AMET International’s Post

Thanks to Austin Edwards and the The Padel State for writing a story about the promising future of padel in the Greater Boston Area! Check it out below

Unveiling Sport England's First Padel Participation Figures Sport England for the first time has captured player numbers for padel and pickleball. Their research indicates a core base of 23,000 English adult padel players (18,000 – 33,000 players with a 95% confidence interval). Presently, more men (78%) are playing than women. For context, tennis (861,000 players) and badminton (763,000 players) are the dominant established English racquet sports. Defining a player This new Sport England research, conducted by Ipsos, the global research company, defines an adult player as over the age of 16 who participated at least twice in the sport in the past month when they were surveyed. These two sessions need to have reached a minimum threshold of 60 minutes. Declining Established Racquet Participation in England It is interesting to look at the trend for the four established racquet sports which all show declines since 2016, so pre-dating the Covid-19 pandemic. There are 175,000 fewer squash players in England compared with seven years ago. What explains why established racquet sports participation has been declining? For some sports, there are fewer opportunities (venues) to play, but to what extent is it also physical capability and motivation? The Joy of Sport What struck me when I read the Sport England Active Lives report was how only 32% of people strongly agree with the statement: “I find sport enjoyable and satisfying.” It has been consistently at this same level for the past five years and just 25% for females. Given that sport is a festival of different activities and choices why is it not a time of absolute joy for more people? We know that more people are living with long-term health conditions and chronic pain and these people are less likely to be active so is ‘sport’, in all its forms, doing enough to adapt and effectively communicate to a changing population? Could emerging racquet sports like padel help more people to find exercise more intrinsically enjoyable? My forthcoming UK Padel Report As I research deeper into the sport of padel, I can see how it engages a wide inter-generational audience who do seem to find inherent and intrinsic joy in the sport — no need for an array of external incentives, points and rewards that nudge people to play. I am enjoying the opportunity to explore, decode and explain the padel ‘recipe.’ Strategic Partnership Opportunities I would enjoy speaking with organisations that would like to be associated with Oxygen Consulting’s forthcoming UK padel report, especially those who are taking the long view to grow an inclusive and sustainable sport. Strategic sponsor support means that the report can be free and open access. Please contact me to further explore this. Please do leave your comments and I will link to the full Active Lives report in the comments. Note: Respondent surveys collected between November 2022 & November 2023. Numbers rounded. #SportEngland  #PadelUK   #RacquetSports

When will Padel feature in the Olympics? 🎾 The sport is currently played by over 25 million players across 110 countries 📈 Padel has all the raw ingredients to be an incredible Olympic spectacle; so, when will it make its debut on the world's grandest stage...? Padel clubs are popping up all over the country, at schools and local clubs, aiming to build the sport's popularity at the grassroots level.  Investors are jostling to get in on the action of a sport which has been dubbed the ‘fastest growing sport in the world’. Athletes have put their money behind the sport: David Beckham, Andy Murray, and Zinedine Zidane, to name a few. 🔵 What is Padel, and where did it come from? Padel was launched in the 60s by a wealthy Mexican businessman. Enrique Corcuera was interested in launching a new game for his estate, which didn’t have space for a tennis court: instead, he designed a game drawing on elements of tennis, squash, and handball. It gained momentum quickly in Mexico, before making the leap over to Spain and Italy. 🔵 Why the hype about Padel? For one, its growth rate has been eye-catching. According to a Deloitte report, Padel already has over 25 million players globally, over a quarter of the 87 million tennis players. Early success stories in Spain and Italy indicate its popularity in other European countries. There is an inherent efficiency built into the sport—fitting eight players on the same space as a tennis court. Its pay-to-play model creates a fairly simple business model for each court, making it easy to track revenue and growth. 🔵 Who are the key players in Padel? Off the court, there are a number key components fuelling Padel’s success.  Firstly, the federations. In Italy, Padel has already been merged with the Tennis Federation; the UK is similar, with the British Padel Association falling under the LTA. These are at the heart of fostering the communities that are critical to Padel taking hold in the UK.  Yet one of the exciting propositions of Padel is that it is relatively un-innovated, presenting a blank canvas for entrepreneurs and investors to build exciting new products and services around the sport. WhatsApp groups and referrals play a huge part in creating a strong, connected, community feel. 🔵 What factors will fuel Padel’s growth? Padel is a little way off cementing itself in the mainstream. Investment needs to start at grassroots level.  Fortunately, its efficiency boosts its affordability. Further down the line, financial incentives need to align to encourage people to take it up professionally. This is certainly progressing: the new Premier Padel Tour promises much more regular competitions and bigger prize money. A tour like this will have huge implications for audience growth. Will it outgrow tennis as the UK & Europe's favourite racquet sport? All eyes, for now, are on one date in particular: the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane... Mark Hewlett M3 Padel Academy Decathlon UK #Padel #SoulPadel #PadelClub

