Interview with Tokyo Para Sports Staff Certifier (9) Wheelchair tennis coach Yoshihiro Nakazawa (2019/10/18)
【profile】
Yoshihiro Nakazawa Born in 1970.
National manager of the Japan Wheelchair Tennis Association.
President and Representative Director of N-PLANNING Ltd.
While working as a player and then a coach, he encountered wheelchair tennis.Currently, as the coach of the Japanese national team, he actively travels around the country to strengthen the players and popularize the sport.
Wheelchair tennis is one of the popular sports that is well known internationally. The rules are the same as for able-bodied tennis, except that the ball is only allowed to be returned after two bounces.This time, we interviewed Yoshihiro Nakazawa, who leads the team as the coach of the Japanese national team.
The most important thing when interacting with players is “love”
I want to collaborate with a personal coach and a national coach.
～Please tell us how you became involved in wheelchair tennis. ～
Around 2000, Norihiro Tamazawa, who played in the quad class of wheelchair tennis (a class for people with disabilities in three or more limbs, not just the lower limbs) at the World Team Cup (Wheelchair Tennis World National Championships), was looking for a trainer. , that's when that story came to me.
~You are currently the coach of the national team. What role do you play? ～
We keep track of the overall movements of the Japan Wheelchair Tennis Association, and as an association we support athletes who need to strengthen their skills, plan training camps, and prepare for international matches.We also report to the Japan Sports Promotion Center and the Japan Paralympic Committee, which are commissioned or subsidized. We also create.
As a team, we have been working for several years to improve the relationship between personal coaches and national coaches.Tennis is an individual sport, so players usually work in teams with a personal coach.The aim is to facilitate collaboration between personal coaches and national coaches and deepen mutual understanding.
“First, convey your feelings and try to understand the players better.”
~Having been involved in teaching wheelchair tennis for nearly 20 years, have you noticed anything or improved your teaching skills?
We change our teaching methods depending on the severity of the athlete's disability.As the range in which you can use your body becomes narrower, what you can do becomes limited, but by focusing on what you can do, it can become a weapon.The speed of the ball and the speed of movement will slow down in proportion to the severity of the disability, but this is the athlete's top speed, so it is important to know how to utilize it.You can make up for areas that you are weak in through training, but there will always be areas where you just can't do it.
From my experience so far, I am convinced that instructors need to be proactive and realize this, and incorporate it into practice from the beginning.Therefore, it is important to take the initiative and create strategies that will prevent your weaknesses from being exploited.I believe that even if you are weak at something, if you look at it positively, things will go well.
“First, convey your feelings and try to understand the players better.”
~Are there any things that you keep in mind or that are essential when interacting with players? ～
I'm embarrassed, but the most important thing is love.After all, I believe in the players, so I will never let them down, and I will do whatever it takes to make them better.If this feeling is not clearly conveyed to the opposing players, even if you say one word, I think their perception will change completely.I always try to convey and express my feelings first to deepen the other person's understanding.
~Please tell me specific communication techniques. ～
It varies from player to player, but I choose my words carefully.If you have 10 things to say, think about how many you can say to turn on the person. Some people have to say 12 things, while others don't say anything at all and only communicate things during practice, such as pitching.
Sometimes I choose slightly negative words to help someone change their mind by giving them a new way of thinking or hinting, or to remind them of something they have forgotten.In order to be able to do this, it will not be communicated unless there is a strong relationship between the two parties in the first place.I think it's important to have relationships as people, to have knowledge, and to have skills, and to learn from them and pass them on.
～Have you ever had a particularly memorable experience coaching players? ～
20 years ago, a player who hadn't won in a world tournament for a long time finally won one game, so when I praised him and said, "You won well," the player told me, "There's another match, so it's not over yet." At that moment, I thought there was still a long way to go.I remember that moment clearly.
Also, when a player hit a really good ball and I said, ``Nice shot,'' the player said, ``That's normal.''Even though it was a normal batted ball for the players, when I called it a nice shot, I realized that we were both looking at different points, and from there I realized that I had to align my points of view with the players.I am positively influenced by the players every day.
～How do you balance competition and work? ～
It's already difficult (lol).I'm just worrying, struggling, and fighting every day, so it's not so easy to balance it all out. I am always conscious of having my own evaluation criteria to determine how far I will allow myself to strike a balance between the ``self who does not want to compromise'' and the ``self who must compromise.''When I think that if I try any longer, things probably won't go well, I try to hold back until I don't regret it in the end, but if it gets any harder than that, I have to put on the brakes, which is difficult.
～Please tell us how you feel about being certified as a “Tokyo Para Sports Staff”. ～
I'm grateful to have been recognized, and I want to be a person who will make people think that certified managers and coaches are different.I believe that certified coaches must be strong, so I hope that the next step will be for certified coaches to work hard against each other, and for certified coaches to be evaluated as something different.
“My goal is to win medals in all classes at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.”
~Please tell sports fans what the highlights and charms of wheelchair tennis are. ～
The appeal of wheelchair tennis is speed, force, and power.I would like everyone to come out and support us.Please support us not only during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, but if possible, at the venue even before the event.Wheelchair tennis is an individual sport, so it would be reassuring to have everyone's support.
Additionally, wheelchair tennis can be played with non-disabled players without any barriers, and the rules are easy to understand, so I think people can enjoy watching the game.
~Please share your expectations and support for the athletes aiming for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. ～
The goal is to win medals in all classes.Since the tournament will be held in Tokyo, the players must definitely want to win.I want the players to focus on what they are doing now, and even if the result is not very good, I want to work hard together with myself, believing that it will lead to the next one.
~Please tell us your vision and dreams for the future of wheelchair tennis. ～
The goal is to make wheelchair tennis professional.Sports that are fun to watch, athletes that are captivating, and the staff and associations that surround them.You cannot survive unless many people see and recognize your work.I think the players are able to show that kind of performance right now.Also, if many top athletes appear and everyone can see it, there will be a higher possibility that more people will want to try it too, so it may be the best way to popularize it.I hope to be able to support wheelchair tennis as it becomes a professional sport.
Japan Wheelchair Tennis Association
Director Yoshihiro Nakazawa kindly agreed to an interview despite his busy schedule while accompanying the tournament (*).On this day, he was also seen holding a racket himself as a practice partner for Satoshi Saida.Just as he talked about the importance of conversation in order to maintain mutual understanding and relationships with players, he chose his words carefully in his answers during the interview.I could tell that he was a wonderful leader who always thought about others and was full of compassion. (*) “KANAGAWA OPEN 2019” (held from August 8th to 15th)