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