Journalists would write about adult, consecrated performers. Few of us choose to talk with the children on their way to success, though this could be an equally interesting experience.
THE BEGINNING
Before talking with DAVID GHEORGHE, a tennis champion at 12, I chose to talk with his coach, Florin Colibășanu, who knows him best. He detailed the trajectory of this child, who took up tennis when 6 years old and who, in several months – from the end of 2013 and until the mid-2014 – went up 122 positions in the rankings.
And he keeps moving up …
David came to ”Tenis Club București” in the winter of 2012 and had a constant ascension in his field tennis player career. He started participating in competitions in the mid-2013, with several ”Tennis 10” tournaments, and then, since November 2013, he moved to the tournaments organised by the Romanian Tennis Federation (RTF). At the end of the year, he was on the 222nd position in the U10 category.
After the first months of 2014, he succeeded ranking among the 100 players in the 10-year category. At the beginning of the same year, he joined a training programme meant for payers aiming at the great performance. It involves some 8-10 training hours a week, which cover group and individual training sessions, and also a 3-hour physical training, as per age requirements.
The end of 2014 found David on the 45th place of the RTF leader board for the 10-year category. When the summer holidays came, training sessions went up to 12-14 hours a week, and so did the physical drills – 4-5 sessions a week – and the participation in more demanding tournaments. All these together led to a visible improvement in his play and, right away, in his rankings. He attained the 14th place on the two dates of ranking setting: May 20th, 2015 and August 5th, 2015.
David with his coach, Florin Colibășanu
The strategy I have envisaged as early as the mid-2015, to make the transition towards normal balls, resulted in his winning the first tournament in the U12-year category, the Galaxy Cup of July 2015 (1st category tournament).
In 2016, the first U12 year, he manages a notable result at the Winter Individual National Championship (played on Green Set) and ranks on the main board, then passes the first tour. His play at high quotas results in an advancement in the U12 players leader board – he reaches the 31st place (in February 2016), only one month after he is admitted in this category.
Given the very high level he reached, training sessions became more intense, and his work more thorough, even if their duration remained the same. He wanted to play tennis so much and he enjoyed it so, that he compensated with the time he would allot to study during the academic year.
Training sessions and the objectives conveyed gradually, in relation to his training period, the tournaments plan and the very good relationship between him and me, made it possible for his play to be ever better and stronger. This can be seen in the tournaments results. David was on the 19th place in the rankings of May 2016.
That year, in the summer, he exceeded the border of national tournaments and headed to the international ones organised by the Tennis Europe for the U12 category. Let’s not forget he was 11!
Also in 2016, a year of tough efforts, both physical and psychological, the reward was not late in showing up and, for all the performances and results obtained in the national and international tournaments, he is convened at the U11 Selection, where he manages the 3rd place, and in the stage of the groups, he defeats in two sets the then current leader of the RTF rankings. This way he won his place in the U12 Tennis National Lot of the Romanian Tennis Federation. In July he manages, at Mamaia National RTF Circuit, to defeat in singles the number 1 in his age rankings and then loses in the final, in doubles managing to win the tournament.
David’s coach, mother and sister watch him at one of the matches
Of course, the coach plays an important part, but equally important in his evolution are the parents, who have constantly supported him to achieve his highest goals.
You know that, as with Simona Halep, as with other players, until they manage to attract sponsors and be helped by the Federation, parents cover the costs, and they are not low at all. Tennis is an expensive sport and often when I see this frenzy of most parents in recent years to have their children take up tennis, I think many of them do not realize what future expenditure is involved. There are many talented children who have given up along the way, because they could not afford the travels abroad or a full training team. It’s not simple at all.
HIS BEST YEAR The first half of 2017 was one of the best periods in David’s career. All the training and his ambition, as well as his desire to stay in the U12 National Tennis Lot, made him want to exceed his own limits, and this shows in the tournaments results. At the National Individual Winter Championship, held on Green Set, he ranks among the first eight singles players and is the national doubles vice-champion. In mid-April, he is convened at the U12 Selection, where he ranks 5th, among the top 16 players in the country. Then there follows a series of three tournaments, including two internationals, at the 12-year category, and one category I, at 14, in which he performs very well. In both international tournaments, one in Bucharest, the other in Arad, he ranks among the top eight in the singles and second in the doubles.
David Gheorghe, at Rafael Nadal’s Tennis Academy
At the 14-year tournament, where he plays against older and better-ranked players, he has a very good progress, managing to rank 1st, without losing any set. At the National Individual Tennis Championship, he once more ranks among the top eight players in Romania and is 3rd in the doubles. In the rankings made after the Nationals, he is 5th in his age category, with 6,662 points and in the U14 category he occupies the 67th position, with 1,129 points.
