Ballve on NOX Future Academy: ”It's the fulfillment of a dream”

This Saturday, the NOX Future Academy was presented in Barcelona, a big bet of the Spanish brand to the young talents. General Manager, Jesus Ballve, talks to Padel Alto about this new project. 
— The companies involved in padel have to reinvest and promote talents around the world, he says.

In a clear commitment to support the development of young padel players, the Spanish brand NOX - with its CEO Jesus Ballve at the lead - has inaugurated in Barcelona the “NOX Future Academy,” a project that has lingered in the head of the businessman for a long time.

— It is the fulfillment of a dream of many years. Now, with the growth that NOX has had in recent years, we have made this investment, which is not only something strategic for the brand but something that had to be done for the good of padel.

"Our mission is to detect and help new talent" 

For this first stage of the NFA, NOX signed ten young South American talents between 14 and 23 years old, who will be the first players to be part of the Project.

The brand provided the youngsters with everything a professional needs to become an elite athlete: nutritionists, trainers, physiotherapists, and even English, protocol, and ceremonial teachers, to help them become NOX ambassadors worldwide.

For Ballve, the primary function of the academy is to detect and help young talents have the economic opportunities to make a name for themselves and not give up their dreams for reasons unrelated to their abilities.

— There is a lot of wasted talent in the world, either because they don't have the right training conditions, or what worries us the most, they don't have the economic conditions to face professional preparation. Here they will have everything they need, even things that players on the professional circuit don't have.

“More as individuals than as champions”

The selection process starts with scouts and agents, but then it is Ballve himself who is in charge of recruiting each talent who entered and will enter the academy. 

— Nowadays, it is one of the functions I like the most. Seeing the kids, getting to know their families and their values as human beings. It's not just about paying a fee but also about ensuring that the players' values align with the company's values. At NFA, we want them to develop more as individuals than as champions.

Pablo Crosetti, a key figure in the project

Although the final word is always Ballve's, Pablo Crosetti is a fundamental pillar of the project. The coach of the brand's flagship player, Agustin Tapia, is the one who validates the entry of new talents to the academy. 

— Pablo has to do everything. He's the one who validates all the technical stuff. That's his job. As soon as we get input from someone who has the potential to be a great professional, Pablo investigates everything about them and gives the go-ahead. Then they go through my filter on the human side, and from there, they are evaluated in a trial period.