"I can't conceive life without passion"
23 de November de 2018
23 de November de 2018
In Toni Nadal's opinion, you can train at anything. There is nobody better placed to make such an assertion that this true maestro of this art who, for 27 years, was the coach of the most successful Spanish tennis player ever, his nephew Rafael Nadal. It was not just a matter of coaching a tennis player throughout this period, but rather getting the maximum talent out of a person in order to improve.
In an event held by EAE, Toni Nadal began his presentation speaking about passion. "I cannot conceive life without being passionate about something". He instilled this philosophy in the tennis player because Rafa has always been passionate about what he does. "Doing what we love is not a sacrifice. I have never looked at it that way and it has never been the case for Rafa either". Neither can Toni Nadal conceive life without challenges or self-confidence. "You can do something unless you believe that you can do them well or, in other words, unless you believe in yourself".
Accessible, high and renewable objectives
The coach then talked about talent which he believes represents something global. "It is the capacity to learn and improve, because the person who triumphs is the one who gives themselves the most opportunities in life". Nadal emphasized that all this approach to training is applicable to the business sector, which is filled with challenges, objectives and the capacity for improvement.
In his work and training plan with Rafael Nadal, in which he acknowledged that he was hard on his nephew because he was never satisfied "as we always have to improve", he set high long-term objectives, combined with short-term, more accessible objectives. He added that objectives should always be accessible, high and renewable.
Another point that Toni Nadal emphasized is that, when somebody is successful, they tend to be conservative. In other words, "it is hard to change because you think that, if something is going well, why change it? But we have to be courageous and dare to change".
"A demanding person searches for solutions"
As we mentioned, as a coach, Nadal was hard on his nephew. "I was demanding but approachable and I tried to apply things as simply as possible". He took this approach because he cared about his nephew and because, at the same time, he knew that a long and hard road lay ahead of him. "I taught him the need to be demanding of oneself". In his opinion, any leader has to be a good person first and foremost. "Winning is easy when you have principles". Right from the start, he instilled these same values in his nephew, emphasizing that, in the end, based on respect, discipline and pushing yourself, "effort is a physical thing, but demanding person searches for solutions". He went on to explain that he taught his nephew about the capacity of resilience to overcome difficulties without excuses. "An excuse has never won a game". Toni Nadal strove to ensure that his nephew felt satisfied with his effort and that discipline would bring him this personal satisfaction.
"During hard times, you have to reaffirm yourself"
He told the students that the best moments he remembers from his time as Rada Nadal's coach was at the beginning, when they were really improving on the court. However, he added that it is also important to talk about the hard times, which "is when you have to reaffirm yourself". In his opinion, this means overcoming adversity with passion, effort, and confidence, always with a winning spirit and resilience.
"Both defeat and victory are routes towards improving"
When asked about managing failure, Toni Nadal stated that he have gave an exaggerated response when they won or lost because "both defeat and victory are routes towards improving. People have to understand that it is highly unlikely that everything is going to go well throughout life. There are always ups and downs and I do not consider defeat a failure. Failure is not trying again". He also emphasized that he never found it uncomfortable talking about defeats. "Adversity is part of life, we have to take it on board and keep trying".
"The more opportunities you give yourself, the greater chance you have of success"
The coach gave the EAE students a final piece of advice. He told them that only a few people succeed immediately, while, for most, there is a longer road to travel. "If you persevere, you can succeed in the end". He explained that the students had to be really well prepared and, when it comes to taking on the real world, "the more opportunities you give yourself, the greater chance you have of success".