The explosive growth of padel in the U.S. has sparked a new wave of sports enthusiasm across the nation! 🎾 From entrepreneurs investing in courts to athletes discovering a new passion, padel is transforming the U.S. sports landscape. 💥 Whether you're a seasoned player or hearing about it for the first time, this blog highlights why padel is the next big thing to watch. Read on to learn more about this exciting trend! #Padel #PadelGrowth #SportsIndustry #SportTrends #PadelCommunity #USSports #EmergingSports #PadelInUSA #RacketSports #GrowthStrategy https://loom.ly/Xp1gk6I

Prosperity Athletic Club Press Release Epic Padel Inc Announces 6 Courts at Prosperity Athletic Club in Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC – EPIC Padel is proud to announce the opening of its first padel courts at Prosperity Athletic Club, a family-owned tennis, pickleball, and swim club that has been a cornerstone of Charlotte’s athletic community for over 25 years. This exciting partnership brings the world’s fastest-growing sport to one of the country’s most vibrant and active regions. Located in North Charlotte, Prosperity Athletic Club is perfectly positioned to introduce padel to a thriving tennis and pickleball community. With 12 lighted har-tru tennis courts, 6 lighted pickleball courts, a year-round indoor pool, and a clubhouse offering fitness and personal training, the club is already a hub of athletic activity. Adding 6 padel courts to its offerings is a natural next step in continuing its legacy as a premier destination for sports enthusiasts. Jeremy Speicher, USPTA owner of Prosperity Athletic Club, shared his excitement about the collaboration: "We at Prosperity Athletic Club are thrilled to partner with Epic Padel. Tim Bainton and I have known each other for many years, and I can't think of a more dynamic and forward-thinking leader. When Tim and I first spoke about this project, I was excited. I believe this exciting sport is a perfect complement to our facility. The team behind Epic Padel has impressed me with their professionalism and their vision, and I couldn't think of a better partner." While this marks EPIC Padel’s first courts, the company has already made significant strides in the padel industry through key investments in partners like Padel39, Hexagon Cup, Clutch AI, Padel India, and the Pro Padel League Team New York Atlantics. These investments reflect EPIC’s broader mission to support the growth of padel globally and create a thriving padel community. Now, with their first courts in Charlotte, EPIC is taking the next step in realizing this vision. Tim Bainton, COO of EPIC Padel, remarked: "Charlotte is an ideal location for padel. With its moderate year-round climate and a thriving tennis and pickleball scene, we see enormous potential for this sport to flourish in the region. We are thrilled to partner with Prosperity Athletic Club to bring padel to this vibrant community. Together, we are not only introducing a new sport but building a foundation for a passionate and inclusive padel community." The 6 padel courts at Prosperity Athletic Club will feature EPIC Padel’s signature high-quality designs, ensuring players a top-tier experience. This collaboration reflects both organizations’ commitment to fostering an inclusive, family-friendly environment where players of all ages and skill levels can enjoy the game. Saud H. A. Kareem Anabtawi Hala Sarkis Jason Nicola The Padel Paper The Padel State Washington Business Journal Charlotte Business Journal Blue Chip Sports Management Ben Nichols Cage 91 Co.

Exploring the Rise of Padel in the UK: A Forthcoming Report from Oxygen Consulting Padel is emerging in the UK, but is it destined to be a niche sport or become as popular as tennis? Factors such as social connectivity, easy-to-play, and intergenerational appeal drive its growth, but will they be enough to elevate padel to become a mainstream UK participation sport? For context, the UK scenario three in the attached image at 200 courts per million people compares with 323 courts per million in Spain — the global centre of padel. What is Padel? Imagine tennis and squash meet and have a child called padel who encourages players to think like a chess grandmaster. This doubles sport is played on a 20m x 10m glass and steel court indoors or outdoors. Is the UK now primed for a padel rush? Initially introduced to the UK in 2011, padel failed to scale until a recent post-COVID-19 increase in public and private sector investment, and a growing public fascination has injected renewed interest in the sport. My forthcoming report written for an investor, real estate, entrepreneur, and leisure sector audience delves into whether the UK is now ready to embrace this sociable racquet sport and explore emerging business models and opportunities co-locate with other sports, leisure, real estate and hospitality operators. My new padel report is investigating: 💡 Different padel business operating models 💡 Financial appraisal and property analysis 💡 Reviews of leading UK padel operators 💡 Opportunities for the wider health and fitness industry 💡 New consumer research into what motivates players to the sport 💡 Polling the UK public to understand awareness of padel & propensity to play 💡 Future UK outlook & growth scenarios to guide investments. Strategic Partnership Opportunities Oxygen Consulting invites organisations to form partnerships through sponsorship of this new UK padel research. This is an opportunity for organisations to be strategically positioned with new research and at the forefront of one of the UK's fastest-growing sports. Your support will ensure that the final report is free and open-access rather than behind a paywall. Please contact me to further explore this. As a lifelong racquet sports player, I am excited to investigate how a nation adopts and integrates padel and its role in increasing activity levels, well-being and public health. What impact do you believe padel might have in getting more people, across all generations, to fall in love with exercise? How do you see padel being ‘productised’ and marketed in the UK —  membership model or pay and play? #Strategy #PadelUK #UKSports  #SportsInvestment  #Exercise

