WA tennis coach Marisa Gianotti (Claremont) has been named as one of just five 2019 Tennis Australia President’s Women in Tennis Scholarship holders, joining an elite group of Australian women realising the full extent of the Tennis Australia coaching pathway.
Gianotti, along with having her own boutique coaching business, also works with the Tennis West State Academy and has managed numerous State Teams and National Super 10 Teams.
The scholarship paves the way for Gianotti to attend the Next Gen High Performance coaching program designed to support the ongoing success of Australian tennis at the professional and elite level.
Committed to increasing the number and quality of female tennis coaches in Australia, the scholarship is supported by Tennis Australia’s President and Chair, Jayne Hrdlicka who recognises the special value offered by female coaches.
“In recognition of the significant contribution already being made by women within the sport, the scholarships have been introduced to encourage more women to get involved in coaching,”
“The President’s Women in Tennis Scholarships make it more achievable for women to obtain coaching qualifications,” Hrdlicka said.
Gianotti says the President’s Women in Tennis Scholarship is a great initiative which makes it an exciting time to be involved in the sport. Gianotti says that increasing the number of female coaches will have a significant impact on the sport at a grassroots level.
“It’s such an exciting time to be an Australian female in tennis, “
“Tennis Australia’s President and Chair Jayne Hrdlicka is an amazing role model for everyone,”
“Then of course we’re so lucky to have world number one Ash Barty as a standout inspiration, in particular to our young female athletes who suddenly believe that anything is possible,”
“Increasing the volume of female coaches on the ground at a grassroots level is imperative to supporting these aspiring athletes continue their own tennis journey,” Gianotti said.
The former WTA player who first began coaching as a junior assistant coach, says the President’s Women in Coaching scholarship will propel her to reach the pinnacle of the Tennis Australia coaching pathway.
“From where I began as an assistant coach, to where I’m tracking towards now, it’s really exciting,”
“The Next Gen High Performance Coaching Workshop will take me to the next level in the development of my coaching skills,”
“Being exposed to, and learning what a high performance coaching environment looks and feels like, and seeing how it operates is an amazing opportunity,”
“Being able to apply and adopt these same high performance coaching philosophies on the ground here in WA will be such an advantage for our elite athletes and I can’t wait to see the impact of the Next Gen coaching workshop on our players coming through the ranks,” Gianotti said.
It’s not the first time Gianotti has been awarded a coaching scholarship from Tennis Australia. Having retired from the professional playing circuit in 2016, Gianotti transitioned quickly to forging a career in coaching with a particular interest in the development of high performance athletes.
Awarded a Women’s Coaching Scholarship to complete the Club Professional Coaching course, Gianotti says she’s never looked back.
“When I retired from playing professionally, I decided to make the move to coaching full time,”
“I’d completed some entry level coaching courses during high school but at the time, it had been at least 10 years since I’d developed my coaching skillset further,”
“The Women’s Coaching Scholarship I received in 2016 was a real game changer,”
“I was fortunate to be mentored by Rohan Fisher who is the National Women’s Tennis Manager,”
“I gained a far greater understanding of the biomechanics of each shot which strengthened my understanding of how best to teach the game,”
“In addition, I took away invaluable skills on how to run a business and this is what gave me the confidence to eventually step out and start my own boutique coaching business,”
“And I haven’t looked back since. I’m passionate about developing high performance players with a focus on growing each athlete as a whole person,” Gianotti said.
When asked why she coaches, Gianotti’s response reflects her passion and commitment in helping players become the best they can be, both on and off the court.
“I love the sport, I love working with kids and I’m passionate about helping them become the best players they can be,”
“But it’s more than just that, if I can pass on personal positive attributes that the players can carry with them through life, then I’m equally as happy as I am in seeing them succeed on the court,”
“Having a positive impact on kids, however that plays out, that’s success enough for me,” Gianotti said.
As a further testament to her standing as one of WA’s leading female coaches, Gianotti was also named coach of the Tennis Australia 13/U Girls European Tour which left for Germany on July 16. The team will play the TC Waiblingen Academy Junior International, Müller Junior Cup Ulm and Bavarian Junior Open. The team, which includes WA junior player Rhea Makesar will be on tour for four weeks.
In recognition of Marisa’s great achievements and contribution to high performance coaching, Tennis West is pleased to announce that Marisa is our latest #ACEgirl.
Downlaod Marisa’s #Acegirl poster here.
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