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Hey Padel enthusiasts welcome to Padel Smash Academy, I am Cesc and I am here with Julian and we're all about Padel! Whether you're new to the sport or an experienced player, you've come to the right place. Our goal is to provide you with the best tips & tricks, news, and weekly lessons to help you improve your game and take your Padel to the next level. So grab your Padel Racket and let's get started with all things Padel on Padel Smash Academy.
Hey, Cesc here from Padel Smash Academy.
And today I'm at my hometown and sports
house next to me is Fausto Baraldi,
the head coach of Sports Haus.
We are all things paddle.
Falso, welcome.
So last time I saw you,
you were in Miami, right?
So what are you doing in Connecticut?
Well, actually I moved here like
two months and a half ago to be
part of the team of the sport house,
working together with Juan Arrasha.
that is top playing all the
racket sports that I know.
And now I'm being the head coach
here, learning a lot from him,
learning a lot about stuffing the
court, stuff out of the court.
So, it's been great.
So, how did that happen?
I mean, again, like, I met you
when you were at, uh, Yeah,
you're behind the desk even.
Yeah, I remember that.
And I saw you playing in tournaments,
and you know, you're a great player.
And I knew you had a lot of
future, you know, for sure.
And then you moved to a couple
other different clubs as a coach.
You know, transitioned to a coach.
But we're talking about Miami, right?
Things are happening, it's a great
place, it's young, it's work.
Paddle, it's birthplace
of paddle in the USA.
Absolutely.
How did you get from Miami to Connecticut?
How did that happen?
Well, basically, this maybe sounds weird,
but I was trying to go out of Miami.
Oh, you were?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let me ask you a question, why?
Because after two years I have lived
there, I I recognize that Miami was
not my, my place, you know, to leave.
Well, let me ask you a question.
Yeah, of course.
Some people say that
and some people are not.
Of course.
I can't really worry about mine.
Well, it's all about my
childhood and my childhood.
I lived in, in a little city in
Argentina, small city in Argentina.
So I was not too comfortable with
that move, you know, from there to
Miami, it was all too big, all too
different, you know, about everything.
Uh, in my city, I was.
Going everywhere that I want to go in my
bike, like 10 minutes my bike and I was
there walking, taking a booze, whatever.
And in Miami is so different.
You need a car to do whatever you want.
You want to go eat with friends.
You have to take the car
and 20 minutes driving.
So it was like, yeah, yes, yes, yes.
Uh, I mean, and that was actually
like the main reason then.
Well, I wanted to take more
experience with myself.
And I was living with my parents in Miami.
Now I'm living alone.
So it's like a little bit of all,
you know, it was a mix of things,
uh, that makes me take that decision.
Okay.
So, I mean, it's a different
environment, different change.
Now you've been here for how long?
Two months.
So now, was it everything that
you thought it was going to be?
Or what is, I mean, you're thinking,
okay, I'm going to a different place.
So your thoughts are, okay,
this is how it's going to be.
And how is, what's the reality?
What is the real reality?
Honestly, when I started to tell all
my friends, hey, I'm moving here.
All of them were like, oh, no.
The cold air is crazy.
We're doing Miami.
The hot, the heat, the humidity.
I was like, okay, let's see, you know.
And actually.
It's going so good right now.
I mean, I think it's going
better than how I expect.
Mostly here in the club.
I was expecting less lessons,
less, uh, time, less people,
less, less good people, you know?
Because moving up north, you
know, a lot of, I'd say this,
a lot of Americans, you know?
Eh, and I was a little bit scared
about that, but actually the believe
here has been amazing with me.
Eh, they received me like incredible.
Okay.
So I'm feeling so, so, so comfortable.
Okay.
And I'm living by myself.
So again, yeah.
How, how is your adjustment?
Because again, you have Miami, I'm sure
you have a lot of friends there, a lot
of youth, a lot of things to do, a lot
of nightlife, a lot of entertainment.
You know, you're here in
Connecticut, it's, it's a change.
