technical director.

"We're going to fight it,'' said Walter Burgess, one of about a dozen teaching professionals opposed to the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association's creation of the full-time salaried post.

The position -- along with that of a schools co-ordinator -- is expected to be advertised next week and is part of the BLTA's long-term plan to improve tennis on the Island, president David Lambert said.

But critics argue that the position is an unecessary expense and is geared toward the hiring of a non-Bermudian. And it has led to a split within the Bermuda Professional Tennis Association, at least 17 of whose members are believed to support the hiring -- even if it means going abroad.

Others, however, accuse the BLTA of pushing through the post and ignoring a comprehensive report put together last month by three respected junior coaches.

The 14-page National Junior Development Proposal, prepared by Burgess, Sheila Gomez and Eugene Woods, concluded that the need for a technical director "is far too ambitious given our present development position'' and "premature'' because the BLTA need to first identify their needs and study successes and failings of previous programames.

"We are convinced ... there is sufficient talent amongst the teaching professionals to achieve a level that meets favourably with international standards,'' the proposal stated.

Confusing the issue is the title of the post. The BLTA call it a technical director; several pros call it nothing more than a trumped up national coach, a position they say could -- and should -- be filled by a Bermudian.

A copy of the job profile obtained by The Royal Gazette lists 17 administrative responsiblities -- only a few of which overlap with traditional coaching duties -- and requires 12 different qualifications from would-be applicants.

Burgess accused the BLTA of "moving the goalposts'' by targetting the job description toward a non-Bermudian. He says all that's needed is one national coach and part-time teaching professionals from both overseas and the Island.

Ironically, the pros' and BLTA's views are fundamentally the same -- school and grass-roots programmes leading up to an elite level.

"We're not an insular group who think we have all the answers,'' said Woods.

"What we're suggesting is utilising the rescources we have locally.'' "We're not adverse to having people come in but have them come in periodically. We do recognise that some outside injection is essential.'' Woods questions why a full-time overseas coach/technical director is necessary when the Island's best players attend school -- and receive coaching -- in the US for nine months of the year.

He and Burgess say Bermudians have shown they can develop successful programmes and clinics and that money could be better put toward facilities, equipment and youth programmes.

Said Burgess, "You can't tell me no one is qualified for the position on the Island.'' Lambert yesterday insisted that was not the message.

"We will hire whoever we feel is the best person for the job (even if it's a Bermudian),'' he stressed. "No one should feel slighted.'' He added the BLTA have not approached any individual to fill the position but have received five unsolicited applications.

Lambert, a teaching pro himself, is dumbfounded over the controversy, noting that pros voted to support the hiring of a technical director when the issue first came up two years ago.

"We've had a lot of success in the four years and we only want to enhance where we are ... We want to introduce tennis to everybody in Bermuda and we'd very much like the support of the coaches.'' Mark Cordeiro, past vice president of the BPTA, is one of those in favour of the hiring, and drew up a petition of 19 names -- later augmented to 17 -- of pros he says don't object to the hiring.

He suggested the BPTA put the motion of technical director to a vote, noting that the idea of a technical director is actually being done on the advice of the Interational Tennis Federation.

Said Lambert, "Being a technical director is a lot more than giving a lesson.'' Cordeiro said Island pros are only "bluffing themselves'' if they feel they would have the time to take on the job.

ITF representatives have spent considerable time on the Island over the past year and have been unable to identify Bermudians who are up to it, he added.

This didn't wash with Burgess.

"They haven't given us a chance,'' he said. "We just want a fair shake.''