Could you start by giving us a short introduction about yourself?

I started playing padel in 1986 in my home country, Argentina, during the early years of the sport there. In my youth, I played a lot, up to three tournaments per weekend, mostly against adults and then got tired. After a few years away from the game, while pursuing a career in international business, I restarted my involvement with padel when I moved to the Netherlands in 2006. Since then, I’ve dedicated significant time to the development of the sport in the Netherlands. I’m proud to be founder and first President of the Dutch Padel Federation. I’ve also served as the national team coach and a coach for coaches, among other things. Since the 2020 merger between the Dutch Padel Federation and the Dutch Tennis Federation, I’ve focused on mentoring and coaching ambitious padel players and advising XNRGY Club in Amsterdam.

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What was the first introduction you’ve got to Padel and why did you start playing?

I actually began playing padel by accident. Some tennis-loving friends invited me to play tennis, which I never really enjoyed. Fortunately for me, the tennis court wasn’t available, but there was a padel court open, so we had no choice but to try padel for the first time.

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What motivated you to start teaching padel and how would you describe your style of coaching?

I started coaching out of necessity. Back in 2006, there was only one court in the country and I wanted to play. Nearly nobody knew the sport. So, I had no option but to introduce others to the sport and teach them, so I’d have people to play against. Crazy, right?

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In what way do you feel the sport is different in Argentina and did you have to adapt in any way to this?

As for my coaching style, I’d say I’m flexible and resourceful, with a strong focus on listening to my students. I believe in the saying, “We have two ears and one mouth to remind us to listen twice as much as we speak.”

In Argentina, padel is far more developed compared to most of Europe. There, teaching padel has become an industry and general knowledge of the sport is much broader. In the Netherlands, we’re still working with a first — or perhaps second — generation of padel players who mostly know only one way to play. My job is to show them that padel is a sport for resourceful athletes who enjoy solving the problems their opponents present, while also creating challenges for them.

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How has the game of padel changed since you started playing it to the game we know today?

Some people speak about “old padel” versus “new padel,” but I don’t really see it that way. Padel did change significantly when rubber rackets were introduced in the 1990s, but fundamentally, it remains the same game: the team that successfully returns the ball one last time wins the point. The big change happened at professional level only and that represents maybe 750 players out of the nearly 20.000.000 players worldwide. Therefore, I dare to say that for most people -amateurs-, the essence of padel remains unchanged since the 90s.

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How do you structure your training routine to improve both your physical endurance and technical skills?

My focus as a coach isn’t solely on the physical or technical aspects. I aim to implement certain setups and tactical strategies. Physical and technical skills are important, but they must serve a tactical purpose. Nevertheless, none of these elements -tactical, technical, mental or physical- can exist in isolation.

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What is the difference between a good trainer or a great trainer?

A good trainer is knowledgeable and tells students how to improve. A great trainer, however, uses a variety of pedagogical and methodological tools, is an excellent listener and adapts to the goals and needs of the student.

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What do you consider the most important aspect of a lesson for your clients?

I emphasize self-awareness. I work with my students to help them understand who they are, what they’re doing and how it feels when they’re doing things right or wrong. This allows them to continue improving even when I’m not around.

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Could you tell us a bit about the book that you are writing?

Currently, I’m writing a book that highlights the 10 most important lessons I’ve learned throughout my years in padel.

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What tip or advice would you give to your client who is:

An beginner player: Be patient and focus on getting the ball back over the net.

An intermediate player: Learn the difference between patience and opportunity. While playing fast is important, mastering low and slow shots is essential.

Advanced and competitive player: Develop even more patience. Learn to play both faster and slower when necessary. Build mental and physical strength, but above all, cultivate agility.

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