Before Tia Norton faces the climax to her American odyssey this weekend, we spoke to someone who knows all about the sacrifice, graft and dedication that has got the British No.1 to this point in her career.
When Tia enters the court for Saturday’s star-studded Pro Padel League semi-final against Arkansas Matrix in Florida (and potentially returns for the final on Sunday), her mum and dad, Julie and Jonathan, will, as ever, be transfixed.
Like all parents with children involved in elite sport, they have experienced every peak and trough of their daughter’s journey, feeling vicariously the pain of each setback and the elation of every triumph.
After early years in tennis, Tia’s padel journey started aged 12. Within months, astonishingly, she played in the (adult) World Championships qualifiers in the Netherlands and reached the quarter-finals of the World juniors. She later become the first British woman to compete on the World Padel Tour.
Still only 19, she has already lived in Sweden and Spain and her parents have accompanied her to tournaments in Mexico, Qatar and all over Europe.
Speaking to The Padel Paper ahead of the Pro Padel League finals weekend (where Tia partners Ana Paula De La Pena, pictured above, in the women’s doubles), Tia’s father Jonathan describes the joy and tribulations of being the parent of the Las Vegas Smash star:
“From an early age, Tia competed mostly against men – and I used to tell them not to treat her any differently. They helped her mature very quickly as a player. If it hadn’t been for those guys, she wouldn’t be where she is now.
The kindness and generosity from the padel community was extraordinary in helping her, from players, coaches, club owners and indeed parents in this country and abroad.
We used to do a 280-mile round trip from our home in Leamington Spa down to Stratford, or 200 miles to Bushey Park, for a match, sometimes two or three times a week. She used to go to school, have her tea, get changed, we’d travel down there to train or play, she’d sleep in the car on the way home, go to bed at midnight and up again for school the next day.
At weekends, we sometimes used to fly to Spain on Friday night and get back just in time for school on a Monday morning!
People thought we were mad, sometimes clocking up 600 miles per week. But as parents we look back and would not change anything. I often watch the training videos and matches we recorded over the years and it’s wonderful to see the progression.
Tia missed parties and going out with friends so she could train or compete. It’s not surprising that the majority of Tia’s friends are in sport. Julie and myself have often discussed with Tia her thoughts and feelings about being so young and competing at such a high level, but we always encouraged a balanced approach.
Tia mostly drinks water and avoids tea, coffee and alcohol (almost all the time!). At home, she eats healthily and cooks her own food. She goes to clubs sometimes, of course; she’s a teenager and it’s important she does that and experienced a few hangovers.
I used to be a swimming coach and I saw many girls hit 16, find other distractions and drop out of the sport. Tia never did that. We’ve taken steps to protect her mental health and sport in itself has been a great way for her to release energy and emotional stress.
Gail Emms (the Olympic silver medal-winning badminton player) was instrumental in assisting us with Tia’s mental match preparation. Gail publicly discusses mental health in sport and that is something we monitor very closely with Tia.
Tia is a very calm and chilled-out person. When she was younger, she showed no emotions whether she won or lost, earning her the nickname ‘Poker Face’. Nevertheless, she is very competitive and passionate about padel and women’s sports in general. She trains hard on court and in the gym and promotes padel at every given opportunity.
I have always told Tia and our son Jamieson (who was scouted by the Craig McDermott International Cricket Academy in Brisbane) that, first and foremost, sport is about having fun. It can also be cruel, thrilling and capture all the emotions.
I have always said to Tia and Jamieson, ‘Go out and give 100%, fight for every ball, respect your opponents and enjoy yourself, in training and matches.’ If I felt they didn’t do that, I would be honest with them.
I’m sure as every parent will agree, there is nothing more rewarding than watching your children compete and perform. We are fortunate to have had over 14 years sharing in the excitement, thrills, laughs and tears, travelling to some beautiful counties and countries and meeting some wonderful people. That has far outweighed the cost of it all.
Now Tia’s mostly living and competing away from home, we miss the involvement. She travels everywhere on her own now. We watch every match that’s streamed and text before every match with encouragement. We were delighted to travel to Tampa this week to watch her final group game in the North American Pro Padel League, but sadly we had to fly back just before the semi-final.
Tia has been fortunate to have been trained by some of the best coaches in the world, competed with some wonderful partners and played against some of the best players in the world, and we are really looking forward to seeing what the future holds for her.
I think what she has achieved at such a young age is extraordinary and we couldn’t be prouder parents.”
