What development policy for the padel feminine ?

Franck Binisti's editorial: He answers questions and comments related to a topical issue. He gives his opinion when possible. Critics are always welcome.

La new FFT regulations around the obligation for organizers and clubs to organize tournaments padel ladies does not seem to be unanimous.

I will try to respond to comments and give you my opinion on this topic.

What are we talking about?

First, let's assume that everyone wants to promote the padel feminine and moreover the padel in general ... On therefore pushes open doors by developing this theme.

Do we agree that clubs and organizers of padel are the first to do their utmost to develop the padel feminine for several years.

The interests of the FFT and the clubs are therefore the same.

The lack of female competitors is not unique to our sport, nor to France. In addition, the interests of the players are very different: we distinguish between female competitors with ambitions on the French circuit and female competitors whose approach is more “leisure”.

Finally, since the subject concerns competition, we are talking about 1500 competitors, a good half of whom do not seem to have the desire to do more tournaments than what is offered to them.

Start at the beginning, a good idea?

Shouldn't we start at the beginning, that is to say “create” female players, then secondly female competitors with a real development policy around padel feminine ?

The competition, the tournaments, it is an end in my opinion. First of all, therefore, the environment is necessary to create female players. padel.

Force a club padel to offer a ladies tournament create a positive environment around the players? Without taking too much risk, it seems to me that this is not the case or to a very marginal degree.

I would even go further: forcing clubs to organize ladies' tournaments, isn't that counterproductive? Indeed, as we know, it often happens that the ladies' tables are relatively empty. Sometimes the tests are postponed or canceled. By doing this, is it motivating for the players, is it a positive signal for the development of the padel feminine ?

Then, what is a development policy for padel feminine ? For now these are words but they mean absolutely nothing because the only vision we have at the moment is this little part in the tournament competition guide of padel.

Shouldn't we instead set up a real promotion system around the padel ladies? First, try to get them to come to the padel, hook them to this sport so that they become regular players over the long term, including some competitors.

How to “create” players?

This is the question we must answer. And we should all try to focus on this theme instead of putting in place regulations that kill and counterproductive in my opinion.

I'm not going to be able to give you tons of ideas because I don't really know how to do it. On the other hand, other actors in totally different circles have tackled this subject:

Discos
Dating sites

We should see their methods precisely and try to adapt them to our sport.

Are we going to create female players by forcing clubs to hold tournaments?

Asking the question is already annoying for clubs and organizers. Have they not already proven their work in promoting padel feminine with all their actions carried out? Don't you think they can be trusted to continue on this path?

The interests of the FFT and the clubs are the same. Why then impose this kind of little phrase on clubs, as if they were the main culprits of this evil which affects other sports and other countries.

I also think it's important to put yourself in their shoes, and see all the work they are already doing.

blade wilson padel ladies volley forehand

The good moment ? The legitimacy ?

Many themes in the subject were discussed around ladies tournaments and the obligation for clubs to do so.

1 / Is this the right time to do it? Now ? Under the conditions we know?

2 / Can a Federation interfere to this point in the life of a club? It is far from being so obvious if we are to believe the many players directly concerned.

3 / Is this measure applicable? We are talking about 1500 female competitors, two thirds of whom do very few tournaments. And these competitors are often in the same regions. And I'm not talking about the huge delta in terms of level…

4 / And finally for having seen and experienced it (as a modest little organizer of a few ladies 'tournaments): when you take time to organize a ladies' tournament and that in the end, as unfortunately too often, you have a table that does not is not very provided, and that in addition we see ourselves confronted with very important differences in level between pairs who know each other very / too well, we end up with dissatisfied players who will no longer repeat tournaments padel ladies. It's frustrating for everyone, and what's more it's not positive for the image of the club / organizer ...

My conclusion

This notion of obligation obviously bothers me. As if the clubs weren't doing the job.

Promotion of padel ladies must be done. But did we only find that to promote the padel feminine ?

For my part, I find that these regulations place responsibilities on the clubs and play on their credibility in cases where the competition is canceled. And we know that it often happens that ladies' tournaments are canceled.

For info here is a quote:

With this measure, we have the impression that the FFT is telling the clubs that we are not playing the game. However, it is the FFT that is not playing the game by not launching a real development policy among the women.

It reports its deficiencies on the clubs which are already doing a lot.

We have the impression by this measure that it will do something. Let me be told of a place where regulations like this have brought something beneficial to a sport. And above all: how sad to see that to develop the padel female, clubs are required to follow specific regulations of this type.

The basic problem is that you already have to create players before thinking about competition. But as often, the FFT puts everything on the competition, the big clubs, the best players and never on the base, the creation of players.
Distressing.

Here is another quote:

“(…) No consultation, the FFT had to listen to the big clubs which are in big cities like Paris, Toulouse, Lille, Lyon… the others are forgotten.”

These words are not mine. I find this Jacobin side of the FFT to be extremely awkward. The clubs are on edge… It wouldn't take much for it to go away.

Finally once again, it is the field / the back office that will speak ...

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.