The club of the Avignon region, Provence Padel, has become one of the bastions of padel in Vaucluse. Michael Sanchez, sports director and instructor at the club, returns during the second edition of the Tophée Gestion Sports 2023 on his original journey, from stationery to padel.

Padel and me: almost 10 years!

I started at the Tarascon Club, and I've been playing padel for almost 10 years now. I've done internships in France and Spain. In 2021, Provence Padel opened, and with the two leaders, the feeling went very well and we decided to start the adventure all three.

I passed my TFP (Professional Finality Title) in Occitanie and with the arrival of the TFP, I think that we have more and more good teachers in France. We have what we need with good infrastructures and we don't have to go to Spain to do quality padel courses.

Michael Sanchez Provence Padel Sports Management Trophy

A central place in the Vaucluse

The club has ambition in the region. First, because it occupies a central place, it is certainly the only 100% padel club in the region that offers activities, tournaments, padel training every week, and then, we have four courts and soon two more. That will make six courts, two of which are covered.

These covered tracks, we need them, especially with the wind which is not easy to manage in the Avignon region.

Michael Sanchez Provence Padel Sports Management Trophy

Tournaments and courses

Every weekend, we offer padel tournaments. We mainly focus on P25 / P100 / P250. We will organize a first P500 soon, but recreational padel remains the heart of the club. Undoubtedly, players are mainly looking for this type of tournament.

In the sights, a very padel summer, with many courses in perspective with the locals but also many vacationers.

From paper pulp to padel

I am one of the old ones. We were together (ed. Franck Binisti and Pauline Renvoisé) at the inauguration of the Tarascon padel club 8 years ago already.

The year of the TFP, 2 years ago, I threw myself 100% into padel. I quit my old job as a paper mill worker: 180% reconversion. I was in factories and I find myself outdoors on the slopes.

With Provence Padel, the goal for me is to develop the club and allow the region to have more and more padel fans.

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.