My Spanish Love Affair

It’s time to come clean. Recently my discipline to write regular blog posts has eluded me and I’m feeling guilty. What’s to blame? Padel. Estoy enamorada.

What is Padel?

When I tell people here in Spain that I’m playing “padel” they know exactly what I’m talking about, but when I tell family and friends back home they are left confused. I didn’t even know the sport existed because it doesn’t in the USA, save a few places like LA, Miami, and Houston. So first, I’ll tell you what “padel” (and the spelling is important) is not. It is not: tennis, squash, racquetball, ping pong, pickleball, platform tennis, matkot, badminton, or paddle tennis (thus the importance of the spelling). “Padel” is a sport distinct from any racket sport I’d ever known before moving to Javea.

Phenomenal Ferrer

When we moved to Javea we soon discovered that our small coastal town’s claim to fame was raising one of the top tennis players in the world: David Ferrer. You can’t enter the town without seeing his face on billboards - for real estate or pool installation (his parent’s business), or enter local bars without seeing a signed racket or jersey hanging on the wall. The Ferrer family took over the Club de Tenis some years ago and created the Academia Tenis Ferrer to develop competitive young players and it is run by his brother, Javier. David comes home when he’s not traveling the world competing, and I will never forget when I brought the kids to tennis practice one day and he was training on the court next to them (Volly won’t either because she was so starstruck she accidently walked into a pole). Often we go out to eat and see his family at the same restaurants (Javea is small). I drive past his humble home near the pueblo daily. Yesterday he was at the club training while Volly was at practice and I shamelessly ignored my daughter and took this video:

For those who don’t know me well, I will tell you that tennis has a been a huge part of my life. My grandfather was a well-known girls tennis coach in Edina MN, later USPTA pro and my mom followed in his footsteps. Both of my parents coached me and my sister in highschool, it was the family sport. I played college tennis at the University of MN Duluth and during those summers I worked as a tennis instructor at one of the best summer camps in the midwest “Tennis and Life Camps”- which I had attended as a camper myself. Tennis is in my blood.

I arrived in Javea with no job, no friends, and lots of time. I thought that tennis would be my “in” to make new friends and enjoy myself. When I went to the ‘Club de Tenis’ and attempted (through broken Spanish) to explain that I was interested in joining a women’s tennis league, I was told that this didn’t exist. Certain it was a language barrier, I had a friend (with good Spanish) inquire but only to confirm the bad news: No women my age competitively play tennis here, they play padel.

Padel is THE Sport To Play

This was really disappointing news for me, especially with all the Ferrer hype! How could it be? I checked out the padel courts at the Club de Tenis and noted that they are a smaller version of a tennis court (one-third the size) without alleys, and are enclosed by glass (or stucco) walls towards the baseline. The sides are partially surrounded by walls and the rest by fencing. I watched it played by four players with weird looking “padels” and upon first impression, I thought it looked silly and skill-less compared to tennis. I noticed simplified strokes with lots of slice and not much physical movement required. The style of the padels looked different enough from tennis rackets (short, thick, round with holes) that it would require significant time and effort to get accustomed.

Since our plan was to live in Javea for only one year, I decided that I didn’t want to invest in this new sport, no matter how popular it was. Instead, I dedicated my time to surf and SUP (which you can’t do year round back home) and fell in love with spin classes at the gym- totally different than MN spin- I’m talking black lights, music so loud you can’t talk, and lots whooping - a proper fiesta. However, my friend Angel convinced me to try padel, saying that if I was a tennis player, I was going to love it. I played once and realized that my tennis skills were relatively transferable to the game and I could play somewhat competitively. He was right. It was fun.

My Journey

When we decided that we were going to stay at least one more year in Javea, I told my husband that I wanted to give Padel a try. After all, it would be a cultural experience if it’s what all the Spaniards are into. Why not dive in!? I signed up for a weekly lesson at the Escuela Padel Ferrer in September and it has slowly taken over my life. No exaggeration.

I’ve “been in the game” now for about six months and have found a large community of players so much so that if I wanted to, or was able to, I could play a match every single day of the week. In six months I’ve learned a montón (heaps)- strategy of the game, new strokes, and the most difficult adjustment - how to play off the back walls and use the fences as an offensive strategy. I’ve spent six months un-learning a lot of tennis fundamentals (hopefully they aren’t gone forever) and I’ve developed a solid game. My strengths in tennis- quick hands, slice, and finesse serve me well in padel and I’ve surprised this community of players at how fast I’ve improved in such a short period of time.

But being “good” and winning is not what it’s all about of course!!! (Although I'm sure winning helps solicit invitations to play). What has been so meaningful about immersing myself in this new sport and community is that it has totally changed my experience living in Spain. Because this sport is specific to Spain (and South America) there are few foreigners (at least English speaking) like myself who have managed penetrate the padel scene. It’s been the first time living here where I have felt complete immersion (besides autoescuela). When I go to play, mainly at indoor courts in Pedreguer (a neighboring town) I have no English crutches and me he metido con los españoles completemente. They make me feel accepted and I have found an identity amongst similar people which is incredibly gratifying.

