Stratford Padel Club has become one of the first in the UK to hire a padel apprentice, with 17-year-old Lucas Burgess joining their seven-strong coaching team.
Lucas, who is a member of the LTA’s GB Junior Padel Development squad and competes in LTA Grade 3 tournaments, has played at Stratford Padel Club for four years.
Having cut his A-level studies short in his lower-sixth year, Lucas and his mum Angela approached Stratford with the suggestion of recruiting the teenager on a Community Activator Coach apprenticeship.
Sam Mole, Stratford PC’s Business Development Manager (pictured above, right), was delighted to oblige. He now mentors Lucas, and the teenager also supports coach Dylan du Plooy (above, left) in delivering coaching sessions for juniors and beginners.
“We’re totally committed to Lucas’s development,” Sam told The Padel Paper. “I’ve played against him in tournaments so have always recognised that he is a promising young player. It’s a great opportunity to support his journey as a player and a coach.
“He is a really good lad who wants to learn. It’s a mutually beneficial employment where we’re helping Lucas get the support, training and environment he needs to progress, and in a couple of years, he will be an experienced, qualified adult professional coach with a solid idea of how to run programmes and operate a club.
“Every day I see improvement in what Lucas is delivering in lessons, under supervision from our other coaches. It’s only going to go one way, which is really exciting for all of us.”
Sam says Lucas’s apprenticeship is timely to help fulfil a need for home-grown padel coaches at Stratford Padel Club and across the UK. Even with its nine courts, the East London club often struggles to meet demand.
He said: “As the sport continues to balloon in terms of popularity, there’s a shortage of coaching expertise. Brexit hasn’t helped as it prevents clubs from bringing coaches over from the continent, unless they already have a visa or a right to work here. There’s a massive gap there in terms of homegrown coaches and taking on Lucas as an apprentice can start to address that.”
Lucas commented: “I’ve enjoyed the role so far and I’m learning every day, helping Dylan with kids’ and beginners’ sessions. I can feel myself getting better each day and my confidence is improving.”
