Eastleigh’s super mum, Jackie Snow, was given a dream day out last week courtesy of Judy Murray, mother of world number four, Andy, and former Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, Jamie.
Jackie was one of five lucky winners of a “Treat a Mum” competition, run by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Judy to recognise and reward the role that mums play in sport.
Jackie was nominated for the prize by her 13-year-old son, David Darrock, who joined her at the National Tennis Centre in London for a morning’s tennis coaching and Q&A session with Judy, where they shared thoughts on the challenges facing parents in sport.
The pair then travelled down to the Queen’s Club where they were VIP guests for the semi finals of the prestigious AEGON Championships.
Jackie said it was a surprise to be nominated; “I didn’t even know that David had entered me. I had seen the competition on the LTA website and had jokingly called out to my children that they should enter me. And secretly that’s what they did. I was very proud of the children as they had actually done a poem as part of the entry.”
David said; “My mum just works really hard, cooks all the right food for me and has never missed a match in which I play. She deserves a day out like this.”
Judy Murray said: “I’m really pleased that the LTA has chosen to put this day on. It is so important to recognise the effort and commitment that parents – and mums in particular – put in to make tennis happen for their kids.
“The parents that are here today all have different stories to tell, but at the heart of it all they want their children to enjoy tennis and they are prepared to do whatever needs to be done to do that.
“You need the parents to create the opportunities, but it’s up to the children to take the opportunities and make the most of them. For me it’s all about making the right things happen at the right time.
Inspiration, advice and support for parents in tennis is available at www.lta.org.uk/parents