A man from Dumfries Tennis Club has been recognised by the sport’s national governing body for one of the most prestigious awards in Scottish tennis.
Michael Goldie is a finalist in the volunteer of the year category at the Tennis Scotland Awards. Throughout the year he dedicated his time to assisting in running the club, retaining members, keeping coaching affordable and making tennis pleasurable for all members of all abilities.
The 53-year-old always enjoyed watching and playing sports from a young age but it was not until the 2016 and 2017 when Michael decided to complete level one and level two tennis coaching qualifications followed by a refereeing qualification in 2018. He is currently undertaking level three to help grow tennis at the club and the region.
He said: “Currently as a coach, official, player and club chairman, I spend around 20 hours a week being involved with tennis.”
Michael also works full time for Dumfries and Galloway Council and spends time with his loving partner Elizabeth and their three boys, Callum, Finlay and Fergus who are interested in tennis like their father.
The shortlist for the Tennis Scotland Awards recognises the contributions of individuals, clubs, programmes, and competitions that played a key role in growing the game. Club memberships increased by more than 8000 across Scotland in 2021.
Along with Michael, 23 other nominees have been announced across nine separate categories. The winners will be revealed online on April 29 and will secure a place at the LTA British Tennis Awards later this year.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland chief executive, commented: “We are proud of the efforts made to grow our sport in 2021, with every member of the Scottish tennis community playing their part in the progression.”
Mike said: “I am extremely proud that we get five minutes of fame within the Scottish Tennis scene. I would never feel that I am the winner, it would be the club, the region and all the members who support what we do.”
He added: “We are the same as most sports in the region, location is a barrier but we do what we can to bring the sport of tennis to Dumfries.”
For Michael, it was not challenging dedicating his time in the beginning as the club was relatively small with limited court time being used by the members. He began with a small junior program which now involves 87 children who attend every week.
He said: “The most rewarding part about this is to see people playing tennis and enjoying it, having fun, being sociable and being good at the sport.”
“Every sport has its merits and we all get into sports for different reasons. However, I feel tennis is a genuine life skill that children and adults will have their whole life regardless of their level. An individual sport which can be a big part of your social life, your exercise regime, your stress reliever and a sport for all abilities.”
