This week’s blog post is written by our Director of Tennis, Andy Trott, and his reflection on why teamwork is so important.
The most inspiring part of my role is building and leading a team of passionate, skillful and dedicated individuals who all care desperately about our players, the development of our programme and our profile in the sector. The Tennis Team is composed of over 50 people (staff and volunteers), each of whom helps shape our programme and contributes to the experience of our players.
We are incredibly fortunate to have such a strong team powering our tennis programmes and without their resolute commitment, their relentless enthusiasm and curiosity we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in now. I am very grateful for their myriad contributions which are all helping us build strong foundations on which to continue to build on in the future.
Participation in teams has shaped me throughout my life. Team mates have inspired me and challenged me to grow and explore what it is to be a team mate and a leader. I have learnt that teamwork is an ongoing process. The dynamic between individuals in a team and the way that a team works is fluid, it will change and evolve like any relationship. I am learning all the time from my environment to create the best possible experience of work.
As my role and our programme has evolved it has become clearer how the interdependency of teams across Sport, Exercise and Health is critical to our success and this presents different challenges and approaches. Without the support of other teams from across Sport, Exercise and Health and beyond, we wouldn’t be delivering one of the largest and most exciting tennis programmes in the region, which is increasingly supporting some incredibly talented and inspiring individuals.
Amy Poehler said of teams, “find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life”. I couldn’t agree more.
