Spanish Men and Their Success

We don't necessarily need to train like the Spanish. We need to be like the Spanish. The best attribute of the Spanish men-even more than their great athletes and grind harder mentality-is their team spirit in an individual sport. They genuinely rally around each other and help pull each other up. An example explains it all. Nadal was a brash, cocky and amazing young star on the rise 10 years ago. The Spanish players practiced with him, advised him, and brought him into their fold. If Nadal was American I think he would have been put through some very negative pressures by our players for his fist pumps, stare downs, pirate shorts, etc. Without the team support of his countrymen he certainly would not be the gracious, mature champion that he is today. Now we have a budding superstar in our fold. Will we treat him well and help him win majors and push our sport to greater heights, or we will we chastise and ridicule his young, cocky and brash habits and try to keep him from fully realizing his potential. In my opinion only one American male player has a good chance to win a major in the next 5 years and compete at the very top of men's tennis: Jack Sock. How will he be nurtured by the American pros? This may define his ascension and longetivity in our great game.