COACH SPOTLIGHT

COACH SPOTLIGHT:VEJAY PAL About Vejay Pal Vejay Pal first discovered padel in 2017 while on a fitness holiday in Lanzarote. At the time, it was simply a fun way to unwind after a long day of training, but the sport quickly captured his attention as he noticed just how many

COACH SPOTLIGHT:SVEN BOELE How did you first get started in padel, and what’s your story? I originally started out in tennis and later worked as a tennis coach. I always knew I wanted to teach and help people improve, but I didn’t want to be stuck in a classroom or

COACH SPOTLIGHT:SAM ATTARD About Sam We had the pleasure of meeting Sam at Padel Box Bermondsey and chatting padel over a good coffee. Sam’s journey into padel was different from most. After a knee injury while skiing, he was searching for a sport he could enjoy post-surgery. With a background

COACH SPOTLIGHT:ROB BUSBY About Rob Like many players, Rob first encountered padel while on holiday – interesting, but not something he initially pursued. That changed when the David Lloyd club he was working at installed padel courts. Once he started playing regularly, it quickly became clear that padel was more

COACH SPOTLIGHT:MATT About Matt (aka The London Padel Coach) Matt’s padel journey began years ago on holiday in Argentina – barefoot, on a sandy old court with original concrete walls. It was there that he fell in love with the sport. Back in London at the time, padel simply didn’t

COACH SPOTLIGHT:LUCA ROMANI How Luca’s padel journey started Unlike many coaches, Luca didn’t come from tennis. As a child, he often played alone against the wall, using any racket he could find around the house. When Luca first tried padel in 2020, he immediately fell in love with the sport.

COACH SPOTLIGHT:LIAM FINN About Liam Liam is an LTA Level 2 Padel Coach with a twist. His journey into padel didn’t begin with racket sports at all – he spent most of his life racing Motocross. When he eventually picked up a padel racket for the first time, he fell

COACH SPOTLIGHT:JO PATTERSON Jo’s Padel Story “Padel found me through tennis,” Jo told us. After receiving high-level junior training under David Sammel as part of his squad at Matchpoint, she built a strong technical foundation and a genuine love for racket sports. But it was padel – discovered later in

COACH SPOTLIGHT:HARRY MCKENNA How Harry’s padel journey started Harry McKenna first discovered padel around 18 months ago while on holiday in Dubai, after coming across a padel court at his hotel. With a background in racket sports including tennis, table tennis, racquetball, and squash — played mainly for fitness and

COACH SPOTLIGHT:HARRY JIGGINS Meet Harry Jiggins Harry was introduced to padel in late 2019 after friends encouraged him to give it a try. He played his first match alongside his dad at Padel United Maldon and was hooked immediately. Despite padel being his first racket sport, Harry committed early –

COACH SPOTLIGHT:GONZALO HERNÁNDEZ About Coach Gonzalo Coach Gonzalo (Gon) first started playing padel as a kid when his parents signed him up for classes in their vacation town. He stopped for a while, but as a teenager, he returned to the sport and never looked back. After some time, he

Coach Spotlight:Ellie Tsimbilakis Meet Ellie Tsimbilakis Ellie transitioned to padel after a background as a professional tennis player. From her first sessions, she was drawn to the sport and quickly made the switch, embracing the tactical and technical demands of padel. Her coaching approach centres on control and consistency. One

COACH SPOTLIGHT:DAVE MANSFIELD About Dave Mansfield Dave Mansfield discovered padel in the summer of 2023 at Surge Padel Harrogate – despite initially insisting it wasn’t for him. Coming from a strong tennis background, having played at club level since the age of 12, he worried padel might “ruin” his game.

COACH SPOTLIGHT:COACH RISH About Coach Rish Coach Rish’s journey into padel began in Mauritius at a fun mixed doubles event for a friend’s birthday. With over 12 years of experience as a tennis coach, the transition to padel came naturally, and quickly turned into a passion that he’s been building

Coach Spotlight:Bethany Eccles Meet Bethany Eccles Bethany discovered padel in May 2024 after spotting a game in Battersea Park and being instantly drawn to the energy on court. At the time, she was training for triathlons to stay fit, but found the process quite isolating. Padel offered something completely different

COACH SPOTLIGHT:BERNAT CÁRDENAS TORRAS From Tennis Roots to Padel Passion For Bernat Cárdenas Torras, the journey to padel began on the tennis courts – a familiar story. Picking up a racket at the age of 12, he went on to coach tennis during his teenage years and into his 20s.

COACH SPOTLIGHT:ANDRÉ LÉRIAS About André André Lérias’s journey into padel began through sport, study, and a spark of curiosity. With a degree in Sports Science and early coaching experience in both basketball and tennis, he discovered padel while completing his Master’s in Sports Management. Friends encouraged him to try it,