Mary Pierce on the boardroom, women in coaching and being a leader
Two-time Grand Slam champion Mary Pierce is well known for her success on the tennis court.
These days, the former world No. 3 is eyeing success in the boardroom – seeking to contribute to the development of tennis across the globe.
A member of the ITF Board of Directors since 2015, Pierce is a committed part of the ITF’s mission to devise, develop and drive gender equality on and off the court.
Speaking to over 130 female coaches at a women’s coaching networking webinar on Wednesday, Pierce underlined the importance of self-belief, becoming a coach at the end of her playing career and why she is hugely motivated by the grass roots element of the sport.
You currently contribute to tennis at the highest decision-making level as a Board member of the ITF. How have your experiences in tennis shaped you as a leader?
I would say they've helped give me some simple skills.
1. It’s a simple process. Make sure you have all the information first.
2. Work as a team. As a player, you have a whole team around you and we work together towards the same goals.
3. Have the confidence to express your opinion. It’s important that you communicate and speak your mind when it is important, but also to listen. What do you need to know, to work on and improve?
More than 130 female coaches are attending this webinar, and they have leading roles in their countries. What message would you give to female coaches, with leading roles in their countries, to motive other female coaches to join tennis?
My message to all the women coaches here today is: believe in yourselves. There is room for everyone, and we all have something to give. Be courageous. You have a place in the tennis world.
How was your experience transitioning from a top player to being a coach?
I hadn’t considered coaching. I had a close relationship with my neighbours and offered to help out when their children’s coach left. I put everything I knew as a player into coaching them - I could coach technically, I knew the drills, how to motivate - and I saw they improved, so that was really motivating. I realised I had a lot to give.
I decided to start coaching as a result. As a player, I always wanted to be the best player. I wanted to be the best coach I can be, so I took a course. I’m humble, I don’t know everything, so I wanted to improve myself. The course was enlightening. I learnt a lot of things I did not know. Each coach has to find what their pathway is. I knew my best place as a coach was to help those players who had the ambition and the gift to reach the highest level of the game.
What measures/initiatives do you think can be put in place to encourage more female players to take up coaching & leadership positions after they retire?
Women coaches providing workshops for players while they are still active – maybe during major events/Grand Slams – to appeal to players who are thinking about what they want to do after they retire. We need to make players aware of the coaching education and certification pathway. The National Associations can help them obtain their coaching experience and provide a mechanism for job opportunities so that players looking for a coach can find available women coaches – this would make a great app!
You are very passionate about Development and have contributed a lot. What motivates you to do all you do for the development of tennis?
I believe that tennis starts at grassroots level and I want more children to be exposed to tennis, to play tennis and provide opportunities, training and coaching facilities to the ones who are gifted and who love to play so they can be the best that they can be.
Development for me is where it all starts. This is the ITF’s mission and it’s at the heart of everything we aim to achieve. We provide Junior Tennis Initiatives, ensure the right training and coaching facilities are in place and provide international competition for them to play so they can be the best they can be, and have fun at it.
But we need more kids to play tennis. Even if they don’t have ambitions to become a professional player, they can run around outside, interact with others, learn the rewards of discipline and that hard work pays off.