MAX LUTOSTANSKI has described himself as “over the moon” with the start to his new role as assistant head coach to the GB Ladies team.
The 32-year-old became No.2 to long-standing GB head coach Alvaro Fernandez Guerrero and enjoyed an outstanding start to his new position after he helped coach British No.1 Tia Norton and her partner Carla Fito Fernandez to victory at the recent London Padel Open.
Now with the European qualifiers for the World Championships just five weeks away and Guerrero set to announce the eight – woman team for Derby next week, Lutostanski believes that the GB Ladies are in their strongest position yet in terms of depth and quality to qualify for Qatar.
The new GB No.2 coach was also keen to pay a glowing tribute to GB head coach Guerrero, the man known simply as ‘Alvaro’ to those in British padel, with whom he has already forged a strong working relationship.
Lutostanski said: “It was about a week before the FIP London Rise that I took up my new role. I probably didn’t envisage starting my role with that as my first tournament but Alvaro and I spoke about it and we knew that with so many GB Ladies involved that it would be a big challenge for them all and we wanted to help out and do our bit.
“But the amount of matches where we either had one or two GB players on opposing sides we just didn’t feel that it would be appropriate for us to be in a position where we were effectively coaching against each other and there were just too many matches where that situation happened.
“It turned out that it was only the semis and the final where there weren’t GB players in opposition to each other and so we each took a team in the semis and because I had Tia (Norton) and Carla (Fito Fernandez) in the semis Alvaro made the call I’d continue coaching them in the final and it turned out very well.
“Really I was absolutely over the moon with both their performances but also the relationship we had straight from the start, it just seemed to flow, it worked and we got each other.
“It was a very tough semi with the come back from 5-2 down in the final set and saving four match balls on Tia’s serve and it was really emotionally charged, it was such a good performance that it brought our relationship closer in that first match and made the final straight forward really from a coaching perspective.
“So an outstanding performance and as a first experience for me supporting GB players I couldn’t have asked for more. They got me and it was a really good team experience.”
Now all eyes turn to Derby and the World Championship qualifiers and Lutostanski admits there will be some tough selection calls being made over the next few days as the eight-woman team is announced.
He explained: “Over the last couple of months there haves been regular training sessions at the NTC and we now have an idea of a strong group of really good ladies, plus a couple of girls from the GB vets team, who are in the mix to make the final eight for Derby and Alvaro will of course have the final say.
“Obviously we will discuss this at length and have already been having plenty of these discussions based on the training sessions and although we do not have a set date when the players will be made aware it will be next week.
“Each girl will be contacted individually and will be advised whether they have made the cut and then of course from there we will go towards our first training camp and plan from there.
“The obvious hope is that we are successful in qualifying for Qatar and have a repeat of the team’s success from last year but being a year on from that it just feels like we are in such a stronger position.
“Obviously I wasn’t part of the coaching team 12-months back but it feels like with the developments and growth of padel in Britain culminating at the London Open we are just so much further on.
“The fact that there are these tournaments and the HOP (Home of Padel) Tour started with men and then became mixed and then progressed to a HOP Women Tour and now we have all of that is huge growth for the women’s game in the UK and all very positive.”
But there was no hiding Lutostanski’s respect and admiration for GB Head Coach Guerrero whom he has gelled with immediately: “I think Alvaro is absolutely incredible. He knows the girls very well, he is understanding, patient, determined and I couldn’t have asked for a better guy to work with and we have a really strong friendship and working relationship.
“To be honest this is my first coaching role in this respect and he has been hugely supportive of me and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to be working with in this capacity.”
Lutostanski’s own competitive padel career was curtailed by a horrific knee injury yet from this misfortune his coaching career was ultimately born as he revealed: “I don’t manage much tournament play as I tore my ACL and my meniscus when I was 21-years-old and had reconstruction surgery and from there over the last 10/11 years my body just doesn’t let me do what I’d like to do.
“I have played HOP Tour events but I am just not quick enough to react and the change of direction kills me. I can run loads but the speed at which padel is played means I can’t do many competitive tournaments and that is frustrating.
“But I work closely with John Leach the GB Men’s Team head coach at Chelsea Harbour Club and I assist him with the HOP Tour he also runs with Javi Serrats.
“My full-time role is working at Chelsea Harbour Club and over the last three or four months I have built a women’s club team: The Chelsea Harbour Club Ladies Team and from that this sparked the interest from the LTA to come on board with the GB Ladies Team.
“I am hoping that some of the girls who are in my team at Chelsea Harbour will hopefully make the GB Team for Derby and the World Cup Qualifiers but obviously Alvaro will have the final call on that and selection is based purely on merit.
“But it is exciting times for the women’s game and after we have selected for the qualifiers the target is clearly to repeat what the team achieved last year in making the World Championships.
“So, right now everything is geared to making Qatar.”
