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How padel is making social impact

Padel has quickly become one of the fastest-growing sports in the Netherlands and abroad. But padel is more than a game with a racket and a ball. It is a low-threshold, social and accessible sport that is increasingly used to achieve social goals. Whether it is about health, inclusiveness, vitality or raising awareness of important issues: padel really makes a difference in society.

In this blog, you will read how padel creates social impact, what initiatives already exist and how clubs and organisations can contribute to this themselves.

Padel connects generations and backgrounds
One of padel's greatest strengths is its accessibility. Anyone can play it - young or old, beginner or experienced athlete. Due to the relatively simple game and the small playing field, the basic rules are quickly mastered. This makes padel ideal for bringing people of different ages, backgrounds and levels together.

Clubs find that members often bring their families to learn about padel, and companies use it for team building as colleagues get to know each other in an informal way. This creates connection, not only on the court, but also off it.

Padel encourages a healthy lifestyle
Sport and exercise are indispensable for a healthy society. Padel lowers the threshold to get moving: it is not extremely physically demanding, but intensive enough to build fitness, strengthen muscle and reduce stress. Moreover, padel is social - players make new contacts more easily, which has a positive effect on mental health.

More and more municipalities and schools are discovering padel as a means of getting residents and students active in a fun, approachable way.

Inclusiveness: a sport for all
Whereas some sports require a high technical or physical entry level, padel is accessible to almost everyone. Even people with less sports experience or a disability can often join in perfectly thanks to the adaptable level. As a result, padel is increasingly used for social sports projects, for instance in districts with few sports facilities or for target groups that find it harder to get moving.

Raising awareness through campaigns such as the #pinkmovement by adidas
Padel is also used to create awareness around social issues. A great example of this is the #pinkmovement by adidas, a campaign in partnership with Allesvoorpadel and AFP Courts.

In this campaign, padel was used as a tool to draw attention to breast cancer and to get women on the court more. Thus, pink padel courts were built, special events were organised and part of the proceeds went to Pink Ribbon. Besides the sporting aspect, this project brought players, clubs and sponsors together for a good cause - a powerful example of how sport can contribute to social impact.

This campaign showed that padel is not only fun, but can inspire, connect and add social value.

Padel as a tool for businesses and civil society organisations
Companies are also discovering padel as a tool to make their employees more vital, build lasting relationships and support social projects. Think of:

Employee vitality programmes, where padel is a regular feature
Corporate tournaments where proceeds go to charity

Thus, padel contributes not only to individual health, but also to social cohesion in the neighbourhood and the strengthening of local initiatives.

Padel as a local meeting place
Clubs and padel venues are much more than just a place to play sports. They act as meeting places for the neighbourhood. People have a drink together after a game, watch others or participate in events. This makes padel venues ideal for social activities, neighbourhood initiatives or joint events.

With its growing popularity, there are more and more times when sport can be used to connect people - think open days, introductory clinics for new target groups or tournaments for local charities.

Conclusion: padel as an engine for connection and change
Padel is not just a sport. It is a means to get people moving - physically, socially and socially. Through initiatives such as the #pinkmovement by adidas, local inclusion projects and social events, we see how padel can be a connecting factor in our society.