The Great Coaches Podcast Episode 029
Wed, 2/10 11:25AM • 44:24
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
coach, player, play, tennis, match, people, important, win, sport, lost, court, suddenly, wimbledon, davis cup, atp, tournament, finals, grand slams, mental discipline, lindell
SPEAKERS
Jan Kodes, Paul Barnett, Intro, Joe Prunty, Transition
Paul Barnett 00:01
Welcome to the great coach's podcast.
Intro 00:04
To me, being perfect is not about that scoreboard after this is a chance you can understand the person and you can then work towards a common goal. We are all on the same team now you focused on the fundamentals. We've gone over time and time again. great moments are born. Great opportunity.
Paul Barnett 00:34
My name is Paul Barnett, and you are listening to the great coach's Podcast, where we explore leadership through the lens of high performance board by interviewing great coaches from around the world to try and find ideas to help all of us lead our teams better. Our great coach on this episode is the legendary tennis player and coach Yan kadesh. Throughout his career, Yon won a total of 25 International singles and 31 doubles tournaments. The highlights were singles victories at the 1970 and 71 French Open and Wimbledon in 1973. In 1980, he was part of the winning Czechoslovakia and Davis Cup team that featured Yvonne Lindell, Thomas Schmidt, and Pawel psychological. From 1982 to 1987. He was the non playing Davis Cup captain, and in 1990, he was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. Yan is an engaging and energetic person, the type of coach who makes decisions with the future firmly in mind. He doesn't take the easy road, and in this interview, you will hear him share stories from his own history and some of the players he has led lucky van Lindell to illustrate his own views on dedication and focus. Towards the end, he talks about balancing the drive for perfection, and adjusting your expectations because no one complained 100% of the time. But if you play to 60 to 70% of your best every time, you will consistently win. This resonated with me strongly, as I've often come across the paralyzing impact that the search for perfection can have on people. And I've experienced it too. And learning to deal with it is an important life and leadership skill. Yan talks about the importance of mental fitness and developing it so you can keep going and persevering. And he shares a great story about how he eventually won Wimbledon after losing in the first round on the six previous occasions. This was a terrific interview with a person who has learned and experienced so much in their life. And I hope you find it as enjoyable as Jim and I did the great coaches podcast. Mr. Yang kodesh Good evening.
02:41
Good evening,
Paul Barnett 02:41
and welcome to the Great coach's podcast. I'd like to thank you for agreeing to join us. Can you tell us where you are in the world today and what you've been up to?
Jan Kodes 02:50
I'm Italian man I'm at home. I'm looking for my son that he's playing with, with my grandchildren. They might be they might be also little bit to play tennis. So the Boys Boys nine and the girl said teen so we'll see you know, it's but realize that tennis is a very difficult sport. Most of the people they don't even realize how difficult sport it is. I tell you why it's difficult because you have to not only to be ready for the big matches, that's mean that they have a good game you have a good strokes and but you have to also have in your brain, some kind of confidence that you are able to hit arrived shots in the important time. And your many, many players, which can play well in practice. They were fantastic. In practice, they beat everybody. But once they come to the important match, they don't mean.[PB1]
Paul Barnett 03:53
So I'm looking forward to asking you some questions about why that is in this interview. Because you of course live in the beautiful city of Prague and have been playing tennis for over 65 years.
Jan Kodes 04:08
I started when I was eight. Yes.
Paul Barnett 04:10
So you started when you were eight. And of course you've traveled all over the world. We was talking earlier that you visited 80 different countries. You've also had some experience with some great coaches pavada Yaroslav, dronning yaroslava advised you when you won your grand slams. But I'd like to ask my first question, which is what do you think great coaches do differently?
