From the Court to the Boardroom: Why Judy Murray Is Absolutely Right About Girls, Sport and Leadership

2nd February 2026

When Judy Murray speaks about leadership, I listen.

Not just because she is the mother of two world-class athletes. Not just because she has spent decades building grassroots sport. But because she understands something many organisations are still catching up with:

Leadership skills are built early — and they are built through action.

Her expansion of the Learn to Lead scheme, now reaching 75 schools across Scotland, is about far more than tennis. It is about confidence. Communication. Visibility. Voice. And creating a pipeline of female leaders long before the workplace ever enters the picture.

As a communication skills coach specialising in women in leadership, I see the long-term impact of what happens — or doesn’t happen — in those formative years.

And here’s the truth:

Too many women arrive in senior roles technically brilliant… but under-practised in leadership presence.

Sport Isn’t Just Physical — It’s Leadership Training

The report cited alongside Murray’s announcement found that girls aged 11–18 miss out on 280 million hours of sport every year compared to boys.

That’s not just missed exercise.

That’s missed:

• Decision-making under pressure
• Speaking up in a team
• Navigating conflict
• Leading peers
• Recovering from failure
• Taking visible responsibility

When Murray talks about “physical literacy being as important as numerical and alphabetical literacy,” she’s absolutely right.

But I’d add something else:

Leadership literacy must start just as early.

Sport provides a socially acceptable environment for girls to:

• Be loud
• Take charge
• Give instructions
• Make mistakes publicly
• Build resilience

All of which are essential skills in leadership — and all of which many women are subtly discouraged from doing elsewhere.

Why This Matters for Women in Leadership Today

In my coaching work with female executives, directors and emerging leaders, a pattern consistently shows up:

Many women have:

• Strong work ethic
• High competence
• Deep subject matter expertise

But they struggle with:

• Owning authority
• Projecting confidence in high-stakes meetings
• Managing challenging conversations
• Influencing without over-explaining
• Being visible without feeling “too much”

These are not capability gaps.

They are confidence and communication conditioning gaps.

And they often trace back to early socialisation where girls were encouraged to be helpful, collaborative and agreeable — but not necessarily directive or authoritative.

That’s why initiatives like Learn to Lead are so powerful. They normalise girls being in charge.

Leadership Is a Communication Skill First

Judy Murray shared that captaining her school teams helped her develop communication skills — learning to identify strengths, motivate others, and bring teams together.

That is leadership.

And in the professional world, the same fundamentals apply:

• Clear direction
• Calm authority
• Strategic messaging
• Emotional intelligence
• Confident delivery

Leadership is not about volume.
It’s not about aggression.
It’s not about dominance.

It is about clarity, conviction and connection.

And those skills can be developed — at 11 or at 41.

The Sporting Workforce — and the Corporate Workforce — Need More Women

Murray calls for a much bigger presence of women in the sporting workforce.

I would extend that call to every sector.

Because representation alone isn’t enough. We need women who are:

• Equipped
• Confident
• Visible
• Strategically articulate

We need women who can:

• Command a room
• Advocate for resources
• Influence decision-makers
• Lead teams through uncertainty

And that doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens through deliberate skill development.

If You’re a Woman in Leadership, Ask Yourself:

• Do I communicate with authority in high-stakes settings?
• Am I as visible as my capability deserves?
• Do I hesitate before speaking in executive spaces?
• Do I soften my message to avoid appearing “too direct”?
• Am I actively developing my leadership presence?

If any of those questions resonate, you are not alone.

But staying there is optional.

The Time to Build Leadership Skills Is Now

We cannot wait for confidence to magically arrive with promotion.

We cannot assume experience automatically equals executive presence.

Just as girls are being trained to lead on the tennis court, women in the workplace must intentionally train their leadership communication muscles.

Because here’s what I know from years of coaching:

Confidence is built through competence in communication.

And communication is a learnable skill.

My Invitation to You

If you are:

• An emerging female leader ready to step up
• A senior woman who knows she has more impact to make
• An organisation committed to developing female leadership talent

Let’s work together.

I specialise in:

• Executive communication coaching for women
• Leadership presence development
• High-stakes presentation and influence training
• Building confident, credible authority in the workplace

You do not need to change who you are.

You need to amplify it strategically.

Judy Murray is starting the leadership journey at primary school.

If you’re further along your path — this is your moment to refine and elevate yours.

The next generation of female leaders is being built right now.
Make sure you are too.

If you’re ready to strengthen your leadership voice, reach out and let’s begin.