It's more of a suburb type of
area, not too much of a city.
Um.
You're meeting new people,
you know, getting new friends.
How is that transition, you know,
and well, yeah, I Knew when I take
the decision, I knew there was want
to be so hard, but I said oh my
my okay I have to take doing this.
I'm gonna take some priorities Like my
priority now is to go there and meet
people in the club Do my stuff correctly
the first, I don't know, six months.
Do my stuff all the time.
Be as much time I have to,
as I have to be in the club.
That was my priority during that process.
Of course, you met
people here in the club.
You met a lot of people.
young people, Latin people, tennis
players that, Hey, let's come here.
Let's go out.
Let's do something.
Let's, uh, and there's where I
take my like social life, you
know, sports, the sports that is
the area, the denominator, right?
To get people together.
Absolutely.
That's great.
How about family?
I mean, your family's still in Miami.
Yes.
Okay.
How are you dealing with that?
Because, you know, family is Right?
So are, do they plan on
moving to Connecticut or are
they going to stay in Miami?
No, they're, they're
going to stay in Miami.
Just because I have two, uh, two younger
sisters that they stay in school yet.
They're starting, one of them is
starting college, the other one is
getting, I don't know, something lesson.
Right.
College, I don't know what is it.
But no, they're going to stay there.
They're so comfortable there.
They miss me more than I miss them.
Oh, I could imagine.
I miss them, but No, you can't say that.
You probably miss them just as much.
Come on.
Of course, of course, of course.
You say that enough, but when
you see them, you're like, oh,
you know, you miss them so much.
But, yeah, I mean, they're always
calling me, like, hey, how are you?
You good?
Like, being sure that I'm okay, you
know, that I don't want to come back.
But I appreciate that, too.
Oh, they must have been
like, oh, no, you can't go.
Why are you going?
No, actually, it was like,
it was not like that.
Oh, okay, okay.
But, I mean, it was being like that.
Inside of them, but they were
showing me like, oh, okay.
Yeah, if it's your decision, we're we're
with you, you know, yeah Yeah, yeah, but
I know that they didn't feel they didn't
feel so good with that, you know, right,
right, right Well, they'll miss you.
Of course.
Absolutely.
Okay.
So let's talk about the sports house.
Let's go How do you see?
Okay.
First, how do you see the
level right from here to miami?
The level well the level here.
I mean I have two different points of
view You The high level, like the people
that actually compete here is so, so
poor in Miami is so much bigger for her.
A lot of people that is playing
for a long here is just starting.
A lot of tennis players are
getting into a lot of platform.
Tennis players are getting into.
So yeah, the, the competition level, I
usually, I don't know, go to New York,
to Brooklyn, to play with some more
people, you know, trying to figure it out.
But then the beginners
and intermediate level.
I feel that here not, it's not high
as a Miami, but they're going to
be higher than Miami with the time
because here you don't have beginners
that never played nothing right here.
You have always people that
played at least tennis at least
platform tennis at least squash.
So it's much easier to work with them
because they have some knowledge, you
know, just have to get the transition.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Okay.
Well, that's great.
Okay.
Yeah.
So, I guess the other
question is demographics.
Uh, what do you see demographically here?
Age wise, ethnicity, that, that, that.
Yeah, that's the other thing.
I mean, here you don't have
too many young people playing.
Okay, so what's the average
age you're playing, you think?
Do you think you can make that change?
Because you're a young person.
I think so.
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, we're doing a lot
of programs with me.
And, like, cross practice with a
lot of people that, what I tell you,
like, tennis players, young tennis
players that play so good, but
they keep playing a lot of things.
Like, hey guys, you know, come here,
eight of you, two goals, let's do drills,
let's learn about strategic, you know?
Because that's what they're missing.
Because they have the shots,
they have the, the forehand, the
backhand, the volley, the smash.
They need just Know how to play the game.
Right.
So that's where that, that's what
I'm trying to, to do with them.
Uh, but yeah, I mean the, like, the
average is what I told you older.
All, all people.
