

It Must Be Love wrote:Wait, who turned Murray down earlier?

That sounds rather moronic.??

Murray in 2009 gave an interview about tennis in Britain and it was to do with funding being cut to Juniors once they reached 18. Jonathan Overend done a piece not long after saying that Andy made himself available to budding juniors in the UK to travel out to Miami and train with him if they so wished to and also he would lend advice too. Prior to the AO 2010 Overend mentioned that not one junior took up his offer. It was staggering to say the least.

Yes, Golding is with Murray in Miami just now. I saw a picture of them practicing together not that long ago. I think there was another Junior there too but I'm not 100% sure. I'll try and find that picture again later.

"The LTA is one of the wealthiest sporting organisations in the country and it's my honest and genuine opinion that they are useless."

Think Baroness Billingham has said all that needs to be said in that one sentence summary. Their biggest problem is that, rather than be a body for guiding all the clubs and so-called academies, they dictate and interfere in every facet of the players' development and come up with one half-cooked idea after another. If they actually stopped for a second and ran their affairs properly they would waste much less money regardless of whatever undeserved hyper-inflated salary draper is rewarded with.

Remember Draper's salary and LTA money is largely driven by Wimbledon's profits so he is being rewarded on the back of the success of that tournament and not how well the LTA is doing in terms of developing tennis in this country. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20717632

newballs wrote:
Remember Draper's salary and LTA money is largely driven by Wimbledon's profits so he is being rewarded on the back of the success of that tournament and not how well the LTA is doing in terms of developing tennis in this country. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20717632

Why would that be the case? Surely the whole focus of the head of any sporting organisation would be to develop the sport? I agree totally that funding is also important but, be honest, if he did absolutely nothing on Wimbledon it would still bring in nearly £40 million

Who needs chaompion players? If I had the job all I'd do is push participation and let the rest take care of themselves.

But one of the points made in the article is that participation has actually fallen....and he still gets a massive bonus

bogbrush wrote:Who needs chaompion players? If I had the job all I'd do is push participation and let the rest take care of themselves.

Exactly! And who needs "chiefs" that cost £640,000? Why does he cost so much? Because he's persuaded people he's worth it. Pftt! As a start get a cheaper one and spend some of that cash on facilities and subsidized access.

The whole reasoning behind the need for a home grown champion was that it would increase participation. Not the other way round.

Golding's just finished his 3 weeks of training in Miami with Murray and Lendl. I wonder what effect it will have on him; certainly it can't have harmed his progress.

hawkeye wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Who needs chaompion players? If I had the job all I'd do is push participation and let the rest take care of themselves.

Exactly! And who needs "chiefs" that cost £640,000? Why does he cost so much? Because he's persuaded people he's worth it. Pftt! As a start get a cheaper one and spend some of that cash on facilities and subsidized access.

The whole reasoning behind the need for a home grown champion was that it would increase participation. Not the other way round.

We don't need a home grown champion. It's completely irrelevant. All that matters is whether lots of people get to play this great game.

bradman99.94 wrote:But one of the points made in the article is that participation has actually fallen....and he still gets a massive bonus

Well that happens when you don't try to increase participation, but instead go for ego trips.

The Special Juan wrote:Golding's just finished his 3 weeks of training in Miami with Murray and Lendl. I wonder what effect it will have on him; certainly it can't have harmed his progress.

I suspect it will have a great affect. He'll be worth keeping an eye on for 2013 for sure. Has some big weapons and his conditioning will have gone up a notch or two.