What Are Your Padel Centre Non-Negotiable's ❓ As Padel continues to grow and more centres are emerging, the variation from centre to centre has started to become more apparent. Of course, there are always going to be differences between clubs depending on a number of factors (Location, Size and Objectives). But..what are the non-negotiable's a centre should always account for? 📚 Regular Coaching (for me the most important) - By providing players with feedback, education and motivation, coaches will ensure player's constantly develop their game. This will help a centre to retain players, from beginners through to advanced athletes. 🏆 Events and Tournament's - We all know the social aspect of Padel is a huge catalyst for growth. By hosting tournament's/events a centre will form an engaging community, attract external players and maximise facility utilisation. At Golden Point Padel UK, I have been lucky to witness first-hand how important events are for the growth of Padel here in the UK and the excitement they bring to a community. This is something I believe is significant for the long-term future of Padel. 👥 Social Space - Whether that is in the form of a bar/cafe or simply a seating area, the importance of giving players the chance to socialise pre/post match is significant. Not only will it bring a sense of belonging to players but it will help create a positive atmosphere within a centre and make people want to return for more. 💡 Since creating The Padel Directory, it has been fascinating to see how different centres operate, what does work and what needs to be changed! It would be interesting to hear what are your Padel Centre non-negotiable's and why? 🤔 #padel #uksport #sport #ukpadel

🏓 California’s padel scene is booming as the state becomes a key hub for this exciting sport. With new courts, growing communities, and increased competition, padel is transforming recreation in the Golden State. #Padel #CaliforniaPadel #SportsGrowth #PadelNetSetters #RecreationTrends #WestCoastPadel #SportExpansion https://loom.ly/Sqcs8-I

Preparing for a padel club tournament involves a blend of physical training, skill enhancement, and mental preparation. Learn essential tips to excel and what to anticipate during the event to ensure a successful and enjoyable experience. 🎾🏆 #Padel #ProfessionalDevelopment #SportsPreparation

Improve your club's profitability With summer's arrival, padel emerges as the perfect sport, offering not just physical activity but also social and community-building benefits. More clubs, including golf courses and tennis clubs, are recognizing the value of integrating padel into their offerings, enriching their memberships' experiences with a sport that promotes camaraderie and inclusivity. Why Padel Stands Out? ·        Social Engagement: Padel's doubles format fosters teamwork and communication, creating a friendly atmosphere where players bond on and off the court. ·        Inclusive Sport: Suitable for all ages and skill levels, padel encourages participation from diverse groups within the club community. ·        Enriching Experiences: Beyond competition, padel clubs host social events like barbecues and themed nights, enhancing club camaraderie and member connections.   Clubs are discovering that padel not only diversifies their sporting activities but also strengthens their social fabric. By adding padel, clubs create new avenues for interaction, community engagement, and healthy competition among members. At Portico Sport, we understand the pivotal role padel plays in enhancing club dynamics and member engagement. That's why we offer premium padel courts and canopies designed to elevate your club's padel experience. Our courts boast durable materials, customizable designs, and advanced playing surfaces that ensure optimal performance and player satisfaction. Whether it's our innovative canopies providing shelter from the elements or our meticulously crafted courts enhancing gameplay, Portico Sport is dedicated to helping clubs expand their padel offerings and create vibrant community spaces. Transform Your Club with our padel courts! Interested in integrating padel into your club's offerings? Contact us today to discover how we can tailor a padel solution that meets your club's unique needs. We can help you enhance your club's appeal with this dynamic and socially enriching sport. www.porticosport.com info@porticosport.com