The journey to the professional ranks for Australian female talent

Abstract

Introduction: The pursuit of sporting excellence is considered a long-term commitment for athletes. It is seldom a journey taken alone by an athlete but rather is one where significant others (e.g., parents and coaches) play important roles. The aim of this study was to examine the roles of parent and coach in developing Australian female professional tennis players. Method: Ten top Women's Tennis Association ranked Australian singles players, 10 parents and 10 coaches responded to questionnaires adapted from Cote's (1999) and Wolfenden and Holt's (2005) interview protocols.