Roger got a lot right, but sadly lost his way a bit. Bit too cars salesman for me, but very nice when I met him. Not helped by the fact there are many poor coaches and club/HPC managers out there in it for money and funding and not guiding their players properly. Too much focus has been lost from the local club structure, good coaches are losing their best players to underperforming HPCs and academy's where they get coached into robots with no adjustment for natural style or personality. HPCs were a fantastic idea set up with the right intentions but are now implemented terribly. They don't produce players of quality and just cost parents money.
It will be years before we know whether his regime programmes and the investment poured in across the country has worked. All our current pros are really the export of historic regimes or non-LTA ones. Although many have improved as a result of changes he brought about.
The problem is it's just a cycle. The next guy will come in, change stuff, then get turfed out before any of it beds in, and repeat...
LTA needs split into two clear grass roots and performance centres. Too many people and programmes that don't actually know what their role is.
-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 23rd of September 2013 08:01:04 PM
Interesting info no wonder all the best CEO are in the business sector .
I believe the new salary structure is £200,000 & up to £100,000 bonus so OTE £300,000 . We need a maverick like alex ferguson to build on what Roger draper achieved and with hindsight it was rather a lot !!!
Eg back in top GP Davies cup ,
Record number of GB ATP ranked players , 2 women in top 100 ,
fantastic website & hugely generous Aegon sponsor on board
Interesting info no wonder all the best CEO are in the business sector .
I believe the new salary structure is £200,000 & up to £100,000 bonus so OTE £300,000 . We need a maverick like alex ferguson to build on what Roger draper achieved and with hindsight it was rather a lot !!!
Eg back in top GP Davies cup ,
Record number of GB ATP ranked players , 2 women in top 100 ,
fantastic website & hugely generous Aegon sponsor on board
Yep, but most of this occured after he quit.
I've no issues with the revenues brought in. The issues are with the way the money has been spent and the perceived lack of grass roots development.
I have been fortunate to meet many talented CEOs during my career to be honest i would find it difficult to remember one with more natural charisma , expert people skills and refreshing down to earth attitude than Roger Draper .There were criticisms of his salary c £400,000 including Bonus to be honest I reckon that's about the going rate .
Sadly , the media with their limited knowledge tend to measure GB tennis success on the number of mens players we have in the ATP top 100 . Roger has departed during a year that has certainly been the best in GB tennis for decades .One huge success was the procuring by Roger Draper of Aegon as a sponsor who have been extremely generous .Roger will certainly be a tough act to follow !
Yes i did apply for the job and was told by a respondent from the agency that I was one of 80 applicants ! The gist of the telephone interview from the appointed agency handling the search for a new CEO was that I had the business credentials but that i would be too revolutionary ; i did say that i would donate my salary to a new players ATP performance fund the interviewer said i might upset the status quo . He certainly got that right ! Lol
In the words of John McEnroe - "You Cannot Be Serioius"
I have been fortunate to meet many talented CEOs during my career to be honest i would find it difficult to remember one with more natural charisma , expert people skills and refreshing down to earth attitude than Roger Draper .There were criticisms of his salary c £400,000 including Bonus to be honest I reckon that's about the going rate .
Sadly , the media with their limited knowledge tend to measure GB tennis success on the number of mens players we have in the ATP top 100 . Roger has departed during a year that has certainly been the best in GB tennis for decades .One huge success was the procuring by Roger Draper of Aegon as a sponsor who have been extremely generous .Roger will certainly be a tough act to follow !
Yes i did apply for the job and was told by a respondent from the agency that I was one of 80 applicants ! The gist of the telephone interview from the appointed agency handling the search for a new CEO was that I had the business credentials but that i would be too revolutionary ; i did say that i would donate my salary to a new players ATP performance fund the interviewer said i might upset the status quo . He certainly got that right ! Lol
In the words of John McEnroe - "You Cannot Be Serioius"
Gary Lewis sounds like he wants to make a big impression on Mr Draper in person ! Maybe he already knows him
Interesting info no wonder all the best CEO are in the business sector .
I believe the new salary structure is £200,000 & up to £100,000 bonus so OTE £300,000 . We need a maverick like alex ferguson to build on what Roger draper achieved and with hindsight it was rather a lot !!!
Eg back in top GP Davies cup ,
Record number of GB ATP ranked players , 2 women in top 100 ,
fantastic website & hugely generous Aegon sponsor on board
Yep, but most of this occured after he quit.
I've no issues with the revenues brought in. The issues are with the way the money has been spent and the perceived lack of grass roots development.
And I don't think he can take much credit for the two women either - both were developed outside the influence of the LTA - well Watson certainly was.
I always thought he came across as a bit smug but have also heard from more than one source that he was a pleasant enough bloke. The one thing that used to really annoy me about him was that he was prepared (seemingly) to give interviews whenever there was a minor bit of success or when things were appearing to improve (eg Baltacha and Keothavong reaching the Top 100), but always ducked request for interviews when they weren't especially tha lack of progress shown by British players at Wimbledon outside of Murray.