How about, uh, ethnicity?
You see more Americans, you
see any Latinos here or what?
Sir?
How about ethnicity?
Do you see more Americans, second,
third generation Americans, or you
seeing Latinos here or Europeans?
No, a lot of Americans.
A lot of Americans, I think
that I cannot remember.
Easy.
One Spanish lesson that I know.
So your English is going
to be in three months.
Super good, right?
It's going to be like super crazy.
Yeah, I think so.
Oh man, that's funny.
Okay.
So out of all the people here at the
sports house, what percent do you think?
Just come in and do it for recreational
because they want to work out, uh,
two, which ones really are interested
in playing paddle correctly,
you know, really interesting.
And then third, how many of them watch?
Paddle in a professional question.
Okay.
Look, I'm going to start
with that last question.
I have a lot of people
now Coming and telling me.
Hey, you went to brooklyn
last week the ppl.
Oh, no, the guys were crazy They were wow.
It was so impressive.
So that's good.
You know, that's so good I mean actually
in this clinic that I just did I have
three of them four people telling
me like no I went the first night.
It was super.
I mean, no, I went the second night.
It was no I went to the final It was
it was So, that's so good, you know?
And I have a lot of, also, uh, students
that are coming and, Hey, no, because
I was watching a drill that Paquito
Navarro was teaching, you know?
Something like that, like, tips that
everybody's, uh, seen at the beginning.
That now a lot of people is translating
it, so that's better for them.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Uh, then, I think that 90 percent
of the people that is coming here
is coming to, Learn and improve.
Like, we don't have too many
people that say, No, I come
just to, you know, to sweat.
Nah.
We have people that say, Okay, yeah,
I come to sweat also, of course.
But I come to learn.
You know, I come to learn
how to make my, uh, bajada.
How to make my forehand volley.
How to, uh, what I have to do after this.
A lot of people is coming like,
Hey, you know, I played last time.
Against ses and he fucked me with, I don't
know, with the band to the middle Super.
So what I have to do there, you know?
And that's pretty good because
I'm glad I can motivate people.
Yeah.
No, but that's the thing.
They are like.
Paying attention to their matches and
saying, okay, I'm missing this ball.
So I'm going to go to work
on that specifically, you
know, and that's so good.
I love that.
Good.
Good.
Yeah.
And you can work with them on that
specific shot because as I'm not sure if
the people understand here, all the shots
involved in paddle coming from tennis and
other sports where there's minimal shots.
Yes.
So I think a lot of times they come
in competitively just wanting to win.
Any way possible, uh, instead of focusing
more on learning all the shots, right?
So they prove themselves as better
because once they understand that
this is a strategic game and the
ball's not gonna go anywhere.
No, it's a box.
Exactly.
Exactly.
All you need to know is the ball
is always going to be, that's it.
And you know, and as And the better
you get, the more, as soon as
your opponent hits, you already
know where it's going to be.
So you can be in position.
Yeah.
And if you're rushing to be in a
position or not in shape, then that's
where you're going to make your arrows.
So that's as soon as they
understand that, then that's it.
So easy for them if they understand that.
Yeah.
But if they don't, it's, it's tough.
They stay static for a little
while and they may get bored.
And they may not want to continue playing.
So the whole trick is to try
to get them to understand.
And that's it, they're hooked.
Every single shot.
They're going to find it all easy.
That's the best.
And a lot of that is
just from watching too.
Absolutely.
Oh, that's why Faso told me to do that.
Oh, I get it.
It makes sense.
Let's talk about your
sponsorship with MAC.
How did that happen?
Let's let's start there.
How did that happen?
Of course, you use the the aluminum.
I pro right?
Yeah, great racket.
We review this racket.
We also sell this racket, but
not an easy racket to dominate.
No, it's not forgiving.
You have to be in position.
You have to have the right
for every single time.
But if you can do that,
it is an amazing racket.
So let's first talk about how did that
sponsorship happen and what it entails.
Well, basically, happened
like, middle of this year.
