Femme Open staged its first ever junior event last weekend with 18 girls introduced to padel at The Padel Hub in Slough.
With young people’s participation in sport across the board on the decline – particularly amongst older girls – Femme Open’s innovative intervention is well timed and much needed.
The girls, aged between eight and 20, were on court for two hours to learn new skills, make new friends and have fun. They all received a famous Femme goody bag and joined in a padel clinic run by Sylvie Darrieumerlou and Pep Stonor.
Pep Stonor, who runs Femme Open UK, told The Padel Paper: “Last year, we were approached by several parents of girls asking us how to get their girls playing padel or meet other girls playing so we decided to test the waters and put on an event during half term.
“We booked two courts and by the time of the event, we had 18 girls and needed four courts, which exceeded all our expectations. We felt it was essential to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where the girls felt comfortable and understood.
“We now need to put a plan in place to provide more of these opportunities for girls in padel. Hopefully it also inspires venues across the country to think about how to create opportunities for girls to play padel in their clubs.”
The event was advertised on social media and through Berkshire Tennis. Not only did some girls taste padel for the first time, but other more experienced young players got the rare chance to play another girl of their own age.
Elizabeth Velacott, 10, said: “It was a really fun event with great coaching. Hopefully it will inspire more girls to play padel.”
Sophie Gavin, 8, added: “I had a great day. I loved it and made some new friends.”
Sylvie Darrieumerlou, who ran the event along with Pep, said: “It was fantastic to see so many young women taking part, enjoying themselves no matter what their level was. Let’s keep doing more of these events!”
Read more: Femme Open celebrate a year of empowering women through padel
