Pacific Beach YMCA’s long-term buildout just keeps getting better as a pair of new world-class padel tennis courts have just been added to the mix.
In April, the PB YMCA celebrated the first phase of a shared venture with San Diego Unified School District, hosting a “ribbon tying” to debut its new joint-occupancy turf field surrounded by a track. The new field is striped for multiple sports including soccer, field hockey and girls and boys lacrosse.
Enter now two brilliant-blue, state-of-the-art, wall-enclosed padel tennis courts, about a third the size of a standard tennis court, located immediately behind the YMCA’s outdoor fitness facility.
“It’s the fastest-growing sport in Europe and Latin America and we’re bringing it to Pacific Beach,” said PB YMCA executive director Michael Roberts.
Noting these are presently the “only” padel courts in Southern California south of Los Angeles, Roberts added, “Our plan is to double our impact in the next five years, and to bring a sport like this to the YMCA that doesn’t exist anywhere else allows us to do that.”
Invented in Acapulco, Mexico by Enrique Corcuera in 1969, padel tennis combines action, fun and social interaction for players of all ages and skills that’s easy to learn. Adapted from tennis, the padel court is two-thirds smaller, the net is lower and is played by doubles-only enclosed within glass walls.
“It’s a mixture really of racquetball and tennis,” said padel instructor Armando Rodiel. “With two people you can cover the surface pretty well, and it’s less fast than racquetball or squash when you play. And, there’s long rallies because the ball doesn’t go out so much, as you can play off the walls.”
Added Rodiel,” The important thing about padel is that it’s a very social sport.”
Rodiel said padel tennis is even adaptable for those with disabilities who can play the sport in wheelchairs.
Padel player Mario Scade noted the sport’s tennis ball is less pressurized, and that the courts have sand on them to help make the balls bounce better. He pointed to the padel racquet, which is thick fiberglass but still lightweight, with holes in it to divert stress away from the wrist and elbow.
Roberts said both padel courts are open daily and operated on a fee-based system. He noted lessons for beginners are also available.
Future phases of the YMCA-SDUSD partnership will include: construction of a new two-story, 26-classroom building; improvements to existing buildings; relocation of school administration offices, renovation of the food service area, and three new classroom/innovation spaces in the library media center; campuswide upgrades to security, fire alarm, data and communication infrastructure.