Like around May, June, something
like that, because I was playing
with Adidas like last time that we
talked, but I was seeing that I want
a change, you know, I was looking
for something new, a brand that maybe
was not too recognized in the U.
S.
Like to be like, not the head of
the market, something like that,
you know, like to be one of the
persons with the brand and stuff.
So I met a, one of the girls
that was working with Mac.
I contact her.
I, I talk about the possibilities.
They instantly, yes.
I call it them because
actually they contact me.
Like early on the year, but I don't know.
Thank you.
But I'm playing with ideas.
I'm pretty comfortable.
They don't have a good day.
If you need something, just contact us.
We can talk.
Okay.
And I, yeah, it takes them like instantly.
They answer me like, yes, we're
interested to have you in the team.
And it was also easy in two weeks.
I.
I sing with them, and yeah.
Okay, so let's talk about what it entails.
Because I think there's a lot of
players like yourself, in the top 10,
here in the USA, or even top 20, they
don't know how to come across dealing
with that, and what is involved, what
do they do, what do they give you, is
it just the, the um, the rackets, the
clothing, do they pay for any trips, do
they, are you, do you have requirements?
Do you have to wear, you know,
play with the racket all the time?
Um, do you have to win tournaments?
Do they pay for your trip?
Is there any cash involved?
I think most people in your position,
top 20 in here in the USA, would want
to know a little bit about that, so they
would know how to handle a sponsorship.
Great.
Well, basically, I'm going to
talk a little about my experience.
Okay.
As you can see, I'm playing,
they're giving me the rackets.
They're giving me the attire.
I'm playing with the MAGA attire.
I also have the shorts.
And then in my, in my contract, what
I, uh, agreed with them, they're
covering some, uh, some trips, some
inscriptions of the tournament, but not
like the whole, whole, whole amount.
Yeah.
But again, I mean, it was
the first thing that we seen.
So with the years, with the month
after I do a great results and
Maybe you can talk other thing.
And I recommend that to, to all
the people that is like in my
situation, you have to contact them.
The brands, you don't have to be sitting
on the chair waiting that they come
for you because something's happened,
but something's doesn't happen.
I mean, you cannot be waiting.
No, no.
I got away that I don't know.
No, you have to go for it.
You have to go for it.
Because if not, I mean, the brand also
wants to see you interested on that.
Yeah, yeah.
If you're sitting in the chair,
no, I'm waiting, I don't care.
Sometimes it's tough too.
So what would you say the brands
are looking for when it comes
for them to sponsor somebody?
I think they're, that's a good question,
they're looking for somebody that, first
of all, I think that they're a lot of,
I mean, I'm talking about Mark, uh,
Mark, at least, they care a lot about
the, like, the attitude in the court
and out of the court, and they made
a lot of, uh, important on that point
when we talked, like, If you go out,
let's say, you go out and, uh, you get
drunk, and we know that you got drunk,
you don't have the sponsor anymore.
You know?
If you, yes, if you're at the court
and you're, I don't know, hitting
the racket against the floor, hitting
the racket against the glass because
you're mad, Yeah, you get a sponsor,
you know, and that's so important
for me also too, because it's true.
I mean, you're giving me the
things, but I'm part of this.
It's not like, no, you're
giving me, and this is yours.
It's not mine.
So I can do whatever.
No, that's mine.
You're giving it to me.
I need to have that responsibility.
And then, well, of course, somebody
that competes, uh, somebody that
is top in the ranking, maybe two
requirements besides that, obviously,
Is there other requirements in your
contract or that you have to do?
Or do what?
In your contract, is there
any other requirements?
Do you have to win a fair amount of times?
No, no, just, yeah, I mean, Yeah, no,
just compete with the attire, just
don't do the things that I just taught.
You know, and just that thing, post match
on the On the Instagram stories and the
Instagram posts all the time when I play.
There are things that I mean,
are making sense or not.
So let me ask you, what's
the next step, right?
So this is like the beginnings of,
you know, players being sponsored
by, you know, by rack and so forth.
