This article is translated from mi hi joel tenista CANCUN - José Higueras makes minimal effort to make up his words to make them sound better. At 60 years, the Spanish say things directly. Blunt. In 2008 former world 6 took over as Director of Coaching Tennis Association of the United States (USTA). And since then he has worked in search of change playing style, habits and mentality of both the players and coaches Americans. With a single goal: to return to tennis this country to the forefront. I re-engage with the rest of the world.Dreaming of being in power again?
For the former coach Chang, Courier, Sampras and Federer , this does not happen in the near future.This is the hard truth: the level of coaches in the United States is poor; the players can hit the ball well, but can not play; hunger and lack. A brutal diagnosis, which comes direct from one of the two top heads in the USTA High Performance dialog opens just during the last World Conference Coaches.
- What is your assessment so far about his work on the USTA, and what is the current status of tennis in the United States?
- This is a long term project. I do not know if I will see the end. I do not think so, because there is very little structure, the level of coaches is quite low in general. We have some good coaches, but the tennis culture is not very good. All this will take many years to go solucionándose. Gradually we are laying the foundation. Within players, women are going well, we have many players who play very well, at all ages. With men have far more problems.The level of competitiveness is not suitable for men. I also think that athletes do not get as good as it does with women.
- USA was always a power. But the diagnosis is not good. Why do you think that it has come to this?
- I do not know exactly. I think society has changed a lot. The club system is disappearing. For children it is more difficult to play. But the reason why we have fallen behind in terms of coaching do not have it clear. Touring the country and seeing the level of coaches there, really ... It's easy to have an excuse or blame someone. We can not blame the kids always. At some point the adults have to take responsibility. And I think that adults are the coaches. We have begun a program of "coaching education" within the USTA. But again, it's a long process. A good coach is not done in one or two years.
- You have recruited foreign coaches. How has the acceptance by the American courts, an outsider to lead the way comes?
- We have a Spanish, several Argentine , Brazilian.And the reason why I decided to bring them, plus they are good coaches, is because the way we see the court (of them) is a little different. Tennis has standardized much worldwide. He no longer plays like they played thirty years ago, which was played on hard court and different ground. Now the speed of the ball is almost the same everywhere. I think that we were quite late here is mobility and balance, and shot selection, which is what we learn more in the Latin countries, trained in soil (clay).Obviously there are always people who say: And why bring outsiders? And, because they are good.And here we are not so good. And I think it's healthy because are ideas one bit different.Different ways to bring the player. Generally coaches coming from Europe or South America are harder, in a good way. No abusive, but more direct.Here it still gives a lot of flexibility to the player.
- When talking about a level of competitiveness not suitable, what you mean?
- Here we have an advantage, if it is not well taken becomes a disadvantage, which is the college (university court). The college should be for us an amazing vehicle, as long as children, when they go to college, continue to develop as players. But there are very few who do. Then we lose many players playing pretty well. If at age 21 complete college with the idea of being professional, but have not been developed, leaving atrasadísimos. They play a year or six months, and leave. That's part. And the other part is comfort. Because you live in a country where life is fine, because people need a bit of competitive spirit and is very accommodating. I am surprised that our players not to go play outside. We are now starting to remove them, because tennis is an international sport, and you learn playing with people from other countries, and traveling. It's the life we chose.
- With respect to what happens in college, what is making the USTA to intervene in the formation of the players?
- we are working. We have set a national coach who only takes care of that. We have a team of eight or ten players in college we work all summer. But very slowly. The country is so big. We have resources, but not so many for how big the country. It is a pathway that is important, if we have a good number of schools (universities) that really do a good job in player development.
- You and Patrick McEnroe (Director of Development for the USTA) established a "philosophical" position in relation to the American players must play as you play the rest of the world. Playing over background.Knowing defend better. Is that already a won internal battle, or not yet?
- It's not easy, because circumstances sometimes promote other things. For example, here in America most of the time playing in cement. And playing in quick-drying cement. That limits you to try to do things that people do play well. Because you have time. There is very little land (clay), which does not help what we're talking about. Then in California, where they have historically been many players, we now have very few, even small. And do not try to change the way you play, but learning to adapt to situations. If the game is slow, you no choice but to learn to play left back. But it is not a fight. I think that gradually people will understanding the process.
- But the American tennis has embraced this game idea or not?
- Well they have no choice. For example, you have a player like John Isner. He is one of the best punches of the world. But only with a good kick, you have no chance of winning a Grand Slam. You have to have something else I can clothe the kick. He works well and want to improve. I like the American mentality because it is offensive, and I like the offensive tennis. But you have to be offensive in an orderly fashion, and allowing the area to help you play with the weapons you have. You can not play against the surface, because you lose. There are some people who still live thirty years ago. Our boys generally do not have worse setbacks, or worse right or take out the rest of the world. But they play much worse.Play worse because they move worse, the balance is worse. And all this will dictate the selection of shots. They have much less understanding of how to play. So this is what we are gradually planting.
- Do you think at some point it will return to a situation like the one before, with the United States or Australia as powers?
Not. Tennis is an international sport. All countries in one way or another, are putting significant resources into development programs. Then it would be naïve to think that America or Australia ... What would be inexcusable is that countries like the United States and Australia do not have a significant presence in the sport. But to say that these countries will be among the top fifty players in the world, forget it, because the competition is incredible. I think in a few years China will be an important factor. And countries such as Croatia, Argentina, in all there are good teachers, there are good athletes. And a little disadvantage, again, in America, is that there are many options for men. For women, there are two options to be a professional athlete and make money: golf and tennis. Then we get a lot more girls that are good athletes. With men you have football, our football, baseball, basketball. We lost many athletes. But I think it's about time. There is little secret. You have to work neatly, either. Having a project is feasible and consistent with how you play tennis. And follow the progress in the medium and long.
by Juan Ignacio Ceballos
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