Leading padel tutor Toby Bawden says there is “frustration” among hundreds of would-be padel coaches who are waiting impatiently to become qualified – but has sympathy with the LTA over its long-awaited roll-out of coaching courses.
London-based Bawden has delivered eight LTA ‘Intro to Padel’ CPD (continuous professional development) courses this year to over 100 people wanting to become accredited coaches and play their part in growing the sport.
Most are existing tennis or squash coaches who want to expand their skillset and experience and ‘ride the wave’ of thousands of people desperate to take part in this trendy, accessible new pursuit.
But the ‘Intro to Padel’ course is, in driving parlance, akin to a ‘provisional licence’. Roll-out of the five-day LTA Padel Instructor course is set for early 2023 after four pilot courses took place this year. It will equip those looking to deliver high-quality group lessons for adults and juniors.
Bawden, who we featured in our Industry Profile series in June, has coached and tutored in padel for seven years, and has encountered much impatience among attendees in his classes wanting to progress up the chain.
“It’s definitely an interesting topic at the moment,” he said. “Padel’s growth is huge but the coaching element has got to catch up – it really has. There’s frustration that people want to coach, but are having to wait.”
However, on the flip side, he understands the governing body’s need to be diligent in ensuring coaches are of sufficient skill, quality and experience before they are unleashed on the padel-playing public.
Bawden tells the story of a Level 4 tennis coach who attended a recent ‘Intro to Padel’ course at the National Tennis Centre in Littlehampton.
He recalls: “This coach couldn’t understand why he couldn’t go up the ladder quicker – but the problem is, it’s a different sport! There is a misapprehension that just because padel is an easy sport to pick up, it’s also an easy sport to coach.
“I think some need to invest time learning to play the game. Should I just be given a squash coaching qualification? Of course not, because I’ve never really played it. I have been a player and coach for many years, and mastering both is an ongoing process. I spent a lot of time in Spain learning the padel craft.”
Bawden runs padel equipment retailer Drop Shot UK, online shop Padel Corner and court construction company Hexa Padel. He also coaches at Sandy Furquharson’s The Padel School – so he knows the industry better than most.
He says: “Padel is obviously a boom sport now which everyone is talking about. A lot of people are getting very excited and wanting to join the party as a coach – but there’s no fast-track to becoming experienced in something.
“On the LTA’s behalf, I can definitely see both sides to the argument. Their other issue is there is currently a lack of competent tutors who can deliver these courses. We all wish the qualifications had been delivered earlier, but in fairness, it does take time for the infrastructure around them to be developed.”
As of two years ago, France had 780 padel courts (likely over 1,000 by now) – yet they have only just launched their own padel coach education qualifications. The sport is very nascent and the LTA is not the only association trying to keep up with the pace of growth.
Bawden says there are unratified padel coach education courses out there that prospective coaches can enrol in – but official governing body courses will come with an assurance of quality.
“It’s easy to say the LTA aren’t doing enough,” he states, “but they know it’s crucial to produce a good, in-depth course that is tough to pass. That’s only going to be better for the sport in the long-term.
“I understand and share the frustration, but we don’t want people who’ve done an unaccredited two-day course calling themselves a coach. That’s not good for those just coming into the game.”