What's the next step you
think and what is needed?
Well, I think that next step, and that
is happening now with, with some players
in the, in mostly in Miami, uh, but
that companies or brands that are not
into Give the players a sponsorship.
You know what I mean?
Like, yeah, I know.
Like with Brittany, this penguin
that's not really in paddle, but
they, but they're helping her
because they're interested in help.
Then number one of the
girls ranking, whatever.
So yeah, something like that just
to help the players to like, I don't
know, we see more money to can pay the
expense of the tournaments or, you know,
Whatever, because finally, I mean, it's
been, it's getting more professional,
but keep being amateur, you know?
So it's tough to expend like, I don't
know, a thousand dollars per month.
To go to play only two tournaments,
you know, Okay, so for the players
they're looking more for the next
step of financial support, right?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I think so So now you play the uspa.
How does does that interfere
with the coaching here?
Because I see in miami Uh, you know
ultra another place where there's a
lot of coaches when there's a uspa
out of the state It's like it's
empty for like three days and the
owners are like No, you can't go.
No, you cannot go, yeah.
They send you money, like.
How does that work and how do you
deal with that here at the USG?
Well, yeah, here actually that's
going great because I'm, what I tell
you, I'm working together with Juan.
So he told me at the beginning,
I want you to compete.
I want you to go to
tournaments, go out and compete.
Let's try to figure it out.
Always when you compete, give me your
schedule of the whole year and we can
see, okay, this weekend who can cover it?
I can cover it?
Okay, great.
I cannot cover it?
Okay, let's look for
somebody that can cover you.
But he wants me to compete.
Okay.
And the other owners
wants me to compete too.
So it's good.
You know, again, I'm, I'm
making some efforts too.
I don't know.
I was looking to go like
to five more tournaments.
These last, this has part of the year.
I said, okay, I mean, moving here,
I may be going to go to three,
not to the five, two of them.
Okay.
I can not go.
I mean, I don't have to
go to those ones too.
You know, this was a compromise.
Yes.
Okay.
Another questions.
What makes a really good coach in a club?
I mean, you've been now
coaching for a little while.
I'm sure you've got your experiences
and now you may understand what
makes a good coach at a club.
What are their responsibilities
and what makes a good coach
and what are clubs looking for?
Well, I think that for me at least the
most important one are to be always
clear in the sense that, I don't know,
uh, be always clear in your attire,
be always clear, uh, in yourself, you
know, look, looks always clear and then.
Be always like on time what I mean not on
time like five minutes before Ten minutes
before 20 that the people is coming in
the club and you're already there Maybe
in your office, maybe not in the court,
but you're already there if they ask.
Oh, where's the coach?
No, the coaches are in the office.
You know, you are there you you
came before them That's what I
tried to do then what the clubs
looks for and depends on the club
But I think that the clubs tries
to Look for now for people who
experience if you see you have a
lot of examples like I don't know
a padel X Let's say by the legs.
They bring some coaches from Spain
or from other places Also sunset for
example the twins, but a lot of people
that is coming from Spain or from Europe
to coach here So that's really good.
What we service the most But that's
why I think that is a good point.
Take people's experience, you know?
And how important is to know different
languages, especially English?
How what?
How important is it to know multiple
languages and English, of course?
Wow, so important.
I mean, as, as Many languages.
You can talk to more people, you can
teach, you know, so, so is you see
that being the problem a little bit.
There's a lot of great coaches,
but they don't speak English.
Could be.
So it's, it's, it's tough.
Like you want, yes, the club wants to hire
them, but it's, yes, they can communicate.
So an issue, for example, here, if you,
I mean my English, it's not like the best
in the us I know that since I met you
on my God, like a million times better.
Yeah, I know.
Thank you man.
Thank you.
It's like normal believe.
If you come here, and you don't know how
to speak English, or you have a basic,
basic English, you cannot teach a lesson.
You cannot.
Maybe in Miami you can.
In Miami you can.
