Teaching highlight: Former Australian No.1 now guiding subsequent technology | 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 girl, 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 considering it was going to be a profession, I simply needed to play.

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

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

She additionally turned a mom, having two youngsters of her personal.

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

“I nonetheless needed 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 Ladies 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 Improvement Squad coach.

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

“I’m very conscious of the duty that you’ve got as a coach, as a result of the gamers belief you, the dad and mom belief you and so they’ve spent some huge cash and time on this, so I at all times do not forget that. I believe 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 assumed ‘no, it’s your job as a coach to drive them to drink. You’ve acquired to discover a method’. Typically you must say ‘okay, in order that didn’t work, let’s do this’.”

This problem, based on Taylor, is probably the most rewarding a part of the position.

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

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

“You can provide them a fantastic alternative within the sport – and there are quite a lot of nice alternatives in tennis, significantly in Australia. That’s what’s so rewarding, exhibiting them that they’ll try this.”

On the identical time, Taylor is cautious to not place an excessive amount of stress on junior athletes and believes it is vital they discover the enjoyment within the sport too.

“I’ve actually seen how society has modified quite a bit since I used to be enjoying,” she famous.

“We had been far more unbiased. I really feel like now, and I could possibly be unsuitable and I hope I’m unsuitable, however it appears quite a lot of households are placing their children into sport to turn out to be an expert participant. That’s not what sport is about. That, for me, is the largest change.

“The expectations are a lot greater. 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 need to go for gold and goal for the highest, however there’s just one individual up there.”

In a training journey that now spans greater than 20 years, Taylor has realized many classes. She believes probably the most useful is to “comply with 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 vital,” she acknowledged. “There are quite a lot of nice coaches in Australia, and everybody has acquired one thing completely different to supply.”