THE NATIONAL CHAMPION T-SHIRT
In August, he participates in international tournaments in the 14-year category, the first in Chisinau, in the Republic of Moldova, where he manages to rank among the top 16. In the next two, held in Arad and Oradea, the two-year difference between him and the great majority of the players caught up on him.
September is the month of the national championships for teams and the month when school begins. In this combination, which he manages to handle very well, the best result is together with the ”Tenis Club București” team, at the National Doubles Interclub Championship, where he plays the most important matches, winning the national champion T-shirt, so coveted by generations of athletes. The last trophy he won, of this long list, is the 1st place in the ATH Cup, the 14-year category. With this result, he goes up among the top 50 players in this age category.
All these years, he has collected 45 cups, 11 medals and 53 diplomas. And his way to success continues, for his desire to reach up there is stronger than any effort I may demand of him or which performance involves.
A LESSON FOR GROWN-UPS
At the time I did this interview, David was just getting ready for a match with an American, in Miami. I called him a few hours later. He had won!
How do you define yourself? When you look at yourself, what can you say?
I am a child passionate about everything that sport involves. Tennis has changed my way of life, made me see each victory with different eyes and consider that a defeat is only the beginning of another victory. It’s all about passion, I live through tennis, I breathe through tennis, I wake up in the morning and the first thought flies to the tennis racket and the next challenge. I always try to anticipate the opponent’s move, set up strategies and then spare no effort on the field. What do I see when I look at myself? A winner! I know that if I really want a victory, if I work hard and I’m serious about it all, my dream will come true.
Why did you take up tennis?
It was an accident. I wanted to do sports and I ended up on a tennis court. And then, I was fascinated by the people who guided my steps in this white sport, by the rules of the game, because tennis involves not only force, but also strategy … it’s a game of mind and a challenge. Each game, irrespective of the opponent, is a challenge.
To whom is all your performance due?
I would not have got here, had it not been for the people on which I always relied: my family, coaches, friends etc.
Your coach told me you train some 14 hours a week. Do you not get tired?
It is nice to be able to do in life what defines you, regardless of the sacrifices. In fact, I do not see training as a negative side, but on the contrary, training is the vehicle that takes me to victory. I am aware that I cannot effortlessly reach the performance I dream of. So, I can consider training a pleasant fatigue.
With Patrick Mouratouglu, Serena Williams’ coach
What does defeat mean for you in a game?
I always want to win. Sometimes it happens sooner, sometimes later, but a match is always a confrontation between two opponents. It all depends on the work done, the chance and the faith. You have to believe that you will win, that you are better than the one in front of you … and that at that moment God loves you. If I happen to lose, however, I think I lost a battle, not a war. A defeat makes me more determined, and I work harder, because next time I HAVE TO WIN.
Where do you want to get?
As high as possible. I want my dream to come true. Only then will I stop.
Is money a motivation for you? You know great champions are making good on tournaments …
At my age, I’m motivated by other things, I’m not very aware of money as a notion. There are other things that motivate me, which make me go forward and win. I know great champions are earning impressive amounts of money in tournaments, but that’s not my goal. I want to be as high as I can, to reach my dream of being on the podium. Money is an add-on to performance, not an end in itself.
Federer is the most talented player, but Nadal is the proof that hard work leads to success. What’s more important to you?
Both. I am aware that hard work is the foundation of success. If God is good with you and gives you a touch of talent and a little chance, while you yourself are very determined in what you do, then the dream comes true. But I can say I’m fascinated by both players. Both by Federer, and by Nadal. Both are an embodiment of performance.
Why did you evoke God?
Because He’s always with me and I thank Him for everything He gives me. If you have faith, you always succeed!
How do you see the world?
I see the world through the eyes of a child passionate about what is beautiful. I want to believe that every man is a part of the Universe. And everything could be nice if people were better, more generous, if they cared about what is going on around them.
What is the moment which left its deepest imprint on you throughout your life so far?
I do not know if there is a specific moment which left its imprint on my life. Every event in my life enriches me and I learn something from everything. Everyone I meet changes something in me.
Where do we learn more, from the books we read or from Facebook?
I always believed in the power of words. It depends on the book or on the content of Facebook. I think both are useful to a certain extent, but I am fascinated by the world I find everywhere in the pages of books. I am thrilled by the world created through them. Another reality, another dimension, another perspective of life … the happenings experienced by the characters …
Why are there poor, starving children in the world?
I do not know how to answer this question. I wish everyone were happy.
How would you describe your parents?
They are wonderful, and they support me in everything I do. They’re always there when I need them. And their advice has always been helpful to me.
How are travels to world tournaments?
Travel is a necessary part of a tournament. I admit, sometimes travels are tedious and involve financial efforts. But every tournament I participate in charges me positively and is a certainty of my work. This is the purpose … I want to participate in as many tournaments as possible, because this confirms my value. And that’s how I can fulfill my dream.
How do you see your future?
I want to get to live my dream, as soon as possible. I want to be a winner!
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