Padel Activators: the women bringing players back to court

Between a first session and a habit

A first session does not tell us whether someone will come back. That gap between discovery and habit is precisely what the Women’s Padel Activator Pilot Programme aims to address. Announced on 8 September 2026 by Empower Padel and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), it relies on women and young women to introduce their communities to padel and help participants move towards regular play.

Here, the name ‘Padel Activator’ describes a role in bringing people into the game. The announcement describes people creating opportunities to play and supporting newcomers. It does not state that every Activator holds a coaching qualification.

Giving discovery a follow-up

The pilot plans new activities at Padel Stars Basildon, Padel4All Eastbourne and Pure Padel Lightwater. According to the LTA, it also builds on established weekly initiatives in Slough, Fleet, Bracknell and Maidenhead. University activities and a festival for players aged 16–24 form part of the programme.

Repeated opportunities to meet fit the stated aim. An introductory session can put a racket in someone’s hand; regular organisation offers a chance to meet a group again. On its own website, Empower Padel explains that it organises events connecting players of similar abilities, from beginners to more experienced women.

The story lies in that work of connecting people: how to invite someone, bring a group together and arrange a next date. The precise arrangements still need to be documented with an Activator at her venue.

Counting those who return

The four-month pilot sets three targets: 1,000 unique participants, 500 repeat participants and 200 regular monthly players. Empower Padel will track participation and retention to identify approaches that work over time.

These are targets, not achieved results. The definitions and any overlap between the categories still require clarification: they do not necessarily represent three separate groups.

Their value is in making a less spectacular stage than an event launch visible: returning. An evaluation should establish how many participants played again, and under what conditions.

Participants can also become organisers

The programme builds on Empower Padel’s work since its founding in September 2024 by Pep Stonor to help women and girls start, stay in or return to sport through padel.

The LTA also reports that fifteen young women aged 16–24 completed LTA Activator training at the Next Generation Festival on 1 September 2026. The festival recorded 80 registrations; that figure is not a verified attendance count.

The approach links participation with the possibility of taking an organising role. The individual pathways and the place of technical coaching deserve further reporting with those involved.

To take this story further, an organiser and a player who returned after her first session could explain what made that second meeting possible.