A padel club in Deal, Kent, has been recognized as the top club in the region by the Lawn Tennis Association Kent. The Play Padel Club transformed unused tennis courts into a thriving venue since opening in 2023. Founder Erik-Jelle de Wit highlighted the community's role in this achievement.
The Play Padel Club, located in Victoria Park near Tides Leisure Centre in Deal, has earned the LTA Kent club of the year award for its efforts in promoting the sport and engaging the local community. The site, previously described as “dull and unwanted” tennis courts unused for eight years, was repurposed in 2023 into three padel courts.
Erik-Jelle de Wit, the club's founder, expressed pride in the recognition as the club enters its second season. “We are incredibly proud to receive the LTA Kent club of the year award as we enter our second season,” he said. “When we opened, many people in Kent had never heard of padel. To see the sport flourish across the region is fantastic. This award belongs to our entire community - our members, our team, and everyone who has stepped onto a court and given padel a try.”
Padel, often called the world’s fastest-growing sport, combines elements of tennis and squash. It is typically played in doubles on enclosed courts where the ball can bounce off the walls. Celebrities including Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, and Emmanuel Macron have adopted the game. In Kent, venues now exist in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, and Whitstable, with a new project underway in Ramsgate.
Since opening, the Deal club has seen over 3,000 bookings, including more than 1,000 unique players in the past month, a quarter of whom were new to padel. De Wit, who launched his first club in London in 2012 and another in Amsterdam in 2015, emphasized affordability and accessibility. “We will continue to offer affordable padel to the community. We believe padel is for the people and have been building clubs for 10 plus years. This is why we stay local, offer free racquet hire, free introduction sessions, school programmes and hire local staff,” he added.
Short-term plans focus on enhancing facilities with better toilets, showers, and changing rooms, possibly including a sauna or cold plunge. While exploring expansion in Kent, de Wit stressed prioritizing local growth. “However, it is our core belief that we still have loads to do in Deal, and continue to grow our local club. If in five years we still only have one club, it would have been for the right reasons,” he noted. The club will mark its two-year anniversary in May.
