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Judy Murray questions guiding sons into elite tennis amid costs of youth sport
Judy Murray said that, with what she knows now, she might not have encouraged sons Andy and Jamie into elite tennis. Speaking at a discussion on girls’ and women’s sport in Edinburgh, she highlighted how much individual sports can demand from parents in time, effort and money.
Murray contrasted this with team sports, where clubs often organise training, fixtures and equipment. She also warned that sport in state schools has declined over the past two decades, while more screen time is contributing to sedentary lives. She questioned where future Scottish elite athletes will come from and suggested that £20 million spent on a one-off Summer of Sport initiative could instead fund specialist PE teachers in every primary school.
In short
- Elite individual sport can place a heavy burden on parents.
- Judy Murray says state school sport has declined.
- She backs sustained investment in primary school PE.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Murray’s experience highlights how elite individual sport can place heavy financial and practical demands on families, making participation less accessible and risking pressure on children and parents. Investing in specialist primary-school PE could give more children regular opportunities to develop skills and enjoy sport, while helping build a broader base of future athletes.
The case against
Elite sporting success often depends on sustained family support, and the commitment involved can be worthwhile for children who are passionate and for families who choose that path. A one-off national sports initiative may reach people and communities in ways that permanent school staffing cannot, while specialist PE teachers in every primary school would require ongoing funding and may not be the most effective use of limited resources.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Judy Murray: If I’d known then what I know now… I wouldn’t have got my boys into elite tennis”.