La Liga & El Equipo

I found a partner who I really love and we’ve been playing in a league for the past couple months. We are undefeated and play against the other undefeated pair tonight… at 21:00pm. UGH. Of course in Spain matches go late into the evening, long after my bedtime, and it’s totally normal. At Padel Covert in Pedreguer we play more or less in a warehouse which has four courts and nothing else besides a desk to pay the €5 court fee and if you want, hang out and drink beer (God, I love Spain). There is nothing pretentious about this facility which is situated inconspicuously in an industrial park, however, it seems like the place to hang out. Everybody is friendly and it’s a lively scene between animated players on the courts and spectators watching while they have a drink. It never ceases to surprise me how loud it can get in there with men yelling in frustration “¡Que rabia!” or “¡Coño!” or “¡Me cago en todo” when they make an error. What cracks me up the most though are the girls, like sweet red haired Inma, expressing their frustrations that, when I translate in my head, I can’t help but burst out laughing: “I shit in your bitch of the mother!” “Cunt!” “Whores!”- terribly fouled mouthed rants but all playful and well… Spanish. (If you’ve read my blog about swearing these phrases don’t carry the same weight in Spanish as they do in English).

I also was invited to play on the women’s Padel team for the Escuela Padel Ferrer in the Club de Tenis in Javea and I even made the “A” team. I was really nervous during my first match last Saturday in Denia as I wanted to prove I was up to this level of play. I was relieved when my partner and I pulled off a 6-4, 6-1 win! (scoring is the same as tennis) Atope! More interestingly, though, I found out that after the match the routine is to have beers outside at the club cafe with the other team. A few of the players even had a cigarette, something that would be so taboo in the US, but I find it amusing (I’ve also seen Spaniards finish running a half marathon then light up).

Pinch Me

My new teammate and friend, Laura, has a private court on her hilltop estate which overlooks Javea and the Mediterranean. I’m lucky enough to get invited to play there often and I’ve had countless “pinch me moments” on that court. When I’m there I’m always in good company, speaking Spanish, and playing a fun game, but for me, it’s more. I find myself consciously breathing the fresh, fragrant air deep into my nostrils, observing unique details of colorful tropical plants in the surrounding gardens, tuning my ears into the faint crowing of roosters nearby, and glancing between plays at the vast blue horizon dotted with white sailboats and occasional cargo ship cruising by slowly. And this is all REAL I have to tell myself. I’m ACTUALLY playing padel with my Spanish friends while overlooking Mediterranean sea views that couldn’t be more stunning. In these moments I feel so alive and promise myself to never forget every little detail.

Tennis and Life

Tennis has taught me so much about how to face what life presents you. It is a tough mental game and I’m sure that has served me in all aspects of life, especially in this case of learning a new sport and making myself vulnerable in the beginning. I’m so grateful for the gift of tennis in my life which I’ve realized continues to “serve” me mainly through all of the amazing people I meet and the lifelong friendships I’ve obtained. I can’t help but think of my high school, UMD teammates, and fellow TLC instructors when I play padel because I know they would all love this sport as well. It’s a shame that it hasn’t gained more popularity in the states!

All About The Game of Padel

For those of you who are curious about the game I’ll share what I know:

As it turns out padel is THE sport to play in Spain and has grown a ton in the last decade while

The padel I use

interest/participation in tennis is diminishing. Why is it so popular? It took me a while to figure this one out, but after falling in love with the game I get it.

• 1) It is much easier to play than tennis: If you’ve had even a little experience in racket sports you can pick it up quickly without having out having extensive knowledge of technique.
• 2) It is cheap: Since the financial crisis people don’t have a lot to spend, and you can buy a basic padel for €40 euros. To rent the court it’s €3-5 for an hour and a half.
• 3) It’s not physically demanding: At least for entry level players
• 4) Social relationships: Because it requires four people, it’s more interesting, fun and social.
• 5) It’s played outside in the fresh air: Although indoor courts are available and popular as well.

The physicality of the sport changes once you reach a competitive level and I find myself worked after a match! After struggling to put my finger on exactly why it is so addicting I've decided it's because it can be really fast at times and you’re always trying to get to the net to win the point. The walls and fence, which I really struggled with at first, make it exciting because you can play off them creating interesting bounces/spins. The points also can last forever! Just went you think it’s over, the ball comes back over the net. For example, somebody could whiff at an overhead but still recover and play it off the back wall! The balls look the same as tennis balls but are different and the scoring is the same. Check out the video of what a padel can look like below:

In conclusion, if you want to experience Spain beyond the delicious wine, jamon serrano, and beautiful countryside, pick up a padel and give the sport a try because you too could fall in love.

Padel Vocabulario (My notes to myself)

La pala (paleta o raqueta)- racquet

Golpe - hit/stroke

El Remate - offensive overhead smash (like in tennis)

La Bandeja - defensive overhead, hit at medium height in front with slice, finish across your body to left shoulder - aim the ball to the center so the ball stays low and hits the wall, then recover

La Víbora - offensive, hit at eye height with more pace than bandeja always crosscourt moving through the ball towards the net, aim towards the corner so the ball sits low with spin and hits both walls

El Picado - soft overhead volly with snap of the wrist, short, into the fence (vaya) or wall (pica) within 1 meter from the fence. Use backhand grip so the ball goes crosscourt. Do not bend elbow down like on an overhead

El Resto - return

El saque- serve

La volea - volley

Bote pronto - half volley

Cortado - slice

La pared de fondo - back wall

Sarcar- to serve

Restar- to return

La pelota / bola- ball

Muro- the side fence

La red - net

Rebote - a bounce

El suelo -  césped sintético con arena

Partner- compañero or more playfully “compi”

“Buen saque” - good serve”

“Bien jugado” - well played

“No te compares con los demás. Compárate con la person que eras ayer.”