All eyes on Padel...

I am all in on the emergence of new, socially and community-driven sports. In the racquetball space, let’s take the example of Padel.

I recently spent the evening at Stratford Padel Club, watching an Internal Padel Federation (FIP) standard tournament. Along with the competitive action there was a community-oriented buzz underpinning the enjoyment of the evening. People come to compete at the sport and stay for the people - win or lose. To fully understand the meaning of a sport it is important to be in the field (or court). Only in-person can you truly gauge the significance and impact of the competition and environment. Spectator culture simply does not cut it, and therefore, there is a wonderful opportunity to shape the narrative for sports like Padel through a means that leverages the reach and exposure that digital platforms provide to encourage active participation.?

A major frustration I have with some high-end elite sports is that there has been a huge sway from the community roots, and unfortunately this is reflected in the storytelling we often see across digital platforms. As part of our research and theory on what we call the ‘True Value of Sport’ we note the importance of conducive top-down and bottom-up approaches to re-centre sport’s true essence.?

I urge you to really digest these words and the benefits of sport and physical activity - particularly within the context of there being a mental health crisis sweeping the globe and with increasingly long durations being spent online. Sport can be a key anecdote if all parts of the ecosystem work together around the right mission.

Top-down (the impact of elite sports)

1. Substantial? efforts in both ‘targeted policies’ and ‘affirmative action’ are required for the? trickle down effects of elite sport

2. Positive impact is subject both to the ‘festival effect’ (fades over time) and an ‘epicenter effect’ (impact correlates with geographical proximity)

Bottom-up (the impact of mass participation sports)

Sport and physical activity correlate with …

1. Increased extraversion (sociability, energy, assertiveness)

2. Increased conscientiousness (tendency to be ordered, dutiful, self‐disciplined and achievement oriented) and?

3. Decreased neuroticism (tendency to be emotionally unstable, anxious, self‐conscious and vulnerable)

I love the interest that is sweeping the sport of Padel right now, and it is highly encouraging to note the interest and investment from VCs, Sportspeople and Celebrities, however, I note with this backing and investment that Padel runs the risk of becoming swallowed up by the demands that come with such investments. The greatest opportunity for the sport is to harness its differentiating values and its unique experience and to put ‘True Sporting Value’ at the core of its community-building and storytelling efforts to truly harness the value of sporting excellence - creating meaningful impact for people across local communities, worldwide.