Jan Kodes 04:31
You know, the thing is that this is an obvious question. Which coach is great, because there are different feelings of the players. And you can see today players they they changing the coaches quite often. Someone has a coach for one year, two years, then they switch and then they switch again they switch again. And doesn't mean if the player wins the Grand Slam that his coach was great. He was helpful, he helped me a lot of things, but doesn't really mean he was the best or great because the guy won the Grand Slam, because the coaches, they sitting on the side, they can have a breakfast with you, they give you the advice, they show you the video, they can do a lot of things around, I don't want to say, like little slaves for the player. But the player, when he comes up there, and there is a full Stadium, and he has a he has a ball here, the set points match points or whatever he has, he has to hit the ball himself, and he has to finish it, and he can't miss and the coach is not going to help him, coach, nobody's going to help him coach can never win the match. This is my this is my opinion.[PB2] And second, I like to also say, that is a very big difference between teacher and coach. Because when you are like the children, you know, which are they starting now with five, maybe six, you know, and all that bad ends, they wonder and I was. So I call these people, teachers, because the teachers, they start like in the school, they start to tell you how to handle the racket, what did the ball what to do, you have to go down to your knees and they slowly start to learn that you are able to hit the ball over the net, at the hit the ball over the net takes you sometimes takes a one year, from eight to nine, you know, and then comes the junior tennis from 10 up to 18. You know, so so this is a some kind of big procedure. And those people which are around these youngsters, I call them more the teachers, not the coaches. So, and if you go through this career of jr it's a very long period, much longer that many people think and you have a now juniors which are around 1718 years old, and they have enough suddenly, they travel too much too many tournaments. You know, they feel they didn't have any, any time like the other children they miss a lot of other things, you know, they feel like a slave is because mama Tata, the parents, they want me to play and play and play. And sometimes the children they don't even want to play, they play because the parents wants them to play. And I said, you can have a golden goat or golden teacher. If the child doesn't want to work doesn't have the the will to be somebody. No one can help. No coach can help. You know what I like to say by this? I don't like I don't like the trainers. Because everybody. For example, some players say I have to have a trainer with me on the circuit. Because he wakes me up in the morning. And he pushed me to go to run. I say I mean, no one is going to wake up Nadal and Nadal you have to go practice and you have to go to gym and you have to have it in yourself inside. And if you don't know anything inside, you never become a champion.
Paul Barnett 08:23
I'd like to talk about your childhood for a minute because you were 12 when your father took you down to chicky karlene tennis club?
Jan Kodes 08:30
No, no, no, it was I was not eight. Then we took me 21st check alone tennis club.
Paul Barnett 08:37
I was 12 Yes, you were 12 it was two minutes to run it Yes.
Jan Kodes 08:40
But I'm Colleen I meant to sponsor which is Ireland
Paul Barnett 08:43
on the island, the beautiful island. And he took you there so you could have better access to
Jan Kodes 08:49
a good teacher, which was working all the children from eight to 17. And we will mainly practice against the wall, we play against the wall, we're close to the wall the little bit far away a little bit like this, they were the points there, you know and they had to hit they count they count how many times I hit this whole when 10 times 20 times you know and we against the wall all the time wall is half wall is every single practice against the wall. He was a great great man. And he was the he was the guy which prefer that bill tell them system built to them was the best players 1920 and he wrote the book and the book called tennis from A to Z. Okay. And this book was brought from America and the people in check they translate it to check and they made the copies for me you know and and also later on I find out that john you grump he also read this book from A to Z, because and this man his goal was Carlos similar app. He was a, he was a like a teacher, for them, businessman, you know, and club members, you know. And besides that he did, he did this kind of school twice a week, I went to him and then when I became 1415, when I won the championships, I won the championships and the 12 there, I won the champion and under 14, you know, and under 18, you know, I was growing, meaning mostly all the age groups. So we were only two guys like Ian Lindell and myself each one in the old grade or age groups, then I start to have other players from Davis Cup, Davis Cup player from Assyria Barsky Ababa Cora, and I was a ball boy, for them, I was a ball boy. So, I was on the post, you know, when first sub second serve I was on the post, you know, running for the boss. So I was watching and I see all the matches, which cord are worn which last the lineal image point and make mistake when you hit double faults. So I had my my heart and my eyes were into the match, you know, as a bowl board because today Bobo is you know, they they call around and you know, they are they are not in, they are not in you know, and this is the most important and I remember that Jimmy groaners and also john McEnroe said, you have to love the game. And if you not start to love the game, you'll never become a good player.[PB3]
Paul Barnett 11:39
So I'd like to give you a quote back actually now you're giving me one from Jimmy Connors and john McEnroe. And I'd, I'd like to read it to you if I could. I don't think a player wins Wimbledon because he has a coach. He wins because he's the best player where a coach can sometimes be useful in discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent. The year when I won, I was lucky enough to have my countrymen and a former Wimbledon winner from 1954 Yaroslav drugged me at hand. So I'd like to ask how did Yaroslav help you win Wimbledon in 90?
