During our literature review, we asked ourselves the question whether the padel was developing because over time it became a social practice. Thanks to our interview guide, we were able to collect certain information even if the concept of social practice is sometimes difficult to understand or on the contrary seems obvious.

For some people the padel has clearly become a social practice, where everything comes together to share a passion but also common interests. Indeed, sport in itself and the atmosphere it reflects is conducive to dialogues and meetings.

We saw during our literature review the case of Nordic walking and how this practice has become a social practice, promoting its development. In fact, Nordic walking was a real success in the 2000s because it relied on an existing sport practice while renewing certain aspects of it and adding new materials, images and skills. More specifically, poles have been added to this walk as well as a new physical posture allowing its practitioners to benefit from physical benefits promoting health. This sport has reinvented the principle of walking and according to its practitioners, it has allowed many people to walk properly. The concept of social practice is then respected thus bringing new materials, skills and new meaning to the practice. Now let's see if the padel can be considered as such and if this sporting practice meets the three criteria.

To demonstrate that the padel has become a social practice or not, we must recall the components of this theory. We identified three criteria for a practice to become a social practice, from a theoretical point of view. The first criterion are images (meanings, symbols), the second, skills (forms of skills, procedures) and the third are materials (materials, technologies). Thus, these three criteria must be met in order to create a social practice. According to many professionals, a social practice is based on "The fact of creating social and professional links", it is for this reason that the padel is seen as a social practice.

However, this is not enough. Indeed, we can say that the padel looks like many racket sports already very popular in France as it is presented as a mixture of tennis, squash and others. Nevertheless, there are still some factors missing from the theory of social practice, set out above, to be fully considered as this.

In terms of materials, we have rackets never used for another sport and an infrastructure specific to the padel. Thus, the concept of materials and technologies is respected. In terms of competence, it is true that the padel brings a new way of playing even if it strongly reminds us of tennis and squash. The infrastructure and playing rules necessary to be able to play padel allow to have a mixture of disciplines and undoubtedly bring a new form of game encouraging its participants to develop skills and gestures specific to this sport. Thus, the skills factor of social practice theory is respected.

Regarding the image factor (meanings and symbols), the padel is still too little developed to consider this sporting practice as a new symbol in France and it does not yet bring enough social or physical benefits to be able to affirm that the padel is for example a sports practice that provides strong health benefits. Unlike Nordic walking, which has enabled many people to relearn how to walk.

Thus, the three criteria of the theory of social practice are not yet fully respected.

However, other measurements show that even if the padel cannot be considered a strong social practice, it can become so thanks to its development in the years to come.

The first measure is community formation. In the following parts, we will focus on the atmosphere and entertainment side of a club. Indeed, it develops the social side of the practice. This organization allows people to live in a place where everyone shares the same goal with the same state of mind and the activities and the different events organized by the clubs promote the creation of community. padel.

These communities are "Strong and getting bigger every day", this shows that word of mouth is a very important means of communication for the development of a market. For some professionals, the creation of community will just accompany the practice, but for others it will make it possible to be heard on a national scale, to enlarge "the family" and to create a trend and new sports habits.

Another measurement shows that the padel can become a social practice. The creation of a natural professional network. That is to say that within the club of padel, where during events, people do not exchange only on the sporting aspect of the practice but also on the professional side of each one. Indeed, we can find within a club a person finding a new professional affair thanks to their common passion. Thus, a professional network around the padel is naturally created also promoting social bonds between people.

We can conclude from these data that the padel can become a social practice by continuing its development. The principle of communities and networks is at the heart of this practice, thus developing its communication. This reflection perfectly reflects the relationship between producers and consumers within this market.

However, some professionals have a completely different image of a social practice and do not see the padel like a social practice but more like a collective practice. Thus, according to the theory of social practice, the padel has not yet fully become a social practice, but many links and groups are created within this practice, it is for this reason that we will characterize for the moment the padel as a collective practice.

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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