Fifty of the UK’s top young padel players joined LTA coaches and GB international Frankie Langan for two inspiring National Junior Performance Camps.
Camps for U14s and U18s were held over two days, with National Ladies’ Captain Libby Fletcher and LTA Padel Manager Steve Yeardley leading the sessions. They were joined by British No.7 Frankie who was on hand to offer his expertise to British padel’s next generation.
The event at The Padel Club’s new venue in Gloucester marked the third Junior Performance Camp of the year, with a fourth one scheduled to take place in mid-December.
“This weekend’s junior camps were another huge success with over 50 players aged 11–18 attending”, Fletcher said. “It’s obvious that the players are working hard at their venues and the improvements in their padel skills were clear to see from our last camp.”
National Junior Performance camps provide the country’s top young players with game-based coaching that they might not currently be exposed to at a local level.
Drawing on some of the skills that are being showcased on court at the elite level, the sessions were packed with a variety of drills including where to hit the wall, working together as a team and effectively approaching the net.
GB men’s padel player Frankie – part of the British team that competed at the European Padel Championships in Sardinia in August – shared first-hand experience of competing at the top flight of the sport, having played on the Cupra FIP Tour since early 2023.
He advised juniors on how different environments and locations affect how you should approach match play, as well as other tools they’ll be able to carry forward in their development. “Being asked to support the National Junior Performance Camps was incredible,” Langan said. “It’s a super exciting time to see the next generation of talented padel players shining through in Great Britain. The future is certainly looking bright.”
The camps were hosted at The Padel Club’s brand-new facility at Gloucester Quays – a state-of-the-art padel venue that opened its doors at the beginning of October. Home to nine high-specification courts and a vast social space to encourage players to relax and socialise, the venue was a prime location for the junior camps.
Kris Ball, CEO of the Padel Club, added: “We’re deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of junior players, so it was a privilege to host the Great Britain Junior Performance Camps at our new Gloucester Quays venue. It was a joy to welcome such a high calibre of talent and contribute to the development of these promising young athletes.”