Jan Kodes 12:12
Romney was not the coach. But he was advisor. This is a big difference. So everybody mix it up together. I said, teacher, coach, advisor and today you have many coaches, which I call hitters they play with you and the hitters, the hitters but I always say did the hitter told you something was smart? Did you get any smart advisors it's so difficult to explain because some of them maybe today coaches they would say oh I oncology is an old fashion and all because he thinks you know today is a different they have a different market they have a different days, we have a different that, but what is not always playing, he's not making mistakes. He's made mistakes and all the guys, you know, hitting 100 mile per hour, you know, and they don't they do their mistakes. So the tennis in my opinion changed because of the equipment, but not as much compared to 1920 It's a slower physical condition maybe the guys but I think those guys the head they're also the Australia and Simon like kind of forte and and these guys you know that? How they hope man and these guys they also have the physical condition that they think they didn't have a condition now loopholed It was unbelievable player MLS or new GM you know, I mean, they all they are so much fit these guys so much, they may even fitter than the guys today. You have to realize during the match what you can do and what you cannot do, and you you know, as a player, you will weaknesses and also you know your weapons. And if you have a say, coach or advisor, then this guy have to remind you don't do this and do that. Because most of the guys how they grow up. They forget the most important things in tennis. I took the example. Then I was close to my career I was playing mainly doubles and I reached the finals. And Bork was in the final in singles and we were in the hotel and we had breakfast and burger in Helena burger in the Swedish coach of Gumball. He said he was always looking for someone who said Yan would you give a hit to beyond before his finals, you know, warm him up because he didn't have any hitter. Big barbarically knows all they didn't have any hitter. so badly and look after who is here. There is a there is a Thomas Smith so they give you hit. So So we went on the court. I play with Bjorn Morning 11 o'clock, half an hour. And then he played the final. And when we came out of the court, the better getting set to beyond beyond. Remember, you play to win, you don't play to make an exhibition.
Jan Kodes 15:16
Roger Federer he hire Stefan had back about two years ago, three years ago, whatever it is, I'd better go on six Grand Slams, the logic at that time was 17. What you can say to the guy which won 18 Grand Slams, you tell him, you stroke is bad and you toxic is bad? And you can you know, what do you do? You can tell him, you know what I mean? So it's difficult to coach, you have to realize, if you go to the teenager, if you go to the junior, if you go to the professional player on the circuit, which is number 50 in the world, or number 60 or 200. And if you coach guy from top 10 there are two different kind of things. I would say it's like, first course when you go to the school, then you go the middle school then you go to university, you know there are there are levels, doesn't mean that you will become a coach of some good player, because he made a contract with you that because it's not easy. We have to travel all the time is him you know, and coaches there are sometimes this question of money. This guy I have a discord because he's a little bit cheaper. This guy, he wants to travel all the time, because there are coaches, which they don't want to travel 5052 weeks, like Yvonne Lando, he said, tomorrow, I am going to go with you for grand slams, plus another six or eight ATP, not all the time, do the money is a champion of need. needs, I would say I don't know the right word that needs someone that is with him from the breakfast during the lunch to the evening. And during the night. You have to be individually you have to be individuality, you have to be yourself. If you become yourself, if you find out, you have to have a plan. [PB4] And you have to have a real, what you can achieve. And you have to believe in into it. You have to do it yourself. You can 100 times you get that you get the advice from your mother, or the father you advise from first coach, you know how many coaches I have because I had about seven or eight coaches. It was not only Gordon, every coach which was around me, he tried to tell me something. And we were very rare in Davis Cup, you know, we were sitting with the lender and having lunch and some coach calm and say, Man, and you could maybe slice back and play a little bit more often. And he was talking to the guy. He didn't say him Go Go to hell or whatever. He You know, he he just listened. Listen, listen. And I said an event was very smart. You know what he said? He said, it's good to take all the advices then you choose some of them, which you put in your brain and the rest musu away[PB5] . But he listened