Why should you play padel in Valencia?
1) Burn some calories while having fun
Spain is famous for its food and it would be a crime not to enjoy paella, tapas and all of the other delicious cuisine that is available. Luckily, you can burn loads of calories while playing padel! Even though it’s a relatively low intensity, it’s a full body workout and you’ll forget that you are exercising while sprinting towards a drop shot or scrambling to win a crucial point.
2) Play Padel Outdoors
If you come from a country in Northern Europe, your only realistic choice will be to play padel indoors. Valencia has some amazing outdoor courts, so you’ll be able to work on your tan at the same time as enjoying the sport. With 300 sunny days per year, you’d be pretty unlucky to be here on a rainy day, but don’t worry because there are great indoor courts too.
3) Meet New Friends in Valencia
Padel is an amazing sport and I’ve found that it is one of the best ways to make new friends. Generally, you’ll be playing doubles, so you’ll be meeting 3 other people. Unlike some other sports, the ranking system allows you to easily find games of the right level (even with strangers) and always remember to go for a drink after the game to talk about the best and worst shots from the game that you’ve just played.
4) Gain Confidence
One of the great things about trying padel is that it’s pretty easy to pick up. It’s pretty likely that you’ll improve a lot in your first match and when you hit your first unreturnable serve, hit a winning volley or smash, you’ll feel incredible!
5) Learn Spanish in Valencia while Playing Padel
Padel actually began in Mexico, so it’s one of the few sports that uses Spanish to name the different shots that are used in the game. After a few games, you’ll be using words like bandeja (tray), vibora (viper) and bajada (descent) to describe your shots even if you have almost no Spanish. It’s a great way of practicing numbers too and if you already have some Spanish skills, then you can practice them in the post match drinks.