The fastest-growing participation sport globally has really taken off in Sandwell – and here’s your chance to see what all the fuss is about for free!
Tipton Sports Academy (TSA) on Wednesbury Oak Road, in the West Midands, is hosting a celebratory Open Padel Day on Saturday 6th December, from 9.30am to 1pm, and you and the family/friends can try it out and join in the coaching taster sessions, practice matches and fun challenges. Refreshments are available to purchase on the day, including tasty street food, and a DJ will also add to the excitement and interactive atmosphere.
TSA boasts three indoor courts (a key advantage regionally as padel can be enjoyed all year round) and they marked a £155,000 investment – by Kore Sandwell (previously Sandwell Leisure Trust) who run and maintain eight centres across the borough on behalf of Sandwell Council - to bring this booming, highly inclusive and accessible sport to the area when opening in the summer. Padel is an ideal way to socialise with family, friends, or other enthusiasts for a fun game, because it’s so easy to play and pick up for all ages, abilities and fitness levels.
It’s like a cross between tennis and squash but played on smaller courts enclosed with glass walls. It’s played in doubles and uses the tennis scoring system, with the serve underarm. Players use solid, stringless, composite rackets to hit a softer ball over the net and via the walls.
Padel was invented in Mexico in the late 1960s and counts David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Serena Williams amongst its fans. Over the last decade especially, padel has seen a huge surge in popularity, with more than eight million players in Europe - and the UK following suit with a growing network of courts and enthusiasts.