everyone you know because some some players are not like that. Some players think God this guy he cannot tell me anything what he should tell me I want all the championships and I'm I'm a junior champion. And you know, so dennis is a very, very difficult sport. And then you come and I played five Grand Slam finals. This full stadiums and if you come to the stadium, you start to have it showed like this. You can brief when you come to the club. It's a such a something new if you for example, you mentioned when blood on I played with blood on and I lost six times first round. I was unlucky because I played the top seeded guys by played Roche I had no I play drives there. I played alyssum you know, I was losing first round when I won one round like I did the first round, somebody that I lost to publicizing. And then it's important how you feel you play. You can lose, you can lose but important is how did you play? How did you play because you can lose but you can play well, you can fight can be great match and you don't win. So keep you in confidence because it's not like that, that you lose the match and you you die and because you don't win the important is some kind of you you mental fitness, which you have because then then you keep saying to yourself Well, I lost but next time I made these mistakes We'll change this, the strategy, you're working on the strategy all the time, you have to know there are so many different situations in the match, which are coming low ball here and bad. And the most important, I think, is not to make easy mistakes. Because if you if you look, everybody make mistakes Federer made mistake Nadal make makes this everybody make mistakes. But how many. So for example, a bad mistake means that you have all caught his open wallet here and you pull it down to the net. But the guy does this only once for all tournament. And the others, they do it every match. So this is this is a mental game.[PB6]
Paul Barnett 20:46
I want to talk to you about it being a mental game, because you mentioned it in the opening how tough it is mentally. And you just gave this great example if you're going to Wimbledon six times before you win a game, and then you go on to win Wimbledon. So you've got this great resilience. You kept building you kept going forward. And I read where you talked about Lendl and you were hit the non playing Davis Cup cat. Yes.
21:08
Yeah.
Paul Barnett 21:09
And when you were talking about him, you said he had extreme mental discipline? Yes. And I'm just wondering, how do you think an athlete today can develop mental discipline? Is it possible? And if so, how would you teach it?
Jan Kodes 21:23
I don't know how to teach them mental discipline, you have to be born with it. I just know that we were, I don't know. We were somewhere in New York or whatever. It was a television. It was a great, great movie. We were in the middle of the movie. alando said, it's nine o'clock I go to sleep. And he stopped and he went to sleep. All the others wanted to see the film to the end, which finished at 11, for example. But Ilan, he always he had this discipline. When he gets up when he goes to run, what he's going to practice. I tell you another thing. We were in Hamburg, German championships, London was coming up player, he was not number one here. And he said, You have to let me slides back up in the morning, every every day in the morning, slides back. I was not the coach. I was the captain, you know. And we come to the court. And he that he had met at one o'clock because the code was 11 about the 11th time we play on the court and he made them back and me I make topspin, he made the slides topspin slides, topspin slides, we already like this, I like this, I suddenly I say Yvonne, it's quarter to one, you have to go, you play on center court at one o'clock you have to go to a locker room, you have to go to locker room to have a shower and chinchou shared and he said forget it. If I land this back end, I be number one in the world. I will not go to the shower, I go straight to Central court, he land with the outfit which he got for practice, he goes straight to the center golf and he smashed someone that's 6262 you have to realize that every shot you learn as a junior as on the way to the top always has some weakness. So you can have a you can always improve it. Always improve it you know you can you can always have a better bike and you can always as a better self. It's it's not the limit doesn't exist, the limit doesn't exist.[PB7]
Paul Barnett 23:37
In preparing for today I read a lot of articles about you in Czech and in English, I had to get the Czech ones translated. But you often talk about the importance of concentration and self belief. They seem to be two themes that come up a lot. And there are two issues that are very important these days people's concentration spans are shrinking. And I think also their self belief gets crushed easily. Resilience is an issue for people. So if you were coaching today, how would you go about developing these two areas for your athletes.
