Archive note: this article reports on The Padel School’s Southend Open Day in 2021. Venue details and services mentioned below reflect the event at that time.
A new and impressive padel club had recently arrived in Southend-on-Sea courtesy of Padel4All. At the time, this was their second facility with three covered courts and an outdoor panoramic court.
The Open Day consisted of a series of The Padel School clinics, an exhibition between four of the top players in the country and a Pro-am with local players. Sandy Farquharson had a team with him on the day, including Toby Bawden and other British players and coaches.
“It is fantastic to see clubs like this popping up, particularly covered allowing players to play year round, I have no doubt padel numbers will be picking up quickly this next year or 2,” said Sandy Farquharson of The Padel School at the event.
Chris Wilkinson, founder of Padel4All, helped organise the open day along with his team of coaches. Food and drink were provided to players and spectators, helping create a social day around the sport.
“We believe sport and padel in particular can really help improve physical and mental well-being to everybody; our centres will promote healthier lifestyles and help create more social communities,” Wilkinson said.
These Open Days were designed to give coaches and players expert tuition, allow club players to see a high level of padel and give local players the opportunity to be on court with experienced British players.
One of the players on the day had never played padel before, but had been a squash enthusiast for many years.
“I instantly loved the game and it didn’t take the same toll on my body as squash does. I’ve been looking for a fun, sociable sport to play with my wife and padel will be perfect,” he said.
The social aspect of padel was a big draw for events like this open day, with the opportunity to enjoy refreshments and a day around the courts.
Padel enthusiasts around the country were rarely able to see padel at this level at the time, and Sandy believed showing the game properly could help players understand how different the sport is from tennis and squash.
Padel4All described the Open Day as an important part of launching the club, combining staff coaching, junior sessions, an exhibition match and a pro-am.
Coaches like Sandy Farquharson and Toby Bawden also played a role in introducing more communities to the sport through events like these.
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