Judy Murray, mother of tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray, has expressed that she would not have steered her sons toward elite tennis had she known the full extent of the commitment required. Murray shared these sentiments during a panel discussion on the future of women's and girls' sports at St George's School in Edinburgh.
As parents were discussed as key figures in encouraging children into sports, Murray reflected on her own experience. "If I had known then what I know now, I probably wouldn’t have done it," she said, adding that parents play a crucial role, especially in individual sports, bearing the financial and logistical burdens.
Murray highlighted the differences between supporting children in individual versus team sports. In team sports, clubs often manage fixtures, training, and equipment, while parents in individual sports face more extensive responsibilities. She also noted the significant financial implications.
During the Fearless Women in Sport event, Murray also voiced concerns about the state of sports programs in state schools and the rise of sedentary lifestyles among children due to technology. She pointed to the decline in school sports over the past two decades, questioning the future pipeline for elite athletes.
"I think one of the things that concerns me now is the state of state schools sport, how poor that is now, and also the advent of screens meaning that many more children are leading more sedentary lifestyles," Murray stated.
She suggested that a portion of the £20 million allocated to a one-off "Summer of Sport" initiative could have been better used to place PE specialists in every primary school to foster physical literacy among children. Murray's sons explored various sports in their youth before focusing on tennis in their teenage years.