Jan Kodes 24:12
The first thing is when you are on the circuit when you have a big tournament whatever it is, and you want to win, you can't you have to concentrate on your game. Forget the sister forget that brother, forget you know, that is always something which bother you my father call because he wants me to pick begin on the airport. Oh no, there is always something Nadal he has extremely, extremely important for concentration. Because he you can see on him how he everybody make make it fun from him then he does this this day like this, you know and but you know, he doesn't hear if the people are there. He doesn't hear even the even the plane he's into the mat. And it's very difficult specially on Grand Slams, because the benches are longer, you play best of the best of three sets could be five. So you are concentrate first set, second set, but it's a long, most of the guys, they, they cannot concentrate all the time. That's why suddenly, they want two sets and suddenly they they lose to the one set or two set, whatever, then there are some kind of uneven things. mental fitness is very important. physical and mental fitness is very important. [PB8] Everybody can learn the strokes. But for example, I'm a friend of Petra kvitova, she has a future fantastic self is easygoing, you know, hand Drew, you know, she might like this, and comes come suddenly, she makes two double fours in the row, or three double falls in there. Because there is a little bit interruption maybe a little bit more rain coming a little bit more rent a little bit of sun a little bit though, you have to deal with all this, you have to deal, they have too many things, suddenly, you know, you have a tiebreaker, especially at the US Open. And that is a guy stand up and call. You ever heard of sausage. JOHN sausage Did you know that happens? That happens. And some Europeans, they just cannot take it because they say how the people in us they don't have any, any respect for the for the guys, which we play. Because this can never happen in London, and never can happen in Australia. Because in Australia, this tennis is Australian sport that people they get used to it. They know they should be quiet. When is a tiebreaker? This is a different wall a little bit, you know. So the concentration, in my opinion is very important. You know how to learn or how to teach them how to teach them, you know, it's there is a good advisor, the good advices that when I come to him later on, and I was bitching I was a bad bounce. I can play here. This is impossible. Bad bounce back, bounce back bounce. You know, I was angry and automize Romney said, Listen, you have been bounced using the your opponent doesn't have a bounce, he has also a bad bounce and bounce in. And he said you know what? You have to slowly learn to love the grass. And if you come in love with the grass, you start to win. If you keep bitching on the grass, you will never win. But it's through this is a mental things like this. And now these days, I saw the wrong arrows and everybody suddenly the tennis players today, they start to say after the match court was celebrated. There was a difficult conditions. It was so much rent. I mean, they make interviews, like like the wind wouldn't be 10 years ago, 20 years ago set to go when I play semi finals in the run God was was wind, you know, and they do like bad conditions. I can't play because bad conditions. You have to be professional. And that's what I like about mainly our stallions. They all of us, they never had the excuses. You know, that's what I like about Tony Roach and john Newcombe. They never had the excuses. They lost the match. And you'll never listen. It was bad call. It was too much vain that the court was is that they won or lost and they be quiet. But the Europeans crying all the time crying.
Paul Barnett 28:37
Well, I watched some footage. There's some there's some old footage of you on YouTube, though, particularly for 1970 Well, you look very very calm, which is why it's interesting listening to you describe yourself.
Jan Kodes 28:50
But that is not much about 1970
Paul Barnett 28:52
there's a little bit on it is a little bit
Jan Kodes 28:55
early on. I think it's more but you look
Paul Barnett 28:59
I found I found some old footage. It's it's in college. It's not that all but you look very very calm. You don't look nervous.
Jan Kodes 29:08
But you're probably so sad already know the beginning. Yeah, maybe because beggining look, beginning is the most important. Not first second game because I was actually I come to the court and I was losing to laugh. I lost the self right away. I was losing to laugh, you know? Then I won six to 646 love, okay. But what's happening is if you come to the arena, you you start to think about the crowd for the crowd is going to think about me. They will love how I serve I mitosis special mitosis not as good as loss of a spouse or whatever it is, you know, and you play some kind of deal that point. When you win something big. You make a big deal. In short, the people start to clap. And suddenly, all the nervous goes away. You will need the one big shop to which gives you which gives you the start. And sometimes this big shot, come when you are don't download it before laugh, but you have to keep trying. You have to keep trying doesn't matter to you losing you losing Okay, I'm losing but I still go on I go, you cannot undo you have to. This is a part of the confidence. I played also Zeljko Fernando lavich in the final. I he was very good friend of mine. We know each other till today. And actually, I was not afraid of his game of his style of the game. I wasn't afraid. That's why probably, I look like this. But then, you know, and the same year I lost him in the finals of kids being in Austria. Also, you have to realize it's important how you are born and played, sometimes happens. Some of the writers, they keep saying the best matches are in quarterfinals and finals, sometimes. It's bad because one of the guys, he cannot take it the importance of the situation, importance of the match, because he's a Grand Slam finals in August. So some other guy doesn't play his best. So probably even the sherco when I played him in 1970, he didn't play his best in the finals. I play okay, but he didn't play his best. And that's happened many times. So sometimes you're winning, not because you were just fantastic. But it because you opponent, I played my average. But he didn't play his average. You know, you cannot play all the time. You know what between tennis players says that no one play 100% 100% if the player in the important match, play up to his 60 70%. That's mean he play very well. But you cannot go down under 40%. You see,
I wanted to ask you a little bit about the Czech Republic and its history with tennis. It's such a strong history of producing great players for a long, long time. And I wondered if you could tell me why you think it is that this nation is so good at tennis.