That, yeah, that, that's, yes, yes.
You're right, in New England or out
of Miami, it's gonna be difficult.
Yeah, but anyways, it's It's a huge
problem if you don't know that language
because basically this is the U.
S.
I mean, you're not in Argentina.
You have to know the language.
Then you're a little South American.
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, yeah.
But you're right, outside of
that, yeah, it's more, it has,
did you get that culture, uh,
shock a little bit coming here?
Because I mean, you're from Argentina.
Then you're going to Miami,
which is South America.
Now you're coming to here.
And did you get a culture shock?
Because it's very different.
Very different Connecticut than Miami.
Oh, absolutely.
Miami is like its own, I don't
know, country in the USA.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
So did you get that culture shock?
A little bit, but not at all.
Maybe I have to.
Let more time go because I
just have two months ago.
I've been all the time here Maybe
like in couple months or after the
Christmas or something Maybe I felt
I feel it a little bit more but now
really I'm so used to all these things
on this day I really like Connecticut.
I don't think yeah, right.
Yeah, it's a great place.
You know, yeah again,
I was Brought up here.
Uh, my kids went to school here.
I went to school here.
It's, it is a great place.
It gets a little boring after 10 o'clock.
You have to go to New
York after five o'clock.
That is already night.
Okay.
So let's talk about this racket.
Can you talk to us a little bit
about the characteristics of this
racket and why you chose that racket?
Well, yeah, because Mac
has, A variety of s, right?
Yes.
Yes.
Well, basically when I, when I
started to try the Rockets, this
was the second one that I tried.
Okay.
And actually, I got like, in love
with it at the moment because I, I
felt instantly, I felt what you said.
And what you said on when you did
the review, that is a racket that you
have to be in the correct position.
Yes.
Getting low to hit every single shot,
like with a middle, with a fit spot
because it doesn't have a big sweet spot.
Right.
And now I choose it actually
because it's pretty light.
It is light.
That's what I always
look for in the racket.
Mm-hmm . It's pretty light.
So it's helping me a lot to manage
when I have a low ball or something,
I can manage a lot with my.
I have a fast control of the
racket, so that helps me a lot.
And then, it's a really big
racket, in terms of the form.
So, that's actually
It's a diamond, diamond.
Yes, diamond, yeah.
So, that's something
that I really like, too.
Uh Uh, and that's why.
Who would you suggest this for and
who would you suggest this not for?
Well, like which type of players or?
Yeah.
Well, I think that this is
more to advanced players.
Yeah.
More advanced competition players.
Okay.
Just what we said, an intermediate
or a beginner player is not gonna be
all the time in the correct position.
Right.
With low legs or so.
It's more for people that is.
Increasing the level and they
knows what they want in the racket,
you know, and definitely it's not
for that It's not for beginners.
It's not it's not for intermediate
players So yeah, anyways what
you said mac have a lot a lot a
lot of different type of racket.
So yeah for me I I try this racket.
It was this racket, but the pro 2.
0 was the one that I liked the
most Oh, yeah more forgiving.
This one is a good racket, but you have to
be in position every time Yeah, and that's
not if you can make them great Perfect.
Yeah, and that's something that I actually
like because I know that, and I know that
the racket is forcing me to be there.
Well, you're young, so you
can easily get it done.
I know, I know, I know.
But for somebody who's a beginner,
who doesn't know sport, or some even
older that doesn't have a physical
shape, it would be a harder racket.
Absolutely, yes.
But this is a beautiful racket.
It looks great.
Uh, it was in the top two of the
collection, this one in the pro two.
Um, so if you have anybody who plays
at this level here, you know, or
an advanced level, this, this could
be the record for you for sure.
Absolutely guys.
All right, Fausto man.
It was great seeing you again.
Okay.
I look forward to playing right now
with you a little bit, you know, and
take it easy on me and I don't need
to wish you all the luck because
you know, you got great luck and,
and, you know, you're a great person
and I look forward in the future.
Seeing you, you know, progress
in battle here in the USA.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you