The French Tennis Federation has integrated the padel in its statutes in 2014. Isabelle Vannier, the founder of the stays of padel and tennis, OSS Barcelona, we book some observations made from Spain concerning the evolution of padel in France.

To my surprise again this year, not a single word or so little about the padel during Roland Garros. If there were a few short stories about this sport, they went too unnoticed despite my attendance in front of the screens. While there are many who appreciate the padel among professional tennis players, their coaches, FFT consultants and stakeholders, sponsors ...

We have one of the biggest sporting events and le padel was put in the “fridge” to use a term from our sport.

The misunderstanding of this boom

Not a single word on the padel during RG: it is incomprehensible, especially since it is about a sport in full boom in recent years, and especially: it cost the FFT nothing talk about it, communicate about this sport during these 15 days. Hence my question:

“Does the FFT play its role as a sports federation in the development of padel ? "

The FFT is a formidable structure, unique in our modest world of padel. And yet, at times, we wonder what happens so as not to do what seems obvious: COMMUNICATE and POPULARIZE the padel. It has a duty to promote this sport which is padel as the texts stipulate:

“A federation plays a role in the organization of sports practice, its promotion and its development. With this in mind, it must therefore put in place actions that promote the discovery of sport and its promotion… ”

Yet here, even more during this crisis where the weather is (unfortunately) with us, the FFT could have done much better during Roland Garros. It's a shame because these internationals from France offered him a unique opportunity at a lower cost.

Obviously, we live through complicated times and the padel is not a priority during Roland-Garros. Like everyone else, the FFT is undergoing this unprecedented crisis. But what is a shame is not to have seized the opportunity to at least talk about it during these 15 days on the various antennas. At no time did we have the subject padel on the table, too bad.

The FFT had done it so well in 2015… It was another time, another time.

Yet the FFT is making costly efforts

We cannot put aside the efforts of the FFT, to promote its elite circuit “FFT PADEL TOUR”; to want to spend tens/hundreds of thousands of euros to televise the races of padel such as World Padel Tour, to subsidize the municipal clubs to put padel everywhere (a subject at times questionable); to organize this sport, even if sometimes it can be criticized for its slowness.

The FFT is the only giant in the ecosystem of padel global. No federation of padel does have the weight and power of FFT. Its investments are certainly unique and superior to all the cumulative investments of all the federations of padel in the world. That is to say, the strike force of the FFT.

Do the actions of the FFT really promote the discovery of this sport? Have we not toasted steps?

Le padel : incredible hours

Le padel is going through hours never known before: this sport is booming in Europe.

All continents are affected by this sport. Based in particular on 2,5 million practitioners in Spain, it is possible to affirm that the padel has its place on the international scene.

Le padel can provide support in sports practice within tennis clubs. By diversifying the tennis activity, the federation would give the clubs the opportunity to open their doors to a more varied public and to amplify the dynamism of the proposed actions.

The FFT does it in a certain way, but without any real strategy. Consequence: we see many tennis clubs putting 1 or 2 tennis courts padel. Sometimes these tennis clubs are located in the same geographical area… and in the same area as private centers. This necessarily creates instability

When will the recognition of a state diploma specific to padel allowing coaches from tennis or not to teach the specificities of this discipline?

Almost every week I get calls about the training of coaches in Spain. There are many who wish to be able to embark on the adventure of teaching padel and hope that I tell them that our training is recognized in France.

 Unless you are a tennis coach, according to French legislation, it is therefore not possible to teach padel on its territory.

But be patient, normally early next year, the FFT should offer us a specific graduate padel. Let us hope that it can offer specialized structures the opportunity to be able to deliver this training as well.

Can we hope to see development advisers (CEDs) able to guide clubs in a relevant way? in the construction of padel and the choice of suitable material?

Here too, the FFT does it here and there. But I think she could be even more involved.

We owe a lot to the private market

Fortunately for several years the private market has become aware of the future of padel in France, both in the construction of structures and in the organization of competition circuits ...

When we take stock of the actions carried out by the FFT concerning the padel, the question is: are we really investing where we need to invest?

The FFT must assert itself much better.

I sometimes hear people criticizing the FFT very harshly and others preaching the good word of the FFT. Intervening daily in the padel and tennis, even though I am abroad, my hope is to see the FFT take its place fully in our sport and become a true specialist.

And for the lover of padel that I am, it's inevitably a little frustrating to see so much energy, so much financial investment from the FFT for… that. In my opinion, we can do much better with much less given the shoulders of the FFT.

And it starts by taking advantage of media windows to COMMUNICATE. And at Roland Garros, she did not or too little. Fingers crossed for 2021.

Isabelle VANNIER tennis teacher BE 2 and padel having lived in the USA, and expatriated in Spain for more than 10 years, organizes sports and language courses in Barcelona, ​​through its OuiSportSpirit structure - www.ossbarcelone.com and more particularly in the world of padel and tennis through the OSSTP department - www.padelbarcelona.com. We look forward to welcoming you soon!

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