Ryde Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club has announced plans to make a significant investment in the burgeoning sport of Padel. This hybrid of tennis and squash has been gaining popularity worldwide, and the club is eager to introduce it to the Isle of Wight.
The club intends to construct the Island’s first pair of all-weather Padel courts, seeking funding from various sources such as Sports England, the Lawn Tennis Association, and internal fundraising efforts. The anticipated cost is approximately £150,000, and the club aims to seamlessly integrate this new amenity with its current offerings to attract a broader audience and retain its current members.
In addition to appealing to new members, the club also foresees Padel as a potential transitional sport for some of its older participants who may find traditional tennis too physically demanding. There is optimism that the inclusion of Padel could lead to an increase in revenue, facilitating the club’s plans to build the Isle of Wight’s first purpose-built indoor tennis facility.
The proposed Padel courts have been carefully designed to harmonize with the club’s existing site and will feature integrated floodlights. The club is hopeful that this development will not only confer health and wellbeing benefits upon its members, but also ensure that its facilities remain at the highest standards.
The club is encouraging community members to review the plans on the council’s planning register and provide feedback before the April 26 deadline.
It is heartening to witness the Island tennis club embracing a new and exciting sporting trend. The potential introduction of Padel to the Isle of Wight could potentially present numerous opportunities for the local sporting community, and it is commendable to observe the club’s dedication to offering cutting-edge facilities for its members.
The possible progression to phase two, which involves the construction of an indoor tennis facility, demonstrates the club’s dedication to ongoing improvement and innovation. With the promise of health and wellbeing benefits for the community, the addition of Padel courts could be a transformative development for the Isle of Wight’s sporting landscape.