Teacher at the municipal club of Pecq, player in the French Top 100, TFP graduate,  Marianne Motte  embodies this new generation of passionate coaches who are making padel shine. On the occasion of the  Île-de-France Youth Masters  organized at the Club des Pyramides last month, she looks back on her career, her teaching methods and her view on the evolution of padel among young people... all while preparing for a major turning point in her career.

 Adapt teaching methods according to age 

“You have to adapt to each audience when you're a teacher, whether it's padel, tennis, English, or whatever. With adults, you have to know if they want to compete or if they're there more for fun. Depending on their motivation, we'll already adapt the training. For young people, in general, they're very enthusiastic. You have to channel them. They each have their own personality, so we adapt to their personality, their age, and we take into account that there are some who are more developed than others physically, and also emotionally.”

“Between the ages of 10 and 12, there are huge differences. Some are already very tall, others are lighter. There are really big differences between girls and boys. Then, we adapt the training, the game, and the game plan based on their physique and what they are capable of producing.”

 Padel, a sport where diversity is a natural fit 

“We saw a U12 final with one girl and three boys. And it was the girl who carried her partner. It goes back to what I was saying: it depends on the maturity of the players at that age. Generally speaking, girls are a little more mature than boys. This was evident in the final. She was really the one carrying the boy in terms of encouragement and motivation. And even physically, she was a little more… not necessarily more powerful muscularly, but she hit the ball very well.”

First successful edition for the Île-de-France Youth Masters

“In adult mixed tournaments, the game generally leans more towards girls. Here, I told the boys: you have to take into account the opponent's level of play, regardless of whether it's a girl or a boy. You have to look at what your opponents are doing, even more so in padel than in other sports. It's good to focus on yourself, but you also have to analyze your opponent's strengths and weaknesses, their posture, their position, and adapt your game.”

 Communication: a major asset developed by padel 

“Padel is often described as a demanding sport, both mentally and in terms of communication. In the specific case of the U12 final, I don't really know the relationship between the girls and the boys in front of me. But for my two students, they know each other very well outside of it. They're in the same class, they play tennis together, soccer together, and they discovered padel together. They're best friends. They're even going on vacation together tomorrow. It helps them enormously.”

“I try to find the time to combine everything: padel, work, family life, tournaments, coaching. It takes time, but I love it.”

Soon, Marianne will become director of a brand new center PadelShot in Yvelines. “I'm really looking forward to experiencing this up close and personal, and sharing my passion through impeccable hospitality, new slopes, events, tournaments, and entertainment for everyone. A place where everyone can come together with a smile and a passion for the sport.”

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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