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What is the Sport Squad, and who is part of it?

Matt Needham
Squad Leader
Matt Needham, Squad Leader at The Padel Squad
The Sport Squad

Everyone who plays, pays, watches, coaches, and governs the game

A new padel facility doesn’t just need investors and institutions — it needs a community to bring it to life. The Sport Squad brings together the players, coaches, organisers, governing bodies, school families, neighbours and storytellers who turn empty courts into a thriving local game.

Just as importantly, members of the Sport Squad share what works with each other — so coaches, organisers, parents and players can pick up tips, shortcuts and lessons learned from peers who are a few steps further down the line at their own clubs, schools and communities.

Join the Sport Squad to learn from your peers →
Players

Pupils

What you get

A brand-new sport on your doorstep, qualified coaching, fixtures against other schools, and a clear pathway from first session to competition.

Your role

Pick up a racket, give it a go, bring your friends, and shape what padel looks like at your school.

Compare notes with other Pupils

Students

What you get

A modern, social sport at your university with proper coaching, BUCS-style fixtures and a community that lives off-court as well as on it.

Your role

Run the club, recruit your friends, organise the socials, and represent your university at intervarsity events.

Compare notes with other Students

Pathway Players

What you get

Court time, match play, and qualified coaching alongside other ambitious players — right at your school, not just your local club — with a route into national rankings and tournaments. And you get to leave a legacy by encouraging your school to build a padel facility for your friends and future pupils.

Your role

Train hard, compete often, and help raise the standard of the local game by setting an example on and off the court.

Compare notes with other Pathway Players
Coaching and Competition

Coaches

What you get

A purpose-built padel facility, a steady pipeline of pupils, students and adult players, and a flexible base for your business.

Your role

Deliver high-quality sessions, develop the pathway from beginner to competitor, and help set the local standard for padel coaching.

Compare notes with other Coaches

Tournament Organisers

What you get

High-spec courts, a captive audience, and a partner who actively wants to host competition — from junior round-robins to national-tier events.

Your role

Run the formats, manage the draws, look after the players, and build a competitive calendar that the local community looks forward to.

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LTA and Governing Bodies

What you get

A growing pipeline of accredited courts, qualified coaches, ranked players and sanctioned competition — plus a credible delivery partner inside the school estate.

Your role

Set the standards, accredit the courts and coaches, integrate the player pathway, and make sure the sport grows responsibly.

Compare notes with the LTA and Governing Bodies
The School Community

Teachers and Staff

What you get

A new sport to play yourself before or after work, free use of the courts, and a fun way to be part of the wider school community.

Your role

Champion the facility inside the school, encourage pupils to give it a go, and help build the everyday culture around the courts.

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Families of Pupils

What you get

A new sport you can play together as a family, on the same courts your children use during the school day, and a sociable hub on the school site.

Your role

Book the courts, bring the family, support the school’s teams, and make padel part of weekend life.

Compare notes with other Families of Pupils

Pupils and Parents of Feeder Schools

What you get

A first taste of padel at the senior school’s facility, sessions and taster days that connect feeder pupils to where they’re heading next.

Your role

Come along to the open days, get your children playing early, and start building the community before they even arrive.

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The Wider Community

Alumni and their Families

What you get

A reason to come back to school grounds, a sport you can play with old friends and your own children, and a tangible thing to support and celebrate.

Your role

Stay connected, play regularly, support the school’s development office, and bring the next generation through the gates.

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Local Residents

What you get

A high-quality, well-managed sporting facility on your doorstep — somewhere to play, somewhere to meet people, and somewhere to bring the kids.

Your role

Use the courts, support the club, and help make padel part of the everyday life of the neighbourhood.

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Owners and Employees of Local Businesses

What you get

A new way to entertain customers, run team-building, and engage the local community — with sponsorship and partnership opportunities baked in.

Your role

Sponsor courts and competitions, host clients, get your team playing, and weave the facility into the local economy.

Compare notes with other Local Businesses
Media

Journalists and Influencers

What you get

First access to a fast-growing, photogenic story — padel arriving at Britain’s schools and universities — plus interviews, data, and on-court time.

Your role

Tell the story honestly, ask the hard questions, and help bring padel to a wider audience across sport, education, and community media.

Compare notes with other Journalists and Influencers

The best way to learn how padel takes root in a school or community is to talk to the players, coaches and families who are already living it.

Join the Sport Squad to learn from your peers →