It will be interesting to understand how the different actors and tools, i.e. players, clubs, companies, products and images, have co-constructed the practice of padel and the associated market.

We have seen the elements necessary for the emergence of a social practice from a theoretical point of view. However this is possible thanks to a common factor which is the individual. Indeed, the individual will allow to interconnect the various elements allowing the construction of a social practice. If we take the example of Nordic walking, we can identify different actors to develop this practice.

First of all the networks of communities, indeed, Shove and Pantzar (2005), show that “the dense networks of Finnish sports communities provided a context in which Nordic walking could be invented, and the ingredients (in terms of already existing images, materials and know-how) will help with this. "(P55). The communities involved in the development of padel in France, for example clubs, offering a way to meet other people and thus create a network of sportsmen, websites offering players of padel to find other players but also tournaments allowing to acquire a name in the emergence of this new practice in France.

In addition, many associations and organizations are initially essential to the creation and establishment of a new sport in a territory. Indeed, this was the case for Nordic walking with its establishment in the United Kingdom thanks to organizations such as the “Association des Randonneurs, founded in 1905” but also “a range of specialist magazines and an enormous infrastructure of trails. public, popular guides, maps and itineraries ”. Thus, the emergence of a new practice goes through these different actors who are initially minimal but essential. We find this with the padel, where the construction of small infrastructures such as clubs or self-service pitches but also with the construction of a real movement on the networks and the creation of the largest magazine of padel in France " Padel Magazine ", Allowing people wanting to know more about this sport to access all types of information.

The product is for each practice a flagship product is essential in order to develop the sport and participate in it. For Nordic walking, Shove and Pantzar emphasize, “Those involved in trying to promote the practice, mainly distributors of imported poles, have a number of theories as to why this is. »(P55), in fact, suppliers are the key players in the emergence of the practice, they make it possible to import products or buy them from local producers in order to allow individuals to benefit from materials.

In this case, the flagship product of Nordic walking are poles, but for the padel several products will be necessary such as, for example, a racket, balls or sportswear. Thus, suppliers promote the realization of a new practice but also, as mentioned in part (1.3), investors.

As Shove and Pantzar (2005) point out, “Thinking about the development of Nordic walking, it is important to consider the circulation of images, materials and skills within and between different countries and cultures” (P56), because indeed it is difficult to understand why this practice was reinvented and why it was so successful years later. We can ask ourselves the same question for the padel, where a multitude of racquet sports already existed and were struggling to develop with the exception of tennis. Concerning padel which is strongly comparable to the emergence of Nordic walking, we can expect a strong development when this sport practice respects this theory.

Indeed, the addition of a new racquet sport on French territory is not an easy thing. Only as Suchman et al (1999) show, “the development of systems is not due to the creation of meaningful objects, but to the cultural production of new forms of practice” (P58), i.e. that the image of the practice is a much more important actor than the practice itself. This shows that the practice can only be conveyed and become a social practice if its image respects the 3 elements of the theory of social practice which are materials, meanings and skills.

In addition, all intentional decisions and actions, such as for example the production, publication of articles, construction of infrastructures, the taking over of the practice by solid institutions (FFT) but also the transmission of the practice by the communities and players, largely explain the success of the emergence of this new practice which is the padel.

As stated by Shove and Pantzar (2005) in their article, "It is no coincidence that the media coverage has been good or that the market share of Nordic walking poles in Central Europe is" particularly strong "" (P59), indeed, if all the elements of the creation of a practice are respected, and that the different actors allow the interconnection of these elements (materials, meanings and skills), media coverage and popularity of the practice should develop rapidly.

We see this with the padel where this new sporting practice has already had the opportunity to be covered in the media, in particular by the biggest daily channels such as BFM TV or French sports channels. This shows that the emergence of this new practice has followed the theoretical rules of the creation of a new social practice and can now expect the intervention of new actors allowing its development.

Tanguy Le Roux

Student in Master 2 entrepreneurship and innovation at IESEG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT in Paris and passionate about sport, I decided to devote my end-of-study thesis to the emergence of padel in France as a sport and social practice and the associated market development. Having lived 22 years in Morocco and for 5 years in France, I am delighted to be able to share my skills.

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