This is the history that's what I told you. In the other day in Austrian Empire. Tennis was, you know, you know, that we were our association was established 1906 and French Federation 1920. For example, we are I think said or false country, I think it's the front of us is Australia, us and England, England, those three countries. And we are number five for something like you know, so it's very popular or the tennis was very popular at the time. And the helmet, if you would go around the country, every small village has a tennis courts, to courts, modest modest, there is a wooden house you know, to change and so on. And you go anywhere you go you go to college, staying there is a club, you go, you know, anywhere you go into tennis club, it's a massively main sport in check. But then because of politics, then down because when 1945 when the second was finished, and when the when the Russia came in, and I like to be a part of Bolshevism and Stalinism, and, you know, 50s, Dennis was on the blacklist, because they support only the theme competitions, theme competitions was soccer, and ice hockey, and individual sports as a ski, tennis and golf was for rich people. For the Buddha, it was not supported, but still in this little cities everywhere. They make some court, of course, where we're putting away, but still many, many goals around the country. Tennis is a national sport today. Because you know, but even in the communists, even in the communist era, the turning point was when I wandered along arose, some of the some of the run suddenly the press, they say the encoder, she's a product. He's a product of Cisco system, which is able to develop such a champion. So I was some kind of example. So they didn't talk about kosher, loose and robinair because romney defected they didn't talk about eyebrows and yoga, which was a skating skating champion world champion. They, but they start to talk about 1969 1970. So I don't want to be you know, like this, too. I think I was a part of this part of the history to bring the tennis on the level Again,
Paul Barnett 35:01
I wanted to talk to you a little bit about history because you've received the sports Legend Award in 2011. And the fairplay club Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Czech Olympic Committee, as you sit here now, what do you think about these awards?
Jan Kodes 35:15
About about the fair play? This is the Olympic Committee, which, which is giving, you know, they always try to find out the reason why the guy should get the trophy. For example, in soccer, the guy says, I hit by hand. Some guys, they do like this. But he says, when they crash together, and they get the yellow car, and some guy says, No, it was not him. I was the guy who did it. So this is, this is like, forever, you know? And I think mainly, mainly, this award, I am not sure. But I think I received the trophy for a different reason. And the reason was that 1986, I think, was 86 or 84, but maybe 84, you will remember the case, Ivan Lendl play in South Africa, Botswana exhibition, you know, and you know, and then we play Davis Cup in Sweden and a, I was a Capitan, and he led to six to laugh and three laugh and then he lost and, you know, and he was very upset. And on the press conference, he said, They promised me to give me an official passport, you know, to not become citizen on the US. But I stayed citizen of check, but to have a residency in United States, they didn't want to give me it so and so on. So this part of the time, and that happened, that suddenly, the Minister of sports called me, because we lost five laughs I can see them and the press was very upset the landlord, he, he didn't want to rain and it was some kind of boycott against Czech Republic or so he called me, and I come in, in this office, and he said, Young, you have to put Lanza out of the team. And I said, I'm not going to do it. And he said, You have to take him out. And he was screaming earring on me, because he was getting from the top, from the not the government, but it was Communist Party officers and so on, you know, that he is bad. He is bad example for our students that is traveling and he stays most of the time in America. He doesn't come back Go home. He's you know, he's the bad example. And this is not good for the development of people in check and so on. And he was yelling on me all the time. And I let him do and and then when he when he stopped, I said, Look, if you would be on me, if you'd be on my chair, would you put number one player in the vote from your team? And he was looking at me like this? And he said, No, I wouldn't. I said that is all about and he said okay, but you on Monday, you will have to do them press conference with CTK you know what the CTA a CTA is a check biters organization for all press and you have to explain. So on Monday, I go. It was a big room of 50. writers. And they all on me. were yelling, you know, so he doesn't respect you. We will last five laughs You should so I he, you know you. You are weak to him. And you push pushing me all the time. You know, I was like a stone. I was like a stone. I said he didn't give up. He was fighting this soon. stram henriksen sandplay is that great match vilander played very well doubles the last five sets. We were the two match points. We were unlucky. You know, and other other I will defend him. And I think this is the reason they gave me this. I really I think is this, I think is this because I defend Lendl in the most most difficult time.[PB9]
Paul Barnett 39:29
There's also another great tennis player that you were involved with. I had a connection with Martina Navratilova. She says that you were hero, not just for tennis, but for your fighting tenacity and helping to confront sports authorities so that players could start to travel. But in your own words, I'd like to hear from you about what you think the legacy is that you've left.
