Falkirk tennis trailblazer Olivia Smart hailed as one of Scotland's top young coaches after Parliament trip

A nationwide investment by the UK Government and the Lawn Tennis Association’s Foundation, the £30million project has seen over 1,500 public tennis courts refurbished, including the likes of Dollar Park and Zetland Park.

And student Smart, 19, who is a University of Edinburgh fresher in Business and Enterprise, was appointed Falkirk Council’s official coaching provider at Dollar Park after a competitive tender process.

The youngest level three tennis coach in the country, she coaches youngsters across the Falkirk area every day and was part of a select group of coaches, volunteers and operators from around the UK who were invited to Parliament to celebrate the transformative impact of the project last week.

"It was an amazing experience to be part of the visit,” Smart said.

“Park tennis allows kids and adults to develop a love for tennis before committing to a club.

"I’ve seen a number of girls and ladies here now start playing in parks, move to clubs and begin competing in local leagues and team tennis.

"Meeting other people with similar stories was great and I just hope I have helped the LTA and Tennis Scotland with their goal of continuing to get as much support as possible to create and fund projects like this.

“Coaching is funny because one moment you might feel like players perhaps aren’t improving and you start to question your own methods, then something clicks in the players and suddenly you have five-year-olds playing tennis matches against each other.

"It is great to play a part in making that happen and I am grateful that I was invited to attend and share my experiences.”

Having been a coach since 2019, self-starter Smart is now hoping to build up her company to the point that it can be her full-time career.

“Unsurprisingly for someone studying business with enterprise, I’d really like to build a company and it may well be in tennis,” she said.

“I’d really like to be a head coach, running my own tennis programme and building that from the ground up.

"Olivia Smart Tennis Coaching is just six months old and it is doing well. My mum runs a wedding dress shop, so maybe she’d let me get involved in that – it is great to have her expertise to draw upon.

"I’m enjoying my course so far too at Edinburgh and I am sure I will be able to use what I learn from that and put it into practice.

"Tennis Scotland have been a great help, making sure I have access to all of the professional development programmes and sessions they are running, linking me into local clubs and tennis venues, and helping me access grants.”

Having to juggle her studies, coaching career and down time playing is a never ending learning curve for the Falkirk Lawn Tennis club member, who is currently the ladies singles and doubles champion.

Smart provided an insight into what an average week looks like: “On Mondays I’m coaching nursery school pupils in the day, and the Inchyra Tennis Club girls in the evening.

"On a Tuesday, I’m in Edinburgh doing junior and adult coaching. On a Wednesday, I focus on my studies alongside one to one coaching. On Thursdays, I’ve got classes before hightailing it for girls and ladies coaching at Dollar Park.

"Fridays are based in Edinburgh and on Saturday and Sunday I do junior coaching at Linlithgow and Inchyra in the Falkirk area, as well as coach some of the 30 individual clients I currently support.

"It can be a little bit hectic but I love it at the same time. I like to play tennis when I can too!”