What does the Italian national padel team need? I’ve been asking myself that in the last few months. For me, it’s an important food for thought because of the way things are evolving. Starting from an obviously skin-deep discourse, in the immediate term, in general, the Italian level has risen qualitatively, this also because of the arrival of younger guys, between 16 and 18 years old, who are making their way with an interesting determination. Nurturing young people should be one of the first factors to be taken into account, in the very sense of purpose and design: in a sense you should create opportunities to find them. And I think every player who turns professional would love to play for their national team, because any sportsman even very young would like nothing else. This should be a reward for those who start training tenaciously from a young age. A fundamental perspective.
Having said that, I say that the national team has not fared very well in the last period, I think it is visible to the sensibilities of many: we finished ninth, and that is not a great result if we compare with the exploit of the previous period. The problem is that as of today we are without a confirmed coach. This has created a series of concatenated things that have not led to the best results, predictably. If I think that last year three weeks before a World Cup we had a coach I deduce that there is something that needs to be improved: we need solidity on the part of the coaches and everyone to achieve the identity that we should build as the Italian national team. Also because how can we optimize our Italian style if we don’t have the margin to cultivate it? It would be nice to train together, months before the World or European Championships, perhaps doing constant rallies, testing ourselves by creating new pairs or carefully introducing new people who can bring other charisma, and maybe always studying pair changes to get the best game alchemy: in other words it would be a continuous campus of ideas between technique and sporting creativity that have always been the ingredients of every Italian specialty, so why not in padel as well? These are indispensable reasoning to arrive prepared and aware with a strong group.
Years ago we had Gustavo Spector as our coach, who forged a united group that stayed for three Europeans and two World Cups, so five years, and I can’t help but remember that with him we achieved a unity in the group with a great team spirit and, as a result, very good results.
Later Spector was no longer selected, so there was a transition year that displaced us, and now here we are, in figuring out how to go further. My thoughts are going into this year with the idea of going into July looking at the European for October, knowing that the level no doubt has risen, but with the absolute need for solid planning for a national team, preparing ourselves maybe in five months with possible rallies, with stimulation and with the opportunity to be known and to understand how a young person can compare within the national team.
Everyone wants to play in the national team, sure, but the selected are eight, true, but, I repeat, and no one gets it out of my head, that test after test is needed in view of the important appointments. A constant and engaging campus that leads to the selection of the best eight, but with a full path for everyone.
The national team needs technique, creativity and team spirit also continuously tested to find the winning alchemy, this to certainly become strong.
But also to achieve a different character, our own, born from the mix of the famous Italian characteristics: technique and genius. Cultivated with perseverance.