Jan Kodes 39:55
I played 96 matches in Davis Cup. Can you imagine? 96 matches In the risk, if you compare to these guys like today at first I was the guy, which was supporter for the country play for the country. And that's first thing Second, if I would be leave the country who would look after development of tennis here, I was the guy which all the time try to keep the race on that level, then I become the captain. After when I finish the captain, I start to work on the stadium, which was built on this planet system on its Island. After that, I brought fast at ATP tournament ever in communist countries. We were number one who did the tournament for prize money. They know for the dollars paid in dollars, because because the tournaments you couldn't do the Grand Prix tournament because it was not that it was part of ATP later on. But before was idea of Grand Prix. And you had to have an I brought, I established I was the founder of the tournament, founder of the Challenger and founder of the ATP tournament. The first event I was at tournament director for 12 years and first event they call it chedoke open sea Ed ek, which is a tourist organization. And the most important was how to get the prize money in dollars. So I was fighting with the officials also with this minister, Minister of sports, who was yelling on me and so though I said look, we have a stadium we have to do understand, we have to Navratilova is coming for the fat club, what is going to happen when the study on a finish when Federation is gone? Every year, we are going to have an ATP event. Every year we are going to exhibition every year we are going to do something, you know, so I was all the time I was like, I was like an ambassador of tennis. And I was not the president of Tennis Association. I was still I was still like a I was still a player which still playing and there was a captain but they were some higher, higher officials in tennis, but they didn't do this. You know, I think I left a lot It also in in one way. You know, and we'll see what is going to in the future. But anyway, later on, you know, I was moved away. You know, so,
Paul Barnett 42:24
young college. It's been amazing listening to your story. Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it. And I can't wait to read your book, which is flying to me as we speak. Thank you very much, john.
42:37
Okay, thank you.
Transition 42:39
The great coaches podcast.
Paul Barnett 42:42
Hi, everyone, it's Paul here, and you have been listening to our discussion with Yan kadesh. I grew up watching the great players he mentioned in this interview like Yvonne Lindell, and Martina Navratilova, and so it was fascinating to listen to the stories behind their career journeys. I especially enjoyed John's reflection on discipline, and the story he shared about Yvonne Lindell, working on his backhand. I also enjoyed his views on standing by your players, when there is pressure from the administration to interfere and decide who is in the team, and the importance of listening to advice from the people you respect. But having the ability to discard the things you don't think are important or relevant. I hope you enjoyed it as much as Jim and I did. You know, next episode, we will be speaking to American basketball coach Joe Prunty.
Joe Prunty 43:30
Some of the things that great coaches do is they have amazing relationships, not only with the players themselves, but with all the people within an organization. That doesn't mean that everything is a bed of roses every day, it doesn't mean that everything goes smoothly. There are debates, there are questions, there are tough tasks that have to be handled, but the relationships themselves are always solid. They're built on a great foundation. And just
Paul Barnett 44:00
before we go, coaches are not usually the type of people who seek the spotlight. And so if you can put us in contact with a great coach that you know has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you. You can contact us using the details in the show notes.