Soul Padel’s ‘What’s That Racket?’ initiative
Soul Padel’s ‘What’s That Racket’ initiative
North West-based operator Soul Padel’s new initiative ‘What’s That Racket?’ is hoping to mirror the success of Parkrun by designating a day and time for children across the UK to devote to padel.
It’s nominated Wednesday mornings as padel time, getting the ball rolling with its first session (on a Wednesday of course!) at its courts in Stockport, with plans to roll it out to Soul Padel venues in St Helen’s and Glasgow.
The idea is designed to help develop the next generation of players while promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle by offering free courts to schools. It feeds into Soul Padel’s long-term commitment to grow the sport and welcome everyone onto court, with the organisation hoping that it will become a weekly tradition for young people.
Mark Hewlett, founder and CEO of Soul Padel, said: “We’ve taken inspiration from the incredible success of Parkrun, where Saturday mornings have become synonymous with running, no matter where you are in the UK. Our goal with What’s That Racket? is to carve out a similar space for children to discover the joy of padel, with Wednesday mornings being known as the time to meet, play and connect on court.”
The first event was delivered with the support of Stockport Shapes Alliance and led by Sue Morrison of LÜSÜ Sports, an LTA accredited coach. Twelve pupils from Cheadle Catholic Junior School participated in a variety of activities.
Sue said: “This first session was absolutely fantastic! The children were engaged from the moment they stepped onto court, from the warm-up to learning ball and racket skills, they had so much fun and couldn’t get enough of it. What makes padel so special is its inclusivity; with smaller rackets, a compact court and the chance to play against a partner it’s a sport that really appeals to younger players. Seeing the teachers join in and watching the kids’ confidence grow so quickly was amazing. By the end everyone was buzzing about Soul Padel and couldn’t wait to share this incredible sport with their families and friends. One child even asked ‘when can we come again?’ – that says it all!”
By targeting schools, What’s That Racket? aligns with Soul Padel’s mission to use padel as a vehicle for community building, improved health outcomes and inclusivity. The initiative supports national efforts to combat childhood inactivity and obesity by fostering a love of movement through a team-based, easy-to-learn sport. 🎾
